5 easy ways to give away FREE SAMPLES of your writing

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5 easy ways to give away FREE SAMPLES of your writing

August 8, 2011 by Marcie Brock

5 easy ways to give away FREE SAMPLES of your writing

(Please click on image to enlarge.)

Last time, we discussed the importance of getting your work in front of prospective readers by giving away sample chapters and other writings for free. The most obvious way to do this is with a blog, and in future posts, we will explore some interesting ideas for the kinds of blog posts SBMs* can use to keep their readers interested and invested.

Today, we’re going to examine 5 other easy ways to give your readers and potential readers access to your work.

One-page Zine

Seen more often in underground publishing than in general use by traditional authors, a zine is a single 8-1/2 by 11 sheet of paper, folded into 8 “pages.” These make great leave-behind materials for coffee shops and bookstores.

PDF

Making a PDF from a Word or InDesign or almost any other kind of file is a simple process. Many eReaders will even read .TXT files, so you may be able to keep it simpler still. You can make these files available for download through your blog or Web site.

Amazon’s “Look Inside” Feature

Check almost any topic on Amazon, and you may be amazed at how few authors take advantage of the “Look Inside” program that gives potential buyers a way to see your TOC, sample chapters, and a “surprise” page.

DVD

Take that PDF from the earlier example, and load it onto a CD or DVD and put it in a DVD case. Reprint your cover, or design a new one for this purpose and slide it under the plastic protector. Now you can carry your ebook with you.

Minibük

Literally a mini book, this tiny book is the size of an index card. Page counts can range from 8 pages to 200 pages, with either saddle stitch or perfect binding, depending on the page count.

Choose any of these methods that works for you – or develop your own idea! Regardless of how you get them out there, get those sample chapters out there into the wide, wide world. Embrace giving. We’re not all going to be the next Amanda Hawking, but our success is guaranteed to increase the more we give people a chance to see samples of our work.

For the next 5 posts, we’re going to look at the mechanics of each of these formats for book samples (with illustrations, where applicable), so come back and tell your friends!

MARCIE

*Savvy Book Marketer

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Visit Write | Market | Design to download your Marketing Skills Evaluation. This will help you determine how close you are to SBM status, and where you may need a little extra boost.

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We welcome and encourage your thoughtful, courteous comments below.

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If you’d like us to add a link to your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog, please send us a note. If we think it’s a good fit, we’ll be happy to add you. Of course, we’d appreciate the reciprocity of the same!

Additionally, Marcie would be happy to make a guest appearance on your writing/self-publishing/book marketing blog. Just let us know the theme or your idea (preferably including a 6-panel concept), and we’ll see what we can draft for you.

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Thursday, August 4 – A Savvy Book Marketer embraces the idea of giving freely