Indie Book Marketing 101 - Guest Post by Janiera Eldridge, author of Soul Sisters

Today I have the pleasure of sharing with you a great, informative guest post by Janiera Eldridge, author of Soul Sisters! In her post, Janiera talks about how to effectively promote your books on-line! I think many people will find this post extremely insightful and useful!

Indie Book Marketing 101 by Janiera Eldridge 

     One of the hardest things for an indie author to ever do is market their work. Although we would love to write all day and have people read our work, no one will read it if we don’t market it! Marketing is not my favorite thing to do. Don’t get me wrong, I love my fans. It’s getting the book to new readers that can be burdensome at times. However, like a lot of things in life, I’ve found that some methods work way better than others. The secret to building marketing success however, is not as hard as you might think. Here are three easy steps you can use as new indie author or established indie author to get your books into the reader’s delightful hands. 

     Be yourself: It is extremely important to be yourself when trying to market your book. When you’re on social media, you should always post and write things that represent your personality. A good rule to follow is that you should never post about your book on Facebook more than once a day. Never post about your book more than twice a day on twitter. Readers don’t want your book to be constantly thrown in their face. They are in fact, more likely to buy a book from you (and recommend your book to others) if they feel like they know the person behind the book. You don’t have to post extremely personal things but sharing a joke or a quirky life story every once and a will show people, you’re not just an author, you’re a human being.

     When writing a guest post or filling out an interview, add as much personality as possible to your material. Interviews and guest posts are such a great way to give the reader a piece of yourself. Take advantage of that and let your freak flag fly!

Don’t be shy, reach out!

     As an author myself (and from talking to many author friends) we got into writing because we love telling stories, but we’re kind of shy about it. Marketing makes you break out of that shy shell and go for the gold! To be honest, because a lot of indie marketing takes place online it’s a lot easier to break out of your shy spell. Indie authors, don’t be afraid to reach out to book bloggers! As a whole, book bloggers are amazing (I’m not just saying that since I am one either). So many book bloggers will go out of their way to help you promote their book. So many times I’ve approached a blogger for a review who who then told me they were swamped with reviews but they would like to host me with an interview or guest post. Guest post and interviews are just as vital to marketing your books because the more people get a peek into your book and your personality, the more your book will stand out in their mind when their shopping on Amazon for their next read. 

Write more books!

     Sounds simple? It really is! Despite what the media often depicts about indie authors (the instant success of E. L. James and Colleen Hoover) most indie authors work 2-3 years before being able to make a living off their own writing. It may seem like a long time but it really isn’t if you love what you do. The only way to keep your author name fresh and relevant is to write more books. No indie author should expect to hit the bestsellers list with their first book, it can happen but it not likely. What is likely is if you continue to write quality books that make readers happy (while continuing to market your book) your readership will continue to blossom and grow! 

     I find being an indie store incredibly rewarding however, it’s not easy! I’m constantly trying to find a way to market my books and get them into hands of readers who will hopefully enjoy it. I find these three steps help me get the most out of my marketing time no matter what I’m doing! I hope they will be useful to you as well.

Thank you so much, Janiera, for this wonderful guest post! 

Guys, be sure to check out Janiera's awesome vampire novel, Soul Sisters! Be sure to follow her on Twitter and connect with her Facebook, you'll definitely love interacting with this lady!

Soul Sisters by Janiera Eldridge 

August 18th 2012

Soul Sisters is an urban fantasy novel about African-American twin sisters Ani and Dana who have a rather unique secret: one sister is human while the other is a vampire. While the sisters have lived peacefully with each other for many years one fateful night will change both their lives forever. When a drunken man tries to attack Dana (the human sister) Ani (the vampire sister) protects her sister with all of her ferocious power.

However, when the vampire’s leader Donovan finds out about the public display he calls for the sisters to be assassinated for disobedience. Ani and Dana now are in for the fight of their lives to protect each other as well as the lives of their dedicated friends who have joined them on their mission for survival. If Dana and Ani can make it through this time of uncertainty, Ani can take her new place as vampire queen. Soul Sisters is expected to be a trilogy; The book also features a multicultural cast of characters that brings a new edge of chic to the vampire world.

Find it here: Amazon  | Goodreads

About the author:

Janiera enjoys feeding her book addiction when she not writing. She is also a book blogger at Beauty and Books where she mixes being a book nerd with keeping things chic. When not reading or writing she is freelance writing in the entertainment industry. When trying to relax she likes a huge yard sale on a Saturday morning, rainy days to read by and nacho cheese is her kryptonite. Soul Sisters is her debut novel..

Connect with Janiera: Website | Twitter | Facebook