Photo credit: Markus Winkler, Unsplash

Even in an increasingly digital and socially distant world, it’s still possible to celebrate the launch of your book with friends, family, colleagues, community members, and readers. The tips and tricks below will help you plan your virtual book launch party, promote it, and execute it in a thoughtful and engaging way that befits the hard work and dedication that lead up to your book publication day.

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A question we often receive from authors is “where is the best place to advertise my book?”. That answer isn’t always simple, and it’s not always the same for every author, or every book, or even every campaign.

Below is an outline of the benefits of both print and digital advertising to help you create the most efficient and effective campaign for your goals.

Amazon Targeted Ads are powerful pay-per-click advertising campaigns that allow you to target potential readers based on keyword search terms, categories, consumer interest, bestselling titles within your genre, and other related products. Amazon offers a range of different types of ads, which allows you to reach readers across desktop, mobile, and Kindle devices, and displays the ad in promotional emails, search pages, product/book detail pages, and across other pages on Amazon.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed how booksellers operate and consumers shop, but for every change there’s an opportunity to reach readers in new and creative ways. Independent booksellers are seeing unprecedented community support, readers are seeking out books offering expert advice and entertainment, and authors and publishers continue to release their big ideas into the world. There’s no need to change your publication date or halt your book launch and marketing plans; you can still engage your audience, build excitement, and drive book sales with these 10 tactics that make the most of our "new normal."

During times of crisis, it can be difficult to navigate messaging for your brand. How can you promote yourself and your work when there are bigger things happening around you? (And there will always be bigger things happening around you.) Below are some ways you can continue to engage with your audience during stressful times.

Can I Get in Trouble for Running a Social Media Sweepstakes or Contest?

Running a sweepstakes or contest on social media can be a great way to promote your book or your brand: it’s fun when people can actively participate in your marketing, and everybody likes a chance to win free stuff! But before you begin, it’s important to be aware that sweepstakes and contests entail a unique and somewhat stringent set of legal requirements and restrictions. Anyone who plans to run either type of promotion should make sure that it complies with federal and state regulations, as well as the terms and conditions of the social media platforms on which it will appear.

If you’ve never used social media platforms like Twitter or Instagram before and are logging on for the first time, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer amount of content available at your fingertips. You may ask yourself, how does anyone find the ideas and subjects they’re actually interested in seeing?

Once you’ve created a book trailer that expertly showcases your ideas and conveys to readers why they need to read your book, it’s time to make sure it gets the attention it deserves.