10 Tips for Promoting A Book Through Book Contests

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Promoting a book is not an easy process but there are tools that can help and book contests are one of them. Entering book contests has great value for authors. Yet independent authors often overlook them in developing them in their marketing plans. Contests have many benefits for writers.  Here are few you might want to consider regardless of whether your book is selected as a contest winner or not.

  1. Your book is being exposed to a huge audience of readers and reviewers at minimal or no expense to you.
  2. Contest hosts are constantly sending out promotional material to encourage people to enter the contest.  They often place the contest entrants information in their mailing so the author gets free marketing through their large mailing and marketing network.
  3. If you do win or get mentioned your work is again submitted to large audiences of readers and reviewers.
  4. You can cross promote your book by letting your audience know you are in the contest and ask them to vote for your book if voting is allowed.
  5.  You can build relationships with non-competitive authors that you can meet from learning about their books in the contest, and begin to cross promote your book in their network.

On my podcast, Book that Author, I asked Darden North, a successful author that utilizes contest why he uses them as a marketing tool. He mentioned that they greatly increase your visibility, increase your expert status as you win, and it can be used as a tool to teach you how to write better as you get feed back from what people thought about your book during the contest reviews. Anytime you get an opportunity to boost your level of expertise it is worth it.

There are many types of contest to enter. I am going to provide a list of 5 important contests. I would encourage you to learn more about these and enter them:

  1. The Independent Publishers Award
  2. The National Book Critics Circle Awards
  3. The National Book Award
  4. The Discover Great New Writers Awards
  5. The National Indie Excellence Book Awards

There are many opportunity’s available for authors to get more visibility and anytime you consider promoting a book never discount the value of book contests.

 

Linda Leon is a book marketing professional. She helps authors and other professionals with writing, editing, book design, and book marketing services. She is the author of the upcoming book Rock Star Marketing and Publishing and Publicity for Smart People. Find this helpful.  Please share it!!!

photo credit: Miss Millificent via photopin cc

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