Putting your book out there is a huge accomplishment, but the real work begins once you have launched. Unlike traditional publishing that offers a marketing department to get your readers to discover you, all the heavy lifting is on your shoulders as an indie author. However, there are practical and effective ways that indie authors can still be seen, heard, and talked about.

Build your Author Platform Before Launching

Visibility starts not on launch day, but months before. Readers like to buy from an author they connect to and have already been getting to know well. You may have seen these authors with their simple website with links to buy their book as well as a newsletter and a blog, where they may have shared their writing process and journey from start to finish. When your book is launching, you will no longer be asking them to discover someone completely new, they will have already been on the journey with you.

Optimize your Book Listing for Discoverability

With search engines being how most readers find book whether Amazon, Google, or other online bookstores the way your book listing is displayed is so important. Make sure that you choose a title and subtitle that clearly describe what your book is about and the genre. Write a book description that draws readers in with a few first sentence teasers, describing your book in a unique way.

Choose the correct genre and keywords for your book so your book can be found when readers perform searches.

The book cover needs to be professional; let's face it, we judge a book by its cover.

Make Use of Reviews and Word of Mouth

Reviews provide new readers with trust. Contact book bloggers and reviewers and send them a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review of your book. Ask friends, family members, beta readers, and anyone who was involved in your book to leave a review on your book.

If reader love your book, they will tell everyone they know about it and they will also be inclined to write about it on social media and recommend your book to people.

This builds more credibility with new potential readers than any form of advertising possible.

Take Advantage of Local and Regional Publishing Networks

There's a benefit to using what resources you have around you and sometimes other authors just do not realize the advantages of using local authors. The most obvious way to tap into this resource is to use local literary contacts to connect with book retailers and authors in your immediate area. If you reside in the gulf, then pursuing the possibility of self book publishing in UAE is sure to put you in touch with local distribution sources and author relationships unique to the gulf region. These authors and literary agents can give you a chance at getting local attention for your book through events, newspapers, or book stores in your neighborhood.

Invest in a Quality Printing and Physical copies of your Book

While many readers love the convenience and affordability of e-books, it is impossible for your book to be considered in any bookstore with out a quality printed copy. Having a printed copy of your book also expands your marketing capabilities at book fair and local book signings, and you do not always have to wait for your book to land in an online retailer. It's worth investigating book printing in Qatar as many printers there provide high quality printing options which can then be sold at local bookstores or event; the look of the binding of your book as well as its printing also influences readers.

Consistent promotion across several channels

As much as one promotion around the book's release week might bring in a few initial sales, you are going to need repeated advertising of your book in order to continue to be seen. You need to inform your reader base of your book through your various social media platforms. Participating in a blog tour where many authors blog about your book will let you reach a new set of readers and participate in podcasts and writer guest interviews; pay per click advertising will only take your book so far before becoming ineffective, and you need to work closely with advertising specialists who know how to create and execute campaigns. It always takes time to reach that critical mass of attention.

Conclusion

Getting your book discovered and seen through indie marketing takes patience and the awareness of many avenues. You need to develop your Author Platform way before your book comes out, send out copies for review and have your listing seen through online searches. It also entails leveraging the personal experiences of readers that find and enjoy your book, working through any regional contacts you know within the writing communities that best represent the genre and subject of your book, and producing a book with a printing that is worthy to be found and held. Consistent exposure and the drive to do a few extra steps and make use of the best tools will allow you to find readers for your amazing story; every author starts in the same way with nothing so why not use your book to make a contribution to the written word that readers can relate to in their lives.