Marketing your YA book

What marketing strategies have worked for you?
Not all authors write for the big guys in NYC. Most of us are published my small presses. But even those contracted by NYC publishers, majority are mid-list authors and don’t have the entire marketing department pushing their books. In other words, authors must help market themselves.

I’ve heard authors who swear by Blog Tours. Others believe in meeting readers on live book signing tours. And others still believe that giveaways draw readers to their work.

Today, I want to share what my mentor directed me to do when I published my first YA book. Whether these venues are successful depends on you, how much time you devote to them and reader support.

So what can you do when your book is about to be released?

1.      Join YALSA. http://www.ala.org/yalsa/ Young Adult Library Services Association. You get to connect with librarians fast this way. I’ve had some very lively conversations with librarians in the YALSA loops. The best part is you can offer bookmarks and ARCs to librarians through this site. Make sure you write BSP: Then what you are offering-bookmarks or ARCs. BSP is Blatant Self-Promotion and it is polite to let them know. You can add your blurb and links on the body of the e-mail after mentioning what you are offering. Don’t forget to ask them to contact you off loop and give them your e-mail address.

2.      Connect with YA bloggers. Get to know them. Ask them in advance if they are willing to work with you when you reveal your cover, can run a book tour, and review your books. YA bloggers are many, supportive and they are willing to help YA authors for free. Gotta love them!!!

3.      Connect with other authors in your genre. Authors have followers who will buy (not always) whatever they recommend. Your author buddies can also post reviews, book cover and post your giveaways.

4.      Join Goodreads, http://www.goodreads.com/ . Granted not everyone who adds your book to their shelf is going to buy it, but the more people who know about your book the better. After all, publicity is everything. But be wary of Goodreads. There are people who will give you one star just because they read your previous book and didn’t like it. Authors grow and mature, so don't write one off just because you hated their first book. Some of the readers will rate a book even though it hasn’t been released. You know what, some people have shitty lives and days and secons and need someone to take it out on. Authors, grow a thick skin and learn to ignore them.

5.      Join Shelfari, http://www.shelfari.com/ . Most people discount Shelfari, but this booklovers site is affiliated to Amazon and whatever you write there will appear on Amazon, especially your characters.

6.      Connect with potential readers on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ednahyaauthor  and Twitter https://twitter.com/ . If you are interested in increasing your Twitter reach and you are an avid blogger, join Triberr. http://triberr.com/ . If you want to connect with authors from your genre, join groups that review and discuss books in your genre.

7.    If you want swags for giveaway, use www.vistaprint.com/ . Readers love swags from their authors, so a few giveaways never hurt. Join blog hops by various YA bloggers like Kathy of I am a Reader Not a Writer. iamareadernotawriter.blogspot.com/

What worked for you? Share.