Marketing and a book launch

June 5th will be here before you know it. In fact, it’s one week and two days away.  June 5 is when No Stone Unturned will be released on Amazon.
A huge part of a book release is the marketing.  Can I just say it?  Marketing is the bane of my existence!  The constant pushes on social media.  Some would say that is part of making the choice to self-publish.  On some levels I agree, but not 100%.  You see, when I made the decision to self-publish I did my research.  What people don’t realize is that even if you are lucky enough to get a big house to pick you up (and it’s not an easy task) they will expect you to market yourself. They will expect you to have a social media platform.  They expect you to do more than just write.
So how do you market or plan for a book launch?  This is something I am learning as I go.  The first thing is to be on all social media platforms. Have a Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, and if you are so inclined a website (and/or blog).  Don’t forget that Amazon has an author platform, as does Goodreads. But it’s not enough to just have the pages, you must post!  There are programs out there to help in planning your posts (Hootsuite is one and it’s free).  I do good some weeks and not so good on others.  Like in all things in my life, it is a work in progress! 🙂
What do you post about?  About your  book of course. Get people excited!  I know I am excited about what I write, or I wouldn’t write it.  You want your readers to be excited too – excited enough to buy your books and recommend it to others!!
You can also post about things that will help your reader relate to you. For example, I post photos of my writing space, the music I listen to (that shows up in my novels) and even photos of my animals.  I try to stay positive and have fun with it.  The last thing I want is for readers to roll their eyes at what I post.
Lastly, ask for help if you need it.  There are blogs, websites, and other writers who can help. There are also people who do this for a living and can offer assistance (for a fee of course).  Put the time and energy into it – it could make all the difference in the world!