How To Promote a Book and Reach Your Readers
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
Most writers don’t think about how to promote a book as they’re writing it, they’re rightfully focused on the task at hand. Those same writers, though, end up surprised when their book comes out because they weren’t expecting to step into such a heavy marketing role. For published authors, how to promote a book can be an intimidating task. But don’t worry, with proper planning and book marketing strategies, you can learn how to promote a book and reach your readers. Let’s take a look at some simple steps for how to promote a book.
How to Promote a Book: Create an Online Presence
The first step in learning how to promote a book is creating an online presence. This includes having a website or blog where potential readers can learn about you and your work. It should also include setting up social media for writers accounts on platforms like Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and TikTok. Regularly update these accounts with news about your book, such as excerpts, reviews, or promotions. This will help people discover your work and build excitement around it. But the cardinal rule of how to promote a book is to offer solid content and interesting insights, rather than simply blasting out about your book and asking people to buy it. You won’t get very far with that one-way strategy, and people will not engage with your social media channels.
How to Promote a Book: Develop a Marketing Plan
Once you have an established online presence, the next step in how to promote a book is to develop a marketing plan that outlines how you will promote your book. Think of creative ways to reach more people—for example, teaming up with other writers in the same genre or hosting virtual events where readers can interact with you directly. Newsletter swaps can become a very effective strategy when you have enough followers to make it worthwhile for another writer.
Consider marketing to libraries or partnering with local bookstores or to host readings or giveaways of signed copies of your books. These are great ways to engage with current fans as well as attract new ones. It does take a lot of hustle, but nobody said that how to promote a book was easy.
How to Promote a Book: Engage With Readers
Finally, remember that engaging with readers is key for learning how to promote a book. You want them to feel like their feedback is valued and appreciated. Sure, not everyone will love your work, but those who do could follow you for the rest of your career. Make sure to respond quickly when readers comment on social media posts or send emails directly related to the book—this shows that you are actively listening and engaging in conversation about the themes and topics in the novel or nonfiction project that matter most to them. It also helps create relationships between authors and their readers which will make them more likely to continue reading future works.
Learning how to promote a book takes hard work but it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Ideally, you will start making a plan before your book is published, but don’t worry if you’ve missed that timeframe. It’s never too late to start book marketing. By creating an online presence through social media outlets, devising a marketing plan, and engaging with readers regularly, you can successfully promote your book and reach more potential fans than ever before.
For those eagle-eyed readers who are wondering just what kind of editor or publishing professional would have an article with the clunky phrasing of “how to promote a book” over and over on their website, I applaud you for noticing that this reads awkwardly. Please note that I picked this keyword phrase on purpose, as part of my SEO (search engine optimization) strategy. If you’re curious about writer marketing techniques, check out Good Story Marketing.
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