All too often, book sales are all about the platform an author has developed. But just because you don’t have a ready-made audience doesn’t mean you can’t develop one. Talk to us about advertising opportunities.
Promote your book
If you’re like me, once your book has been published you secretly hope that it will just sell itself. I’ll tell you from experience, that never works. Not even when it’s been traditionally published, since decent marketing budgets seem to be reserved for guaranteed bestsellers. So like it or not, you’re going to have to promote your baby—er, book—if you want people to actually read it.
If you’re not online with your book, you should be. Whether you’re a DIYer looking to establish a one-page web presence or a total avoider looking for someone to handle an entire social media campaign, Incubation Press can help launch your book and then keep it selling. Need some advice but don’t want to pull a package? Opt for our promotion-, design- and editorial-team author consultation ($350/hour).
All packages include up to two revisions (additional revisions charged at $150/hour). Work will be performed in a timely manner and will begin as soon as payment in full—and where appropriate all material from author—has been received. Up to two revisions of creative work are included in pricing. Additional revisions will be charged at $150/hour.
WOW! You are right on target with your book promotions in terms of the items you include in your packages and the pricing. I wish you’d been doing all this way back when–I wouldn’t have had to learn it!
AMAZON & BOOKBUB BESTSELLING AUTHOR BARBARA HINSKE
Online Promotion Packages
Launch Package – $199
Book launch checklist
Template – book launch email blast, including request for reviews from friends and book professional reviewers
Template – request for endorsements
If you’ve hit that Buy Button, thanks! We’ll send you an email with a download link just as soon as humanly possible.
Book Marketing Kit – $150 for each sheet; $500 for 4-sheet kit
A professionally branded media kit will help you stand out above the rest when you are approaching book buyers, media contacts and reviewers. If branding exists, that will inform the media kit.
Book Sheet for Consumers
Book Marketing One Sheet for Retail and Library Buyers
Author/Speaker Sheet
Review and Endorsement Sheet
*All graphic design work includes up to 2 revisions
Social Media Kit – $975
Review of up to 3 social media platforms (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn)
Custom social media headers for the same 3 social media platforms
10 custom social media images (Twitter and Facebook/Instagram size) featuring book content, taglines or reviews
*All graphic design work includes up to two revisions
KDP Bundle – $1,250 – $500 for each additional book by same authorif no need for another Author Central Review (see below)
This package allows the savvy author on a budget to make the most of their Amazon platform and book listing. Although author is expected to implement all recommendations using the tools and training videos provided, you can hire us to do it for you. Check out our additional services.
Amazon Book Listing Review:
5 suggested Amazon categories for your book
10 metadata keywords
Price review and suggestions
Marketing copy review and suggestions
Provide HTML formatted marketing copy to the
author to upload to KDP. How-to video included.
Author Central Review:
We
will show you where and how to claim your Author Central profile or review your
existing profile. You will be given a detailed report on what you are doing
right, ways to improve your profile and how-to videos for a number of topics
including how to link a blog to your profile, claiming your books and how to
post editorial reviews.
Amazon Advertising Suggestions:
Identify at least ten competitive authors to target
Identify negative keywords if negative keywords are recommended (they rarely are)
Identify 20 competitive book titles to target
Provide a keyword list of 1000+ keywords to use in Amazon sponsored keyword ads
Recommend Amazon ad type(s), ad bidding prices and best days/times to run ads
Create two attention-grabbing marketing hook sentences
Provide a training video explaining how the author can set up their own ads through Amazon advertising and how to know if their ads are successful.
Add On: New Shelves’ Keri Barnum will create and manage Amazon sponsored keyword ads under the author’s account (as a manager) for $600 per month, with a mid-month check in and end of month summary and analysis. Client must first purchase the KDP Bundle for this option. Ad spend is not included in proposal cost, but will be agreed on and approved by client before ads begin. Month-to-month contract.
eBook Promotion Package – $1,250
This is a do-it-for-you promotion package to increase awareness and sales
of an eBook. Author must agree to discount their book to $2.99 or less for
duration of the promotion. Client is responsible for discounting the book on
all appropriate platforms in a timely fashion.
Inclusion in a minimum of two discount eBook newsletters such as:
Fussy Librarian
Just Kindle Books
Bargain Booksy
Robin’s Reads,
etc.
Amazon ads: ($75 ad budget)
Custom keyword list
Sponsored keyword ads to run for one consecutive week
Book Bub ad ($50 ad budget)
Identify at least ten competitive authors to target
Identify at least five genre categories to target
Create two artwork options to use with BookBub ads
Research retailer and international book links for the title being promoted
Create and manage/monitor an ad to run for two consecutive days
Facebook/Instagram ad ($75 ad budget)
Create target audience for outreach
Create two artwork options to use with ad
Create and manage/monitor one ad to run continuously for one weeks
Client
will approve all artwork and ad language prior to promotion. All research,
keywords and art will be shared with client. Client may use all materials for
future ad campaigns.
*All graphic design work includes up to two revisions
Additional Services:
Sales and/or web copy written by Incubation Press
Social media promotion and/or advertising campaigns – creation and/or management
Social media coaching
Media releases
Book trailers (see packages below)
Video &/or podcast creation
Video &/or podcast coaching
Brand identity
Set up Mailchimp for email capture and integrate into website
Newsletters and email blasts
Book swag including postcards, bookmarks, business cards, stickers
Book Trailer Packages
Bronze Package – $795 30-60 seconds
Book trailer concept and script
Voice over
Text
Single piece of music
Insertion of client’s creatives (book cover, photos, etc — need signed release re copyright issues)
Silver Package – $1,395 60-90 seconds
Book trailer concept and script
Voice over
Text
Up to 3 stock photos
Up to 2 pieces of music
Insertion of author’s creatives (book cover, photos, etc — need signed release re copyright issues)
Gold Package – $1,995 90-120 seconds
Book trailer concept and script
Voice over
Text
Up to 5 stock photos
Up to 3 pieces of music
Live video supplied by author
Insertion of author’s creatives (book cover, photos, etc – need signed release re copyright issues)
Online Book Promotion 101
Book promotion used to mean creating press kits, mailing out dozens—if not hundreds—of copies and praying for enough press coverage to justify the cost of a publicist. While that’s still an option, these days promoting online can be a lot less expensive and a lot more effective.
Online promotion can mean two things:
Free content sharing through platforms like Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and the rest
Paid advertising
Both can be enormously effective, especially when a strategic social media marketing plan is put into play. This can be especially true when it comes to online advertising. Not only is it TONS cheaper than any other kind of advertising, you can target your audience with pinpoint precision, and even ride on the coattails of other successful (and even bestselling) authors.
Technicalities
Not that long ago, online promotion boiled down to having a website making sure it was optimized (so search engines like Google would find it and put it toward the top of their lists). While search engine optimization (SEO) can still play an important in some cases, social media is the name of the game these days. The social media outlet your select depends as much on personal preference as it does on your book and the audience you’re trying to attract. And no, you don’t need to be on all of them. Phew!
The two most important social media sites right now are Facebook and YouTube especially when it come to promotion. Sure, that may change and when it does, the advice here will change as well. For now, however, assume that those two are a given. Add in a third a fourth and you’re good to go. If you’re 19, those two extras will probably be Instagram and Snapchat. On the other hand, if you’re writing a book geared toward professionals, LinkedIn is going to be your friend.
