Building a book buzz, with help from some friends

by Susan Santangelo

Sometimes I think that marketing a book is harder than writing it. My second Baby Boomer mystery, Moving Can Be Murder, has been out for just 2 weeks, and I'm trying to reach as many readers and reviewers as I can. We've all been through that, right?

One of the blogs I subscribe to is Lori's Reading Corner, written by Lori Gondelman. It's not just for mysteries, although she features many of them, and her reviews and postings are always interesting. She had a post this past week from the reader's point of view about how to help a favorite author build readership. I thought some of her ideas were really helpful. For example: Word of mouth is huge. If you read a great book, spread the word among your friends. Loan it out (only to trusted people, of course). Buy an extra copy and donate it to your library. Make it "social" -- Facebook the book link from Amazon and B&N. Write a review of the book on these sites and also on Goodreads. "Like" the book on Amazon. Tag the book on Amazon. Near the bottom of every book page is a list of words that help readers find the book they're searching for. Click on a book tag to add more that you think might be helpful.

I'm sure other folks have additional ideas about marketing -- after all, I'm pretty new to mystery writing. But if we share ideas, and promote each other too, it's a win/win. And best of all, these ideas won't drain the gas tank!