The UK has gone into its second national lockdown meaning that all non-essential shops have had to close their doors for a month. Readers are no longer able to go into shops to pick up their favourite books, we understand that as an author this may be a scary time for you. However, there are plenty of ways in which you can promote your book from the safety of your own home.

Although traditional avenues in which you may have used to promote your book pre-pandemic are no longer available, this does not mean the demand in book purchases have dropped, in fact, books sales have risen significantly during the first lockdown with sales of fiction rising by a third, and we’re sure we will see the same pattern in the second lockdown. How can you take advantage of this? We have listed just a few ways in which you can promote your book remotely during this national shutdown. The show must go on…line.

Virtual Events

The pandemic has affected all aspects of every industry, everyone is trying to think of innovative ideas in which they can continue their everyday practises throughout lockdown. A significant trend that has been emerging is the use of virtual events, this has been used a lot within the book publishing industry.

Keep an eye out for virtual events being held by your local bookstores, libraries, councils etc. Reach out to them, introduce yourself and see if you can feature you and your book. They are always looking for engaging content to attract an audience.

Book Events

As in-person gatherings are no longer prohibited you will be unable to run typical book promotional activities such as book reading etc. You can still do these, simply record yourself reading a part of the book you think would get your readers excited the most, tease them but no spoilers you want to leave your audience wanting more. You can then upload this to your social media or website to share with your readers.

Similarly, you can make the most of social media feature such as Instagram Live and Facebook Live. Post that you will be going live to talk about your book or doing a book reading to drum up excitement and ensure your fans don’t miss it. Simply press the live button and your good to go.

Photos

As your readers are no longer able to go into the bookstores and see the cover you have spent hours designing you need to bring the cover to them. Taking photos of your book is a great way to do this. It is important to remember to make your photos as aesthetically pleasing as possible, as your aware, this industry is an increasingly competitive one so you need to ensure your photos are as professional as you can get them (Do not worry, you do not need an expensive camera and studio you can do this using just your phone)

TIPS:

• Place your book next to objects which relate to your book in some way

• Take pictures of your book in action

• Keep it simple

• If you have a series of books, take a photo of all of them together

• Take photos of the inside of your book

• If your book has illustrations, show them off

Q&A

Interacting with your audience is an integral part of becoming a successful author. Especially with promotional activities such as radio and TV interviews becoming limited due to prioritisation on coronavirus coverage it is important to explore different avenues to let your readers get to know more about you and your book.

You can do this through the same avenues as the online book readings discussed above. Facebook and Instagram Live have features in which your readers can ask you questions in real-time. If this feels too daunting do not worry, you can always prepare some questions beforehand and record it yourself.

If recording a video or hosting a live video is not for you, that’s understandable. Goodreads has an ‘Ask the Author’ programme which you can take advantage of. This allows readers to submit questions to you. From your Author Dashboard, you can answer, skip or flag any questions that have been submitted to you.

Blogging

If being in front of the camera is not for you and you are more comfortable behind the computer screen then blogging is for you. The content you can create blogging is almost endless. Promote your book, share your interests and thoughts with your readers, create a community feeling with your fans, the list is endless. For tips on ways to make the most of your blog read our An Authors Guide to Expand Their Readership by Blogging blog post.

These are just a few ways to promote your book from the safety of your own home, executed well these suggestions can drum up great excitement and interest around your book and ultimately, the more your readers get to know you via the above channels the more likely they are to purchase your book.

Are you someone who is working on a manuscript—or is it already done but you have apprehensions about the publishing process? We will help you in your pursuit. We are accepting submissions across all genres now. If you want to get published, begin your journey here. Learn how to become an author here. For your queries, contact us here. 

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Good luck and Stay Safe!