If you want to market your book you may think Facebook is the way to go. Most authors forget that there are other ways that may be better, depending on where their target audience likes to hang out. Here are a few of the less-used strategies and methods--using these may help set you apart from the competition:
Buzz buddies - a collaboration between a group of authors who agree to promote each others’ work. You will find a useful article about this here:http://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/book_marketing_maven/2012/08/book-promotion-buddies-5-ways-for-authors-to-help-each-other-out-.htmlhttp://bookmarketingmaven.typepad.com/book_marketing_maven/2012/08/book-promotion-buddies-5-ways-for-authors-to-help-each-other-out-.html
Podcasts - these can be audio or video programs on a schedule you decide, listed on iTunes without cost. This is a video that will give you the basic facts: http://www.videojug.com/interview/podcasting-the-basics
Squidoo.com - a site where you can post expert information about any topic. Check out the site itself and also this article on how writers can use Squidoo: http://www.squidoo.com/10-ways-writers-can-use-squidoo
Reviews - if you review books in your genre for a newspaper, magazine, web site, blog, or other outlet, your name will become known to fans of that type of book. Of course reviewers are not always popular! Here’s a candid article on the art of book reviews: http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/how-to-write-good-book-reviews-when-publishers-toss-you-their-worst/
Wattpad.com. Figment.com and similar sites - Wattpad is a site on which writers post short chapters of a book, serial-style. Some have had their stories accessed millions of times and a few have landed traditional publishing deals after success on a site like this. You could released your book this way, or a spin-off from your book (e.g., a prequel). However, the main function might be to get feedback on your material before you release it in book form. This article talks about a young author who had 15 million “reads” before her book was published, and give some advice on using sites like this: http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/15-million-readers-before-her-book-was-even-published/
Experiment with different ways to reach your readers. It's not how many friends you have on Facebook that counts in this context, it's how many of them actually buy your book. You may find that using more targeted marketing strategies lead you to smaller groups but ones far more likely to become customers.
(For more on marketing your book, see Your Writing Coach, published by Nicholas Brealey and available from Amazon or your other favorite bookseller. It includes a chapter on traditional marketing and one on guerrilla marketing for the writer. I also do a very limited amount of consulting for authors who need help working out their author platform strategy. If you're interested in that, email me at jurgenwolff@gmail.com for details.)
