How Would I Theoretically Promote a New Book?

I received another one of those notices today from Readers' Favorite, a place I tried out a long time ago because they offer free book reviews. And you know me; I'm all about free. I don't think the site is very popular--I certainly had never heard of it before. And its interface is kind of cheesy. I believe they offer free reviews as a loss leader; they'd much rather an author paid for a review, which I see they're now offering at a discount--$49.00.

The email said that after 150 days, no one has chosen my book for review. Do I want to keep my request active? Okay, sure, why not? This joint isn't the only one on which my novel wasn't chosen for review. There's even cheesier sites where I've had zero luck. At least on Pen Pinery, I received 12 ARC requests, but sadly, not one of those people bothered to post a review.  

At this point, a review doesn't even matter. It's getting close to a year since Running From Herself was published, so one review on one obscure site isn't going to suddenly make me a millionaire. Are we authors wasting our time pursuing reviews? Even the well known places like Kirkus and Publishers Weekly aren't going to make a difference in sales. Shoppers simply yawn when they see those on a book page.

So, as I'm reconstituting my sophomore novel for publication, how would I theoretically promote it? 

Theoretically, I would find ARC readers. I say "theoretically" because I won't do it, but most authors would and should. The easiest way to find ARC readers is by posting on one of Goodreads' ARC forums. I've gotten six or seven volunteers in the past, and I didn't try all that hard. An author who's persistent and who writes in a popular genre can garner a lot of reviewers. Pay sites, such as Book Sirens and BookSprout can work well, too. And they're relatively inexpensive. Voracious Readers Only used to be an option, but they've recently had some issues of some sort, so it's unclear whether they're currently accepting ARCs. I've also read about various Facebook groups.

Having reviews on Amazon is the key to...pretty much everything. It nudges the algorithm so your book stays visible. It's social proof, convincing others to take a chance on your book. 

In hindsight, my stubbornness in not soliciting ARC readers might have been a hindrance to sales. That said, I still wouldn't do it, because I'm not willing to gamble a good novel on the whims of (especially) Goodreads reviewers, who tend to be needlessly nasty. It's a decision each author needs to make for themselves. I don't handle poor reviews well emotionally, nor even the middling ones that still manage to focus on the negatives. But if you possess a healthy ego, you really should do it.

Upon publication, I would set my book's initial price at 99 cents--or $1.99 at the most. Then I would buy a few cheap promos on sites that specialize in bargain books. It's possible, though unlikely, that a few of the people who aren't too cheap to pay a dollar for a book might leave reviews, and keep in mind that what you want and need are reviews. The more, the better.

Keep your book's price low long enough to reel in those bargain hunters; then feel free to raise it, once those elusive reviews start populating your Amazon page. No, you're not going to make any money to speak of. I mean, 35% of 99 cents is $.35, but if you play your cards right, more earnings may follow.

Depending on your financial means, you could try either a Facebook ad or a BookBub ad, although according to everyone, including me, BookBub ads aren't working anymore. One look at BookBub's newsletter will tell you why. Indie books really stand out, and not in a good way. While the trade published offerings look slick, the indie book ads look like a 6-year-old's mud pie. Blurry graphics, no blurb; only a three-to-four-word hook that doesn't tell anyone what the book is about. So, given a choice, Facebook is the better option. Amazon ads are a waste of money. Everyone mentions Facebook and Amazon ads in the same sentence, but there's no comparison, really.

Obviously, before publishing, you absolutely need a good cover. Save up your pennies, because a professional cover is not optional. For my purposes, I won't be investing in a professional cover, because I'm not publishing this current book with the goal of selling. It's purely a vanity project.

You need to really work at your blurb. I mean, work. As Jessie Cunniffe advises, concentrate on the first 25% of the story and start with an intriguing statement or question. Don't bunch it all together into one long paragraph--separate your paragraphs into short, interesting points. You need to keep the potential buyer reading. And keep it at 150 - 180 words, tops. No one's going to read a never-ending treatise. Don't stuff it with character names--focus on the main character and one or two others, if necessary. Use action verbs, or for certain genres, emotional touchstones.

Keywords: Experts love pushing the idea of subtitles for SEO purposes. I'm not into giving my novels subtitles, so I try to maximize my keyword usage with long-tail phrases that try to match what buyers would search for. 

Categories: Frankly, with KDP an author is at a disadvantage. You're limited to three genres, most of which are pretty banal. And their subcategories are limited.

SEO is really important, so without slapping a subtitle on my books, I'm reliant on keywords, mostly.  

Once your book gets a firm footing, go ahead and try other promotional methods. I'm a bad advisor on what those methods might be--I do know that social media doesn't work, so unless you love social media, don't even bother. You might try contacting book bloggers, not so much for their reviews, but for their influence on potential purchasers. As your earnings roll in, go ahead and try more Facebook ads, maybe. In my experience, all the "little" promo sites are a waste of time and money. Might as well put your dollars where they might produce sales.

And that's all I've got. Feel free to chime in with other suggestions. This is just what I would (theoretically) do.

One more thing: Don't be afraid to tweak your keywords and even your book's categories. I fiddle a lot with things; KDP's not gonna lash you for doing it. They don't care. (I also intermittently raise and/or lower my price, pretty much depending on my mood.)

Now, back to editing this novel, so I can maybe put some of my advice to the test.