Quick Links for the 2013 Edition of The Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, Web Edition

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 in this page is from the 2013 edition of the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide, which will remain here for historical purposes only.


This guide offers writers a primer on book marketing and author platform building.


Introduction: About the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide

• How Smashwords helps authors and publishers market books
• Adopting a proactive marketing mindset
• Platform building starts yesterday
• Don't let social media intimidate you
• Hyperlinks help readers discover books
• The importance of authors helping authors

37 Marketing Tips (all free to implement!)

Book Marketing Tip #1 – Update your email signature
Book Marketing Tip #2 – Post a notice on your web site or blog
Book Marketing Tip #3 – Contact your friends, family, co-workers and fans
Book Marketing Tip #4 – Post a notice to your social networks
Book Marketing Tip #5 – Update your message board signatures
Book Marketing Tip #6 – How to reach readers with Twitter
Book Marketing Tip #7 – Publish more than one book to create a multiplier effect
Book Marketing Tip #8 – Advertise your other books in each book you publish
Book Marketing Tip #9 – Make it easy for your readers to connect with you
Book Marketing Tip #10 – Issue a press release on a free PR wire service
Book Marketing Tip #11 – Join HARO, Help-a-reporter-online for free press leads
Book Marketing Tip #12 – Encourage fans to purchase and review your book
Book Marketing Tip #13 – Write thoughtful reviews for other books
Book Marketing Tip #14 – Participate in online forums
Book Marketing Tip #15 – Experiment with coupons
Book Marketing Tip #16 – Write a blog
Book Marketing Tip #17 – Write guest columns for blogs
Book Marketing Tip #18 – Invite other authors to post to your blog
Book Marketing Tip #19 – Do Q&A interviews of other authors on your blog
Book Marketing Tip #20 – Join the conversation on blogs
Book Marketing Tip #21 – Organize a blog tour
Book Marketing Tip #22 – Use Google Alerts to discover where the conversations are taking place
Book Marketing Tip #23 – Leverage YouTube videos to reach readers
Book Marketing Tip #24 – Print up business cards
Book Marketing Tip #25 – Encourage your fans to become affiliate marketers of your book
Book Marketing Tip #26 – Create a reader’s guide at the end of your book
Book Marketing Tip #27 – Insert sample chapters from your other books
Book Marketing Tip #28 – Do a sample chapters swap with another author
Book Marketing Tip #29 – Invite other authors to join you at Smashwords
Book Marketing Tip #30 – Promote your book to the top ebook listing sites
Book Marketing Tip #31 – Read the Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success
Book Marketing Tip #32 – Upgrade your cover image
Book Marketing Tip #33 – Share these marketing tips with your fellow authors!
Book Marketing Tip #34 – Create an online calling card with About.me
Book Marketing Tip #35 – Create a presentation and upload it to SlideShare.net
Book Marketing Tip #36 – Join LinkedIn, post links to your books
Book Marketing Tip #37 – Do a presentation at your local library on ebook publishing

About the author, Mark Coker