Here are 10 top marketing tips provided by FreeAgents, an independent literary agency:

1. Get your title absolutely right

Your title must be clear and concise - conveying what the book is about in a glance or an 'eye' bite.

Use your subtitle to further elaborate; to explain what the book is about. It should be one pithy sentence.

Your title and subtitle are crucial - they are your promise to the reader about what is inside the book.

Don't try to be too clever or mysterious with your title - it doesn't always work.

If you really must be mysterious and opaque in your title then make sure your title is intriguing enough to attract attention and your subtitle supports the title by doing the job of explaining the book clearly and simply.

2. Get a great cover designed

Your book cover is the first impression people gain of your book. Perhaps its shallow but haven't you picked up a book just because it has a great cover?

A strong cover will give your book its best chance of selling. Do your research – look at other great covers – why do these work? What are the winning factors of a great cover? Does your cover reflect what is actually in your book?

Brief your cover designer carefully once you’ve done your research.

3. Develop a unique concept

The inside of the book must do what it says on the tin. If the title and content are inconsistent you will lose the trust of the reader.

Your material must be unique - has it been done before? If so, how does your book differ from the competition?

Differentiate your book in some way. Play on your uniqueness - how do you cover this topic differently to other authors?

If it is important to your subject matter to be timely or contemporary, then capture the zeitgeist - is your book relevant to today?

4. Get the format right

Does the format (binding, shape, size) you've chosen reflect the subject and audience? If your book is intended as a gift item rather than a self-purchase then make sure it looks like a gift purchase, with the size and shape appropriate to the buyer. If, on the other hand, it is a serious read then package it in that vein.

Browse in bookshops to check out the sort of packaging used in your genre. It is packaged that way for maximum recognition and appeal to the target audience.

5. Provide top quality content

Now that you have the promise and the package sorted out, refocus on your content. In order to sell, your book needs to be well written - it actually has to be readable.

If you want to sell your book outside of the people you know, then do make sure you write for your target audience (not for your friends/family - or even for yourself)

You must get writing or editorial help if you're not sure - ask someone who you know to be a good writer, and who is honest enough to tell you if your writing needs help.

6. Don't give it all away

Many first-time authors try to get everything they know down on paper. They want to give value and be thorough. You don’t need to do this.

Don't give away too much in your first book.

Have a close and careful look - are there two books in there? Too much information sometimes leads to confusion and complication in a book.

You will be surprised to just how much information you have in your head once you put pen to paper. Start at the beginning and don’t try and pack everything into one book. This could be the start of series of books!

7. Don't write on a whim if you’re writing for profit

If you're writing just for fun then enjoy it with a free hand. Write for your friends and family if your audience is truly your friends and family.

If this isn’t the case and you want to sell copies of your book then you'll need to promote it. You have to be behind the book you write. Write about something you are passionate about or you may find you don't have the heart – or energy - to promote and market a book you don't feel really proud of and connected to.

8. Make your book visible

There’s no use producing a great book if you don’t put it 'out' there. Create visibility by using e-zines, blogs, websites etc - make yourself and your book visible.

You need to create the platforms to launch your book from – you can either call in an expert and pay a PR person to do this on your behalf or think about doing the PR yourself, there are several very good pr courses on offer on the internet. Your book won’t sell unless you make this effort.

9. Buy in expertise as and when you need it

An editor or proofreader is a must. Both if you can afford it.

Do the best you can to secure orders for your book in advance of publication so that you can fund expert help. Sometimes it worth investing in experts so that your book really is the best it can be. Think long-term and it will make a difference to the end product. If you’d like to use a PR expert but can’t afford to pay for PR at the beginning, you may be able to once your book starts to sell.

10. Be bold

Just because you are self-publishing doesn’t mean that you can’t give your book an ISBN, sell through shops or through Amazon. Speak to your local independent bookshop – they might welcome an event such as a reading or Q&A on your book – and always offer to supply ‘signed copies’ for them. The personal touch always guarantees additional sales so make friends with your bookstore even while you are writing your book.