I get that marketing is a foreign language to many authors, and even those who are familiar with it don’t usually enjoy it. But if you want people who aren’t your friends and family to buy your book, it’s something you simply have to do.

If right now you’re saying to yourself, I want to kick-start my marketing campaign, but what specifically should I do?, here are some suggestions–some broad and some granular–that should get you going:

• Create or update your Amazon author page
• Craft or update a short, compelling bio
• Create or update a snappy description of your book
• Check all of the above for grammatical errors
• Update your headshot
• Create a website
• Create a Goodreads profile
• Insert a hyperlink to your Amazon page or website in your email signature
• Send a signed book to your college alumni magazine
• Research local alumni chapters of your alma mater and reach out to them–many have monthly newsletters
• Research book clubs near you–then offer to attend the meeting if they choose your book
• Put a few copies of your book in the trunk of your car–you never know when you’ll need them

Asking “How do I market a book?” is kind of like asking “How long is a ball of string?” You get out what you put in, but over time hard work and persistence can (and do) pay off. You just have to keep at it and try to keep a positive attitude. Remember, you wrote a book! That’s an incredible accomplishment in and of itself.

-Maria

This blog post originally appeared on CreateSpace.com. Reprinted with permission. © 2016 CreateSpace, a DBA of On-Demand Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.