Every email you send is an opportunity for someone new to learn about your book.  In emails to friends, colleagues, and other contacts it may be helpful to directly mention your book, but many times doing so doesn’t quite fit the context of your email and may be inappropriate.  However, there is a subtle and acceptable way to promote your book in every email you send.

Use the signature file of your emails (where you provide information about yourself – such as name, address, phone number, etc. – that is automatically added to the bottom of every email you send) to include the following:

Your Name
Author of [Book Title]
Website: [Your Web Address Here]

Using electronic tools like a simple signature file is part of a greater strategy to keep up with today’s book buyers who are increasingly using the Internet to decide what books to buy next.

Adding your website address to the signature file is also critical because people can click on it immediately to see details about your book and – hopefully – buy a copy.  If you don’t have a website, link to a page on the Internet where people can buy your book (such as Amazon.com) and launch your own website soon to expose your book to more readers and to give them a better understanding of your book as well as reasons for owning it.

For authors, signature files are an appropriate way to let others discover your book and learn more about it.  And don’t forget that when someone forwards an email from you the information about your book is forwarded as well.

How to Create Your Signature File:  Creating your signature file is easy.  In the text field, you simply type in the information you want included in all of your emails.  The bit that takes some effort is finding out how to access your signature file.  It is different for each email system.  The following website from Temple University (click here) provides a detailed explanation for a variety of email systems including Outlook and “mailbox websites” such as AOL, Hotmail, and Yahoo Mail.  However, you can usually get to it under Tools or Options in your email’s menu.

By David Tortorelli

David Tortorelli is editor of Author Insider and serves as president of the book marketing firm, Book Premieres.