How does one go about making there book more "known" by the public, popular?

[akaMaryn]

Marketing books that are not commercially published is damned difficult. Many of the avenues open to traditionally published authors are not available. Chain bookstores won't host signings or carry copies (although they will order them for customers). Few independent booksellers are any different. Newspapers, magazines, TV, and radio don't want your press releases and won't do author interviews. Libraries won't accept free copies. Writing- or book-related conventions won’t let you set up a sales or autograph table, don’t want you on their author panels, and forbid you giving away promotional material.

The author's blog, Facebook, Twitter, reddit, Tumblr, and other electronic self-promotion efforts don't increase sales, and often get the author blocked by the very audience he hopes to reach. Most chats and forums delete posts which exist solely to promote your book.

About the only marketing I've seen have any effect for self-published authors is active participation at forums and chats dealing with the subject of your book. Find your niche market and determine where online they hang out. Some sites may allow you to discuss your book *if someone asks about it* (but will ban you for bringing it up more than once). Some may allow a link to a point of sale in your profile, or to your blog or web-page which in turn links to a point of sale.

Once in a while, someone who shares interest in your subject matter has a blog or site about it and will offer to link to a point of sale for your book. Again, a few most sales.

But for the most part, self-published books tend to sell poorly regardless of quality and give-aways at Amazon or elsewhere.