Promote Your Book by Patricia Fry - Book Review

Title: Promote Your Book: Over 250 Proven, Low-cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author

Author: Patricia Fry

Publisher: Allworth Press

Publication Date: 26th July 2011

Format: E-Book - PDF

Pages: 225

Genre: Non-Fiction

Source: Arc from NetGalley




Do you have what it takes to become an author, but are not sure where to start? Promote Your Book gives enterprising authors the advantage they need to navigate the publishing industry and gain a better understanding of what book promotion is all about. This well-organized collection of the most successful low-cost and no-cost ideas provides solutions for both aspiring and seasoned authors in any genre. You will learn how to promote the book without changing your lifestyle; how to promote creatively, locally, and through social media; submit news releases and tip sheets; arrange book signings, radio, and TV appearances; enhance marketing skills; spend money in all the right places, and more. (Goodreads Synopsis)


I requested this book from NetGalley because, as a new writer, I am keen to find ways to successfully promote my books. I settled down to read it, looking forward to all the amazing insights it would offer.

I wasn’t completely disappointed, and I have scribbled down a few notes on websites to look at and things to try, but I did find that many of the suggestions were not suitable for me personally. I write fiction and currently I am only published in e-book format. A number of the ideas were really aimed at print releases, with a heavy leaning towards non-fiction writing and also self-publishing.

Considering it states the ideas are low cost on the cover, I found that this was not always the case. Recommending spending $300 on a book trailer hardly seems low cost to me. From my personal stand point, I wish to find some ways to advertise and promote, but I am not yet earning enough from sales to spend more than a handful of dollars here and there. This knocks out the suggestion for having marketing/promotional materials, such as bookmarks, printed, unless I found a really good deal somewhere.

I think this book could be useful to writers who specialise in non-fiction print releases and have disposable income to spare, or for self-published authors who have to plan distribution etc themselves. But it is probably not the right book for e-book fiction authors as many of the suggestions will not be relevant and the ideas that are could be easily found elsewhere.