Every writer wants to sell his book to people and hopefully become a well-known author. To do so, he must first publish his book.

Publishing is all about production and distribution of literature or information so that it would be available to everyone. Authors are mostly the source of this information.

Publishing a book is not that easy. The manuscripts that writers submit to publishers must be at par with the publisher’s standards. Also, perfect grammar and excellent structure are not guarantees for a manuscript to be published. The literary work should also be interesting enough so people will buy it. In other words, manuscripts must overcome the scrutiny, the quality check, and the sales projection of the book publishers. Publishers need to make sure that the book sells; most of their revenue comes from part of the book’s sales.

Publishers also market and advertise published books. After all, the more people who will buy their books, the more money they will have. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Publishers have other things to take care of—administrative functions, production, book analysis—that may leave the marketing or advertising aspect in the shelves.

Therefore, authors also have to do some book marketing of their own to promote their book and generate sales. This task, however, is not as easy as it sounds. It takes time, patience, planning—and money. Many authors are not full-time writers and have day jobs. That means the money gained from book sales is not enough to cover the expenses for book marketing.

Fortunately, there are ways to promote a book even if the author has a tight budget. Here are some tips on how to promote through inexpensive book marketing.

1. Before initiating book marketing, the author must have some means of communication. That means he must have a phone, a good internet connection, and a car or some other form of transportation. He would need this to contact media resources and possible clients. He also needs a little money and time to market the book.
   
   
2. Next he must get his book online. That means he must register his book through online retail shops such as Amazon.com. Also he must try to contact book retailers such as Ingram and Barnes and Noble to sell his book.
   
   It would also be a good idea for the author to construct and develop a web site dedicated to the book. Here, the author can provide downloadable sample chapters to entice people to purchase and read the entire book. The author may also want to include reviews about his book, comments about his book from readers, and even interactions between him and the readers. His web site may also include news and updates on current projects.
   
   
3. Book marketing also involves going to the media and having a “blitz.” That means giving newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and television stations copies of the book so they can promote it.
   
   The author should let the media review the book and post their reviews on their own format of presentation. Good presentations usually arouse the interest of the people.
   
   Also, the author should submit press releases to the media about their book. This is usually free and most media outlets would be happy to publish the releases. Press releases allow people to be aware of the author’s book.
   
   
4. Another good book marketing scheme is to schedule book signings. This can be done by calling a bookstore of the author’s choosing. Most bookstores welcome book signings and show great support for authors.
   
   Authors should also ask bookstores to promote their books. If bookstores would agree, they would usually give or lease out a small space to the author where he can place his book exclusively.
   
   
5. Authors should call bookstores and try to sell their books to them directly. This is also true for smaller book shops. Be aware that not all will agree to this; they would prefer buying from the publisher.