How to Build Your Author Profile Without Breaking the Bank
Now your book is for sale it’s time to set to work on boosting your sales. If you’re like most self-published authors, I’m guessing you don’t have a huge marketing/advertising budget, right? Me neither.
That’s why I thought I’d share some ideas with you today to help you build your author profile without having to remortgage your house to pay for Facebook ads.
1. Talk to People Online
Yes, I know this means ‘networking’ but that sounds too formal, too staged and too scary to me. But if you look at it from the perspective of chatting with people who are interested in your specialist subject (if you’re a non-fiction writer) or your genre (if you’re a fiction author) then you’ve already broken the ice. There are many fabulous Facebook groups for readers and writers, try searching for them. There are a few spammy ones too, so don’t be afraid to unlike/unfollow the ones which don’t feel right for you.
As well as joining these groups, there are also lots of Facebook groups for authors where they offer free book promotions, if not 24/7, then at least once a week. Again, be picky over which ones you join and/or stay with. Use your judgement as to whether they’re a good fit for you, your author reputation and your book.
2. Mingle with People in the Real World
Again, let’s steer clear of sitting around a table at breakfast time with a bunch of strangers and pitching… yikes! Instead, let’s focus on going to literary events, book festivals –search for them online.
Try this link from Penguin Publishers: https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2019/jan/literary-festivals-for-book-lovers-2019/ and you’ll be surprised how many there are. I’m lucky enough to live close to the beautiful city of Durham where there’s a fabulous Book Festival held each October.
Find out more here: https://www.thisisdurham.com/whats-on/durham-book-festival-2019-p760311
While these events aren’t a springboard, generally, to being discovered by some big shot movie director, or a New York/Paris/London literary agent, they do provide an opportunity to listen to successful authors talk about their books, how they learnt their craft, honed their storytelling skills, and lots more.
(Watch out… you might even get a little starstruck if your favourite author’s there!) You also get the chance to mingle with plenty of like-minded writers, authors, bloggers, readers etc, and indulge in your passion for once. Let’s face it, as writers, it can be a solitary existence, so get out from your desk, into the fresh air, and enjoy. You never know who you might bump into.
3. Write Guest Blogs for Publishing Companies and/or Other Authors
The only cost is your time, here. Look for publishing companies who ask for guest blogs (I’m always open to suggestions – message me if you’ve got a subject in mind) and/or other fellow authors – self-published or traditionally published – who will reciprocate (if you have your own website/blog).
This is a great opportunity for your name (and your book details/website) to be spread far and wide across the internet. Find a publishing website you love and/or platforms which have a ‘Write For Us’ section and make your enquiries. If you’re new to guest blogging, check out my article on 20 Easy Tips to Ensure Guest Blogging Success https://michelleemerson.co.uk/20-easy-tips-ensure-guest-blogging-success-every-time/ and if you think it’s not beneficial, then feast your eyes on another article I’ve written: https://michelleemerson.co.uk/big-beautiful-benefits-guest-blogging/
4. Write Your Own Articles
If you don’t have your own website yet, then that doesn’t mean you can’t blog. Building up your author profile on www.medium.com is a fantastic use of your time. You could also grow your reputation on www.LinkedIn.com by sharing specialist articles and making sure you share them more than once (preferably on a rotation basis over a prolonged period) on all your other social media platforms.
There are many more ways to build your author profile without having to fork out ridiculous amounts of money, and I’ll be sharing more ideas with you on this very topic soon!
Keep your eye on my blog for regular updates.
