How to Market Your Book

Congratulations on finishing your book. It’s quite an accomplishment! Once you’ve typed the last words into your masterpiece, it’s time to start marketing your book.

Your book marketing strategy will depend on the type of book you’ve written and how you’re publishing it. Once you’ve developed the marketing plan and learned how to market your book, you can get to advertising. Then just wait for those book sales to ring up!

How to market different types of books

Different types of books require different marketing strategies. Of course you want to market to your particular genre. Additionally, though, it’s important to consider what type of book you’ve written, how you’re publishing it, and whether you’re creating a print book or an e-book.

Why is it important to consider the type of book when you develop your book marketing strategy?

When you develop your book marketing strategy, it’s important to consider what type of book you’ve written. This will help you identify your target audience so you can market directly to them. The easier you make it for people to find you, the more people will buy and read your book.

The key here is to consider the differences in marketing different types of books, starting with whether you’re self-publishing or working with a traditional publisher.

What is the difference between marketing a traditionally published book vs. a self-published book?

Traditional publishing companies usually offer their authors marketing support. Your publisher might have a full in-house marketing team. Professional book marketers know how to create buzz through methods like paid advertisements and book launch events. The contract you sign with your publishing house will likely include a marketing plan and budget so you know how much money the publisher is putting into your book marketing.  

Self-published authors don’t have the benefit of professional marketers at their disposal. If you’re self-publishing, you’ll need to promote the book on your own. Fortunately, the internet makes it easy for self-published authors to get the word out there. It’ll take some hard work, but you can creatively—and successfully—market your self-published book.

What is the difference between marketing an e-book vs. a print book?

In a way, marketing an e-book can be more straightforward than marketing a print book. Since e-books are only published online, readers usually find their next favorite e-book by perusing the internet or the distribution channels like Amazon Kindle.

If you’re printing your book, the internet is still a fantastic place to market. However, in addition to promoting your book online, there are other methods to consider when you develop your book marketing strategy.

Developing a marketing strategy for your book

Regardless of your publishing method and type of book, there are things to keep in mind as you develop your book marketing plan. Once you’ve researched those elements, you can begin to start on the actual marketing strategy—and even learn how to market your book for free.

What should you consider when developing a marketing strategy for your book?

When you develop your book marketing plan, you want to consider two main things: your target audience and how other authors have successfully marketed their books.

Your target audience largely drives your book marketing strategy. You want to put your book in front of potential readers who will enjoy your story. So find out where readers who enjoy your genre find their books. Do they read online reviews? Are they part of Facebook groups that suggest new books? Or do they visit a local library or bookstore?

Additionally, you can use other authors’ success for book marketing ideas. Pick a few famous books in your genre. Did those authors market online? Did they hold book launch events? How did they get the word out about their new book?

Once you identify your target audience and learn from other successful book marketing strategies, your marketing job becomes much easier. And then, you can begin to develop your book marketing plan.

How do you develop a marketing strategy for your book?

You’ve already identified your target market and researched other successful book marketing strategies. So you’re ahead of the game! Now you can truly begin to develop your book marketing plan. Here are a few next steps to keep up that momentum:

• Design a great book cover.
• Create an author website.
• Promote your book on social media platforms.
• Host a book launch event.
• Consider paid advertisements for your book.

Pick the marketing methods that will work best for you. And if you’re marketing your book on a tight budget, you can find free book marketing resources available to you.

What free resources are available to an author who wants to market their book?

Self-publishing can get expensive—especially when you’re trying to market your book. Fortunately, there are some great ways to market your book for free.

In-person advertising is a great way to get the word out about your book. Search for a book club that might be interested in your work. Or ask your local library or bookstore to hold an author meet and greet. These events are inexpensive and a great way to get your name out there.

You should also establish a presence on social media. Platforms like Facebook and Twitter are free to join and are great forums to talk about your book. You can even connect with book groups with authors and readers in your genre to plug your book.

In fact, social media marketing is only one of the great ways to market your book online.

How to market your book online

Many readers find their next favorite book online. The internet is one of the most powerful book marketing tours available to you. From your author website to social media, online marketing can put your book in front of more potential readers than you ever thought possible.

Why is it important to create an author website?

When you market a new book, you want to have a place to send your readers to learn more about you. The best way to do this is to create an author website.

Here are a few components that your author website should include:

• A list of where readers can buy your books. Regardless of whether you worked with a traditional publishing company, have a self-published print book, or used an e-book site like Amazon Kindle, let your website visitors know where they can buy your books.
• An author bio. Let your readers know a bit about you. Where are you from? What draws you to the themes that you write about? Give your readers a glimpse into what makes you tick.
• Your author photo. Remember that expression “A picture is worth a thousand words”? There’s some truth to it. Your author picture communicates your work’s tone and style to your audience.
• Reviews and testimonials. People love reading reviews. Be sure to include some online reviews and even a testimonial or two about your work—especially if it’s from a credible source like another author or a publishing industry professional.

So get your author website up and running. Then, log onto social media to continue building your online presence.

How can you use social media to market your book?

Billions of people—including your target audience—use social media every day. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are powerful marketing platforms for your book. You can even create a publications page or an author page so people can learn about you, your work, and where to buy your book.

Another idea is to launch a paid ad campaign platforms like Facebook Ads. When you allocate part of your marketing budget to paid advertising, you’ll put your book in front of a wider audience. And since more exposure often leads to more book sales, you should get some great return on your investment!

What other online tools should you use to market your book?

Social media is a fantastic marketing tool for any author trying to spread the word about their book. However, don’t restrict your online marketing to just those platforms. Use other internet-based resources to build your online presence.

For example, contact influencers to promote your book. This comes with an expense, but because top influencers have hundreds of thousands of followers, they can get your name out there with just a post or two.

Additionally, email websites that discuss your genre. Write a guest blog for them to post on their page. And don’t forget about the power of online reviews! Ask your family, friends, colleagues, and other authors or book industry professionals to write an online review about your book. The more reviews you have, the more interest you’ll create in your book.

Other ways to market your book

As great as online marketing is, there are a few other avenues to explore when you market your book. One great marketing method is even built into the book you’re publishing: your very own book cover.

How can you use your book cover as a marketing tool for your book?

You might not realize it, but your book cover itself is a powerful marketing tool. Your book cover doesn’t just show your author name and book title. The cover quickly gives your prospective reader an idea of what your book is about. And great book cover design draws people in so they can’t wait to dive into your book.

The book cover should include a brief description about your story, as well as a cover image that reflects the tone and theme of your book. For example, a children’s book with colorful illustrations should showcase the illustrated characters on the cover.

In addition, include a short author bio, a small author picture, and a couple of testimonials on the book cover. Let your reader get a sense of your writing style, what the book is about, and why people loved reading it. In other words, help your potential reader judge your book by its cover!

Why should you consider holding an event to market your book?

Readers like to learn about the person who’s telling the story. And what better way to teach them about who you are than to meet them in person?

First, create excitement online about your upcoming book launch, signing, or chapter reading. Post about the event on social media and your author website so people know where and when they can meet you. Start marketing your event as early as possible. Six to twelve months before the event is a good timeline. 

When the event finally rolls around, enjoy yourself! Chat with as many attendees as possible. The more people you connect with, the more positive buzz you and your book will get. A great event causes a ripple effect, as attendees spread the word after the event itself. Then you can sit back and wait for those book sales to ring up!

What are some examples of ways other authors have successfully marketed their book?

You already know that the internet is a great place to market your book. And it’s also great to help you find examples of how other authors have successfully marketed their books.  

Check out your favorite authors’ social media pages, author websites, and online reviews. These should tell a story of how they earned their fame. What worked for them? What methods seem to have failed? Use their positive and negative marketing experiences to determine how to market your book—and what marketing methods to avoid.

Use an Elite marketing strategy to market your book.

Successful book marketing doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, patience, and hard work.

Elite Authors is here to help. You did the heavy lifting by crafting a book that people want to read. Now let us get your book out there! Visit our website to learn about our book marketing services.