Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment. You’ve pounded your laptop keys, fretted over plotlines, and pored over every word to polish your prose. Now you’re ready to put yourself out there…but how do you do that?
If you’re hoping to sell copies of your literary baby, it’s time to master some marketing skills. The good news is that you don’t need to be a marketing whiz in order to drum up some interest in your book. However, it will take a considerable amount of time and effort, so be prepared to hustle if you’re hoping to rack up some serious sales.
The following guide will walk you through some of the top tips for marketing your book. There isn’t a step-by-step formula that guarantees your book’s success. Instead, you’ll need to adapt your marketing plan to suit your book and your audience.
Step 1: Start with DIY Marketing Strategies
There are a number of things you can do to boost your book’s profile without having to spend lots of money. Think of these strategies as laying the groundwork for your marketing plan. They’re relatively easy, even for first-time and self-published authors, and can help get the ball rolling in terms of building buzz. Consider using one or more of the following tips to promote your book.
Offer Free Content
If you’re a new author, it can be tough to get readers to take a chance on your work. They’ll have to spend their hard-earned money without any guarantee that they’ll like the book. By giving away free content, you can lure readers in and get them hooked on your story.
Never underestimate the value of word of mouth.
There are two options for providing free content in an effort to promote your book:
Give away a few free chapters. Readers can get a peek into your story without having to pay anything upfront. The trick is to make sure your chapters are particularly enticing. You want to get those readers so invested that they’ll be eager to buy the book to find out what happens next. This can be done by creating a short e-book or downloadable PDF or simply feature the free chapters on your website.
Give away your entire book for free. Offer it as a free e-book for a limited time so you can entice people to give it a try. Ask readers to leave a review for you online. That feedback will be critical in helping your book earn some literary merit. In addition, those early readers might recommend your story to friends and family, helping to trigger that ever-elusive word-of-mouth marketing strategy. Some popular sites for giveaways are through Goodreads Author Giveaway, Amazon KDP promotions, and Bargain Booksy.
For those who aren’t willing to offer up the book they labored over completely free of charge, consider offering a discount on the book after it is initially published. This gives you the opportunity to get more readers without completely sacrificing any profits you hope to make.
Create a Website
A good website is one of the best (and easiest) ways to showcase your book. It also helps you establish yourself as a professional author. Most book promotion takes place online these days, so having a website all set up and ready to go is key for your marketing plan.
Whichever route you choose, make sure your site reflects YOU and YOUR STYLE
Never built a website before? Not a problem. There are a number of website building tools made with beginners in mind, including Squarespace, Weebly, and Wix. These platforms offer sleek, stylish templates that are easy to customize with your own content. You’re not building a website from the ground up; instead, it’s a matter of inserting drag-and-drop features and filling in text and image boxes.
Here’s what your website needs:
A link to buy your book: Include a photo of the cover along with a brief blurb. You can also feature a few positive reviews or even an excerpt from the book.
Your author bio: Include a photo of yourself (preferably a professional-looking headshot) and a short bio. Give readers a little insight into who you are.
Contact info: Let readers and media members know how they can get in touch with you. List your email address along with links to your social media pages. Add a contact form for those who want to send a message directly through your site.
A media kit: Put together a PDF or Google Doc with essential details, including the cover image, blurb, author bio, contact info, etc. This essentially makes it as easy as possible for media members to promote your book.
A blog: Let your readers know what you’re working on, book updates, what you’re reading, etc. Give them insight as to who you are as a human, as well as an author.
Send Out E-Newsletters
Another option you may want to add to your website is a newsletter sign-up form. By sending out regular email newsletters, you can connect with your audience and encourage readers to buy your book. Tools like Substack, Benchmark, and MailChimp make it easy to manage your subscriber list and create professional-looking e-newsletters.
In order to make your e-newsletter successful, however, you can’t just use it to shill your book. Focus on providing content your audience will enjoy and making your writing as engaging as possible. Include entertaining stories, product recommendations, interviews, and anything else that your readers might like. You can still let readers know where they can buy your book, but that shouldn’t be the sole focus of the newsletter.
For many authors, it helps to align the newsletter’s theme and topics with that of their book. For example, if you’ve written a fascinating book about the movie industry, you can include your own movie reviews or interviews with people who work behind-the-scenes in film production. This kind of content naturally lines up with the theme of your book, which can encourage sales through the newsletter.
Use Social Media Hashtags
Posting on social media is a great way to promote your book to those who you’re already connected to online. But you may be able to attract some attention beyond that if you use hashtags.
Spend some time researching online to find out which hashtags could be the most effective for marketing your book. Look up similar titles and see if the author or readers have used hashtags to promote it. Search for book-related hashtags that are specific to your central topic or theme. When you apply those hashtags to a promotional post, be sure your post is set to “Public” so that people outside your direct connections can find it.
For example, you might create a post about your book with a literary hashtag, such as #historicalfiction or #YAfantasy. Try to tap into online communities interested in a topic covered in your book with a broader hashtag like #wealthgap or #blackexperience.
#findyourtribe
Step 2: Invest Some Money into Advertising Efforts
Your DIY marketing efforts will likely be focused on those who are already in your extended social circle. In order to reach those outside the circle, most authors need to use paid advertising. Here are some of the most effective options to consider when you’re ready to take your book’s promotion to the next level.
Social Media Advertising
One of the things that makes advertising on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms so effective is that these sites already have a lot of information about their users. Social media advertising makes it possible for authors to target certain demographics by gender, age, location, or interests. In addition, the opportunity to immediately click through to a page where your book is sold encourages users to make a purchase right away. With people spending more time on social media than ever before, this is definitely one of the best ways to invest your advertising budget.
Amazon Advertising
Amazon often accounts for a significant portion of a book’s sales, especially for new authors who aren’t likely to get prominent placement in bookstores and those who are offering only e-books. Authors can target Amazon ads for their book by related genres, titles, and authors. That way, you’re able to promote your book directly to customers who are already searching for that type of reading material.
Podcast Advertising
Podcasts are a highly engaging medium, and may have dedicated followers interested in a niche topic. That’s a great opportunity for authors to market their book to a specific demographic. Ask about advertising opportunities with podcasts that are related to your book’s topic and themes. A short promo on a podcast can allow you to connect with hundreds or thousands of listeners who are already interested in content related to your book.
Step 3: Tap into Local Connections*
*While adhering to all COVID precautions and partial shutdowns. Even as vaccines are distributed, it’s important to stay safe and respectful.
The community around you is one of your most important resources as an author. To nearby individuals, groups, and businesses, you have the cachet of being a “local author.” It also makes you more accessible since it’s easier for you to attend events in person. Consider using these strategies to connect with your local community.
Talk to Book Clubs
Check out local book clubs and ask if they’d be interested in adding your book to their reading schedule. You can donate a free copy to the book club organizers so they can see if it’s something their group would be interested in. Offer to attend the book club meeting if they want to discuss the book with the author.
Contact Local Bookstores
Get in touch with nearby bookstores to find out if they’d be willing to promote your book in some way. Would they place it prominently in the store to feature a local author? Could they host a book signing event or a book reading? Will they hang up a poster promoting your book? Creating strong relationships with local bookstores is something that every author should consider.
Attend Conferences and Events
Try in-person networking by attending any local events related to your book’s themes and/or regional literary conferences. Whether you’re able to set up a table and sell physical copies of your book or you’re simply attending as a guest, this offers you the chance to connect with people face to face and tell them about what you’ve written.
Step 4: Long Shots That Just Might Pay Off
The final piece of your book marketing puzzle is all about taking a chance. These strategies are certainly long shots, but the good news is that there’s little risk involved. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t mean your book won’t sell. But on the off chance that it does, you could see a significant spike in sales. This also gives you a chance to put that media kit you created earlier to good use!
Reach Out to Influencers
Identify which influencers are related to your niche, whether they are bloggers, minor celebrities, or just individuals with significant social media followings. Craft an introductory email asking if they would consider promoting your latest book. Most will only be willing to do this for a paid promotion, but if you’re able to secure their endorsement, you’ll be able to expose your book to a large, dedicated audience.
Ask for Reviews
Reach out to book reviewers, especially those who focus on your book’s genre. Offer a free copy and pitch your story to them to entice them to read it. These reviewers are likely bombarded with pitches every day, so try to make your pitch as concise and personal as possible.
Seek Out Interview Opportunities
Position yourself as an up-and-coming author to podcast hosts, radio hosts, and TV hosts. Let them know a little about you and what your book is about. Then, explain why their audience would find it interesting. You may find more success by focusing on local radio shows and TV programs.
Practice talking about your book—and yourself—with friends and family. The more prepared and precise you are, the more comfortable you’ll feel.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by all the possible avenues for promoting your book. But remember that you don’t have to do everything on this list at once. Try different strategies and see what works best. It’s an ongoing effort, but it’s so worth it to share your story with the world.
Need a little extra help with marketing? Learn how to get a literary agent.