Read Lovely Books
But once you’ve done all that work, you want people to read your novel
You’re one of many authors trying to reach the same readers
Today, we’re talking about book marketing ideas you can use to reach people who are excited
Book marketing is the process of converting potential readers into people who buy your books
You might have a few close friends or family members that buy your book as soon as
Most publishers want their new authors to have at least a small social media following with decent
And most traditionally published authors are responsible for at least some, if not all, of their own
You’ve already learned so much to write and publish a book—you can learn how to
Most writers aren’t! You don’t need a business degree to succeed in book marketing
When it comes down to the basics, book marketing isn’t that different from regular marketing
The principles around sales and consumer psychology are the same
Author and book marketing expert Mark Dawson of Self Publishing Formula says marketing books is the same
It means you can pick up a book on general marketing and learn strategies that will work
She says, “I think the biggest difference is that book marketing has to show readers that their
Readers have no shortage of options when it comes to books—and other entertainment for that matter
For most people, it takes a lot longer to read a book than to stream a movie
Book marketing coach Monique Mensah agrees: “My number one tip for book marketing is to stop selling
And, Hanson-dePaula adds, it’s not enough to just sell a book and have it sit on
In short, if you just want to sell a book, then marketing is the same as if
But if you want those buyers to read your books and become a fan, you need to
Every author marketing expert will have their own great book marketing ideas you’ve never thought of
It’s a starting point, an overview of what you need to know
These book marketing strategies will help you get started and hopefully make you feel less overwhelmed by
The time to build interest in your book and you as an author is as soon as
These people will give you pre-orders and release day book sales, which will help you jump up
Begin following people who might be interested in what you’re writing about
You should also start your newsletter list as soon as possible, according to Hanson-dePaula
“It is one of the most powerful tools you’ll have as an author—even more so
Here are some ideas of what to talk about before you publish:
It might take you longer to make sales, but you can still connect with your target audience
People don’t want to feel like you’re advertising to them, even if you are! Avoid
Producing your best book might seem obvious, but many writers rush to get their book out and
“Make sure everything—from the manuscript, the cover, the blurb to the ad copy—all dovetails,” says
It’s better to delay a release than put out a book that isn’t ready
Proofread your own work using an editing software like ProWritingAid, then send your manuscript off to a
This is another thing self-published authors can easily outsource
Hire an experienced cover artist, and be prepared to spend good money on your book cover
Have professional-sounding social media posts, newsletters, and website copy
A less-than-stellar product is the fastest way to ruin your image as a serious author
People’s tastes in reading material are infinite—and some people, sadly, don’t like reading
But if you don’t narrow down your ideal reader, you won’t sell any books
Be aware of your characters and who you think will relate most to them
You can narrow your ideal reader down to “women who read sci-fi romance
Do you have a thirty-something heroine? Target “women in their thirties who read sci-fi romance
Hanson de-Paula suggests talking to “one person” as your ideal reader
This content will then get in front of people who can relate to you and your book
Marketing too broadly means no one will see your book—or see themselves in your book
If you don’t focus your marketing efforts, most of the people seeing your ads aren’t
And much like having too broad of a target audience, having too broad of goals doesn’t
Your goals might be reaching a certain ranking on Amazon, having a certain number of pre-orders, or
You can set goals related to the number of email subscribers, followers, or clicks on your paid
You can use goal-setting methods like SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound) to help you
If you just want to publish your book for friends and family to purchase, that’s fine
Dawson points out that for self-published authors especially, it’s crucial to be business-minded
Indie authors must be a writer, publisher, marketer, accountant, project manager, and everything else
Look for other sources of revenue: book merchandise, speaking events, courses and memberships, etc
An important part of being a business-minded writer is establishing your brand identity
Your brand sends a message, and you should be deliberate in determining what that message is
Then, keep your messaging consistent in all your interactions with readers
Your brand identity is the message, and there are some steps you can take to get that
Use your name for your website, not the name of your book or series
Your author website is just one component of your brand identity
Spend some time picking out a color palette, and use these colors on your author website and
You can even incorporate those colors into your book cover design
If you can’t afford it right away, start with a basic one that you design on
You can be witty, informal, goofy, academic, serious—your options are endless as long as they feel
Your voice will show up in your author bio, your ad copy, your author website, your newsletter,
Having a consistent tone will help your audience feel like they know you
You’ll use keywords in many aspects of your writing business
There are programs like Publisher Rocket that can help you scope out competition and choose your keywords
You can use the same keywords if you publish on another platform like Ingram Spark
Amazon KDP also gives you two categories, which is one way readers search for books
Other keywords are important for your website, your ad copy, and your social media posts
Where do you find these keywords? From your ideal reader, of course! The things your ideal reader
These keywords might be other authors or book titles, interests, themes, and topics
For example, a historical romance author might use “fans of Tessa Dare” in their ad copy
Whether you love it or hate it, social media is a vital step of the book marketing
Where do their demographics hang out? Older crowds are on Facebook, and Gen Z is hanging out
Start with one or two platforms where you’re most likely to find your ideal reader
Posting consistently is more important than posting every single day
Many writers fall into the trap of targeting other authors when they get started on social media
Find out where readers are hanging out on your respective social media platforms and connect with them
For example, you will want to reach BookTok rather than WriterTok
On Instagram, you’ll want to connect with the #Bookstagram community rather than #Authorsofinstagram
Convincing people to give you their email address is a major show of trust
’ They are one step away from buying,” Hanson-dePaula explains
Having an exciting lead magnet will convince people to enroll in your newsletter
Promote your lead magnet frequently on your social media platforms
Then they’ll be the first people to click “buy” when your book goes live
You might get enough interest to sell a larger amount of books when you first release your
If you want a steady income stream, and you’re serious about making a living as an
Dawson advises, “It’s pay to play now, so be prepared to understand and embrace the paid
But throwing money at ads without a solid book marketing strategy can cost you far more than
Dawson offers Ads for Authors a couple times a year, so you can sign up for the
One of the best book marketing strategies is to connect authentically with your readers
Follow your readers and interact with their content on social media
Encourage your newsletter subscribers to connect with you by replying or joining your author community
Don’t sit at your booth stone-faced until someone comes up and asks about your book
When readers are invested in you and feel like they know you, they’re more likely to
When you’re building relationships with readers, be sure some of those people are book reviewers
Book reviewers often have an incredible social media presence or blog following
Advanced Review Copies, or ARCs, are when you send out your book before it’s published for
One way to reach reviewers is through NetGalley, which sends out ARCs
They’re more likely to review your book if you’ve established a relationship with them
There are many different metrics you can track and evaluate monthly, quarterly, and annually
It can also point out where you might need to focus more of your energy and time
You don’t want to wait until you’re a marketing expert to start your book marketing
Working with a book marketing coach is also helpful for both beginners and established writers
You’ll have someone with marketing expertise cheering you on and helping you sell your books
Good book marketing strategies are the only way you’ll make money with your book
Having a social media marketing plan can help you get an agent or a publisher if you
Some vendor events and bookstores will also ask for a marketing plan or metrics to let you