Book Marketing Tip #30: Promote your book to top ebook listing sites

NOTE:  In January 2018, an updated and expanded edition of The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide was released, offering 65 book marketing ideas and new "Deep Dives" sections exploring social media strategy, how to work with beta readers, and how to earn free press coverage. 

To download the new Smashwords Book Marketing Guide for free, here are the coordinates:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iBooks
Kobo
Smashwords

The new 2018 edition of The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide is also available as a serialized podcast on the SMART AUTHOR podcast, starting with Episode 10.

Click here to access all SMART AUTHOR podcast episodes.






----
The information that follows on this page is from the 2013 edition of the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, which will remain here for historical purposes only.


Book Marketing Tip #30:  Promote your book to top ebook listing sites

Many popular websites and blogs specialize in providing directory-style links to ebooks, and routinely link to Smashwords ebooks.  The sites I list here collectively drive *thousands* of readers to the book pages of Smashwords authors each month.  There is no cost to you, although you must earn inclusion from the operator of the site.  Many of the sites specialize in free books, although some will list priced books if you provide them a time-limited Smashwords coupon that will enable their visitors to access your book for free.  I’m a big believer in such promotions, because it’s a great way for you to gain a lot of readers in a short period of time, and many of these readers could be your first fans and your first reviewers.  Before you contact the web sites below, be sure to study the sites and their rules.  Provide them direct hyperlinks to your Smashwords book page, and pay careful attention to any other information they request, such as book descriptions, price, etc.  If you carefully follow their instructions, you’ll maximize your odds of a listing.

Free-Online-Novels.com - This is a popular web site run by author Jennifer Armstrong.  She provides links to ebooks in all categories, with one simple requirement:  The ebook must be free.  http://free-online-novels.com/submissions.html

Online Novels - Online Novels at http://online-novels.blogspot.com/ provides an attractive directory specializing in free books.  Unlike the Free-Online-Novels.com, however, Online Novels will occasionally list books that are free for a limited time, such as Smashwords books that have 100%-off coupons.  Consider creating a 100%-off coupon that expires at some date in the future, and then contact this site and ask them if they’d consider linking to your book at Smashwords and publishing the coupon code.  Be sure to let them know when the coupon expires!  Submissions link:  http://online-novels.blogspot.com/2008/10/submissions-and-broken-links_02.html

Books on the Knob – This is a popular blog that actively supports indie ebooks.  Offer the proprietress a coupon (free is best, but she runs discount coupons too).  For submission guidelines, visit http://blog.booksontheknob.org/p/about-this-blog-and-contact-info.html

BookBarista.com – Founded by Smashwords author Mike Dion (pen name: Dodge Winston), his new site offers free directory listings for Smashwords authors.  Visit http://bookbarista.com