It's one thing to write a book, but an entirely different thing to write one that's saleable, viable, and marketable. With careful planning you can market, promote, and get (free) publicity (publicity is always free) on a limited budget; you can take the cheap and easy way. In today's publishing environment, a book's success depends greatly on a strong marketing plan.

Using press releases can be a very effective marketing tool if used properly. Your book press release should not be written as you would a sales letter or flier, it should be written for the editor and tell about your book in a factual way, no opinion or glowing remarks. Learning to write and use powerful optimized press releases can often drive tons of traffic to your website while providing multiple back links that can lead to increased page rank and numerous top ten search engine rankings for your targeted keywords.

Send out the same press release to the editor of your local daily newspaper every week until you are called for an interview or are written up. Make sure your press release spells out the 'who, what, where, when, and why.' Using press releases for marketing or promoting your book or book's website has become increasingly popular as publishers discover the powerful benefits of using press releases.

Press releases can generate thousands of dollars in sales when picked up by national trade or print media. Send out at least 10 press releases to the print and broadcast media in your area every month.

Make sure your sales letter or flier is first class; this is your formal presentation of your title to the prospective buyer. When you get a nice write up or feature about you and/or your book, have it laminated and set it up on an easel at trade shows. Print and online publications provide longevity to your marketing campaign in terms of having something tangible for people to reference ongoing.

Your sales letter or flier should include an eye-grabbing headline, the benefits to the buyer, the book features, book sales information and testimonials. Women buy more books then men; see how you can fit your book into the women's market. Place free ads periodically for your book's website on Craigs List in different categories to drive even more traffic to your website.

It's important to publish a website that focuses on your title; you'll be able to refer editors and customers and all interested parties to your book information with the click of a mouse. Submit articles to online article directories that focus on your book's topic to drive customers to your website. Create an online contest and list it in online contest directories to drive traffic to your website.

Market your book to your number one market first, and then go after the secondary markets. Remember to make sure your book is listed in Books-in-Print; don't assume it's already listed. Contact non-bookstore booksellers and offer to leave books on consignment.

Arrange to speak at local, regional and national events that relate to your book topic; bring books along and have an associate sell them at the back of the room. Local radio shows and television appearances are good but are often forgotten within hours of the broadcast; make sure to make or get a copy of any television broadcast for future promotions.

Make sure not to overlook the Internet; get yourself interviewed or profiled for sites both about writing, publishing and about the topics covered in your book. Be your own publicist and send a press release along with a review copy of your book to publications in your book's genre and to book review magazines.

The success of any book marketing effort depends on a good book and just plain hard work; its been done many times before and you can do it too. If you apply yourself every day and you promote your book like crazy, you can achieve that ultimate goal of selling thousands of copies of your book, many self publishers have. One of the biggest problems self publishers and book publishers tell me about is the hundreds of books they have in inventory they haven't set up a marketing plan for; don't let this happen to you -- get prepared now.