Find the Best Book Marketing Strategy for You

Completing your book is a huge accomplishment, so take a moment to celebrate and pat yourself on the back! Then, you’ll ask yourself the same question many professional authors do: “What now?”. The answer, of course, is creating and implementing a great book marketing strategy. Read on to discover nine tools that’ll widen your reach and increase your book sales.

Get to know the available publishing platforms

The internet is a huge resource for authors and readers alike. Self-publishing your book online is a great way to build your online presence. Book publishing platforms are available for you to not only put your work in front of readers but also to help market your book.

Online publishing platforms like Amazon KDP and Apple Books help you launch your title to the public. They provide easy access to your book, so publishing on their sites can be a huge boost to your personal brand as a professional author. Each platform will have different book formatting requirements, so you might want to check out some self-publishing services that know and understand each site’s regulations.

In addition to the actual publishing, these sites also tend to have built-in book promotion tools. These might include your own author profile, an optimized listing, or allowing you to advertise their services on your author website to lend credibility to your site and your reputation. And since online platforms usually pay the author royalties for every book copy sold, it’s a great revenue funnel.

Create an outstanding author website

Consumers search for just about everything online—including their next favorite book! To be a successful author, you need a strong online presence. Your target audience is out there searching the web, and if they can’t find you, you’re missing out on book sales.

One of the biggest book marketing tools that writers use to promote themselves and their work is their author website. It’s an opportunity to create a custom platform explaining your personal brand: who you are, what your work means, and why your target audience will enjoy your work.

Your author website should include a few elements, such as:

• An intriguing author bio
• Links to purchase your book
• Articles relevant to your book topic
• Easy access to sign up for your mailing list
• Social media icons so they can connect with you

The best author websites also include a blog page. Try to publish new articles here consistently (a best practice is at least once per month) and include a mix of writings from you and colleagues or authors you’re collaborating with.

Write high-quality blogs

Successful authors know that developing a strong online presence is crucial to their success. In addition to writing informative, engaging blogs for your own author website, widen your reach by creating guest posts for other sites. Try to find as many book retailers, book clubs, and genre-specific websites as you can and ask them if you can produce a blog for them to publish. Every article that’s online under your name will build your credibility and following.

Meet your audience on social media and in person

On top of your author website and blog articles, your online book marketing strategy should include a social media campaign. Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are powerful platforms that allow you to interact directly with your target audience. Post links to your author website, the retailers selling copies of your book, and snippets of the introductory chapter. And when your connections engage with your posts, foster those relationships by inviting them to join your mailing list or attend a webinar you’re holding.

Meeting your target audience doesn’t stop with online connections. Why not meet them in person? Organize a book launch at your favorite restaurant or a book signing at your local bookstore. You can also look for venues related to your topic; for example, if you’ve written a novel that takes place in your hometown, contact your local history museum about hosting your event.

If you really want to broaden your horizons, consider large-scale events like book fairs and conventions for face-to-face marketing.

Go to book fairs and conventions

Conventions, trade shows, and book fairs are great ways to put yourself in front of a large audience and give you and your readers in-person access to each other. Although there’s some financial expense involved, these three to four-day events are integral parts of many professional authors’ book marketing budgets—plus, they offer marketing ideas and opportunities.

Authors and exhibitors can purchase event sponsorships to enhance their branding. For an additional fee, your book could be advertised throughout the convention venue and in publications created by the event organizer. Added publicity helps drive book sales, so if you have the budget, this could be a worthy investment.

If you choose to promote your work at a book fair or trade show, make it known! Post about the event on your author website and social media platforms so your readers know where and how to find you. You can entice them with visuals like your book cover, book trailer, and reviews from people who loved your work.

Request book reviews

Every online book review can be a goldmine of information and a huge book marketing boon for you. Here are a few benefits to getting positive book reviews:

• As many as 97% of people check reviews before buying a book
• Positive feedback from genuine readers entices more people to buy your title
• Book reviews help your listing rise in online retailers’ search algorithms

So, how do you get book reviews? You might start small by asking your family and friends to post their thoughts on your author website, social media pages, and online retailers. Then, contact local bookstores who are selling your book and ask them to write reviews.

As your readership grows, you can even entice people who’ve bought and read your book to leave a thoughtful review. In return, offer them exclusive content like character studies, deleted scenes, or a teaser about your next book. Every positive review can create buzz and intrigue, so book reviews are a must-add to every book marketing campaign.

Hold a preorder campaign

Speaking of creating buzz, a preorder campaign generates excitement about your book before it’s even published. Basically, you’re offering eager readers the opportunity to purchase your book in the days or weeks leading up to its release.

A preorder campaign is also a reliable indicator of overall book sales. Both self-published authors and traditional publishing houses might use preorder sales data to obtain a reasonable understanding of how the book will perform once it’s available. If these numbers aren’t as high as you’d hoped, don’t worry too much—you can increase your momentum with a reorder campaign later.

Launch a reorder campaign

Just like a preorder campaign, a reorder campaign can do wonders for your book marketing and promotion. You can coordinate this effort years after your book launch to rejuvenate interest and excitement about your publication.

Here are a few steps to follow:

• Spark new interest by trying new online and brick-and-mortar retailers
• Broadcast the relaunch on social media and your author website
• Invest in a paid social media ad campaign to expand your visibility
• Create high-quality newsletters and email them to your contacts

If possible, explain how your book relates to any current events so you can tie your older title to what’s new in the world.

Join a podcast

Podcasts are extremely popular, with over 584 million listeners worldwide. So tap into that audience by finding podcasts that align with you, your book, and your target audience. You’ll get to simultaneously show your personality, speak directly to your audience, and promote your book. And, since podcasts generally feature thought leaders and exciting newcomers, the listeners will know they can trust you as a professional author.

If you’re not sure how to get your book featured on a podcast, don’t worry. We know everything there is to know about book marketing for authors.

Enlist the help of the book marketing experts!

An effective book marketing strategy can take you and your publication places you never thought possible. Cast a wide net and get your name and title onto as many platforms as you can. Not every marketing idea will be in your wheelhouse, and that’s ok! Choose a few that you’re comfortable with and branch out once you’ve mastered them.

Your path to success will be much easier with a trusted partner to help you along the way. Schedule a consultation today to learn how we can solidify your status as a professional author!