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I have recently self-published my debut novel, A New Dawn Rising, for sale on Smashwords and Amazon, and like a lot of other first time (self-published) authors, I am trying to get my book out there with little idea on how to go about it. I know it's a huge topic to cover, so I will just ask one question. Opinion seems to indicate that getting your own website/blog is essential for self-promotion purposes. Is that true? Is it possible to set up your own website for free?
I published my first novel at the end of last year. I would say it is pretty important to write your own blog (or establish some kind of 'author' platform). That's not to say you should use the blog to hard-sell your book, but I think it is very useful to build up some kind of author profile and to showcase your writing. I haven't been able to quantify how many sales I make off the back of my blog, but I am sure it all helps. Setting up a blog is free - go to Blogger or Wordpress and there is plenty of help on hand. At some future point, it is probably worth setting up a website too (I haven't yet) but that does cost money. Other users of this forum can probably advise you (and me) on that. For the time being, I use my blog as a quasi-website for blogs, book info, author profile etc. It is also essential to use any social media accounts you have (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to drive traffic to your blog.
I read part of your sample on smashwords - looks like an exciting start to the book! Plenty of action to pull in the reader. Good luck with your project.
Emma.
Emma Clark Lam
Blogger and author of Kindle book, A Sister for Margot "Such an enjoyable read and the quality of the writing was what made it so. I could not put it down..." - Amazon review
Thank you for all the advice. Have just checked out your blog. Very professional and informative. I can see how useful it could be, both as a marketing tool and a way to keep in touch/up to date with your readers. Any suggestions on how to get the blog address out there once you have set it up? Or is it just a case of conversing on forums such as this?
And thank you for the kind words about the introduction to my novel. Such comments always help when you're struggling to get the word out and confidence starts waning.
Social media was the way I got the word out about my blog, primarily Facebook and Twitter to begin with. I also joined a few blogging networks like Mumsnet and NetMums. After you start building up momentum with your blog, the search engines also help to spread the word. It might be worth looking up search engine optimization (SEO) on Google and picking up some tips there. Also have a look at Duolit - this is a good resource for self-publishing and blogging.
Emma
Emma Clark Lam
Blogger and author of Kindle book, A Sister for Margot "Such an enjoyable read and the quality of the writing was what made it so. I could not put it down..." - Amazon review
I know it's a huge topic to cover, so I will just ask one question. Opinion seems to indicate that getting your own website/blog is essential for self-promotion purposes. Is that true? Is it possible to set up your own website for free?
