October 2013

Free Promotional Tools For Authors

Promoting your work as an author doesn’t have to be expensive. Below is a list of free promotional tools, apps, and platforms that can help you build your audience, market your books, engage with your readers and stay organized effectively. You don’t have to do all of these– just try them out and delve deeper into one or more that appeal to you!

Social Media Platforms

Facebook:
Create an author page to post updates, engage with fans, and share events. Join relevant groups (e.g., genre-specific, writing groups) to network and promote your work organically.

Instagram:
Use it to share visually appealing book covers, behind-the-scenes writing moments, or quotes from your work. Engage with hashtags like #Bookstagram or #AmReading to reach readers.
Twitter (X):
Engage with writing communities and readers using hashtags like #WritingCommunity or #BookTwitter. Host Q&A sessions or participate in genre discussions.
TikTok:
Share short, creative videos about your books, writing process, or related topics. Use #BookTok to tap into a massive audience of enthusiastic readers.

LinkedIn:
Ideal for non-fiction authors to build authority and connect with professionals interested in your niche. Share articles, excerpts, or speaking engagements.

Reader and Community Platforms

Goodreads:
Set up an author profile and list your books. Host giveaways, answer questions, or participate in reader discussions.
BookFunnel:
Share free book samples or full books to build your email list. Create reader magnets to encourage signups.

Reedsy Discovery:
Submit your book for review and gain visibility among avid readers.
Wattpad:
Share chapters or short stories to build a following, especially for YA or genre fiction.

Email Marketing Tools

EmailOctopus:
Build an email list and send newsletters about new releases, events, or giveaways. Free for up to 2,500 subscribers with great beginner-friendly tools.

MailerLite:
Great for beginner-friendly email campaigns and landing pages. Free for up to 1,000 subscribers.
GetResponse:
Offers a free plan for up to 500 subscribers, including landing pages, email campaigns, and automation tools. Great for authors seeking advanced email marketing features.
AWeber:
Provides a free plan for up to 500 subscribers with basic email templates, sign-up forms, and automation. Ideal for authors just starting to grow their email list.

Content Creation Tools

Canva:
Design professional-looking graphics for social media, bookmarks, or blog posts. Create promotional content like book teasers or event announcements.
BookBrush:
Make custom book covers, 3D mockups, and ads tailored for authors.
Lumen5:
Convert blog posts or excerpts into engaging video content for social media.

Apps and Productivity Tools

Trello:
Organize your writing projects, marketing plans, and to-do lists with boards and cards. Ideal for tracking progress on book drafts or promotions.
Evernote:
A versatile note-taking app for storing ideas, outlines, and research. Syncs across devices for easy access anywhere.
Notion:
A customizable all-in-one workspace to manage writing schedules, research databases, and task planning.

Scrivener (Free Trial):
While the full version is paid, the free trial offers a rich writing tool for managing long-form projects like books or screenplays.
Focus@Will:
Enhance focus with background music designed to improve concentration during writing sessions.
Clockify:
A free time-tracking app to help you monitor how much time you spend writing, researching, or marketing.

Grammarly:
A free grammar and spell-checking tool that ensures your writing is polished before you share it.
Forest:
A productivity app that gamifies focus sessions by growing a virtual tree for every uninterrupted work period.

Free Author Website Builders

WordPress.com:
Create a simple, professional author site. Use it for blogging or hosting your portfolio.

Wix:
Easy drag-and-drop builder to create an attractive site. Good for showcasing books and events.
Carrd:
Create a single-page website perfect for highlighting your books and links.

Media and Outreach Tools

PodMatch:
Connect with podcast hosts for guest appearances to promote your book and expertise.

PressKitHero:
Build and share a professional press kit to provide journalists, bloggers, or event organizers with everything they need to feature you.
Substack:
Publish newsletters, essays, or serialized stories directly to your subscribers.

Marketing and Analytics Tools

Google Analytics:
Track visitor activity on your website to understand what’s working. Monitor traffic sources, bounce rates, and page performance.

Hootsuite:
Manage up to 3 social media accounts and schedule posts in advance.
Bitly:
Shorten links and track clicks to measure the effectiveness of your promotions.

Event Promotion Tools

Eventbrite:
Host free virtual or in-person events, like book launches or writing workshops. Promote the event via their platform.

Zoom:
Host virtual book readings, writing Q&A sessions, or workshops.
Meetup:
Create or join writing-related groups for networking and event promotion.

Free Tools for Review Generation

Prolific Works:
Offer free book copies in exchange for reader reviews. Build your mailing list with reader signups.

BookSirens:
Distribute review copies to interested readers.
NetGalley (Co-Op Options):
Some co-ops offer free or discounted NetGalley slots for authors seeking reviews.

Networking Tools

Discord:
Join or create servers with book lovers, genre fans, or writing communities. Engage directly with fans and potential collaborators.

Reddit:
Participate in writing subreddits like r/Writing, r/SelfPublishing, or r/Books. 41.
Facebook Groups:
Search for relevant groups like “Indie Authors” or “Book Review Groups” OR (super secret strategy) create a genre/ niche specific group. Think about it– if you write cozy mysteries, it makes perfect sense for you to be the creator/ admin of a popular cozy mystery Facebook Group (and Page). You will be able to promote your work to your heart’s content, plus you’ll have a fun place to discuss your own genre/ niche! Get on it!

By leveraging these free tools, you can create a robust promotional strategy without spending a dime. The key is consistency—show up regularly on these platforms, engage with your audience authentically, and keep refining your approach as you learn what resonates with your readers.

Book Marketing

Wattpad’s Dark Side!

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In comments to my first Wattpad post, I was asked about the age demographic on Wattpad and whether it is appropriate for all content. It is true that the age group most heavily represented on Wattpad appears to be the younger readers, in specific young female readers. This is not by any means ALL of the users, but it is a large number. As a result, Wattpad has (wisely) taken steps to ensure the content is clearly labeled and managed such that under-age eyes are not given access to inappropriate materials in a willy-nilly fashion. The restrictions are clearly listed out in their Content Guidelines but are pretty simple if you are familiar with the movie/TV rating system. Ratings can be G, PG, PG-13 or R. Yes, you have correctly noticed that there is no X rating. Erotica is prohibited on Wattpad at present. So let’s look a little closer at Wattpad’s dark side.

Writers are asked to rate their content as it is being uploaded, however, it is clear based on what I read on the support forum that Wattpad systems often police the content, and will adjust the rating accordingly.

Additionally, should a certain post or content be deemed in appropriate, it will be removed, or locked down. Locked down content can only be seen by the followers of an author, and/or sent to followers privately. In other words, largely negates the entire point of being on Wattpad as no one can find the content without having already found it.

From a conversation I had with the Wattpad crew, my understanding is that content not suitable for all eyes will also not be chosen as featured content. If it is truly considered adult, it will not even be discoverable, and will only be accessed by a direct link (assuming it is allowed to remain in the system at all).

All of which means to me, that like almost anything we advise regarding book marketing, there is no one size fits all here either: not all books or all authors will be happy and successful on Wattpad. Certain material will do better than others, and certain people will be more successful than others.

Additionally, material that is deemed as copywritten (copywrited?) by someone other than you, will also be deemed unsuitable. I am not speaking to plagiarism here (which is obviously also not permitted), I am referring to phrases and/or product names. One example I found in the customer service forum indicated that a user had used the term “Emerald City” in their piece, and the post was not permitted. In fact, she did not mean the Oz version at all (so changed it), but algorithms are only so smart, after all!

Perhaps it goes without saying, but certain content is completely restricted and will be removed – details are here per the Content Guidelines:

RESTRICTED MATERIAL:
Do not submit any material that is unlawful, obscene, defamatory, libelous, threatening, pornographic, harassing, hateful, racially offensive, or is otherwise inappropriate. We will promptly remove any such material submitted to the service.

So, what happens if you go in not understanding all the rules and/or choose to do what you do, regardless? Well, I will let author Duke Miller tell you in his own words. Duke has, by the way, found his niche there and is having a grand time, regardless of stumbling into a mature restricted status! If mature content does not offend you, I highly recommend checking him out.

Duke Miller Says:

Wattpad has nothing labeled “Adult” it is only “Non-teen” and everything else is TEEN. So if you are writing about(for) teens, welcome to the ice-cream parlor. My abnormal uploads quickly earned me a “restricted mature” status. I was put into a box with all the other degenerates. It is hard to find me on Wattpad. My name and title produce “no matches”….

Two essential ingredients to a successful foray into Wattpadland are good content and time. When you go to upload your stupendous work, ONLY LOAD LITTLE CHUNKS, this is an ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT. Attention spans are low, particularly on Wattpad. The reading font is simple text. So, build a following first, leave bits of cheese by the hole and then when the mice are milling around, let the cat attack. Time is more problematic. In the beginning, if you can’t devote at least 2 or 3 hours a day to Wattpad, your effort will be questionable. I would recommend scheduling a full week to get the account up and running and then an hour or so per day for maintenance. You are going to war. Wash your hair, wear a cap or helmet, get things in order before you sit down in front the computer. You must play music. It is REQUIRED. Also keep the drinks and food nearby. Once you get going, stick with it. Wattpadians quickly suss out dead accounts and nobody likes to be dead. After 9 days, I’m up to 520 reads, 86 comments, 25 Followers, 33 Following, and 55 Votes after eight days of turmoil. Buzz: it’s all about the exponential buzz of social networking. There is a price to be paid.

So, come look for me on Wattpad. If you can find me, tell me how you did it. It is a mystery to me how new people just entering the vast land of Wattpad can even find their own butts, much less a specific, toxic, restricted, mature only account like mine. Anyway, I am the guy handing out death like party invitations; looking for death in the corners of my room and knowing that it comes to me in small doses, in the flashes of my past. “Living and Dying With Dogs” is the way I die and I am dying in fragments, just like all of us: by the breath, heartbeat, thought, and word. It’s all there, on Wattpad, waiting for somebody to read the f—ing thing and vote.

Here, I will make it easier – Duke can be found here: http://www.wattpad.com/user/ddduke

What about you, what has your experience on Wattpad been?