1) Define Your Ideal Reader (Target Market)
Before you spend a single minute on promotion, decide exactly who you’re trying to reach. Your target reader informs everything: your content, social media focus, ad keywords—even your cover and price point.- Who really loves books like mine?
- What other authors and topics do they follow?
- Where do they spend time online?
- What problems does my book solve for the reader? (for nonfiction)
- What emotions/questions does my book satisfy? (fiction or nonfiction)
2. Build a Strong Author Platform & Online Presence
In 2025, 64% of Gen Z and 59% of Millennials discover products — including books — through social media. That means your digital footprint matters more than ever.
Your website should serve as your marketing hub — not just a business card or a place for readers to land.
You’ll want to include:
-
An engaging homepage (with your book front and center)
-
A bio that shows personality and authority
-
Clear links to buy your book
-
A newsletter signup form
Don’t overlook SEO (search engine optimization) basics like keywords, ALT tags, and mobile responsiveness to help you show up higher in Google when a potential reader searches for you— more than half of readers browse primarily on phones. Sure, you want to come up under your name, but (and especially if you’ve written nonfiction) don’t you also want to come up under the problems you solve for your reader?
When it comes to social media, less is more. Focus on 1 or 2 platforms where your readers actually hang out. Romance authors thrive on Instagram or TikTok (if you’re a video person); nonfiction writers may find more traction on LinkedIn.
Listen next: How to Strengthen Your Author Platform Without Burning Out
3. Use Email Marketing to Build a Loyal Reader Funnel
Social media is noisy and there’s no guarantee that what you post will get seen. But email is intimate — and (if done well) it converts.
Even despite all the flashy ads and SMS offers we get daily (sometimes hundreds) email still remains one of the highest-ROI marketing tools. In 2025, authors using newsletters regularly reported 3x higher reader engagement and 40% more repeat sales than those relying only on social platforms (Written Word Media, 2025).
When I encourage authors to start a newsletter, I often get pushback along the lines of “I don’t know what to post” or “My list is not big enough” so let’s start simple:
-
Make sure your newsletter sign up is easy to spot, and offer a freebie (like a bonus chapter or reader guide), a quiz, or a tip sheet to encourage signups.
-
Send your newsletter out consistently. Figure out a timing that works for you and don’t set yourself up for failure by being overly aggresive about this. Sending a newsletter once a month is more than enough to get you started!
-
Also, they don’t have to be long. Just an update on what you’re working on – even in between book launches.
Related podcast episode: Why Every Author Needs an Email List — and How to Grow Yours Fast
4. Get More Book Reviews (Your Most Powerful Social Proof)
Reviews are your online reputation — they influence buying decisions more than anything else. In fact, 79% of book buyers say reviews are a key factor in their purchase (BookBub Insights, 2025). And I know that authors often struggle to get reviews, so let’s dig into some way that you can make this process easier:
-
Add a short “Thank You” letter at the end of your book inviting readers to leave a review. I did this for an author we worked with and (after a BookBub Featured Deal) she want from 20 to almost 200 reviews within days!
-
Ask your newsletter subscribers for reviews. Seriously.
-
Pitch genre-specific book bloggers, Influencers, Bookstagrammers.
Listen next: How Amazon’s Changing Review Process Impacts Authors
5. Engage Book Clubs & Reader Communities
Whether you’ve written fiction or nonfiction, book clubs often find their way onto an author’s bucket list. Why? Because we know they’re a powerhouse way to reach new readers. Book clubs are the hidden powerhouse of word-of-mouth marketing. They don’t just read your book — they talk about it.
In 2025, online book communities have exploded — Facebook, Reddit, and even Discord host thousands of active reading groups. And yes, I love in-person book clubs, but what about Meetup groups? Yes some meet in person, but a lot meet online. Expand your thinking beyond the traditional book clubs!
Now let’s dig into some ways to make book clubs happen for you:
-
Offer a Book Club Discussion Guide on your website. This is huge. Why? Because it’s pivotal to any book club. You can certainly add them to your book – but putting these on your website is fine, too. Just make sure you have them!
-
Hosting virtual or in-person Q&A sessions. I mentioned this earlier that not all book clubs are going to meet in traditional ways, so be prepared for any variation of virtual or in-person.
-
Review what they’ve read previously before you pitch them. Make sure there’s an alignment otherwise you’re just wasting everyone’s time.
Related episode: How to Find and Pitch Book Clubs That Say Yes
6. Partner with Influencers and Content Creators
We often hear the term “influencer” and I know a lot of folks think of celebrities touting a new product, but book influencers are a very different market. These are dedicated book lovers with very active followings. Your “influencer” doesn’t have to be a celebrity. A BookToker with 15,000 engaged followers can sell more books than a mega-account with a million passive ones. But don’t get hung up on the numbers, because as a book publicist pitching influencers I’d rather have an influencer with a smaller following than someone with 100,000 followers that aren’t engaged with the content.
To get started:
-
Identify influencers who genuinely align with your genre. Ideally you’ll want to start this early, too – ahead of your book launch whenever possible.
-
Engage with their content before you pitch — comment, share, and show up authentically. This can be done while your book is in production!
-
Offer free copies, fun swag, or behind-the-scenes content they can share.
Listen next: The Truth About Influencer Marketing for Authors
7. Run Amazon Ads (the Smart Way)
Amazon ads remain one of the most direct, high-impact tools for book sales. Unlike social platforms, Amazon users are already there to buy — which means your ad reaches readers ready to spend. But the key to successful ads is aligning them with the right market. So back to point number one above, make sure your book is aligned with the right reader market – so your ads will be, too!
Start small:
-
Choose one ad set to start with. I like doing Sponsored Product Ads with relevant keywords or categories. And you can also do automatic ads and let Amazon figure this out for you, but they can get costsly pretty quickly so be sure to put a budget cap on the ads.
-
Set a modest daily budget and monitor performance weekly.
-
Make sure to polish your retail page copy and cover to maximize conversions before running ads.
Related podcast episode: How to Know if Your Amazon Ads Are Actually Working
8. Show Up: Events, Appearances & Local Promotion
While a lot of us moved to online events, but nothing replaces the power of face-to-face connection. Meeting people in person, shaking hands, getting to know your readers. It’s such a great element to add to your promotional toolbox! In fact, in 2025, local markets, indie bookstores, and libraries are resurging as community hubs. Authors who combine online strategies with local outreach see stronger reader loyalty and recurring sales. And it’s also a fabulous way to connect to your local community!
Here are some ideas to get you going!
-
Host signings at bookstores, craft shows, boutiques, or festivals. Get creative with this. I’ve done book events in Hallmark, Starbucks, electronics stores, wineries – the list is really endless!
-
Offer talks at libraries or book clubs.
-
Attend other authors’ events — networking leads to opportunities – but also, it’s important to support other, local authors!
Listen next: How Local Marketing Can Skyrocket Your National Book Sales
Bonus Strategy: Build a Reader-First Community
Goodreads once reported that the #1 thing readers want after finishing a book is to connect with the author. That’s where the letter in the back of your book comes in, thanking readers for spending time with your book – but it’s also an invitation to grow the relationship!
As you grow your newsletter list and your readers, be sure to:
-
Reply to reader comments. Whether on social media or responses to your newsletter – always, always respond to reader comments.
-
Host a live Q&A or casual behind-the-scenes chat.
- Offer giveaways or book-related surprises to thank loyal readers.
Related episode: Turning Readers Into Superfans — The Real Secret to Long-Term Sales
Growing Book Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore
- #BookTok continues to dominate — now topping 370 billion views with over 52 million book-related videos (Forbes, 2025).
- Email lists outperform social media — authors see 3x more engagement.
- Micro-communities are booming — authors are using Discord and Patreon to build small but powerful reader bases.
- Authenticity beats volume — niche, personality-driven content converts better than generic ads.
Final Thoughts: Start Small, Stay Consistent
Flashy marketing ideas come and go — but the fundamentals are the core to author success. And it’s really very simple, when you strip away all the flash, what it really comes down to is:
- Define your readers.
- Show up where they are.
- Nurture genuine connections.
- Repeat.
Tune in weekly to the Book Marketing Tips & Author Success Podcast — where we share real-world insights, success stories, and smart ways to sell more books without losing your sanity.
The recommendations/steps provided by Penny Sansevieri are superb. My favorite is the letter at the end of the book asking readers for their review, which is a great idea. Some ideas/steps, like reaching out to reading groups and contacting an influencer, are ideas I have heard before, but finding said groups or people is like finding a needle in the haystack. I wish there were articles dedicated to how one might find these groups and how to avoid getting scammed. Influencers, in particular, seem to have a disproportionate number of scammers. Overall, it is an excellent article with good information.
I appreciate this Dak! And I agree, finding influencers that are legit can take some trial and error. I recommend reaching out to those who have a strong website presence, and don’t solely rely on social media. Yes, social media is a big piece of this, but in our experience the ones with staying power aren’t only on social. The thoughtfulness of the reviews is also important. Do they sound vague or general, or is the influencer really digging into likes and dislikes? And how often are they posting? Posting too frequently means even if you do get coverage, you’ll quickly be replaced by the next book. Now don’t get me wrong, sometimes it makes sense to just get everywhere you can, especially when you’re starting out – but you’re right to assume not all coverage is created equal.