In the three years that I've been working with authors and entrepreneurs, I've discovered that the majority of them think that marketing their books is an expensive proposition - - particularly when it comes to selling on the Internet.

In fact, spending a lot of money on pay-per-click or advertising doesn't always translate to online sales - at least not for the "ordinary Joe".

Yes, you can hire a publicist, but even the best publicists in the business will tell you (or they SHOULD tell you) that their efforts will get you noticed, but not necessarily rich.

In my experience, the best way to market your book is through grassroots or relationship marketing (building relationships with site visitors).

I've discovered (and used) these 3 amazingly simple techniques to get noticed on the Internet---all without squandering your kid's college fund!

1. Blog

2. Publish on Amazon's Kindle

3. Social networking

Blogging

For authors, blogging can be as second nature as breathing. After all, we ARE writers! But what benefits does blogging have, particularly when you're just getting started?

First, search engines love blogs--particularly those that are updated at least a few times a week, and are filled with solid, no-B.S. content. Search engines swoop through blogs like bed bugs in the Bates Hotel--spidering content on a daily (or even more frequent) basis.

Savvy authors use blogs to build a solid fan base - - many even before they get a book contract. Think about putting together a book proposal and being able to say that you already have 1,000 avid fans who read your blog every day. Book proposal committees love a built-in audience.

Cost: Zero, if you use a free blog service like blogger.com

Amazon Kindle Publishing

Regardless of Sony and iPhone's chest-beating about beating the Amazon Kindle in the digital reader wars, Amazon has one thing no one else has - access to more than 200,000 books and articles delivered wirelessly (immediately) to the Kindle.

In all honesty, Amazon did NOT make it easy for people to convert their own books and articles to Kindle format, but it is doable. If you're willing to do tech-stuff, you can do it yourself. I started converting my own work several months ago, and there is a learning curve.

The good news is, by converting your work to Kindle format, you can get your books, articles, and reports in front of Amazon's 54.2 million monthly visitors.

Cost: Zero, if you convert the work yourself. About $100 if you use a service.

Social Networking

Hundreds of thousands of people have jumped on the social networking bandwagon over the past few years. In fact, one person I know brags that he's on 34 different social networks. Don't know about you, but I'd rather be writing than spending all day on a social network!

Don't get me wrong - social networking is a fabulous way to get noticed. However, you'll have far more success if you concentrate on the social network where YOUR target demographic lives.

How can you tell where to find your audience? Take an afternoon and cruise through MySpace, Facebook, Digg, Twitter, Tumblr, et al, and search for your target keywords. You'll quickly discover which services house your audience; once discovered, devote your social networking time to that service only. Quality over quantity matters.

What next?

Regardless of your experience, background, or genre, chances are you're already taking one of these crucial steps. The good news is, follow all three and you'll soon have a marketing plan that costs you zero to under $100 bucks. Not bad, eh?