Promoting a book effectively without spending money can be challenging but achievable with the right strategies and resources. Here are some of the free sites and platforms that can help you promote your book but remember do your research on what will be best for you.
Social Media Platforms
1. Facebook
Groups: Join book promotion groups, author communities, and genre-specific groups.
Page: Create an author page to engage with readers.
2. Twitter
Hashtags: Use relevant hashtags like #BookBoost, #AmReading, #IndieAuthor.
Engagement: Participate in book chats and engage with the wider writing community.
3. Instagram
Bookstagram: Post visually appealing pictures of your book and you can use hashtags like #Bookstagram, #Bookish.
Stories & Reels: Share updates, behind-the-scenes content, and short videos.
4. TikTok
BookTok: Share engaging videos about your book, including readings, reviews, and writing tips.
Book Promotion Sites
5. Goodreads
Author Profile: Set up an author profile and connect with readers.
Giveaways: Host a book giveaway to attract new readers.
Groups: Participate in discussions and book clubs.
6. BookBub
Profile: Create an author profile and get followers who receive notifications about your new releases.
Recommendations: Recommend books and engage with the community.
7. LibraryThing
Author Profile: Create a profile and connect with readers.
Giveaways: Run book giveaways to increase visibility.
Writing and Reading Communities
8. Wattpad
Serial Publishing: Publish excerpts or short stories to attract readers to your book.
Engagement: Engage with readers through comments and messages.
9. Medium
Articles: Write articles related to your book’s themes, your writing process, or book reviews.
Publications: Submit your work to popular Medium publications for greater reach.
10. Reddit
Subreddits: Participate in relevant subreddits like r/books, r/writing, r/selfpublish, and r/IndieAuthors.
AMA (Ask Me Anything): Host an AMA session to engage with potential readers and answer questions about your book.
Additional Strategies
Blogging: Start a blog on platforms like WordPress or Blogger to share content related to your book and your journey.
Guest Blogging: Write guest posts for popular blogs in your genre or industry.
Podcasts: Reach out to podcast hosts who interview authors or discuss topics related to your book.
Email Newsletters: Use free email marketing tools like Mailchimp (up to a certain limit) to build an email list and send updates to your readers.
Press Releases: Use free press release distribution sites like PRLog to announce your book launch.
There are so many more websites that can help you promote your book for free and while I have not tried all of these options to promote my own books I have heard from other writers that these have worked for them so remember to do more research before you decide exactly what will be best for your book.