Should You Pay for Book Promotion Services?

As a self-published author, finding ways to promote your book is incredibly important. And most of us don’t have a lot of time, resources, or money to pay for promotional opportunities. Which means that we need to pick wisely. So how do you know which book promotion services are worth it?

How to Choose a Book Promotion Service

First, let me just say you don’t need to go with a book promotion service provider. There are a lot of free ways to get your books out to readers across the country! In fact, I’ve done very little paid promotion during the launch of my children’s books. And when I did choose to do paid promotion, I was picky in my choices. So if you are seeking some additional support to get your work out into the world, here are 2 things to consider:

1. Any good book promotion service will give you a specific outline of where and when your book will be promoted.

2. Any book promotion service that guarantees a certain number of views or sales based on their promotion is probably making false claims.

 What You Should Get from a Book Promotion Service

Here’s an example from when I had my own book promotion service in 2022, the Indie Author Roundup:

“The Indie Author Roundup is a book promotion service available to self-published or independently published authors of children’s books, young adult books, or adult fiction and non-fiction.

Book promotions are included in my newsletter, blog, and social media feed with a direct link to your work. These posts have a potential reach of over 8,000 viewers- it’s a great opportunity to expand your outreach to a larger audience of readers!

Looking for more book marketing opportunities? Purchase your spot to be included in a future roundup!

After you make a purchase, look for an email from me requesting information about your book and a link to schedule your promotion during the month of your choice. After all, this is meant to promote your book at the best possible time for you!”

Finding a Good Book Promotion Service

Note that I did 4 important things:

1. I specify who the promotion is for- self-published authors or independently published authors of children’s books, young adult books, or adult fiction and non-fiction.

2. I layout where your book will be promoted- in my newsletter, blog, and social media feed.

3. I tell you that right now (at the time of this post) I have a potential reach of over 8,000 viewers, but I do not make false claims that every single viewer will see your book promotion post. No one can crack the social media algorithm to make that promise!

4. I tell you what to expect when you make a purchase- you’ll get a follow-up email from me with a request to send me details about your book and a link to pick the month when your book will be promoted.

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Find More Opportunities to Promote Your Book

If you decide to go with a book promotion service, make sure they are answering those important questions for you! But, as I said earlier, you don’t actually need a book promotion service. They can be quite expensive. But you do need a plan!

If you need help finding opportunities to promote your book, let’s set up an Author Coaching Call! We can work together to find ways to have more readers fall in love with your book. Doesn’t that sound nice? :)

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