How to promote your writing — ten top tips

So, you finally polished the oeuvre and have sent it winging on its way… How do you get the most response in terms of feedback and sales? Checkout these 10 tips on how to promote your writing. This will get you started.

1. Dedicated web space. If you self published you will need dedicated web space to host your writing, reviews, bios and ideas. If you published through a publisher such as mardibooks, we give all our writers web space and blog space to update and use to promote their work. Any quality publisher will provide you with this free of charge as part of their service to you. If you are a lone wolf, you should consider the free web design options available and create a simple website for yourself. Remember this needs to be fed regularly with new posts and optimised. Use a search engine to find out about easy to create websites for beginners and how to optimise your site without having to spend too much money. Alternatively week out a webmaster of your own to design and optimise your site on an on going basis.

2. Publishing platform…if you published through Amazon, you will have access to Author Central and should set up your bio there.

3. Search review sites such as Goodreads and post your book up there. Review other books and request other writers share the favour.

4. Join Linkedin and search for the various writing communities. Post on their sites and join in the topical conversations. Share wisely and widely.

5. Set up a Twitter account for you as a writer and for your book. Link it to Twitter groups with similar interests and build audience by tweeting and sharing your memes and ideas.

6. Put your book cover and related images up on Pinterest and Instagram. Use these accounts to share your writing ideas and memes. Remember that social media works by reciprocal actions and audiences become bored by pressure and advertising. You need to create awareness, interest and desire in your readers…so they take action and read and review your work and buy your book.

7. Facebook. Set up an account for you as a writer and promote your work. Create an online Facebook launch and invite your friends for a group chat and celebration of your work. Offer free excerpts or raffle a copy on line as part of your launch event. Keep it up-to-date and fresh so you build audience.

8. Email the local press, libraries, schools, radio and TV stations and offer your services as a newly published author to do a free event for them, supporting the local community. This can be online or in real life.

9. Visit your local charities and offer to run an open mic event in conjunction with a local bar or restaurant. Everyone likes free entertainment. You will be benefiting your local writing and performing community as well as local audiences. Split the rewards between the venue and the charity.

10. Take a stall at local book fares and village fetes etc. Run writing workshops and build your name locally.

All of this takes lots of time as well as money so you may of course be better placed to look at the options from publishing platforms such as Mardibooks. We have done all the above for free with our writers over the past 7 years…

Working together as a writing community and networking your books with others is our model as a publisher. We are here to support, share and create…Join us at one of our events or workshops or drop us a line to see how we can best help you.