Marketing a Book: What Not to Do

Book Marketing

Jan 30

Estimates vary, but publishing figures show that the number of books published in the USA each year is somewhere close to 3 million.

If your book is one of these coming in 2024 or 2025, congratulations!

But at the same time, please recognize: getting your beloved title noticed has approximately the same odds as finding a random person in the city of Chicago.

Not only that, this sobering article from Berrett-Koehler Publishers, titled The 10 Awful Truths about Book Publishing, tells us:

“The book marketplace has become over-saturated,” and “Average book sales are shockingly small—and falling fast.”

And yet.

Every time I pop my head into an author community, I’m met with a starry-eyed writer, whose book is coming soon. Not only do they honestly expect that everyone else in that community is dying to read it, they’re pretty sure that it’s good enough to become a movie.

So, even though a key part of my business is supporting authors who have upcoming book releases, and helping them create a vital marketing asset for what lies ahead, I owe it to you to say honestly:

Getting traction for your book is not a piece of cake. It never was, and it certainly isn’t now.

But I’m amazed that, despite 3 million Google results for “How to market a book” (See the irony there? That’s just as much advice, as the number of titles published!), many authors are still fundamentally deluded about their chances of literary success. And they’re still making book marketing mistakes that can 100% be avoided.

Who am I, to talk about marketing a book?

I began marketing* my first novel around 2011 or 2012, well before its actual release in 2o13. I’ve self-published six books, and the first now has over 1200 Amazon ratings.

*By “marketing”, I actually mean building community around shared interests, but we’ll come back to that later.

So, I’ve been hanging out in book marketing circles for around 13 years, firstly for my own books, then through continued connection with the author community. I’ve been to a dozen or so writing conferences and author fairs, and been a (past) member of the Alliance for Independent Authors and the Nonfiction Authors Association. I’ve spent far too long in author Facebook groups. Most months, I attend the meeting of the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association. And I’ve helped dozens of authors establish their website as the cornerstone of their marketing platform.

During these hundreds of hours of community involvement, I’ve seen a dizzying number of book marketing mistakes. Some mistakes are subtle. But many of them have me grinding my teeth because they’re so unnecessary.

When it comes to book marketing 101, all of these mistakes can be avoided with a little research, realism, and forward planning.

Key book marketing mistakes that you can avoid

1. Lack of authentic, realistic goals

It’s hard to market your book well if you’re not clear and honest about your goals for the book, and the business or personal outcome you’re looking for. After all, how can you make good decisions, if you don’t know where you’re trying to end up?
Are you chasing someone else’s dream? Just because another writer aspires to get their book into a local bookstore, this doesn’t have to be your goal too. For many specialist topics, it simply doesn’t make sense. Many of us have a longstanding love affair with bookstores, but please realize, success as an author might look different for you.
Want to get your book on a best-seller list, plugged by Brené Brown or lauded by Oprah? Oh dear. Book publicists are open about this: frankly, it’s ridiculous for a first time author to set your sights this high. As Becky Robinson says, in her book, Reach:

“Most of the books that make it to the New York Times best-seller lists each year come from authors whose names were already widely known before the publisher agreed to publish their new book.”

Instead:

Take a look at What Kind of Author Are You? and consider what goals are appropriate for you, then come up with your book marketing plan.

2. Publishing first, marketing after

Releasing your book and then realizing you’d better think about marketing is a recipe for disillusionment. I completely understand: publishing your book is back-breaking work, but you simply cannot afford to hope your title will fly off the shelves. Every month, I hear from authors who, too late, accept that their book won’t sell itself.
Don’t hold onto your essays, blog posts, and other “best content” until the book comes out. Last year, I had a client who wasn’t planning to start blogging until close to the book’s release date. Fortunately, we brought that timeframe forward and the result is an engaged and interested community, primed to buy.

Instead:

There is no specific formula for how far ahead of your book release you should start trying to build community and connect with your audience, but it’s almost always longer than you think. Traditional publishers begin more than a year out for a reason. Especially if you’re self-publishing, allocate your energy so that you can do marketing (= community building) as well as book production tasks. If necessary, push your release date later.

It’s perfectly possible to “relaunch” a book, months or years after its original release. But it’s so much easier to ride the wave of the original publication date.

And, by the way, I generally schedule custom website design projects at least 2-3 months out. So if a new author website is on your list, that’s another reason to plan ahead.

3. Over-estimating how excited everyone else should be!

This mistake is understandable and actually quite sweet. After all, you’ve worked incredibly hard on your book, and it’s a VERY big deal in your life. However, especially in writing and bookish circles, keep in mind that number of 3 million releases … and understand that your excitement outweighs everyone else’s.

Do not, under any circumstances, start your email list by simply adding everyone you know. Not even if you’ve left it late and you’re in a panic, and definitely not just because Substack suggests that you do. It’s not only bad karma, it’s actually illegal in many countries to send mass marketing emails to people who have not specifically opted in.
When someone shows polite interest in your book, especially if they are another writer or a book professional, do not automatically push a free copy in exchange for a review. I have had people ask to pick my brains in return for sending me a paperback. Please don’t do that. Not only are you asking for my valuable time for free, but you’re then expecting me to spend eight to ten hours doing you another favor.
Related: Should your website designer read your book?

Instead:

Take the opportunity to reach out, if not individually, then in thoughtful, clustered groups, to people you know. Introduce your book and invite them, tactfully, to subscribe to your email list. Many will. Many will not. This is okay! Several of my clients have used this method and have been delighted and moved by the renewed connections and conversations with friends and other contacts.

And even if people don’t join your email list, you can still host a book launch party for your extended network. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate, and I know you’ll sell a few books, too.

4. Not investing the time, tools, and effort that book marketing really needs, over a long horizon

At every writing event, I meet authors who are seeking a traditional book deal because they think this means they won’t have to market their book. This is a colossal misconception. It’s incredibly rare these days, especially if you’re an unknown name, for your publisher to give you significant marketing resources.
Many authors work feverishly for a few weeks around the book’s launch … then get exhausted, and more or less give up.
A decent number of authors, including a proportion of my clients, overlook the benefits of growing your author email list so that you can market thoughtfully and consistently over the long term. You might want “buy my book” to be the primary goal of your author website, but “subscribe to receive news” is a strong action that may bring better lifetime value.
Talking of author websites: if you publish a terrible, amateurish, DIY website, put no other effort into marketing, then complain that your site isn’t helping to sell books, then you have missed the point entirely.
Related: Why isn’t your website selling more books?

Instead:

It’s a marathon! As mentioned above, I warmly recommend Reach by Becky Robinson. It’s one of the best explainers I’ve come across on what it really takes to achieve a big audience for your book, message, or cause. She hosts The Book Marketing Action Podcast too, which is another source of excellent, realistic advice.

And because we authors are told so much about the magical power of social media as a modern book marketing strategy, here’s a great quote from author Heather Demetrios, in her piece titled What A Big 5 Publisher Will Tell You About Marketing Your Book:

“Doing social as best you can will allow you to connect with readers, network towards writing gigs and local visibility, and be part of the writing community as a whole. Will it move books? Probably not, unless there are other ways you’re getting attention that ultimately amplifies your backlist.”

5. Asking the wrong questions (in the wrong places) about book marketing

Every time authors are hanging out together, whether in person or online, I see someone ask for advice. Dutifully, other authors chime in. As lovely and supportive as that may be, if these other authors are not your target reader, then you’re getting flawed advice. I notice it particularly with book cover questions, but it also comes up when authors ask about marketing tactics, like “Should I be on TikTok?” with zero accompanying context.
Similarly, asking for marketing advice, or even publishing tactics, without specifying your genre will lead to a poor outcome. Other authors and book industry professionals will answer based on their experience and results, and they’ll be unaware that your situation is different.
- For example, I recently witnessed a question about paperback sales versus other formats. Certain “experts” (who of course I won’t name) insisted that paperbacks are more successful and worthwhile than ebooks. That might be true, in their genres. But when I published my series of romantic comedies, I only noticed meaningful paperback sales in December (for gifts). Moreover, I didn’t sell many ebooks. What drove my revenue was the payment I earned through Amazon when a reader borrowed my book. Not only did my chick lit readers not want a paperback cluttering up their shelf, they didn’t even want to own the ebook.

Instead:

At the risk of stating the obvious, ask your readers! Or, if you do ask other authors, target forums where authors have enough in common with you (genre, number of titles, traditionally published or indie) that they can speak authoritatively about your author business.

6. Trying to sell your book in the wrong places

When I spoke to a group of authors about book marketing at the Chiswick Book Festival, one lady clearly had a chip on her shoulder that she had approached the festival organizers and been turned down. Gently, I tried to explain that trying to promote yourself in bookish places will typically mean you’re a tiny fish in a big pond. (The authors featured at Chiswick are usually household names, at least in the UK.) Unfortunately, if you’re a first time self-publisher, that doesn’t help your credibility.

So, please get over your obsession with being featured in bookstores. (See point #1). Libraries, too, are inundated these days with starry-eyed authors trying to place their own books.
Stop trying to sell your book to other authors, unless they also happen to be a great fit for your target reader. I see this at every author gathering and I can’t resist rolling my eyes at this naivety.
And when you’re at a writing conference, giving out your bookmarks and promotional materials to anyone who stands still is equally gauche.

Instead:

People outside the world of books will be far more excited for your achievement. The author I met in Chiswick had a historical novel set in wartime London: she needed to approach historical societies, veterans groups, walking tour guides, and even old pubs and other surviving venues. If you’ve written a memoir featuring dogs, network at pet supply stores, your local kennel club, animal shelters, and dog shows.

And you can tactfully, respectfully borrow audiences from other people. Many authors overlook the power of asking your network to get you and your book in front of borrowed (bigger) audiences. So instead of trying to push your book on the other writers you meet, ask them if they know anyone who runs a group or club where your ideal readers are gathering regularly.

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Let me be honest and clear: marketing a book is not easy, and nor is it quick. I worked hard promoting my debut novel, I tried many tactics, and I stuck with it. Those 1200+ ratings at Amazon have been growing quietly over a period of thirteen years. While I’m not currently writing fiction, I do believe that longevity and tactful tenacity can be your biggest book marketing allies.

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Do you have a book coming soon? Would you like me to design and build your author website?

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