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

[Penny]

And I mean things that you can actually do to, I guess, "promote" your novel.

I'd like you to stray away from the responses that have to do you the actually quality of the book: plot, characters, ect.

(I know it's the most important part, to the point that its obvious. I just don't want a bunch of answers saying "Make a good book, derp")

Thank You (:

[Know It All]

Give away the first chapter on Kindle type readers. If people like the first chapter and want more then they will buy the book. Publishers have PR departments that manage this function. Hire a manager.

[DIANE]

With no advertising budget--which I doubt you have--not much.

[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.

[thought]

Michael A Stackpole (one of the more financially successful authors out there) discusses this very thing (occasionally) on his blog.

[philosophyangel]

akaMaryn sort of has it right, unfortunately. The way to go is to find forums where you can subtly mention your book and get people curious. You may be able to find people who do podcast interviews of writers (like EatSleepWrite who approached and interviewed me, but it didn't translate into book sales). There are book blogs and reviewers out there, too, and some will review non commercial and self-published books,but it is just about as difficult to get their attention as that of an agent these days. I have 3 self-published fiction books out that sparsely sell and 1 nonfiction book that sells a few books a month because it is niche and because I was able to get 2 top people in that niche to review the book soon after I published it. I have a Web site and a blog that supports my writing, but I do not know whether these sites help drive readership. If you can put together YouTube vids related to the book, that might be helpful, too.