March is National Reading Month! At Outskirts Press, we love the fact that there’s a whole month devoted to celebrating the written word, and we invite you to join us in making reading a focus all month long. As writers, this is the ideal time for you to not only finish your book and start publishing it, but also to promote yourself and your book while encouraging everyone to read. Dedicate some time each day in March to pursue these 31 marketing and promotion ideas:
March 1 — Become the local expert. Visit the National Education Association’s website to find promotional materials, media tips, press release tips and fact sheets about NEA’s Read Across America celebration. Offer to speak at local schools and NEA events, or to local organizations on the importance of childhood reading skills.
March 2 — Get them while they’re young. Today is Read Across America Day! Writers are some of the biggest supporters of this day/event. Contact local schools and libraries to find out how you can help promote reading (and writing), not just today, but throughout the entire month of March.
March 3 — Consider online advertising. Once your book is published, consider whether it might benefit from any online advertising. You can set up ads on sites like Facebook, Google and Goodreads. Outskirts Press can also help you make your book more discoverable on Google with the Google Books Preview Program.
March 4 — Introduce multiple formats of your book. You can reach a larger audience of readers by offering additional formats such as a Kindle, Apple iPad or NOOK edition of your book. Consider which formats you want to offer and add them before or after your hardcover format hits the virtual shelves.
March 5 — Get reviews for your book. Research has shown that positive reviews makes a book sell better. In fact, reviews written by people who have read your book often carry more weight than reviews by recognized experts. You can ask for reviews even before your book is published by offering to send the reviewer a digital format.
March 6 — Request peer reviews. One way to get the review ball rolling is to ask friends who have already read your manuscript to write a review. Since writing reviews can be time-consuming, you can even offer to write some sample sentences about the contents of the book. That will help make it easier on the reviewer to complete the rest of the review with their opinions about the material.
March 7 — Create a mailing list. Actively seek out readers who might be interested in reading your book. You might do this at both personal or professional meetings, conferences, your kids’ Little League games and so on. Ask if you can send them information about your book, then add them to your mailing list.
March 8 — Make a “keep in touch” plan. Once you have an active mailing list, decide how you want to keep in touch. You don’t want to “over-share,” so find a reasonable frequency, for example, a monthly newsletter. You can write about topics related to the genre of your book or other similar books that you think your readers would enjoy. If plan on publishing multiple books, provide your followers with updates on the status of each upcoming book, the research you’re doing or interesting things you’ve discovered during the writing process.
March 9 — Publish a press release. Any time you have news to share about your book (i.e. announcing the publication, a book signing event, an award it has won), consider publishing a press release. You can use online press release distribution sites or try contacting your local newspaper.
March 10 — Get your next manuscript off the drawing board. If you’re ready to start publishing (or you’re getting close), put the finishing touches on your manuscript and start the publishing process today. You can review our full-service publishing packages or call a Publishing Consultant whenever you’re ready.
March 11 — Find book bloggers to increase exposure for your work. Visit websites such as BookBloggerList.com to find bloggers interested in the genre of your book. Find out which bloggers would be open to reading and reviewing your book and contact them. You might even get a link to your website or your Amazon book page out of it!
March 12 — Give your blog or website a face lift. If you already have a blog or website where you have been pre-promoting your book, now’s the time to refresh the look and feel or add content. Make sure your site is inviting and reflects who you are as a writer.
March 13 — Share promotions with other indie authors. Connect with other independent authors whose work compliments yours. You can share advertising in your local media to promote your books and events. Sharing an event with another writer is an excellent way to generate more interest among venues and readers.
March 14 — Tour the world with your book. Some prime opportunities for promoting your book throughout the year include the London Book Fair, BookExpo America, Beijing Book Fair, and Frankfurt Book Fair, but don’t stress if you don’t have the time (or money) to travel the world this year. Outskirts Press can represent your book at any (or all) of these events throughout the year.
March 15 — Get started! During the month of March, Outskirts Press is offering triple the number of author copies with the Diamond and Pearl publishing packages. You can give the extra books you get with your publishing package to the people who have agreed to read your book and write a review for it.
Looking for more tips? Follow us on Facebook to get a tip each day throughout the month.
| START PUBLISHING TODAY AND RECEIVE TRIPLE AUTHOR COPIES! |
It’s March Madness! Now is the perfect time to finish your book and get published! Take advantage of the incredible offer of receiving Triple the number of Author Copies in March when you order today with the promotion code MarchTriple16.
To receive the promotion, simply enter the promotion code MarchTriple16 when checking out of your shopping cart while purchasing the Diamond or Pearl publishing package by March 31, 2016. Each of the eligible publishing packages includes a unique ISBN, standard interior formatting, a variety of professional cover styles, and distribution which includes availability through major online retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
For authors choosing the most popular Diamond publishing package, this promotion delivers 30 free paperback author copies when the book is published. Authors publishing full-color books with the popular Pearl package can receive 15 free paperback copies.
In addition to receiving triple the number of author copies, you’ll also receive the following with your Diamond package:
- Standard Press Release. $99 value included free when you order your Diamond publishing service today.
- Audio Excerpt. $99 value included free with your Diamond order today and a great way to share your voice with your readers, literally!
- E-Book Edition (pdf). $99 value included free with your Diamond publishing service.
- Cover Image. $99 value included free and a great way to enhance your cover.
- Spring Arbor additional distribution. $99 value to complement the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Ingram availability already included with your Diamond publishing service.
All in all, you’re looking at over $500 of included options in March!
| TOP 5 PUBLISHING HEADLINES |
| AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT & SUCCESS STORY |
“It was a very nice experience having my book published with Outskirts Press. I love my book!”
Mai Toomey has enjoyed writing poems since elementary school. She graduated with a degree in Language Education in 1988, and became an English teacher to children of different ages. She obtained her Masters degree in Social Work/ Health and Mental Health in 2003. Her career, and being herself a mother, firmed her belief that it is important to educate children from a very young age about love, kindness, trust, happiness, determination…things which will shape their personalities throughout their lives. Mai Toomey lives happily with her husband and her daughter in Baltimore, Maryland.
“The Magic of Simple Thoughts” reflects children’s feelings through their simple acts in daily life. Children nowadays have to face a world which is much more complicated and more difficult than that of our childhoods. “The Magic of Simple Thoughts” will educate, cherish and encourage children through simple poems close to their hearts.
– Mai Toomey, author of The Magic of Simple Thoughts
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