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     Now that you have written your novel and have big plans for people to get it in their hands, read it, love it, and spread the word to their family and friends, you start to wonder, HOW DO I MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Our word for the hour is MARKETING. Marketing is very important in the whole publishing process. Actually, I will even go as far as to say that marketing should be thought about before you even start planning your novel. You don’t want to get halfway through or even finished your novel and not have any plans on how the world will even know anything about it and in this day and age, you do not have to spend hundreds or even thousands to do it. If you put a little time and effort, you could get the news out about your book without breaking your pockets.

     This is where having a website and/or blog comes into play. If you don’t have the money to invest in a website designer, guess what? YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF.  There are plenty of drag and drop websites out there where you can put your creativity to work. With your website, you can announce your upcoming novel, post your cover, synopsis and even some excerpts.  Now let’s think…when an upcoming movie is about to premiere, what do you see on every tv station? TRAILERS. Book trailers are a great way to let people know about your upcoming novel. It builds up anticipation for your release. You can create your own trailer or even check out fiverr.com where you can find people offering services at very affordable rates, as low as $5. You can’t beat that!

      After you have designed your website and/or blog to include your synopsis, excerpts, and book trailer, you want to get started with social media. If you have a twitter, Instagram, or Facebook account, USE IT TO THE FULLEST. Take advantage of your friends and followers and by taking advantage, I mean letting them know that you are in the process of publishing your novel.

     Now, if Google isn’t your best friend already, you really need to get acquainted. There are tons of websites out there that feature indie authors, give reviews, and provide blog tours. Some are paying sites and some are not. Even if you are on a tight budget, sometimes you will  have to spend a little money to make a lot of money. Do your research and look into ones that work within your budget. Also, joining writing communities such as Wattpad also works well with marketing yourself.

            Hopefully, this has given you a little assistance with designing your marketing campaign. With effort and patience, you will be well on your way to a very lucrative writing career!