Those who choose the route of self publishing for their book will be entering into a whole new ball game. And it’s one where they need to come prepared. It has become increasingly popular, with millions of people turning to taking it into their own hands to get their book out for publication. One thing that is a must when it comes to doing this is marketing. It is the most important element, and without it the book sales are most likely going to go absolutely nowhere.

According to the American Marketing Association, marketing is the activity of communicating something you have to offer to that has value to people in society. As it relates to your book, it is the idea of finding a way to let the masses know about what you have to offer and why they don’t want to miss it.

• It’s important to go into it with an idea of how to succeed with your marketing efforts. Here are some marketing tips to keep in mind:
• It’s not just marketing that you want to aim for, it is effective marketing. If you are doing effective marketing, then you are reaching your target market. Identify who your target market is, which is who is the ideal buyer for your book, and then determine the best way to reach them.
• Hone the message about your book. Some call it developing an elevator pitch. You want to narrow down a brief marketing message that encompasses what your book is about. Use that information wisely to tell prospective buyers what problem you will solve or what entertainment value they can expect. Use that message in your marketing material and keep it consistent.
• Determine a budget for your marketing. Be realistic in what you can afford, so that you can plan wisely and stick to the budget. You want to get the most bang for your buck, so you also want to track your efforts and analyze to see where your sales are driven from. Do more of what is working and less of what isn’t bringing in sales.
• Don’t overlook online marketing avenues, which will help drive people directly to the stores they can purchase it from. Be sure to use any marketing tools that the online stores offer, send free review copies to bloggers covering your genre, and network to help get the book information out there.

When it comes down to it, you can write an awesome book, but if people don’t know about it then you won’t sell copies of it. On the other end of the spectrum, poor writers can sell a lot of books if they have devised an effective marketing strategy. It is imperative that anyone who engages in self publishing understands the importance of effective marketing and creates a plan that will help them communicate their book information with their target audience. Nail that concept, see it through, and there is a good chance you will see the sales come through right from the start.