Cheap Ways to Promote a Book

By Cyci Cade

There are many ways to promote a book; some are very expensive and sometimes inefficient. Good and expensive advertisements aren´t equal to success, as well cheap forms to promote a book. I believe that what really works is quality.

Everybody knows that it is very expensive to publish a book. The fact is, authors and publishers don´t want to waste money, this isn´t the objective. Therefore, it is necessary to look for economical alternatives to get good results.

Honestly, I believe these five alternatives are more efficient. These ways demand more work, but you´ll get involved in the process, you´ll have control over it, and you´ll have a better feedback. 

Remember, first of all, you´ll need a website or a blog. 

1- Guest posting: writing articles, posts and flash or short stories for other blogs and magazines is a great way to divulge your name and work. People will have opportunity to know you and your work. If they like it, they´ll visit your website or blog and look for more information about you.

2- Bonus material related to the book: after editing a book, there are deleted scenes, or a different ending. You can publish them as bonus material. Colleen Houck, author of Tiger´s Curse series did it. She had written a different ending for the last book and she posted it on her blog.  

3- Flash / short stories related to your book: you can write flash or short stories related to your book to publish on your blog or other blogs and magazines. Recently, I posted a short story, The boys and the dragon; I wrote it to promote my book Dragon´s Curse. I also wrote Son of Egypt to promote two new books.  

4- Literary contests: they are a good alternative too. Writer´s Digest offers many contests during the year, as well other magazines; Southern Writers Magazine is one of them. You´ll gain a great exposure; if you win the contest, it´ll open new doors. 

5- Social media: you can use social media like Wattpad  and Goodreads to promote you book too. On Wattpad, you can publish flash and short stories, or an entire book. Many writers started publishing on Wattpad. The problem is, to get followers, you need to read, vote and comment other writers´ stories and it demands time. I confess that I´ve failed a little in this part due to my lack of time.  On Goodreads, you can create an author profile, join groups, follow authors, and get reviews to your books… There are many options.

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Cyci Cade is writer and blogger. She´s the author of Dragon´s Curse, flash and short stories like Perhaps Love, The boys and the dragon, and Son of Egypt. Blog Facebook Goodreads Pinterest Wattpad