by Sherrie Wilkolaski
As a self-published Infinity author, a key part of getting your book well known in your local community is conquering the library market. Most of your hometowns will have not one but maybe a few libraries that you can connect with as a local author. Here are a few tips on how you can make an impact on this niche.
1. Donation. Donate a copy of your book to your local library. This will be the first step in establishing your relationship with the library community and will get your name known. This will help open to the doors for other marketing opportunities. Plus, you can check on the success of your title by getting an update on the length of the waitlist for your book!
2. Events. There are always events happening at libraries from children's storytime to "teen night." After donating a copy of your book, explore your options of scheduling a reading or book signing; as a local author they would love to have you.
3. % of Your Sales. Donate a portion of the sale of your book to your local library. For a limited time, run a promotion that donates a portion of the retail sale of your book to your local library; this could run during your book signing event as well. Contact your local branch to get them to help promote your timeline and cross-promote with your audience.
4. Listen Up! Have your book converted to an audiobook. Libraries are the biggest purchasers of audiobooks and they are extremely popular in this market. You can't go wrong with having your book available in all formats, including audio and ebook.
5. Join the Fun. The end goal doesn't have to always be sales, sales, sales. Even connecting with one other member of your community through your library could connect you with a new reader or a great review. For more opportunities, join your Friends of the Library Group and see what they have to offer.
Have you connected with a library in your area? What has the response been? Share with us in the comments section.
Image courtesy of msi