Isobella Jade 

This is a continuation of Isobella Jade’s article from the February issue on self-marketing and self-promotion.  In the first part, Isobella Jade discussed the use of online social networking sites and blogs as they are almost always free.  Isobella Jade’s blogs are through blogger, she has Facebook and MySpace accounts and her e-mail is through Yahoo! Isobella Jade also talked about pitching to the media by researching magazine mastheads and looking up contact information online.  Contact information for media, especially newspaper staff, can generally be found on the publication’s site. Marketing, she believes, is not necessarily expensive.  In addition to her written web presence, she also has a weekly podcast through Blogtalk Radio.

#3. Not Spending Money on Promotion:  Since most self publishing companies are print- on- demand, this means instead of buying hundreds of books at once you can buy only what you need at time. Although you will have to pocket buying the book and this can be expensive.  You don‘t want to waste books and the money you spend on mailings so I suggest not mailing a book out to a magazine, radio show, TV Show, blog, or newspaper, until an editor or reporter is interested in your book. This will save you money. To get their attention send an excerpt or a press kit based on what the book is about- and share the first chapter or an intriguing chapter in the book that fits the style of the magazine, radio, newspaper, etc-that you are marketing to.

#4. Getting a Publisher even After Self Publishing: Remember that after self publishing your book and after getting some buzz on it, that it can still lead to a bigger publishing company picking up your book after all. Also it can lead to getting a mass distribution of your book and even global recognition. So even after you have your book, remember that you can still pitch it to publishers as well. Even if you got a “no thanks” from a publisher a few months before, you can now approach them with your self published book and some press you got on it! It is worth a try.

Although my book and I have been featured in national magazines, I know that just having the book isn’t enough, and I know that most of my press is because of me. Remember that you need to be present where your audience searches and be where they are, whether it is being featured on a popular blog, at an event, or in a magazine or newsletter!  Publishing a book isn’t just about doing readings and getting reviews, it is also about contacting the press first hand and seeing if even a part of a reporter’s story.

Isobella Jade is a petite model in New York City, and she just signed her self-published book to The Friday Project in the U.K.  

Images courtesy of Isobella Jade