Marketing is one of those things that you either love or you hate. No matter how you feel about it, you gotta do it. The first question I get from newbie authors, after how to write a book, is what are the best marketing strategies. I have three tips for beginners to start marketing their books easy and quickly. Before I get into that, let's talk a little bit about what marketing is.

Don't complicate your marketing. (That's a bonus tip.) Simply put, marketing is the bridge that connects writing a book and selling it. Marketing is what you do to sell copies or your hard work. Marketing is something you do, so don't get caught up in the research. Once you have your plan together get going! (Bonus number two.) Now, on to the tips...

1. Don't be a lurker! When you're using social media for marketing make sure that you're actually being social. Like, comment, and share other posts that are relevant to your brand. This takes little to no effort but makes a huge difference in growing your audience! You'll be surprised how many more followers you get by taking advantage of this one gem. And don't worry about getting the love back at first. In the beginning it's all about visibility.
2. Make a plan. Strategy is king. You have to plan if you want to have a successful release. Nobody will buy your books if they have no idea that they exist. And even if they do, if your product doesn't appeal to them they won't waste space on their Kindle on you. Know who your audience is and strategically market to them. Plan to market for a minimum of 30 days prior to your release. If you can give it six months that would be perfect. Make sure to measure which marketing strategies work and which ones don't. Finally, be patient and work the plan. Only switch it up if you see that something isn't making you sales. 
3. A special note for introverts. So many of us writers are introverts. We don't do well in front of an audience or cringe at the thought of engaging with complete strangers. Whatever your reason for being an introvert it's time to cut it out. Two things that can help you out with that:

• Write under a pen name - Develop an alter ego that you can work with like your very own Sasha Fierce. It'll give you the confidence to step out in front of your audience without fear. 
• Your two main marketing strategies should be blogging and/or podcasting. Neither of these require that you show your face. With podcasting your audience hears your voice so this is a little more intimate of a contact. So if you aren't too nervous to start a podcast or Blog Talk Radio show I highly recommend it.