How To Share Excerpts And Teasers From Your Self-Published Book To Boost Sales
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Finally, after all the blood, sweat, and tears that go into writing, editing, and publishing a book, your self-published book is available for purchase! So now you can sit back and relax, right? Wrong. Unfortunately, books don’t sell themselves. And as a self-published author (and even as a traditionally published author!) you are responsible for marketing and promotion. Here’s a neat, easy trick that can help boost sales: Share excerpts and teasers from your book.
Where To Share Excerpts And Teasers To Effectively Boost Your Book Sales
Literary Journals
If you haven’t yet published your book, submitting a stand-alone chapter of your book as a short story to a literary magazine for publication is a great way for readers to “taste test” your work and see if they might be interested in reading more. Your writing will enjoy increased exposure and build your audience of potential buyers. Getting your excerpt published in a literary journal will also help you make connections that will help you cross-promote your book once you’ve self-published. You may even catch the eye of a literary agent interested in representing your book to a traditional publishing house!
Just keep in mind that you can only submit excerpts to literary journals BEFORE you self-publish — most editors don’t want previously published work.
Social Media
Due to character count limitations, posting a quick teaser from your book will be most effective on social media. You’ll be able to generate some interest and post a link to where interested readers can learn more and buy your book. Follow these simple tips to have the most impact on social media:
Consider posting a quick elevator pitch or a quote from your book to grab attention.
Brevity is the key to a successful tweet. Post something on Twitter that entices readers and use a single hashtag to get the best results. Consider tweeting a question about your book or character(s) to pull the reader in and increase engagement.
