Book Marketing Strategy After Publication

Congratulations! Your book is officially about to debut, but now the real work begins. Ideally, you will start putting materials together (social media assets, giveaways, a blog tour schedule) six months before the big day. It's time to put your book marketing strategy into action. One of the most effective techniques authors use is book signings, though you are largely on the hook for planning your events and paying for travel, as these perks are rarely offered to debut writers. Schedule signings at bookstores, libraries, and other public spaces that are relevant to your book's genre. Start local and get your feet wet, then pitch yourself farther afield.

Another useful tool is leveraging the audiences of bloggers and influencers by doing a blog tour or newsletter swap (where you write an article geared for their newsletter and return the favor with your list, though this requires at least some number of existing subscribers). Build a list of book bloggers or vloggers who are speaking to your specific target audience and genre and reach out to them to review your book. You will be expected to provide digital or physical ARCs at your expense, so build this into your book marketing strategy. (Traditional publishers can also facilitate a mailing to top influencers.) Their review can encourage their audience to purchase your book, leading to an influx of new readers who are interested in your type of book. (Trying to promote to “everyone” is a difficult task—it’s a better book marketing strategy to find where readers for your specific type of book are already congregating.)

Book Marketing Strategy Budget and Materials

Marketing a book can be an expensive task, which is why it's important to budget accordingly. If you have a large marketing budget, then consider investing in paid advertising such as social media ads, Amazon Ads (now available to all authors, not just those on the KDP self-publishing platform) or Google ads. Ads allow you to reach people according to keywords, interests, and criteria you choose, which can pull in new readers you wouldn’t have otherwise accessed.

However, if you're on a tight budget, there are still several options available for a book marketing strategy. As described above, networking with fellow authors and bloggers can provide a great opportunity for free cross-promotion. Consider sending out press releases to local newspapers and magazines, reaching out to bookstores, and scheduling interviews with relevant podcasters or radio hosts. A lot of these avenues have tons of people contacting them, so you may face some rejection, but it becomes easier to book opportunities once you’ve already had a few, so stay persistent.

Giving Yourself Promotion Opportunities

Promoting your book can be an exciting opportunity to showcase your work and build your author brand. By creating your own opportunities, you can control how your book is marketed and ensure that it's reaching your target audience. One cost-effective way of doing this is through social media giveaways. This can range from providing signed copies of your book or other relevant merchandise/swag. Decide if you require people to purchase or preorder a copy of your book to enter, and what the giveaway criteria is. Don’t neglect post engagement, comments, and other metrics of a truly attentive audience, rather than focusing on views or reach numbers for your post.

If you don’t want to appear on video, you can still leverage it as part of a book marketing strategy by creating a book trailer or editing together something on the topic of your book. These provide an excellent medium to showcase your book and create hype around it. They also exist long after you’ve made them, so they can pull in new readers down the line. You don't need a large budget to create quality content, especially with the image and video editing programs and apps widely available today, so be creative and leverage your existing resources to the fullest.

Formulating and executing a book marketing strategy can feel like an overwhelming task, but it's essential to the success of your book. By implementing these book marketing strategy tips effectively, you can ensure that your book stands out in a crowded market. Remember to be creative and persistent, continue to build relationships with fellow writers and readers, and most importantly, have fun bringing your book into the world.