Step-by-Step: How to Successfully Market a Self-Published Book

by Penny Sansevieri | Aug 6, 2024 | Being in Business as an Author

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Let’s face it, marketing a self-published book is confusing. There are a lot of options and the majority of them are confusing. There is no straight line to promoting a book. And while a lot of authors believe that marketing a self-published book is different from marketing a traditionally published book, that is no longer the case.

The reality is: your marketing options and start and stop with your reader. If you’re doing marketing that doesn’t get your book in front of your reader, then you’re spending your time (and money) doing all the wrong things.

Most authors know that in order to be competitive, there needs to be a market match, meaning that your book should look like it belongs and should look as professional as books produced by big publishing houses. This kind of due diligence makes it more likely that your book will get reviewed, or that you’ll get that media interview you’ve been hoping for.

But once a book is produced, authors often scramble to figure out what’s next. Some authors simply doing nothing, or very little. The second is trying to do “all the things” and ending up so distracted you miss out on nailing the basics.

Let’s explore various strategies and techniques that can help you with marketing your self-published book and increase its visibility – from the ground up.

Who is your reader and how to you reach them?

Define your target audience and create a plan.

You should know who your audience is before you put pen to paper, but oddly enough a lot of authors don’t. Often the idea comes first, an idea they can’t wait to put down on paper.

When it’s finished, they’re left to try and find the right audience for their book. This happens a lot. I mean, it’s not ideal but if this is you, you’re not alone.

Now though, you have to really buckle down and find the exact right readers for your book. And if your answer is, “Well my book is a bit of a blend of these two genres.” Then I’m sending you back to the drawing board because while some books bleed into other areas – like Harry Potter which started as a young adult book and wound up in the hands of many adults, every book – or rather every successful book, needs to start by owning one genre.

Pick a lane and own that lane.

So who are the readers that would be most interested in your book? If you aren’t sure, answer these few questions to dig into this a bit more.

Who are the other authors that they read?
What format do they read in? (this one in particular is super important and often forgotten)
Where do they find/discover books?

The last point, in particular, is really key to this because it’ll direct you on where and how to market your book. This also helps to create a roadmap for your book marketing efforts. In the resource section below, there’s a download of our Reader Profile to help you unpack this a bit more.

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience, you can create a plan focused on only those things designed to reach and engage them. This plan should include strategies for online and offline promotion. Things like reviews, media, podcasts, a social media push, book signing, and collaborations with influencers or book clubs are a few things you may want to consider including.

Ideally, this exercise will take up the majority of your time, but by the time you finish, you’ll have a roadmap and a plan for activities for the first 6 months and beyond.

Understanding why your author brand and platform are important.

The term “author brand” and “author platform” are often confusing to authors. And I get it, both of these statements seem daunting and non-specific. But let me clarify the two.

Your platform is not who you know, it’s who knows you. It’s your reach. Maybe your platform is your newsletter, or your speaking or your business. If you’re a fiction author your platform may be your social media and your newsletter. And regardless of your genre, your website factors into this, too.

So, despite the often nebulous nature of the topic, it’s really that simple – but it does take time. An author platform doesn’t happen overnight and if you’re just starting out, I realize this all doesn’t sound simple: it sounds like work. Each day you chip away at it, growing it, and expanding your reach. So don’t expect this to be a quick one-and-done thing.

To start, create a professional author website where readers can learn more about you and your work. What you put out online (or what you don’t) is similar to the impression shoppers would get if you had a brick-and-mortar retail store. Too little, they’ll be bored and won’t come up. Too much, they’ll be overwhelmed and still won’t come back.

Your author brand factors into this in a couple of ways. First off, your brand is talking about you whether you want it to or not. Your author brand is your statement to your readers. It’s your promise to the reader. But an author brand is also a “look” – so things like your website color, the font you use on your book covers, all of it is your brand and all of it matters.

And brands change – ours certainly did. Sometimes we grow out of our brand and we do a revamp, and that’s ok. But as you’re trying to get discovered in cluttered book world, you have to start with something that appeals to your readers. If you have more than one book out, take a look at the covers – even if you don’t write books in a series, the books should “feel” like they’re part of your brand.

And one final note on your website. Keep in mind that it doesn’t have to be complicated. If you’re just staring out, five pages should be plenty. You’ll want to showcase your work, your author bio, and maybe have a blog to keep in touch with your readers.

And don’t forget your author newsletter. You may not have one yet, or maybe you have had one for a while but don’t know what to write – but a newsletter is a fantastic way to stay in touch with your readers. it’s a great way to communicate new releases, events your’e doing, reviews you’ve gotten, or any authors news you want to share!

Be strategic with social media.

It’s hard to decide where to invest your time in social media, because if you’re like most authors – you feel like being everywhere will help you sell more books. But that couldn’t be further from the truth.

You’re far better off deciding on one social media site and focusing all of your time and energy there. When it comes to social media you don’t have to be everywhere, just be everywhere that matters.

If you’re tired of dumping a lot of time in social media, spending time creating images and videos only to see them barely get noticed, you’re not alone.

Here’s a quick tip: If you’re following other/similar authors in your genre, you know where they are in social media.

Sure, some of the bigger names will be on all social media sites, but keep in mind that these authors may have teams to help them populate these accounts.

But as you start investigating this you’ll see a trend: where are they getting the most likes, comments and shares. Which social media site seems to give them the most return? That’s very likely where you’ll want to spend your time.

Focus on getting book reviews to build credibility.

People like what other people like, so getting reviews from influencers, bloggers, and Amazon reviewers can greatly influence potential readers and increase their trust in your book.

During the book production phase, it’s a great time to start researching bloggers, book reviewers, and influencers that might be interested in your book.

Build a list and once the book is out, send them a well-written pitch and offer a free copy of your book. If you have a reader list, or you’re targeting readers in general (maybe on social media) make sure they know that you’re offering them a free copy of your book in exchange for an honest review.

Encourage your readers to leave reviews on popular platforms like Amazon and Goodreads. These reviews will not only help build credibility but also improve your book’s visibility in search results.

Additionally, you could seek endorsements from well-known authors or industry experts in your genre.

Their endorsement can lend credibility and attract more readers to your book. Display these reviews and endorsements prominently on your book’s website, social media profiles, and promotional materials.

By leveraging book reviews and endorsements, you can establish yourself as a reputable author and attract a larger audience for your self-published book.

Plan, implement, track, repeat.

A plan doesn’t have to be complex. Even if you just have five things on there, is a great way to create your book marketing roadmap. But the key here is to track your activities.

Why?

Because if something works really well, you’ll want to be sure and repeat it. By keeping track of what you’re doing, you’ll be able to see a trend – maybe some things aren’t working as you had expected. These items may not make it into your ongoing promotional efforts.

Calendar your activities. For example you may block out a week in September to do an eBook promo in time for “back to school” if the topic of your book relates to this. But also, calendaring will really help you plan, too and it’ll help you to not just plan for the week – but plan ahead.

For example, let’s say you want to do a big eBook promotion around Black Friday.

If you’re looking for ad space for an eBook discount, those spots fill up quickly. By creating a planning calendar, to compliment your ongoing list, you’ll not only be able to see a few weeks out, but a few months, too.

By implementing effective book launch strategies and promotional campaigns, you can maximize the exposure of your self-published book and attract a larger audience!