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Promoting your book on Social Media is hard work, takes time, and can be confusing. As an author, you just want to know what works and what doesn’t so you can spend less time learning how to do ‘all the marketing things’ and more time writing your next book.

So where do you begin to start promoting your book on social media?

Have no fear, I have got you covered with these 20 steps to promoting your book on social media. In this article, I am sharing the top 20 social media strategies that have worked for my author clients and myself. I have used these same strategies to grow Author’s Instagram followings from zero to over ten thousand in a month. These social media strategies for authors and their books work. You just need to follow them. Are you ready to get started?

Follow These 20 Steps To Promoting Your Book On Social Media To Building Awareness And Book Sales.

1. Identify Your Audience

Identifying who your target reader is is the most crucial step towards promoting your book on Social Media or any platform. Whether you are going to do online or offline marketing strategies, you need to know WHO you are targeting.

If you skip this step, then your marketing campaigns will fail, and your book won’t gain any traction. I can not stress this enough.

Everyone is NOT your reader. Identify what type of reader your book attracts. For example, what type of age range is your reader, what books do they already read, what City or Country are they from, and what other accounts do they follow? Understanding WHO your target reader is will help you establish essential factors such as your posting schedule, key message, content creation, and your brand’s voice.

To help you get started towards identifying who your target reader is, try answering the below questions:

1. What is your target reader’s age
2. What are your target reader’s interests?
3. What media does your target reader consume and follow
4. What other books does your target reader read?
5. Where does your target reader live?

I have also written an in-depth blog article that shares the three steps authors can take to finding their target reader.

2. Set SMART Goals

Setting SMART goals will help ensure all of your social media strategies are aligned and working towards a goal. If you have no goal, then all the work you put into promoting your book on social media will not amount to anything.

Here is an outline of what SMART goals stand for:

S- Specific
M- Measurable
A- Achievable
R- Relevant
T- Time Bound

By following the SMART ideal, you will be less likely to post content that is irrelevant to what your brand stands for. As time passes by, you will reach small goals that will accumulate and help you achieve bigger goals. This will most definitely keep you in the social media game for the long run, and help your book sales skyrocket forward!

3. Posting Information About Your Book On Social Media

Post different content related to your book on each social platform. Don’t post the exact same content at the same time on each social media platform. Your audience interacts with each social media platform at different times. And if your audience follows you on each social media platform, they are going to want to see different content on each of your accounts. Plus if you post the same content on every one of your social media platforms, it just looks like you are lazy.

4. Create A Content Schedule

You may think this might be over the top or believe that only big companies do this. Wrong! Creating a content schedule will keep you on track with your content creation for social media. Not only that, it will help you consistently post on your social media, which in turn leads to steady growth in followers.

5. Experiment With What Time You Should Post

Surprisingly this makes a difference. Try posting at different times and see when you get the most traffic. Most likely, there will be times when most of your audience is busy at work or school. But they will simultaneously be done around the same time.

6. There Is No Right Answer For Every One

Just because it worked for another author, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you and your book. Make sure you take the time to get to know your ideal reader and strategize from there. Everyone’s readership base is very different!

7. Be Human

Many believe that all followers want to see is perfect content. But that’s not true! Followers want to see the human side of their favorite authors.

Crack a joke once in a while or show them your day to day life. Explain your writing style, or share how many times you edited one chapter, or how long it took you to develop a character. Post content that is relatable to your target reader.

8. Create Relationships Through Social Media

Don’t take the “social” out of social media! Always connect with your audience, whether that be replying to their comments or sharing other people’s content. Always answer your audience’s questions and be their friend. It might take some time to connect with them on a personal level, but in the end, you will create a tribe of lasting followers and readers. Look always to seek relationships, not just followers.

9. Don’t Oversell On Your Feed

Once you start growing a social media audience, brands are going to want to collaborate with you. Although this is great, make sure you don’t fill your feed with paid advertisements or collaborations. Your audience follows you because of who you are and what your brand stands for. They trust the products you’re promoting, but they most likely won’t want to see their feed full of paid advertisements.

10. Optimize Your Account For Engagement

“Don’t work harder; work smarter.” Optimizing your account means to fill out all the necessary information, and using keywords that your readers will use to find you. Make your profile easy to navigate, and that will naturally attract more followers.

PRO AUTHOR TIP: Use your Instagram bio wisely by promoting necessary hashtags and other linked social media platforms.

11. Get Visual

Ever heard of the saying “never judge a book by its cover”? Well, that’s not true in the social media industry. The first thing users see is how your feed is laid out and the quality of your content. People are always too quick to judge, and they will know instantly if they find your account appealing or not. Make sure you post visually appealing content you are proud of on your feed!

12. Link Your Social Media Accounts

If you’re active on more than one social media site, you can let your readers know by linking your social media accounts together. You took the time to establish social media accounts, so why not let the world know. Make sure all your social media accounts are interconnected! Your Facebook should lead to your Instagram, and your website should lead to all of your social media accounts!

You can do this on your Facebook page about section and by using third-party apps. Apps like, Tabsite or Woobox will add custom tabs to your page. Each of these tabs should then be linked, with an appropriate thumbnail, or to another one of your social media platforms. This will increase brand exposure.

13. Be Active

What is the easiest way to lose followers? By being inactive.

Remember always to continue to post on your social media regularly. Publishing new content at least once a day is the best strategy. Plus, it will help organically grow your social media.

14. Comment On Other People’s Content

Don’t underestimate this step. I find that commenting on other people’s posts and content is the number one way to grow your audience quickly. This step may be more effective than posting regularly.

Start by finding other influencers, authors, and accounts that relate to your book and comment on their content. By commenting on other people’s content, you can connect with their audience and establish new relationships.

15. Don’t Be Afraid to Pay

Just because it’s free to use social media doesn’t mean it’s free to become successful. A common misconception is that successful accounts don’t invest money in their brand is false. There are plenty of things you can do to grow your account organically, but once you get to a particular stage, it pays to pay. (I have a secret technique on how to build a credible and highly engaged audience from zero to one thousand overnight. Want to know? Join my newsletter, and I will email you the secret.)

16. 80/20 Rule

Eighty percent of your content should be about your brand and what you stand for. The other twenty? Anything from promotions to collaborations. Follow this rule, and you’ll be sure not to bombard your audience with paid ads.

17. Optimize Your Profile Picture And Cover Photo

Make sure your profile picture and cover photos are at high resolutions of what you want to endorse to your audience. For example, your profile picture should be a logo of your brand or if that brand is you than a high-resolution photo of yourself. Your cover photo should be an image that speaks about what your brand and book stands for.

Pro Tip: Make sure the photos are the correct dimension; that way your audience can see the whole photo without clicking into it.

18. Fill Out The About Section

Whether this is Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, make sure to fill out the about section. The about section gives your audience a quick way to learn what your book is about and who you are. Remember to also add your email and contact number!

19. Do Not Automate Your Direct Messages

You may be tempted to automate your DM replies. But Wrong! Automated messages come across as lazy and impersonal, so take the time to write a new message for each person.

20. Establish Yourself As An Expert

Promoting your book on social media is one of the best ways to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Sharing your knowledge and advice on your social media platforms will position your and your book as an authority. This will not only create an online audience, but journalists will also want to interview you after seeing your social media.

Conclusion: Promoting Your Book On Social Media

Hopefully, these tips on how authors can use Pinterest to get more book sales helped spark some creative ideas. Remember, Pinterest is not like any other social media platform. Pinterest is more like a search engine similar to Google. As you create your Pinterest account and start adding content, make sure you drive followers and traffic back to your Amazon Page or Author website. So that people can buy your book!

Looking for more social media advice? Join my Authors only Facebook group where I will answer any of your marketing or publishing questions. Plus I am giving away my free 20 page social media guidebook that has over 100 tips for authors in it!

Pinterest is a fantastic platform to promote your book organically. Plus, it is fun to use and can be great for building an author’s presence. You won’t realize that you are working while you build up your readership through Pinterest boards. Before I start sharing my top 8 tips on how authors can use Pinterest to get more book sales, let’s explain what Pinterest is first.

Pinterest is a highly visual social media platform. That being said if aesthetics is your thing, go for it! The demographic for Pinterest is mainly females from their 20’s to 40’s. Most authors and businesses are not aware of Pinterest’s power and how it can be used to gain more awareness and sales!

What is Pinterest and How Does It Work?

Pinterest is a social media network that allows people to visually share and discover new interests by ‘pinning’ image or videos to boards. These boards they can ‘pin’ to can belong to them or others. For simplicity, Pinterest is a visual search engine where people can browse what other users have pinned.

Pinterest’s goal is to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting.”

People can either upload images or videos directly to Pinterest from their computer or pin things they like on the web using the Pinterest bookmarklet. Like Facebook Instagram and Twitter, users on Pinterest can follow other boards and other users a well as like and comment on other pins. To help you get started, here are our tips on how Authors can use Pinterest.

8 Tips On How Authors Can Use Pinterest To Get More Book Sales

1. Optimize Your Website With Pinterest

Always make it very easy for your website visitors to Pin from your pages. The first step to optimizing your website with Pinterest is to make sure Pinterest knows your website exists!

Verifying your website with Pinterest takes approximately five to ten minutes. Here’s how:

1. Open your Pinterest Account settings.

2. Scroll down to the Website field and click Confirm website.

3. From here, there are two options: copy the meta tag or upload the HTML file. I’ve included instructions for both:

Here is how to use the meta tag:

1. Copy the code provided and leave the window open.

2. Add it to the section of the HTML file of your website just before the tag.

3. Go back to Pinterest and click Finish.

Here is how to upload the HTML file:

1. Click ‘download this file’ at the bottom of the window.

2. Upload the HTML file to your web server at the root folder  – Do not rename the file or 3. Pinterest won’t be able to find it.

3. Go back to Pinterest and press ‘click here’ to complete the process.

Once you either upload the HTML file or the meta tag, Pinterest will automatically confirm your website. If you get stuck, check out Pinterest’s detailed instructions on their website.

Once you confirm your website on Pinterest, you will want to set up social share icons on your blog posts. Social share buttons will allow your audience to share your content on social media easily. They are extremely valuable and great at helping you grow your online traffic organically. You should add social share buttons to every page on your website, including your book page and blog posts.

If you are using WordPress, you can set up social share icons by downloading a plugin. Search for a Pinterest social share plugin- there are hundreds to choose. Once the plugin is downloaded and activated your social share buttons to your blog posts and pages automatically.

If you get stuck, here are further instructions from Pinterest on getting your button installed.

2. Create Interesting Pinterest Boards

Pinterest organizes all pins into boards. You can create boards to reflect any category you’d like. Strive to develop larger boards that have a minimum of 100 pins on them. When pinning new content, always share pins that your audience would find interesting.

3. Build Up Your Followers

Without followers, no one will see the great Pinterest content you’re posting. Follow your fellow authors and friends via Facebook. This will help you get in front of a broader audience. You can also add a Pinterest button on your website that can attract more followers.

4. Create Images of Quotes From Your Writing

If you’ve used Pinterest for any short amount of time, you’ve likely noticed that quotes are quite the popular topic on Pinterest! Start creating some images with quotes from your book. Make sure that when you upload the quote image, you link the quote to your author website or your book’s Amazon page. This will help pique people’s interest, as well as help you build name recognition.

5. Use Pinterest For Stats

If you convert your account to a business account, you will be able to see a number of stats and information about the content you’re pinning.

You can also check to see what pins are the most popular. This will help you identify better with your target market as well as to create more content that appeals to your readers.

6. Use Descriptive “Alt text.”

Make it easy for people to Pin your content by ensuring your image’s alt text (the text alternative to a web image) is relevant, descriptive, and includes keywords (up to 140 characters).

You can even add your website so that your URL is also in the pin description. This will help increase your exposure when people share your pins.

7. Include a Description

A good description is essential because it tends to follow the Pin as it gets re-pinned, and it gives you another opportunity to engage with a user and draw them back to your site and book.

Take a few minutes to write a description and add the title of the post if appropriate. Also, make sure the keywords used are hashtagged, and if it’s your work, add your author website URL.

8. Concentrate On Growing The Number Of Repins Instead Of Followers

Pinterest’s strategy is to become a visual search engine. By focusing on posting high-quality, relevant, and engaging content, you will win and attract new readers. To get more visibility in Pinterest’s search results, you’ll need to find ways to encourage others to re-pin your content. Instead of news and promotions, share content that is inspirational, and helpful.

Conclusion On How Authors Can Use Pinterest

Hopefully, these tips on how authors can use Pinterest to get more book sales helped spark some creative ideas. I have also written another article that shares all of the best book marketing strategies for selling more books to further help you win at book marketing.

Remember, Pinterest is not like any other social media platform. Pinterest is more like a search engine similar to Google. As you create your Pinterest account and start adding content, make sure you drive followers and traffic back to your Amazon Page or Author website. So that people can buy your book!

Looking for more social media advice? Join my Authors only Facebook group where I will answer any of your marketing or publishing questions. Plus I am giving away my free 20 page social media guidebook that has over 100 tips for authors in it!

Social Media can seem daunting. However, if you want to sell your book, then you need to be on it. Luckily for you, there are ways to spend less time on social media promoting your book and more time writing that next novel. The trick is by using social media tools to automate a lot of the work. In this article, I will be sharing six social media tools authors need. The tools listed below are the same ones I use daily.

The key to making the most of social media is listening to what your audience has to say about you, your competitors, and the market in general. To get this information, you’ll need a social media management tool.

A social media management tool is kind of like the “One Tool to Rule Them All” for social media. You will want a tool that allows you to monitor and engage across all your social profiles. The social media tool should provide reports so you can make sure what social media strategy is successful. There are tons of social media tools authors need to effectively grow their readership. However, you don’t need all the tools. Having too many tools can cause disorganization.

What Authors Should Use Social Media Tools For

As an author, you will want to use social media tools to learn more about your readers. Data will tell you the best time to post, what type of content your audiences engages with the most, and what hashtags give you the most results. Treat your social media more as a science and less of a guessing game by using analytic tools. Everything you do should be based on data.

Here is the list of the Top 6 Social Media Tools Authors Need

1. Canva

Canva is an online DIY program designed to help non-designers create high-quality visual content for your social media. Use this tool to create stunning graphics that go with a blog post, tweet, Instagram post, or Facebook post.

2. BuzzSumo

Buzzsumo is a powerful online tool that allows you to find out what content is popular by topic or on any website. To use BuzzSumo, type in a keyword or website, and Buzzsumo will show you the most socially shared piece of content related to that keyword or website. As you can imagine, this is a powerful tool for social media.

Buzzsumo shows you content that has the most shares across Facebook, Reddit, Twitter, and Pinterest. Once you know what content has resonated with people in your target audience, you will have a better idea of what to create and share. I like to use Buzzsumo to get inspiration for new blog content.

You can also use buzzSumo as a way to research and find influencers in your field that you can contact for cross-promotional social media opportunities.

3. Pexels or Pixabay

If you want free high-quality stock photos, Pexels and Pixabay is the way to go! I probably use these websites every day to source out new photos that I can use in my blog posts and on my social media accounts. (P.S. all the photos in this blog article are from Pexel!)

4. Schedule your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts.

Either use a scheduler like Hootsuite, Buffer or Sprout Social or post your content in the moment. All of these social media scheduling tools also give you some fantastic data about your audience to help you improve your social media strategy and campaigns.

For me, I use the Later App and Plann to schedule all of my client’s Instagram posts! These two tools allow you to visually plan your feed with a simple drag and drop function. Plus they both help you create a consistent brand theme.

5. Facebook and Instagram Insights

Third party reporting software for tracking the success of your social media are great tools. Reporting software is the top tool authors need to manage their social media effectively. I usually like to use Facebook and Instagram’s free insights tool as it is easily accessible.

Facebook and Instagram Insights is an extremely useful tool for tracking who is looking at your page, what times of day they on your page, which content is doing well and which isn’t, what your competitors are doing – and much, much, more.

6. Understand Algorithm Changes and Use It To Your Advantage

Social media algorithms change more often than you think. Keep updated on all the new changes and use this data to your advantage. Little changes in algorithm make a world of difference!

Conclusion

Now that you are finished reading this article go and check out each of these social media tools and get familiar with them. I promise these tools will give you more time to write your book. Looking for more social media advice? Join my Authors only Facebook group where I will answer any of your marketing or publishing questions. Plus I am giving away my free 20 page social media guidebook that has over 100 tips for authors in it!

Want to know the biggest secret to becoming a successful author? It is understanding that writing and producing a book is only 30% of the work. The remaining 70% is dedicated to promoting your book. I know this is shocking! You spend years planning out your characters, setting, storyline, and then another few years writing the story. But without promoting your book, no one will know it exists. Through my experience, I have found public relations to be one of the best ways to gain awareness, book reviews, and book sales. But before you look into hiring Book Public Relations Services, there are seven things you MUST know first.

1. Public Relations Can Be The Biggest Contributor To Your Book’s Success.

Trust plays a huge role in determining whether a book will be a success. If there is no trust between your book and your target reader, then they will not buy your book. Readers buy books based on time, and they spend their time on books they trust to be good.  

Experts in Public Relations can work with authors to increase their book’s credibility. They do this by building up the author’s brand and readership through articles, media interviews, influencer connections, networking strategies, testimonials, and reviews.

Public Relations is a form of marketing. PR campaigns help future readers connect and find your book organically and authentically. For example, people are more likely to purchase your book if their favorite news host recommends it or if they see your book has a testimonial from another famous author.

PR creates genuine connections with readers compared to sponsored ads.  An ad is not going to be as powerful as an influencer sharing your book organically to their audience. Why? Readers already have an established relationship and trust with influencers and media outlets. Ads don’t provide that same kind of relationship.

PR generates word of mouth on a large scale by getting influencers, journalists, and media to tell their audience how great your book is.  When was the last time you made a purchase based on word-of-mouth?

2. Public Relations Is Not Advertising

Many authors believe that advertising and public relations play the same role and that if they do advertising, then they don’t need PR and vice versa. However, public relations is so different compared to advertising. Both play entirely different roles in promoting your book.

Advertising is where you pay a media outlet (a radio station, magazine, newspaper, or blog) to promote your book. Public Relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and the public. With PR, you never pay influencers or media money in exchange for promoting your book.

PR is great for building genuine value-based connections with your target reader. Readers are more likely to purchase your book if they read about it organically rather than seeing your book on an advertisement that has been paid for.

PR focuses on providing media with information and newsworthy stories about your book in the form of a pitch and a press release. When media organically promotes your story it gives your book more credibility because it is not blatantly selling anyone anything. Instead, it focuses on value and why. Plus people tend to remember products or ideas when they are wrapped into a story. PR can be a powerful tool because it can shape public opinion.

3. Understanding The Nature Of News

Before hiring book Public Relations services, it is essential to understand what journalists want to write about and what makes a story newsworthy.

Creating a newsworthy story is the bread and butter of book public relations services. Media relationships and influential pitching can only get you so far when trying to achieve coverage. It is the story that plays the most critical aspect of a successful PR campaign.

There are two main ways to make a story newsworthy- pitching an original story or newsjacking. Pitching an original story is where the pitch you are sending the media is 100% new and unique. Newsjacking is where the story takes advantage of current events or other news stories. Of course, there are different ways to get the media’s attention.

When creating newsworthy content for journalists and the media, there are three main things to think about:

1. Why should the media’s audience care about your story, and why would they like it?

A journalist is always looking to provide value for their audience by sharing stories that resonate with them. Before sending any pitch, always ask yourself: ‘why should their audience care?’.

2. Timing

Timing can mean everything when determining how newsworthy your story is. It is called news for a reason. You don’t want your news to become old before you pitch it.

3. Shock Value

Shocking news grabs the reader’s attention. This doesn’t mean that every story you pitch needs to be scandalous. But it does need to have some hook or shock value. This could be as simple as challenging a preconceived belief. If you want your story to get noticed, it has to stand out, and this is where that shock value comes in.

4. Book Public Relations Services Can Help You Reach A Wider Audience All At Once

The best part about Public Relations is that it gets you in front of a much larger audience than you would ever reach otherwise, for free. With PR, you never have to pay a media outlet to be featured in articles, and you don’t need to have a connection or relationship with an audience beforehand. You only need to have a good story. And as an author, you are in luck- as you have already written one.

Once the media features you and/or your book, you immediately get in front of thousands or millions of people who could be potential readers. For example, at Talk+Tell, we helped one of our clients go viral through the power of PR. We worked with the Huffington Post to publish an article that featured our client. The result was fantastic. The article received over one million reads within 24 hours! Plus, this one article got my client, even more, media coverage, a speaking opportunity at Yale University, increased business, and new partnerships. These results all came in within the first week the article was published!

5. Social Media Will Never Replace Traditional Media

Social media will never replace Public Relations. Tweets are not the same as being quoted on in the New York Times. So, don’t be fooled by the hype.

However, social media can support a public relations campaign and serve as an amplifier.

6. PR Changes The Way People Think Of You

The trouble with the online world is that people can say anything they want about your book, regardless of whether it is true or not. Just last week, I saw one author get a 1-star review because a person was jealous and decided to accuse them of buying fake reviews! This was 100% untrue. The author was able to quickly report the 1-star review to Amazon and have it removed. But even before Amazon deleted the 1-star review, the author’s readers jumped into action by reporting the negative review and commenting on it.

A well-orchestrated Public Relations campaign can help authors fix and prevent negative attention. The right Public Relations campaign will be designed to influence and monitor all online conversation around your book to ensure it is positive and only focuses on promoting your book.

7. Can You Measure PR?

It is true, the benefits of PR can be more challenging to track than the benefits of an ad. At Talk+Tell, we find that there are six main ways to measure the effectiveness and impact of a PR campaign:

1. Press Clippings

One method is to track the number of press clippings that mention your book or author name. When you receive a large number of mentions in target media outlets, this means your PR campaign is successfully raising awareness for your book.

2. Media Impressions

Media impressions measure the number of times an article or interview is consumed. Impressions are frequently mistaken for reach. Reach indicates the number of unique people who consumed a piece of content. For example, if a person reads a news article 10 times, the impression count on the article is 10, while its reach is one.

3. Content Analysis

With any PR campaign, it is essential to monitor the content of the articles that are published. Why? Because quality matters. You want to make sure the report mentioned the author’s name, book title, and shared a link to purchase the book. To know if your PR campaign was successful, you have to assess whether your press coverage is resulting in valuable content or not.

4. Website Traffic

Another great way to determine the success of your PR investment is to measure the number of book sales and website traffic you received before and after launching your PR campaign.

5. Lead Sourcing

To find out if your PR campaign led to more book sales, simply ask your readers how they heard about your book?

6. Social Media Mentions

Social media mentions are a great way to see if your PR campaign had a positive impact. If ‘social media mentions’ about your book increased after launching your PR campaign, then you will know your investment was worth it.

8. PR Takes Time

Public relations is not a cookie cutter process and shouldn’t be a short-term investment. PR is all about long term relationships, building trust, and continuously increasing results. Like any campaign, results don’t happen overnight. For example, most magazines already have their whole year outlined for what topics they want to cover each month and also work on upcoming print issues months in advance. A magazine’s December issue is often written in July or August.

Understanding the nature of news is vital for any author who wants to hire Book Public Relations services or try running their own PR campaign.  Before hiring Public Relations services, you should budget for at least three months. This way, you will see results start to grow.

If you are interested in learning more about how PR can help you get more testimonials, interviews, and book sales, then contact us today for a free consultation.

Literary Agents are full of great advice for both new and seasoned authors. They not only know the industry inside and out but also know what the best book marketing tips for authors are.

Writing and publishing your book is what gets your book finished and bound. Book marketing is what gets your book in the hands of your target readers.

Once your book is ready for publication, you need to get out of your comfort zone and exercise some serious business and marketing acumen.

The biggest question I get from new and seasoned authors is: How can I sell more books and get it in the hands of more readers? The answer is a well thought out publicity and book marketing strategy that is aligned with your business plan. There is no one book marketing strategy that works for every author. Book marketing needs to be customized and aligned with your goals and story. Remember, your story is unique and so is your book marketing strategy.

But to help you, I have put together the best book marketing tips for authors straight from the top literary agents in the publishing trenches.

Below you will find 13 of the best Book Marketing Tips for Authors to help you start attracting new readers.

Lloyd D. Kelly – Kelly Consulting Agency Inc.

“So many authors believe that their work is done once they have finished writing their book. Not true. In fact, the marketing phase of their publication can be the most critical part of the publishing process. Writers really need to stay engaged and involved with their publicist or book marketing team. So many terrific books just don’t sell, while so many less than terrific ones do. Why?  Because you need to take the time to promote your book by engaging with your target reader.”

Howard Yoon – Ross Yoon Agency

“You know your readers better than your publisher, so think through what it’s going to take to convince 5000 of them to spend the money to buy your book. How about 10,000 readers? How about 20,000 and 50,000 readers?

Outline all the different ways you can reach your target readership. Then make a list of all the organizations, interest groups, publications or channels you can access that will help you get to those book buyers.

You can not only depend on Social media as a way to promote your book.  Your twitter account will not sell books. What will sell books is you figuring out how to tap into the networks where these 50k book buyers hang out. Your goal is to get your book’s message across through those networks and channels.

When you first start marketing your book, focus on your core readers.

Outline how you plan to convert them into book buyers? And from there you can keep growing towards accumulating a broader readership.  No two books are the same, and no two books should be marketed the same.”

Sharlene Martin – Martin Literary Management

“Be aware of those who take the time to leave nice reviews for you on Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, etc. I encourage you to build a relationship with your readers by responding with a sweet short reply thanking them for taking the time not only to read your book, but to leave an online review encouraging others to as well.  It makes a reader feel as though they know you, and that you’re a respectful writer who appreciates the time and money spent to devour your work.”

Cynthia Ruchti, award-winning author of more than two dozen books –  Books & Such Literary management”

“As a multi-published author and now a literary agent, I’m more convinced than ever that the best marketing tip for a new writer is to make every marketing and social media effort reader-focused.

What are the reader’s…

• needs
• questions
• interests
• longings
• time-constraints…?

What will make a reader say, “Oh, I needed that!” Rather than, “Oh, another sales pitch”?

When directing potential readers to your book, consider how you can turn it into something that encourages or equips. A meaningful quote from your book, a helpful tip related to your book’s theme, a compelling reason to reach for the book that has nothing to do with its price but everything to do with how the book will make the reader feel or how it will better the reader’s life. That mindset shift can change everything. It’s not about needing them to buy the book. It’s about the book (and the author) meeting reader needs.”

Jessica Faust – President of Bookends LIterary Agency

“Of all the things authors are asked to do I think marketing or talking about your book is the hardest.

My best book marketing tips for authors is to not to be afraid to talk about your book.

When people ask what you’ve written be ready to proudly and unapologetically tell them all about your book. If necessary, have postcards or a bookmark in hand at every turn. The same holds for social media. (which I think is the number one source of all book marketing these days) While certainly, you want to inundate people with nothing but book talk, you do want to regularly post both about your everyday life and about your book. My suggestion is set up 3-5 posts a week that in some way relate to your book. Maybe it’s a picture of your book in a bookstore or a quote from a new review. Perhaps it’s little glimpses into your next book, a recipe that relates to the book, or a picture that inspired you.  

Once you start publishing great posts, make sure you interact!  Interaction is the key to successful social media marketing. It’s one thing to “like” something, but it’s entirely different to share or repost that review and thank the blogger, reviewer, or bookstore owner publicly. Remember, those people are in this for themselves too. While they might love blogging and giving reviews, they are also looking to build their own names and recognition.

Most of all though, have fun. Marketing is a scary term so don’t think of it as marketing. Think of it as sharing the news joyfully.”

Jill Marsal – Marsal Lyon Literary Agency

“I would suggest new authors work on building their platform before they publish their book. This includes building up your social media presence, networking with other authors who can help promote your future book, speaking, blogging, writing articles, and doing interviews.  You want to be able to help the publisher spread the word about your upcoming book to your target readership.”

Laura Strachan – Strachan Literary Agency

“Understand that marketing is as much your job as writing the book is (or was). Your publisher isn¹t going to do it for you. Take it seriously. Block out time each day to work on your website and social media. Remember what is important is to connect with people, not try to sell them. Buying your book will come naturally after you genuinely connect with your target readers.”

Robert Mackwood is President and Owner of the Seventh Avenue Literary Agency in Vancouver Canada.

“The best book marketing tips for authors is easy to describe but for many authors challenging to execute successfully. After 35 years in book publishing, dealing with hundreds of authors, I have only witnessed a handful that uses this technique successfully. Ironically it isn’t rocket science nor necessarily even expensive.

The best book marketing tips for authors is about selling yourself and, by extension, your book.

The handful that I have watched do this include an author who monitors local radio stations and phones in when appropriate to talk about the current topic while tying it to their just released book. It’s a writer who stands up at a town-hall type meeting and not only makes a point but somehow manages to tie it into the copy of their book.

These are people who know they are the best salesperson for their book. These are people who go into bookstores, face out each copy of their book, move some to other sections, introduce themselves and thanks each staff member on the floor that day.

There is a “best before” date on many books. As an author you have a short window of time before the next avalanche of books arrive and push your book farther afield. In the world of non-fiction where I am most involved, that claim is much more relevant for some genres than others. But for authors who constantly and effectively self-promote their book stays in the store a little longer and gets a better chance at success than most others.”

Denise Bukowski – Bukowski Agency

“I’d say in this era of reduced marketing budgets for the average book release, authors need to work on building a community of readers who will buy their books.

Social media, bookstore events or conventions, and newsletters are all ways authors can connect with their readers and build relationships. Giving dedicated readers exclusive access to behind the scenes stuff like cover reveals, early excerpts, access to ARCs, all engender positive reactions, and will keep readers coming back. As an author, you need multiple outlets because you will not find readers engaging only on one platform. This is why publishers look at things like author platforms and reach when they’re at the acquisitions table, an author who works to build these things up before their first release is a step ahead of an author who has to build from scratch.”

Jonny Geller – Curtis Brown Agency

“My best book marketing tips for authors is to be clear. If you can’t describe your novel in a concise, inviting and dynamic way, nobody can. Go back to the moment of conception of the story and ask yourself:

‘Why did I write it?’

‘What do I want my readers to feel?’

‘What is it really about?’

When you have answered these questions, you can lure readers in.”

Mary Kole – former literary agent with eight years of experience in the traditional publishing industry.

“All of my success in marketing my editorial services has been earned by delivering valuable content.

Your audience will grow tired of your message if it’s always about you, your book, what you have, etc. Sure, this information is what will sell copies of your book, but think about taking the indirect route.

My best book marketing tips for authors is always to add value first.

Readers are first attracted to value as it builds trust.  After you provide value, then you can remind them about what you’re selling.

For fiction writers, this can be tough. What can you put out there that has value but that’s not about you? A writer’s first audience is usually other writers. Try blogging or Tweeting about interesting writing-related topics, and any news or information pertinent to the subject matter of your novel.

Nonfiction writers have it much easier because their work is already topic-driven, and ideally aimed at a specific audience. (if they’re writing a book of financial advice, for example) However, fiction books are still about something with a timely or content-rich angle; one would hope!

For every four or five pieces of valuable, interesting, audience-focused information you send out into the world, feel free to do a blurb about yourself and your book. Work hard at this and give it away for free. I promise sales will follow. It’s the “long dollar” approach.  If you don’t follow this approach, your whole presence will come across as self-serving.”

Gordon Warnock – Partner at Fuse Literary Agency

“Just this month, one of my clients saw her debut novel, RAPID FALLS, get published and immediately shoot to #1 overall in the Kindle store. We had a lot of discussions in the months leading up to publication, and if I had to pick the best book marketing tips for authors to share, it’s that it’s dangerous to go alone.

Writing is a solitary act, but publishing is by nature public, so resist the temptation to stay in your little bubble.

Reach out. Connect with other authors in your genre. You’re writing in a genre because you love that genre, so go all-in, and make that your new family.

Don’t treat these authors like your competition, and don’t try to climb them to reach your own success. Help them out, and give them a boost. If they do better, you will do better. This mindset is both a security blanket when you need it and a substantial investment in your future as an author.”

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Learn how to get your book into bookstores

We all dream of seeing our book on the bookstore shelves! Where people will be lining up to get a copy. But is that just a dream? In this article, you will get everything you need to know to make that dream a reality. To get your book into bookstores takes hard work and some healthy habits. It is not easy. But it is not impossible. With the right steps, tools and this article, you will get bookstores selling your books in no time!

Both traditional and self-published authors need to be their own sales agents and their own book advocates.

If you are a traditionally published author, you still need to support your publisher in promoting your book. Your publisher has hundreds of books they are already promoting, and priority is given to bestselling authors and newly released books. This means your book could fall through the cracks if you don’t work on marketing it and getting bookstores to sell it. As a traditionally published author, your job is to help your publisher get your book out there.

As a self-published author, you are the publisher, marketer, CEO, and sales agent. It is your job to either hire and work with a team and publicist to get bookstores to sell your book or do it on your own. I always suggest working with a team, publicist, or book coach to help you promote your book to bookstores. It will come across as more professional plus you will get faster results. But hiring anyone to support your book sales is always optional as a self-published author. The biggest bonus of being a self-published author is that you are in control!

Here is how you can get your book into bookstores…

Step 1: Know Who Your Target Reader Is For Your Book

Before you approach any bookstores or even write your book description, you need to have a clear outline of who your target reader is. Knowing who your target reader is will help you define your book’s price, genre, and what bookstores you should be approaching. You only want to get your self-published books into the bookstores whose customers are your target readers.

Step 2: Write Your Book Description and Your Book’s Metadata

Now that you know your audience you will want to write your book description and all book metadata in a way that captivates them. Readers find your book through metadata and decide whether to buy a book or not based on the book’s description.

What is a book’s metadata?

Metadata makes it possible to search for books in book-only databases and system, such as book wholesalers and distributors. Metadata gives readers, librarians, and booksellers an easier way to finding the exact book they’re looking for.

What Metadata Does a Book Need? A book only needs a few fields of metadata:

• Title
• Subtitle
• Author
• ISBN
• Format
• Publication Date

If you have finished writing your book you already have this information.

Step 3: Know How Bookstores Buy Books

Most chain bookstores buy from wholesalers. However, independent bookstores will also buy on consignment and directly from authors and publishers. As a self-published author, you’ll want to be targeting independent bookstores as a priority. Targeting independent bookstores will give you faster results as there are fewer hoops to go through.

Independent bookstores are more likely to want to work with new authors- especially ones in their community. A great resource to find independent bookstores is the IndieBound Community. IndieBound offers a comprehensive listing of independently owned bookstores searchable by name, type and/or location on their website.

Step 4: Get Into Book Wholesalers

Bookstores and libraries will look to order books through their favorite wholesaler’s database. As a self-published author, you’ll want to make sure that every book distributor or wholesaler database lists your books. You’ll also want to ensure they list it correctly.

If you are ‘Print On Demand’ with IngramSpark, then your book will already be listed in the Ingram Wholesaler database.

If you are not ‘Print On Demand,’ then you can apply to the wholesalers of your choice.

Start by visiting these websites:

• Ingram
• Baker & Taylor
• B&T Application
• America West
• Brodart
• Follett (K – 12 and University Libraries)

Step 5: Develop A Book Marketing And Media Plan

The most significant step to getting self-published books into bookstores is to create and maintain a marketing strategy that creates demand for your book. In spite of what we might wish, your book will not fly off the shelves unless you have worked to create buzz around it.

You need to create buzz around your book for booksellers to want to order and sell it. Look to build a marketing plan that includes offline book marketing strategies, book publicity, social media strategies, and book review strategies. Be creative and look for smart ways that help accelerate your book marketing results.

Step 6: Create Professional Marketing Materials

Bookstores and libraries will know in seconds if they want to order and sell your self-published book or not. So how do you convince bookstores to sell your book? Well, by creating and sending them professional book marketing materials, such as a press kit. A press kit puts all of your book information in one place and helps the bookstore get a clear picture of who your target reader is, what your book is about, and why people will love reading it.

Step 7: Contact Bookstore Buyers and ask them to sell your self-published books

Most self-published authors think contacting bookstores is the first step. It is actually one of the last steps. By following the above steps you are now 100% prepared to contact bookstores!

Contact bookstores and ask them to stock your self-published book by sending them an email or giving them a call. Your email should include your press kit and state that you are promoting your book. Your email should also be aligned with the bookstore’s goals and customers.

Cold calls followed up by an email work the best. You can also try personally visiting the bookstore to directly talk to the owner or manager about selling your book. Keep this in mind, and you will establish stronger relationships with bookstores.

Step 8: Follow Up With Bookstores

Not every bookstore is going to get back to you after your first email or phone call. Make sure you send a friendly follow up email to the bookstores that did not get back to you.

For the bookstores that did respond, make sure you are ready for their questions. The bookstore buyer will ask you a few of the below questions. Always do your homework and know the answers to these questions before the book buyer asks them.

Here are some of the questions the bookstore or book buyer may ask:

• Is your book returnable?
• Where is your book available?
• What discounts and terms are you offering?
• What marketing are you doing?
• Are there any events or programs you can do at their location?
• Are there any articles or content you can provide for their website or newsletter?

Hard Work, Consistency, And Time Will Help Get Your Book Into Bookstores

There are more than a few thousand bookstores out there, and a lot of them are going to be an excellent fit for your book. Follow these steps to getting your book sold in bookstores. But remember, getting self-published books into bookstores is not easy; it takes time, hard work, and consistency. If you put in the time and effort results will come!