How to Market a Nonfiction Book

You worked hard to perfect your nonfiction masterpiece. Now the work begins on marketing it. Learning how to market a nonfiction book can seem daunting. But when you equip yourself with a solid book marketing plan, you set yourself up for success.

And once you’ve developed a marketing strategy, you can determine where to market your nonfiction book. The end goal is high book sales, and you can get there with a solid marketing plan.

How to develop a marketing strategy for your nonfiction book

Every great book needs a strong marketing strategy. Whether you’re self-publishing or working with the traditional publishing industry, your nonfiction book needs to be backed by a smart marketing plan. Marketing books is not an easy skill, but if you equip yourself with a solid strategy, you’ll be amazed at the success your published book can earn.

How do you write a marketing plan for a nonfiction book?

The first step in developing a marketing strategy for your nonfiction book is to create a marketing plan. The plan is basically a road map to the success of your nonfiction book. There are three solid strategies to help you create your plan:

• Identify your audience so that you can target the right readers.
• Write a succinct book description to compel your target audience to purchase your book.
• Research comparative titles to find out which other nonfiction authors you’re competing with.

Your ultimate goals as a nonfiction author will dictate what kind of book marketing campaign you should run. If you want to build a strong and lasting author platform, you should probably consider partnering with a publisher to help market and sell your book. If you’re aiming for more of a DIY marketing strategy better suited for indie authors, there are many resources available online and throughout social media.

Why do you need to develop a plan for marketing or publishing your nonfiction book?

You need a marketing plan to create a book marketing strategy. And you need a strategy to ring up high book sales.

Basically, without marketing, no one will know that your nonfiction book exists. A smart marketing strategy—complete with strategic content marketing—will help catapult your book sales.

Planning your book marketing strategy is as important as planning everything else in life. When you create a strong plan with tangible achievements and dates, you are creating a solid structure for success.

What do you need to know about your audience and genre when developing a marketing strategy for your nonfiction book?

The process of developing your book marketing strategy needs to include a thorough understanding of your target audience and your genre. This will help you create a focused and successful marketing strategy for your nonfiction book.

First, consider your audience. What are the demographics of your potential readers? What are their interests? Do they lean toward indie authors or famous nonfiction writers? Will they find your work in bookstores, online, on social media, or elsewhere?

Second, think deeply about your genre. If your genre has serious and somber themes, your marketing plan should follow that motif. But if your genre is more lighthearted, you can add some humor into your plan. Determine what your target audience wants to hear about your nonfiction book, and go from there!

Where to market your nonfiction book

You worked hard on writing your new book. And now you want to reach as many potential readers as possible to ensure a lot of book sales.

In order to create a solid author platform, you’ll need to cast a wide net so that your target audience across the world can find and read your masterpiece. And with so many marketing options available to you, it’s important to pick the right venues for your book.

Why is it important to target your nonfiction book marketing strategy for different media?

Billions of people shop online. This goes for daily goods and services as well as books.

Create an author website to boost your book promotion as well as your status as a professional nonfiction author. Use the website to write blog posts about your genre and subject matter to garner interest.

You can even link your social media accounts to your website for more exposure. Create an email list, and send out exciting tidbits about your work to keep up the excitement surrounding your book.

People also enjoy shopping in person for a new book that they can lose themselves in. Many bookstores will allow local authors to hold a book launch at their location. This is a great way to meet your readers and let them get to know you as an author.

Where are the best places to market nonfiction books?

There are many options available to boost your book publicity in addition to the internet, social media, and bookstores.

For instance, never discount the value of word of mouth and personal referrals. There are book clubs all over the world that love to discuss their favorite literary works. Join as many of those as possible, and give yourself a plug!

One of the fastest and most efficient ways to earn high book sales is to include a literary agent as part of your book marketing strategy. Agents do come with a price. But if you’re dedicated to building a strong and long-lasting author platform and making a name for yourself as a nonfiction author, an agent might be the way to go.

Your agent will help you develop a brand that you can carry through your entire writing career. They will boost your book publicity and help bring in those book sales. They can even create a book proposal to send to publishers, which will help build your author platform and boost your reputation.

What do you need to consider when deciding where to market your nonfiction book?

The most important thing to keep in mind when deciding where to market your new book is your target audience. Ask yourself several questions about your potential readers:

• Where do they look for a new book to read? This could be social media, blog posts, book launches, or large publishers.
• How do they want the book presented to them? Put differently, what keywords will they type into an online search? What images and graphics will draw their attention to your book?
• How have other nonfiction authors with similar topics found success? Do some research to find out how your predecessors and competitors have tapped into their target audience.

Once you’ve compiled notes on how and where to find the gold mine of readers, you can get started on the actual marketing of your nonfiction book.

Benefits of marketing your nonfiction book online

Nowadays, it seems like the whole world is online. People use the internet to search for everything from common goods like food and cleaning products to major expenses like cars and homes. And books are no different!

Bookworms peruse the web for book reviews and new, intriguing titles and writers every day to find their next piece of literature. If you’re not marketing your book online, you’re missing exposure to all these people.

The internet simply must be a large part of your book marketing plan. You need a strong online presence to establish yourself as a serious and professional nonfiction author.

The benefits of an online book marketing plan are immense. And the effects of lackluster online marketing can be disastrous.

What are the biggest benefits to marketing your nonfiction book online?

Think of how many hours each day that you, your friends, and your family spend online. This includes checking your social media accounts, reading blog posts, researching interesting products and their online reviews, and more! Online exposure is absolutely critical to the success of your nonfiction book marketing plan.

When you market your book online, your work is available for the whole world to see. And in many cases, this can be free book publicity for you. Post about your book on social media platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Ask your friends and family to share your post for exponentially larger exposure.

Why is it important to include online marketing for your nonfiction book?

We know that online marketing helps you reach a huge span of potential readers. And in addition, online marketing provides your target audience with a brief snapshot of your book.

People like to quickly weed out what they don’t like so they can focus on what interests them. A smart online marketing strategy for your nonfiction book will draw them in right away.

Your book marketing campaign should include a brief but enticing summary of your nonfiction book on social media and as many websites as possible. This helps grab people’s attention.

Additionally, an exciting and well-designed book cover will catch their eye and draw them in even further. When you combine a strong book marketing plan with an online marketing strategy, success is sure to follow.

What can happen if you don’t effectively market your nonfiction book online?

As the world becomes more digital, fewer people are shopping in person. One of the unfortunate side effects is that bookstores across the globe have closed.

The absolute best way to reach your target audience is to cover as much ground as possible online. Without a strong online presence, potential readers simply won’t be able to find you. And if they can’t find you, your book will not sell.

Online book promotion must be a key aspect of your marketing strategy. And the more web-based platforms that you can advertise on, the better!

Cast a wide net. Talk about your book on social media. Ask organizations that focus on your topic to post a blog article that you’ve written. And ask friends and family to write online reviews of your nonfiction book. Get out there and get noticed!

How to find book reviewers for your nonfiction book

Book reviews are some of the most important marketing tools for every published book. Book reviewers and bloggers can steer your potential readers toward your nonfiction work.

So you have to be conscious of what the reviewers will discuss in their critiques of your book. What will they like? What improvements will they suggest? As with your overall marketing plan, it’s important to educate yourself on all aspects of book reviews.

Why are book reviews crucial to marketing a nonfiction book?

Every time your book is reviewed, your name and the name of your nonfiction book are listed. Web search engines like Google and Bing are programmed to take frequent names and titles more seriously. This means that the more times your name and title appear on websites and in reviews, the likelier you are to pop up in a web search.

Book bloggers and reviewers—whether professional or hobbyists—love to write about what they’ve read. And with good reason: they’re good at it! It’s very easy to find critiques of nonfiction books, children’s books, and fiction books all over the internet. And when the blogger or reviewer has a strong following, readers tend to listen to their advice.

Keep in mind that your nonfiction book’s bloggers, reviewers, and potential readers will look at more than just your content. Of course, your well-written story is important. But your audience will also pay close attention to your cover and what’s written on it.

Make sure that your book cover and the summary you write are as intriguing as your book’s actual content. You can even hire a professional designer to ensure that your cover generates the excitement that your nonfiction book deserves.

Which book review and book rating sites are worth considering when marketing a nonfiction book?

The internet is a vast expanse of information. It can be difficult to determine where to start looking for the best resources. This includes finding the best book rating sites to market your nonfiction book. So where do you start?

The first sites to consider are the biggest and most famous ones. Think of Google, Amazon, Goodreads, and other huge rating venues. Research nonfiction works that are similar to yours, and read their reviews.

Find out what the reviewers and bloggers are saying about other nonfiction authors. Think about how they would react to your book.

After you’ve looked at the big sites, try to focus in on your exact topic. This will help you find genre-specific review sites that will increase your exposure to your target audience.

For example, if you’ve written a nonfiction book about the history of baseball, search online for keywords that are important to your topic. Get as specific as possible! Instead of a generic term like “baseball history,” search for “first World Series champion” or “evolution of the catcher’s mitt.”

What can you do if you receive a bad review of your nonfiction book?

Reviews can be scary. You’ve poured your heart and soul into your nonfiction book, and now it’s on the internet for everyone to see and critique.

As great and informative as your book is, there will always be a negative review here and there. Don’t worry! You can’t please all people all the time. The important thing is not to take negative feedback personally.

Some venues allow dialogue about reviews. If a reviewer posts negative feedback on a venue that you can respond to like social media or Google Reviews, you have an opportunity to turn a negative into a positive. Craft a thoughtful response thanking the reviewer for their feedback and constructive criticism.

If you’ve hired a literary agent, ask for their help and advice before you respond to a negative review. They will be able to coach you through the best way to react and respond. Your agent is your professional partner, so lean on their expertise.

Marketing your nonfiction book is your cornerstone to success

Congratulations on completing your nonfiction masterpiece! Now that you’re equipped with the knowledge and the tools you need to succeed, follow your marketing plan. Develop your strategy. Market online. And find the right reviewers. And if you need any help along the way, contact us.

Congratulations again—you’re on your way to becoming a famous nonfiction author!