Do you need to be a marketing expert to create buzz around your book? Absolutely not! While you might think your talent lies solely in crafting compelling plots and weaving words together, learning the right book marketing strategies can help you reach the perfect audience. That’s not to say it won’t require time, effort, or even a bit of money—because it might. But after all the hard work you’ve put into your book, it deserves the best marketing to ensure it reaches your target readers. As author and national speaker, Joanne Kraft, puts it, “Not all marketing people are writers, but all writers must learn to be marketers.”
So if you are ready to get started, let’s explore together the best strategies that will help you connect with readers who will truly appreciate your work, and discuss some easy-to-apply book marketing ideas along the way!
Book Marketing vs Book Advertising: What’s the Difference?
Many people confuse marketing with advertising; while both might be closely related, there are some main differences you need to be aware of before you start putting your marketing strategies. Here is how they differ:
- Book marketing includes all the strategies and efforts you put into promoting your book, building your brand, and establishing a connection with your target readers over time. It is a broader, long-term process to create awareness and generate interest. Marketing your book can include hosting events (such as book signing and live webinars) and building your author website where readers get to know more about your book.
- Book advertising is part of marketing where you pay to get your book noticed and achieve quick results, like clicks, downloads, or sales. It focuses on short-term goals and delivers clear, measurable outcomes. A good example of this would be running targeted ads on platforms such as Google, Facebook, or Instagram.
Best Book Marketing Strategies and Ideas
The world of book marketing can be overwhelming for many new authors. With tied budgets and not knowing where to start, they become unsure as to what exactly needs to be done to attract the right audience.
While researching your genre and understanding your target audience is important, they aren’t enough. You also need to focus on approaches that will expand your reach and visibility. That’s why we have listed below 5 effective strategies, along with actionable ideas, to help your book become a success.
1. Build a Strong Author Platform
An author platform is a wide term that refers to your online presence as a writer. It includes a collection of tools, strategies, and resources you can use to connect with your audience and promote your work. To narrow it down, we will focus here on two main platforms: the author website and social media channels.
- Building an Author Website: Let’s talk first about why you need to create an author website. Not only does having a website with your own name is a powerful marketing tool, but it also sets you up as a professional; it helps you showcase your professional identity and work as an author.
Important read: Your 6-Step-Guide to Building an Author Website
Here are a few ideas on how to use your author website to market your book:
- Using social media platforms: An essential aspect of your book marketing strategies should be engaging with people in the spaces they visit most, and today, that means social media. Once you find out the platform (or platforms) your target audience uses the most, you can market your book on it using the following ideas:
- Create video content: Video has become the king of digital marketing, and it’s easy to see why—it works! From Instagram reels and stories to TikToks and YouTube shorts, videos are everywhere—even on LinkedIn! And the reason is simple: they work! In fact, according to HubSpot, 83% of marketers report that videos help them generate leads.
So, how can you use videos to market your book? The possibilities are endless. You could create a book trailer, an author introduction video, or even teaser readings. The key is to understand the type of video content your target audience engages with the most and use it to your advantage.Important read: How to Make a Book Trailer in 6 Simple Steps
- Come up with captivating visuals: Social media thrives on eye-catching visuals, so don’t just stop at videos—think creatively about other types of content to market your book. This can include infographics, illustrations, or real photos of your book. And again, the ideas here are limitless. For inspiration, you can follow authors who write in the same genre as you and study their designs or check websites such as Pinterest.
To help you get started, here are a few image ideas that you can post on your social media to promote your book:- Quote graphics
- Book cover reveal
- Character profiles
- Release date countdown
- Reader reviews
- Invest in paid ads: We can’t talk about social media marketing without mentioning paid ads. There are many options here to choose from; for instance, you can try running ads on Meta’s platforms (Facebook and Instagram), Goodreads and Amazon, or even on Google.
When it comes to content, you have two approaches: create fresh, engaging ads tailored to your target audience or promote existing posts that have already performed well in terms of reach and engagement. Both strategies can be effective—just make sure to monitor the results and adjust your approach accordingly.Important read: How to Promote a Book on Facebook
- Try influencer marketing: Another way to get exposure on social media is by paying influencers to talk about your book. This can be a really good book marketing strategy when executed properly. To achieve the best results, make sure to do enough research to select the influencers who align with your book’s genre and target audience.
For example, if your book is a romance novel, collaborating with a book influencer who regularly reviews and discusses romance titles will likely yield better results than working with one who focuses on science fiction. - Engage with book communities: There are countless book-focused communities across almost every social media platform that you can use to promote your book. Facebook has book groups, TikTok has the BookTok hashtag, and even Instagram’s new Threads platform has BookThreads discussion.
- Run contests and giveaways: Most of us like winning free stuff, and so would your readers. You can use this to your advantage by running contests and giveaways to market your book. Here are a couple of ideas to get you started:
- Ask your followers to share their favorite quotes from your latest book and tag you for a chance to win a signed copy.
- Run a photo contest where participants post creative photos of themselves reading your book with a unique hashtag. The most creative post wins a free copy of your book or merchandise!
- Host a trivia contest based on your book’s storyline, characters, or genre. Readers who answer correctly get entered into a draw to win a personalized thank-you note and a signed copy of the book.
- Create video content: Video has become the king of digital marketing, and it’s easy to see why—it works! From Instagram reels and stories to TikToks and YouTube shorts, videos are everywhere—even on LinkedIn! And the reason is simple: they work! In fact, according to HubSpot, 83% of marketers report that videos help them generate leads.
💡 Pro tip: If you have an author website, you can use Google Analytics to discover which platform your most frequent visitors use and then market your book there.
2. Optimize Your Book Listing
If you are selling your book on any digital publishing platform, then you need to make your book listing compelling enough to convert potential buyers into loyal readers. While the content of the book itself has a huge role in this conversion, the first thing they see to get to know your book is the cover, then they read the book description, and finally, they might view the blurb. So here’s what you need to do:
- Design a captivating book cover: An interesting cover can make people curious enough about this book. It can urge them to pick it up, read the description and the blurb, and maybe even check the reviews before they decide to buy it. If you need tips on how to come up with such a cover, check out this guide: 9 Ebook Cover Tips for Beginners.
- Choose a unique title: Right after seeing your book cover, the attention of potential readers will directly shift toward the title of your book. The way you write your title can differ from one genre to another, but there are some tips that apply to almost all kinds of books, and you can find them in this article: How to Write a Book Title: Practical Tips for Authors.
- Perfect your book description and blurb: How would potential readers know what your book is about? More often than not, it is by checking the book description and/or blurb. That’s why you should pay special attention to these two, and we have the perfect tips for you:
3. Leverage Email Marketing
An important (and effective) strategy that you can use to promote your book is email marketing. If you don’t have a mailing list, you can learn how to create one in this guide: Email Marketing for Authors. If you already have one, then here are some email ideas you can send to market your book:
- Book release: Announce your new book with an intriguing blurb, a captivating cover reveal, and a clear call-to-action link for pre-orders or purchases.
- Valuable content: Offer exclusive content or a sneak peek from your book.
- Behind the scenes: Share insights into your writing process, the challenges you faced, or the inspiration behind key characters or themes.
- Book trailer: Include a link to your book trailer video and explain why your readers will love the story.
- Preordering: List special perks for pre-ordering, such as getting signed copies, a free short story, or early access to bonus content.
- Social proof: Add some positive reviews for your book, whether editorial ones or reviews from other readers.
- Fan interaction: Invite readers to engage by voting on a poll, sharing fan art, or guessing what happens in the sequel.
- Call for reviews: Encourage your subscribers to leave reviews for your book on Amazon, Goodreads, or other platforms they use.
- Limited-time deals: Offer a discounted price for the first week of release and emphasize the deadline to create urgency.
- Gratitude emails: Express heartfelt thanks to your readers for their support and remind them how much they matter to you as an author.
4. Focus on Collaboration and Networking
Building strong connections within the literary community can significantly boost your book’s visibility and success. By collaborating with fellow authors, engaging with readers, and taking advantage of various networking opportunities, you can create lasting relationships that help spread the word about your work. Here are some effective ways to use the power of collaboration and networking to promote your book:
- Join book clubs; they are great places to meet fellow book lovers and share insights about your book whenever appropriate.
- Reach out to authors who write in the same genre as you to discuss creative cross-promotion opportunities, such as a joint giveaway.
- Seek book signing opportunities in local libraries and book-related events, such as fairs and festivals.
- Participate in events related to writing and books. For example, you can apply to be a speaker or panelist at a writers’ conference or participate in contests like the Watty Awards. Use these events to showcase your book and share your journey as an author.
- Write guest posts for blogs that have similar target audiences as you. You can then find subtle ways to mention your book in the post, or simply include it in your author bio.
- Appear on podcasts where your target readers are likely to tune in, and do interviews whenever possible.
- Host live streams and webinars that offer great value to the viewers while also promoting your book. For example, if you’ve written a fantasy novel, host a webinar on world-building techniques or discuss the inspiration behind your book’s magical elements.
5. Plan Your Book Launch
Carefully planning your book launch can have a huge impact on its success. Not only will it create the buzz your book needs, but it can also give you exposure as a published author and make readers interested in your other works. While the event itself in which you announce the release of your book is important, there are many other strategies you can implement during this period, such as:
- Send ARCs (advanced reader copies) to your most loyal followers (including family and friends) and ask them to leave book reviews.
- Contact sales teams in bookstores and online retailers to get your book a prime placement if possible.
- Write a press release for the book launch; this might lead to interviews and mentions in magazines, newspapers, or blogs.
- Offer a limited number of signed copies for early buyers to encourage immediate sales and build momentum.
- Choose an audience-friendly venue for your event and prepare a speech to introduce yourself and talk about your book.
- Reach out to different media outlets to cover your book launch event and help in promoting your book.
Important read: Successful Book Launch Tips and Tricks for First-Time Authors
Inspiring Book Marketing Stories about Self-Published Authors
If you have reached this part of the article, you might be wondering if any of the abovementioned ideas and strategies actually work. The answer is yes, they do work. And we have some inspiring stories to prove that:
- Othuke Ominiabohs – Masobe Books: With 4 unpublished novels and a near-death experience, the Nigerian author Othuke Ominiabohs decided to take things into his own hands and go the self-publishing route. The main problem he faced was letting people know about his books, so he spent 2 months driving through Nigeria, knocking on the doors of bookstores he found on Google asking them to sell his book. One year later, he sold 2,000 copies and received requests for many more! He was also approached by many writers who wanted to self-publish and were asking for help. He later went on to found his very own bookstore, Masobe Books, to help such writers and bring their work to light. That, in a nutshell, is the power of networking.
- Hugh Howey – Wool: Imagine self-publishing your sci-fi novella and marketing it on social media and online forums, only to become a New York Times bestselling author! That is exactly what Hugh Howey did with his novella Wool; he actively engaged with readers on forums like KBoards, Reddit, and social media. He responded to comments, answered questions, and incorporated reader feedback into his later books. This approach helped create a dedicated fan base for Hugh, leading to explosive word-of-mouth promotion.
- Mark Dawson – John Milton Series: Contrary to what most authors do, Mark Dawson turned from traditional publishing to self-publishing! He launched his John Milton series on KDP, and used paid Facebook and Amazon ads to reach thriller readers, offering a free book in exchange for email sign-ups. This helped him build a highly engaged fan base and turned his self-publishing venture into a multi-million-dollar business. By 2015, he had sold over 300,000 copies of his series, earning a six-figure income annually.
Wrapping Up
Marketing your book might feel overwhelming at first, but as you’ve seen, there are plenty of simple and effective ideas you can implement right away. By using the right strategies—whether it’s building a strong author platform, optimizing your book listing, or connecting with readers through email and social media—you can get your book in front of the right audience without feeling like a full-time marketer.
Just remember, book marketing isn’t about quick wins—it’s about creating lasting connections with readers who will love your work. So start small, stay persistent, and most importantly, enjoy the process. Your readers are out there waiting!
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