Whether you chose a mainstream publisher or Amazon's CreateSpace and Kindle Direct Publishing, book marketing will soon take up to half your time. With my latest cyber thriller about to be published, here are some of the marketing steps I've used for Man of Honor:
1. Develop a website, update the Twitter and Facebook pages for the new book
2. Update all author's pages at Amazon, Goodreads, BookDaily, and all the other review platforms
3. Create a blog tour to review to tout the book or have a reputable firm do it for you. And respond to all replies and comments on the blog tour
4. Ramp up your blog entries, your tweets, and your Facebook posting
5. Remember not to sell the book as much as selling yourself. People want to trust writers they know won't waste their time.
6. Create the ad card for the book and hand it out to as many people as possible
7. Create the book trailer--essential for all books now. See Man of Honor book trailer
8. Purchase space advertising at other publications. I chose Quill & Pad and Curt Lewis Associates for the first two ad placements since I already have relationships with them.
There are many more things authors do to promote their books during the pre-order period and after its publishing date. The point is to get the word out, make yourself accessible, and above all respect your readers. After all, they are your employers.
--Chris