How do you get started with book promotion?
Getting started with book promotion involves building a strategy that aligns with your goals, target audience, and resources as well as how much free time you have and what you actually like to do (or will do). Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you. Some things are must-haves (like your website and email list), and some things you’ll need to just decide if you want to do. It’s not going to do you any good if I tell you “make short videos to sell books” if you are never going to make a short video, know what I’m saying?
Here are the “basics of book promotion”
1. Identify Your Audience
- Who are they? Define your ideal readers based on age, interests, reading preferences, and demographics.
- Where are they? Determine where your audience spends their time online or offline, such as social media platforms, forums, or bookstores.
Not thinking about this is the first (and perhaps the worst) mistake I see authors making. Even if you only spend a couple of minutes going “Anyone who likes X book would like my book, and those people get their books from Amazon Kindle Unlimited” that’s better than nothing! It’s a start! Don’t write a book unless you have some clue about who your audience is and where to find them, or you will end up like so many sad self-published authors in the /selfpublish SubReddit going “Here’s my book! Please buy it!”
In case you didn’t get that joke, the reason why that is funny is because a) other self-published authors are not the audience for your self-published book, and b) the /selfpublish subReddit doesn’t allow self-promotion for this very reason.
2. Optimize Your Book
- Create a Compelling Cover: Ensure your book cover is professional and appeals to your genre’s audience. I really can’t emphasize this enough.
- Engaging Description: Write a description that hooks potential readers. Focus on the benefits or emotional experience they’ll get from your book.
- Keywords and Categories: Select effective keywords and categories for platforms like Amazon to help readers discover your book.
- Interior Design: Ensure formatting is clean and professional.
3. Build Your Online Presence
- Email List: Start collecting email addresses of potential readers by offering a lead magnet (e.g., free short story, bonus chapter). Can I say this more times? YOU NEED TO BE BUILDING YOUR EMAIL LIST.
- Author Website: Create a website with an author bio, book information, and a way for readers to subscribe to your email list. We’ve done approximate two trillion posts/ pages about author websites at this point, so please go check those out!
- Social Media: Establish a presence on platforms where your audience spends time (e.g., Instagram for visual genres, TikTok for trends, Facebook for groups). We recommend an “all, then one” strategy, where you have a presence on all of the socials (for reputation management purposes), then you focus your energy and attention on whichever platform you like the best.
4. Use Amazon Effectively
- Optimize Your Book Listing: Include relevant keywords in your title, subtitle, and description.
- Amazon Ads: Start small with Amazon Advertising to reach your target audience. Experiment with Sponsored Products and lockscreen ads.
5. Leverage Content Marketing
- Blogging or Guest Posting: Write articles related to your book’s themes or topics to attract readers.
- Videos and Podcasts: Share insights or stories behind your book through YouTube or podcast interviews.
- Social Media Content: Create engaging posts, videos, and reels about your book, its themes, or your writing process.
6. Build Relationships
- Connect With Readers: Reply to comments and messages from readers on social media or through email.
- Network With Authors: Collaborate with other authors in your genre for promotions, cross-promotions, or events.
- Engage With Influencers: Partner with bloggers, bookstagrammers, or TikTokers who promote books in your niche.
7. Execute Book Launch Promotions
- ARC Team: Build a team of early readers to review your book on launch day.
- Launch Day Plan: Organize giveaways, social media blitzes, or live events to create buzz.
- Pre-Order Campaign: Offer bonuses to readers who pre-order your book.
8. Secure Reviews
- Ask for Reviews: Request honest reviews from readers, bloggers, and influencers.
- Utilize Review Platforms: Use sites like Goodreads, BookBub, or NetGalley to find reviewers.
9. Run Paid Promotions
- Promotional Websites: Use services like BookBub, Bargain Booksy, or Freebooksy to advertise your book.
- Social Media Ads: Target your audience with Facebook or Instagram ads.
10. Monitor and Adjust
- Track Metrics: Monitor sales, website traffic, ad performance, and email engagement.
- Refine Strategy: Adjust your tactics based on what works and what doesn’t.
She’s savvy: As if to illustrate the point of a whole different article I’m writing, Geragotelis engaged a real-live art director / designer to make her (super awesome) book covers. These covers are genre-appropriate, show that the author is savvy about her demographic (which indicates that her writing will appeal to them as well).