Advice for self-published writers on promoting their work online and offline, from Tom Chivers, director of Penned in the Margins (www.pennedinthemargins.co.uk) and CompletelyNovel (www.completelynovel.com), the readers' and writers' community site.

1. Self-promotion for writers from a masterclass at Spread the Word by Tom Chivers, director of Penned in the Margins

2. Online Promotion XKCD: Online communities www.xkcd.com/256

3. Start a blog or a website Give readers a taste of your writing Keep supporters up to date with what you’re up to Online Promotion Website

5. Getting the content right Online Promotion Website reviews examples of your work a biography photographs press pack What will be interesting? What will be useful? www.flickr.com/photos/davidden Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0

6. Online Promotion Website Places to start a blog Wordpress www.wordpress.com Blogger www.blogger.com

7. Online Promotion Social networking Social networking Start conversations with readers and other writers

9. Social networking sites Online Promotion Social networking

10. Online Promotion Email Email Use your list to tell interested people about forthcoming events, projects and publications Start building a list now! It may seem useless now, but will be indispensible when your book comes out

16. www.flickr.com/photos/adactio Creative Commons BY 2.0 Offline Promotion

17. Offline Promotion Live Literature Live literature events An ideal way to meet other writers as well as readers Being part of a social literary scene can be a great way to promote your work

18. 4 Steps to Getting Involved Offline Promotion Live Literature 1. Identify the types of events you are interested in 2. Go along to these events as a punter 3. Introduce yourself to the organiser 4. When you feel ready, send your details to the organiser and offer to do a reading http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomecho Creative Commons BY-SA 2.0 – Don’t be pushy: this irritates promoters and can do more harm than good – Don’t be disappointed if you aren’t invited to perform: there are only limited slots

21. Offline Promotion Working with the media Working with the media Getting in touch with the local (and maybe even national) media can really raise your profile and spread the word about your work

24. Self-promotion for writers Put together by Based on notes kindly provided by Tom Chivers, director of Penned in the Margins www.completelynovel.com/publish