The Internet has opened the possibilities for book marketing in ways that authors of the past could never have imagined. Previously, if you wanted to promote a book you would have to depend on methods such as getting positive reviews from critics or taking out ads in the newspapers. Today, however, you can not only market your book online in a variety of unique ways, you can reach a potential audience of millions. Or, if your book is intended to appeal to a particular audience, you can target your online marketing efforts to reach precisely that niche.
One of the ways the Internet has made book marketing more innovative is by allowing authors to offer sample chapters of their works online, either through their personal websites or from specialized sites that provide this service to writers and take a small commission whenever a copy is sold. And the sample does not have to be in text form as writers can also offer the sample in the form of an mp3 audio clip that is narrated by him or by an actor.
The popularity of video sharing sites such as YouTube also allows writers to promote their books by creating trailers for them. Stephen King, for example, created a short trailer for his recent novel Under the Dome. The affordability of video editing software has made it possible for authors to create short video clips that recreate a striking scene from the book intended to catch the attention of prospective readers. Authors can even promote their books by setting up pages for them on social networking sites such as Facebook and putting content on it that visitors can view.
Of course, authors will still have to make potential buyers aware of the existence of the book and they can do this by taking out banner ads in various websites. These ads can feature the embedded trailer or offer sample chapters and have a button that users can click on that will take them to the author’s website or to their Facebook page. The possibilities for book marketing online are seemingly endless depending on the creativity of the writer.
