Smashwords Book Marketing Guide Update – 5 sites promote your ebook

I updated the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide this morning. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a free ebook that offers over 27 easy-to-implement marketing ideas for authors.

Even if you’re naturally introverted, as most of us authors are, you’ll benefit from this ebook. Best of all, all of the ideas can be implemented at no cost.

I made various minor updates, and then added a new Tip #27, which I’ll excerpt here:

Tip #27: Promote your book to top ebook listing sites

Many popular websites and blogs specialize in providing directory-style links to ebooks, and routinely link to Smashwords ebooks. The sites I list here collectively drive *thousands* of readers to the book pages of Smashwords authors each month. There is no cost to the author, although you must earn inclusion from the operator of the site. Many of the sites specialize in free books, although some will list priced books if you provide them a time-limited Smashwords coupon that will enable their visitors to access your book for free. I’m a big believer in such promotions, because it’s a great way for you to gain a lot of readers in a short period of time, and many of these readers could be your first fans and your first reviewers. Before you contact the web sites below, be sure to study the sites, their book categories and their rules. Provide them direct hyperlinks to your Smashwords book page, and pay careful attention to any other information they request, such as book descriptions, price, book cover image, etc. If you carefully follow their instructions and match your book to their needs, you’ll maximize odds of a listing. Here they are, in no particular order:Free-Online-Novels.com – This is a popular web site run by author Jennifer Armstrong. She provides links to ebooks in all categories, with one simple requirement: The ebook must be free. Submission instructions: http://free-online-novels.com/submissions.html

Ebooks Just Published – This great site is operated by Mark Gladding in Australia. It lists both free and paid books. Submission guidelines: http://www.ebooksjustpublished.com/authors/

Online Novels – Online Novels provides an attractive directory specializing in free books. Unlike the Free-Online-Novels.com, however, Online Novels will occasionally list books that are free for a limited time, such as Smashwords books that have 100%-off coupons. Consider using your Smashwords Coupon Generator to create a 100%-off coupon, and then contact this site and ask them if they’d consider linking to your book at Smashwords and publishing the coupon code. Be sure to let them know when the coupon expires! Submissions link: http://online-novels.blogspot.com/2008/10/submissions-and-broken-links_02.html

Getfreeebooks – An attractive directory of free ebooks. The operators ask that you carefully follow their submission guidelines, outlined here: http://www.getfreeebooks.com/?page_id=81
Finding Free Ebooks – This popular site lists free ebooks, and also will list books that carry a price if you provide them a time-limited coupon code. You’ll find submission instructions at the home page http://finding-free-ebooks.blogspot.com/

Books on the Knob – This listing isn’t yet in the Guide, but I’ll add it as soon as I learn the submission process. This blog specializes in listing bargain books and book promotions, so your book doesn’t necessarily need to be free to earn a listing.

If you know of similar free sites popular with readers that welcome indie ebooks, please suggest them in the comments section. I’m not necessarily looking for reviews sites. The sites above rarely do reviews, though they remain very popular with readers.

Editor’s Note: The links in this article have not been copied. To get them please see the original article here. PB