Find industry thought leaders to promote your book with reviews, blog posts, etc. Pay your dues in advance by promoting their stuff as much as possible prior to asking them to promote yours.

If you have case studies in your book, see if those companies will promote a giveaway PDF of the chapter you featured them in to their lists. In fact, plan it that way from the start.

Create a book website - go buy a URL as close to your title as you can get.

Add "author of + book title" and a link to the site in your email signature, and in all your online profiles.

Create a nurturing series based on your book.
Create a workbook that requires your book to complete.
Create courses or workshops based on your book.
Create eBooks that expand a topic covered in your book and promote the heck out of them.

There are a ton of things you can do to promote your book. One of them is NOT counting on the publisher to do it for you.

Dennis Shiao

Director of Product Marketing, INXPO

Posted on July 15, 2011

Here's my Top 10 List:

1) Create a Facebook Page for the book. Before you do this, however, be sure you're prepared for the care and feeding required. It's kind of like having a child. OK, not that intense, but you get the point, I think.

2) Identify thought leaders / influencers around the book's topic(s) and provide them with free copies.

3) If you're active on Twitter, hyperlink to your book from your Twitter profile.

4) Go on a book tour. Whether it's conventional or digital, that's up to you.

5) Buys copies for close friends and all family members. Because you just never know who (in your network) knows whom.

6) If tip #3 doesn't apply to you, re-consider and sign up for Twitter today.

7) Create contests to engage potential readers - and, give away more copies ;-)

8) Understand the importance of Amazon's reviews. If you receive a compliment on your book, ask the complimenter to post a review on Amazon (assuming s/he purchased it there, of course!)

9) Compile a blog posting of all reviews (include the not-so-positive ones, too) and affix a link to that posting in the sidebar of your blog. Please don't tell me that you've published a book and do not have a blog or web site ;-)

10) Set up a Google alert on the title of your book. This will alert you to when it's being referenced (on the web) - which can aid in your promotional efforts.

Finally, check out this great piece that has related information: http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/9-ways-to-use-social-media-to-launch-a-book/

David Baker

Principal, ReCourses, Inc.

Posted on July 16, 2011

Jodi Glickman just wrote a book called "Great on the Job." She's a friend, and I recently just sat down (without her asking) and gave her some thoughts on marking a book (I've written three). Some of this won't apply to every book, but there might be some seminal ideas in it:

I thought I might pass along a few ideas about how to market your book. Generally publishers take most of the money, and still expect the author to do most of the marketing. Unless you have a really unusual one, of course. What publishers do well is give you conduits into big bookstores and libraries.

Amazon reviews really do influence people. I'd sent personalized notes to good supporters and ask them to write a review on your behalf. Something magic seems to happen at the 40-50 mark. I see yours are starting to build, but I've found that it'll level off unless you specifically ask people to publish a review. Maybe every time you give some away, ask people to do it.

I'm not sure what arrangement you had with your publisher (typically it's 10 author copies), but you might see if you could buy a couple hundred at wholesale from them. The rule of thumb is to give away 1 for every 2 that you sell.

E-books will cannibalize your sales of the real book, but you'll see more than enough to make up for it. If your publisher doesn't have those right sewn up, do it yourself. Make it easy on yourself, in fact, and just get a PDF of the book and sell it from your own site with a PayPal button, keeping all the money yourself. (I wouldn't worry about rights issues and try to protect the copies. It's not worth the effort). The royalties from e-books are sadly low and you won't make anything from them otherwise. If you go the traditional route and have the publisher make en e-book available, it will spread the word, but that's about it.

See if your publisher will allow you to distribute (free of charge) a sample chapter, with all the forematter and end matter, via PDF. That will give people the chance to sample the book and your style.

Scan ProfNet or HelpaReporter daily for chances to be interviewed as an expert. ProfNet is a much better and carefully filtered source, so I use that. If you get all the feeds, it's about $700 a year. Or you could narrow that way down to SIC codes that'll be more interested in your topic.

I did a very successful promotion where I asked people to request a free copy that you would send to them, but which they would then give to someone they know really needs it, with your signature in the book. It really spread the word.
I would look for some hookup with the ASTD people. Paula Ketter is their book review editor (pketter@astd.org). It seems like your book is a perfect fit for that audience, so maybe try for some speaking/writing for them, too.

Review books on Amazon that are similar to yours, giving them a fair review, and establishing yourself as an expert in that field on Amazon.
Do you have any ins at the American Management Association? That might be a good
fit.

www.shelf-awareness.com has a huge reading list, and they'll announce your book to a very big audience of buyers for not much money.

Will your publisher allow you to sell them at your speaking events? I do it with my iPhone and that neat little Square.com thing. Mine lists for $24.95, and I charge $20. Or they can just leave a $20 bill.

Author videos on youtube seem to work. Mine sucks and I need to redo it.
I'm finding that my Google AdWords paid advertising did virtually nothing for me, but my advertising on LinkedIn has been a great value. I spend about $32/week on it. You can make it appear next to people's profiles if they have a certain title, or abbreviation, etc.

I would think that Sue Shellenbarger at the WSJ would be interested in your topic.
Make sure your Amazon author page is as full as you can make it.

Hope that gives you some new ideas to try. Glad to discuss by phone or email if it would be helpful to you.

Carl Carter

Project Manager, Crown Media & Printing, Inc

Posted on Oct. 6, 2011

First, you will want to identify an even more targeted niche within Business so buyers will find and recognize you. (foreign trade, business management, etc.)

Once you have branded the book you can begin to promote it

I work for Crown Media & Printing, Inc where we print many books on business

Here is a popular business book directed at kids
http://www.crownmediacorp.com/shop/index.php/munny-journey.html

DON'T RELY ON SOCIAL MEDIA TO GENERATE SALES
Twitter is a great tool that should be used by every Author, but Facebook, Linked In, and sorry....even Focus wont sell your book. Your time is worth money and and social media will take time away from your traditional marketing.

Book Signings
Newspaper / Radio Interview (save the article or recording for your site)
Press Releases
and your marketing strategy should not have an end date, keep promoting

Happy writing