A Holistic Approach to Book Marketing

Sandra Beckwith

Indie publishing is alive and well, and book marketing has become a thriving business. In fact, many books have been published on the art and science of book marketing. Blogs abound with tips and links to online resources. Publicity consultants offer enticing services, and if you don’t have the money for a top-level marketing plan, you can pick one of many affordable “how to” teleseminars to learn basic tricks of the trade that will get you started. I highly recommend you spend some time on the website of Sandra Beckwith, a self-employed publicist guru who is more than generous with useful tips for authors.

Some well-known publicity strategies are:

• design a sizzling web page for your book, including a media kit
• create a presence on social media platforms
• start your own blog as well as plan virtual blog tours
• create an e-mail list and dispatch regular newsletters about your book and your publicity events
• encourage readers to post book reviews on the websites of online retailers like Amazon
• draw attention to those reviews on your social media platforms and ask your connections to kindly share your updates
• do book readings and signings at social and commercial events as well as libraries and book clubs
• offer giveaways on Goodreads
• write newsworthy print and online articles with reference to the themes that are explored in your book and pitch those stories to local media
• give radio and TV talks, and create Youtube videos, on topics associated with your book, the self-publishing industry, or the art and process of writing

Sonia Marsh

Given the enterprising nature of indie authors, unorthodox promotional tactics should not be surprising. A dynamic book promoter to watch and learn from is Sonia Marsh, indie author of Freeways to Flip-Flops—a story about a gutsy family who exchanged their California lifestyle for a year of roughing it on a tropical island. Sonia is not only gutsy in everything she does but she approaches marketing in a strategic way that’s forever mindful of the main theme that drives her story: Gutsy Living, also the name of her blog, where she runs a series of “my gutsy stories.” Do check out her blog post of October 2012, where she suggests “A Different Way to Market Your Book.”

I was recently afforded an opportunity by my alternative health practitioner,

Healing neck massages.

Dr. Shauna Hindman, to also step out of the book-marketing box. Dr. Hindman is a board certified Chiropractic Physician who graduated from the National University of Health Sciences in 1997, and she received her Fellowship status from the International Academy of Medical Acupuncture in 2008 and her Diplomate status in 2009. She runs Polaris Acupuncture & Chiropractic Center in Westerville OH. On November, 30th, she threw a Christmas party with a difference—friends and patients were invited to come and enjoy snacks, drinks, manicures, essential oil treatments, and neck massages. She invited me to bring my books, because that’s just the generous, caring type of person she is, and why I trust her with my health.

I exhibited my book and offered a Lucky Draw Competition, thus utilizing an unusual setting to introduce Out of Sync to a new audience.

Dr. Shauna Hindman with my book.

Chiropractic is an overall way of looking at the human body. It’s based on the idea that the body is self-sustaining and self-healing. The body is in essence completely controlled by the brain through its connection via the spinal cord and the vast networks of nerves that make up the body. When this system is not functioning at its peak, the overall performance of the human body is lacking. 


Acupuncture is a ancient health science which is used to successfully treat both pain and dysfunction in the body by stimulating precise acupoints at various locations on the body. Acupuncture is a method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and to improve functioning. This is done by inserting needles and applying heat or electrical stimulation at very precise acupuncture points.

Out of Sync is a memoir about my expatriation from South Africa to the United States in 2001 and how that change impacted my life, health, and relationships. A recent reviewer said: “It’s the story of a South African woman who immigrates to the USA. She and her husband land in New York minutes before the Twin Towers are attacked and so begins life in America. Despite the tragic ‘welcome’ to America, the book is full of hope, courage, perspective and resilience. I couldn’t put it down and now that it’s over, I’m feeling such a void!”

If you have any out-of-the-box book marketing tips to share, I’d love to hear from you.

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