Over the last 10 months I’ve been putting a lot of time into getting my book review blog going and learning as much as I can about the self-publishing world. It might still be a while until I’m ready for that step, but when it happens I want to be as prepared as I possibly can.

Since I can’t currently use any of the information I have come across, it only makes sense to share it with people who might be able to put it to use.

WHERE TO PUBLISH

I think most people’s first instinct is to publish via Amazon; it’s what everyone is talking about and it seems to be where many of the success stories are coming from.

Yes. Publish via Amazon. But don’t JUST publish through them. I know they have their lending library and that you can only be a part of it if they have exclusive rights; but that just doesn’t sit well with me. If you have a crazy success story that stems from the lending library, please tell me and I’ll think about changing my opinion.

Though it is a great deal smaller, consider publishing through Smashwords. You won’t get the same access to readers that you will through Amazon, but you will get control. You’ll be able to generate coupon codes for specific books/specific time frames, you will be able to offer a higher commission to those promoting books via Smashwords as an incentive, you can use Smashwords as a base to promote your books on your own website, do giveaways to readers who don’t have a kindle, etc… I love the fact that they offer multiple formats; once you buy a book you can download it in; .mobi (kindle), Epub (almost everything else), .pdf, .txt, .RTF, .LRT (for older Sony readers), or you can just read it online.

As much as I enjoy my kindle, I think it is pretty silly to prevent people from reading your book if they don’t have an Amazon account.

While we’re still on the Smashwords topic; if you publish through them, they will also distribute your book to the major ebook retailers. (If you so choose.) The following is from the Smashwords website:

“As an ebook publishing and distribution platform, Smashwords will distribute your books via multiple online channels, including but not limited to the Smashwords.com web site, major online retailers (Apple iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, the Diesel eBook Store, others coming), mobile phone appvendors (Stanza on the iPhone/iPod Touch; Aldiko on Android; Kobo on all mobile platforms) and other online venues.”

For more information you can visit their Distribution Information Page. 

There are other, smaller, websites that you can sell your books on. I’ve just recently stumbled across ‘DriveThru Fantasy‘ which attracts a certain niche market. If you think your book might be a good match then you should definitely check them out. They offer incentive to publish solely through them, but they also accept books that have already been published elsewhere.

PROMOTING YOUR BOOK VIA BOOK BLOGGERS

The amount of book bloggers out there is absolutely mind boggling. At first I was a little disappointed because it meant that my own book blog was nothing new; then I decided that having so many dedicated readers out there sharing books can be nothing but fabulous.

There are bloggers who will review anything and some that focus on particular genres and niches; depending on the type of book you have written, you should search out bloggers that are the best fit for you.

Sending your book to bloggers whose focus is your genre will likely achieve the best results. You can’t guarantee a good review, but if you believe your book is good enough then it is a risk worth taking. It is free promotion which requires you to do little more than offer the blogger a copy of your book. (Smashwords coupon codes make this super easy.) Many book bloggers will also be willing to do author interviews, guest posts, host giveaways for your books… etc..

(**Warning** Shameless plug about to commence: My ebook review blog “Ebook Apothecary” is always open to new authors. I have no problem being contacted by indie authors and as long as their book is within my chosen genres I will happily test it out. For more information on how it works, check out my author information page.)

You may need to do nothing more than submit your book and wait. Other book bloggers will require you to be more involved in the process, it depends entirely on how they do things. Just remember that they don’t have to review your book and for many of them there is little to no profit in it.

OTHER AVENUES TO SHARE YOUR BOOK

There are many websites, Facebook pages, etc… that focus on a type of book, a certain format, books within a particular price range…and so on. Find some that match your book and see if they are willing to spread the word. (Some are free, some are not.) Being a successful indie author takes dedication, don’t be afraid to shout from the rooftops!

The Kindle Lovers Facebook Page shares… Kindle ebooks! If you are published on Kindle and want a little extra publicity you can submit your book to them. Whether they feature it or not is their prerogative. They have over 38,000 followers, so a promotion by them would be nothing to sneer at! (If you do send something to them, I’d love to know how it works out for you!) 

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Alright, there you have it; my ideas for today. If you would like me to expand on any of the ideas here, just let me know and I’ll see what I can do!

See you soon!