Before you market, you need to set your retail price and make s&h decisions - click here for more information and suggestions.

Inexpensive Marketing
Book/Author Website or Pages, Blog, Social Media Account, Etc.
Back to: Press Releases | Book/Author Events | Other Tips
Basic Site Design Packages

There are several different things you can do to help sell your book. Below are several sales strategies that you can use for any type of book. They may work equally as well on a dedicated website, blog, social media account, or implemented into a different format to supplement your marketing campaign.

General Links:
Paid Advertising | Direct Mailing
Low cost/no cost suggestions on how to keep subscribers to periodicals.
See Also Electronic Marketing and E-Zine Archives
Click here for information on specific advertising tools and services.

Click here to learn domain from hosting and more: the foundation of a website and site basics.

Basic Site Design
Even if not "going online" the below information should be produced as it will be invaluable to book promotion.
Note these suggestions can be applied to traditional websites, blogs, or interconnected social network areas.
It can also be used as a press kit basis.

Consider keeping your page size down - size means load time - but not too much. Remember that not everyone has high speed connections, or unlimited time for high resolution items to load. Likewise, much social networking now has requested (or required) minimum sizes. Even eBay has minimums now for photos.* Think of each page or section as a separate element or "chapter" of your site. Some basic pages (any category may be multiple pages) you may wish to have include:

• About the author, publisher, etc. (can be used as is, expanded or excerpted from your manuscript, vita, etc.)

• About the book(s)

• Press room (tip sheet, sell sheet, press releases/articles, etc.)

• Ordering process (information, shopping cart, etc.)

• FAQ - frequently asked questions

• Contact information

• Book content -

• table of contents

• introduction

• further supplementary material (acknowledgements, bibliography, table of topics or diagrams, etc.)

• select sections

• index

• Color photos to supplement black and white in book

• Photo Gallery - not published in book but related

• New and updated information from book

• Event calendar (book signings, seminars, school visits, etc.)

• Speaker/event information (terms, prepared lectures, etc.)

• Forthcoming and/or other work (links or full pages)

• Blog (if not already in blog format)

• Press Kit

• Book trailer or other large size items may be broken down on their own pages with a disclaimer of size on their links.

As your site grows you may wish to add:

• Site index/map

• Privacy policy

• Guarantee policy

• Return policy

• Search engine

• Submission request

• Guest book - registry

• Book/author specific calendar

• Electronic newsletter or e-list (groups.yahoo.com, groups.google.com and Bravenet provide services for free)

As the site grows in page count, remember to build a good hyperlink structure. The best site in the world can be frustrating if no one can get around (navigate) in it. A on-site search engine can be helpful, but don't depend on it for all navigation. Take a look at how websites you enjoy are laid out and plan accordingly.

Don't want to set up a separate online presence for each book or interest you have? Focus your web presence on yourself - with separate micro sites or landing pages for each book. Don't fall into the catalog trap for promoting your books. It's easy to create a catalog listing with basic information. However, each book deserves special treatment. Remember, you are the author. Consider your online presence as the PR archive for the book. Anyone need PR information or graphics, send them to your book page(s). It's a good idea to get all your books in a lot of catalogs as well, and a catalog listing is a great way to make all your books "one click" away.

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*To save time and effort preparing graphics and photos we suggest a couple of options:

1. Keep masters of the highest resolution you have captured or can make - until replacing with updates or improvements. Reduce quality and size for each use from master.

2. Evaluate all uses you feel you will need and capture or produce graphics of a size that will satisfy them all.

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Click here for further ideas

Click here for National Genealogical Society's Guidelines for Publishing Web Pages on the Internet.

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Marketing the Marketing

The best website in the world won't do much good without traffic. The days of "if you build it they will come" are over - the web is just too big now. That said, you can use many of the same easy marketing ideas listed for your book to get your website out there. In addition, make it a destination, be sure there are extras on the site that make people interested in spreading your address through word of mouth. Even if it is just copies of all current family vacation photos - it's extra free content someone will enjoy.

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For more suggestions on this subject and more, order our book:
G550-$20.00 WRITING Family History Or Genealogy For Pleasure and Profit Complete Edition, by Gregath Company, Inc., *updated* 2011. ISBN: 0-944619-00-2, 8½x11", softbound book, 126 pages, suggestions & examples of all facets of your project for the typist and/or computer user. Also available on disk.
Also we suggest:
Guerrilla Marketing for Writers - 100 Weapons for Selling Your Work

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Page Last Updated: January 09, 2019