10 Essential Tips for Crafting a Successful Book Marketing Plan

by Penny Sansevieri | Sep 24, 2024 | Bestseller Essentials

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The idea of creating a book marketing plan can often seem daunting, and I get it. We write and publish our books and want them to be successful.

But success doesn’t happen automatically, though I know there are a lot of authors who believe it does.

A book marketing plan doesn’t have to be complex and it certainly doesn’t have to contain pages and pages of to-dos. It’s merely designed to keep you on track and keep you focused on what you need to do now and what your goals and objectives are for the future.

And regardless of how you’re published, you should absolutely take the time to write out some clear goals and action items.

So let’s start first by breaking this down.

Long-Term Book Marketing Goals

Before we dive into the tips, we need to better understand goals, and specifically long-term goals. Because while these are great, getting from A to Z involves a lot of steps, so whatever your long-term goals all, write them down and then start to break them down into micro goals.

For example, let’s say that you are publishing your first business book and you want to start doing public speaking and get paid a lot of money to get on stage, or even better, you want to keynote a big event.

Awesome! So that’s your long-term goal.

If you haven’t done any public speaking before, you probably aren’t going to get asked to keynote at a major event, so you have to start by pitching yourself to teach a session at an event. This includes local opportunities, like speaking at a Chamber of Commerce event. You get the idea.

A good book marketing plan not only outlines what you want long-term, but also identifies the steps you need to take to get there.

If you’ve written a memoir or a fiction book and you want it to be a movie one day, or a tv series, then you’re going to want to build a foundation for that book by getting reviews, hundreds if not thousands of them, and maybe doing some live events (this is often great for memoir authors).

Add “reaching out to influencers” to your list as well, because that’s another great way to get the word out about your book.

Start with Smart and Strategic Book Marketing Goals

I talked about goals, big, robust goals that you aspire to. Now we’re going to break these down into micro goals, so actionable, easy to obtain goals that you can add to your book marketing plan, as well as some ideas that should be a part of every author’s marketing plan.

Your goals will act as a roadmap for your promotional efforts, giving you direction and focus – they are essentially the GPS to your success. Without them, it’s easy to waste time and resources on activities that don’t get you to where you want to be.

Some common book marketing goals include:

Building brand awareness: Increasing your visibility as an author, especially if you’re launching a debut book or expanding into a new genre.
Growing your reader audience: Attracting more readers to your email list, social media platforms, or book signing events.
Gaining reviews and credibility: Securing more reviews on platforms like Amazon, Goodreads, or from bloggers and influencers.
Positioning yourself as an expert: For non-fiction authors, establishing authority in your field by getting featured in media or through speaking engagements.

Before moving forward with your plan, choose a few specific goals that align with your stage as an author. This focus will shape the marketing strategies you use and determine how you measure success.

Know Your Target Audience

Once your goals are defined, the next step is to understand who your ideal readers are. And, to be candid, you should already know this. This should be something that you knew before even writing your book.

But yes, getting really clear on your audience is key to effective book marketing, as it allows you to create tailored strategies that resonate with the right people.

But suffice it to say that understanding who your reader is, and who you are marketing to, will help you craft messages that appeal to your audience.

Additionally, these insights will guide your decisions on where to focus your marketing efforts—whether it’s Instagram for those who prefer to keep things super light and positive, LinkedIn for professionals, or email newsletters for loyal fans or those who aren’t typically hanging out on social.

Align Your Brand with Your Goals

Your author brand is more than a logo or tagline—it’s the way you are perceived by readers.

Make sure that your brand reflects your marketing goals.

For example, if your goal is to establish yourself as an expert, your website, social media profiles, and content should all position you as a trusted authority in your genre or field.

Some key elements of building a strong author brand:

Consistent messaging: Ensure your tone, imagery, and style align with the audience you want to attract.
Professional presentation: Your website should include a professional bio, media kit, and contact information, especially if you’re looking to build media relationships or book speaking engagements.
Clear positioning: Define what makes you unique as an author. This should be evident in your book covers, online presence, and the types of content you produce.

Social media is a powerful tool for achieving your book marketing goals, but it should be used strategically.

Rather than being everywhere, be everywhere that matters.

What I mean by this is that you should focus on the platforms where your target audience is most active. Even if that means you’re only on one social media platform.

So which social media site, or sites, will you be on and what will you post? That’s where your author platform will help you. You know where you want to go and who you are as an author, and what your promise is to the reader will help to drive your social media machine.

Build and Nurture Your Email List

If growing your audience is a top goal, building an email list should be a priority.

Unlike social media, where algorithms can limit your reach, your email list allows you to communicate directly with readers. Start building your list early, even before your book is published, and use it to nurture relationships over time. Whether you write fiction or non-fiction, you need an email list.

Create a Focused Book Launch Strategy

Part of why I love book marketing plans, is because they start early – well ahead of your book launch and they help to create that roadmap that you need to be success.

Also, a good book marketing plan should start early, which is why this point is so important.

Let’s face it, a book launch can make or break your book’s momentum, so it’s important to have a strategy that aligns with your short and long-term goals.

For example, if your main objective is to gain reviews, focus on getting advance reader copies (ARCs) into the hands of bloggers and reviewers.

If your goal is to build your email list, offer exclusive pre-order bonuses to those who sign up.

Some tips for an impactful launch:

Build anticipation weeks in advance through teasers, cover reveals, and pre-order announcements. If this is your first book this may feel a bit odd. You may wonder who you’re talking to, and I get it – it’s a valid point. But get in the habit of doing this early, get comfortable with this process so you can replicate it for every book launch.
Host virtual or in-person launch events to both get to know your reader, and build excitement. If events aren’t your thing, what about doing a pre-launch giveaway?
Pitch, pitch, pitch. If your goal is to get reviews (and who doesn’t want more reviews?) then you should be pitching your book to influencers, bloggers and reviewers.

Pay Attention to All Things Amazon

For most authors, Amazon is their #1 sales tool.

So you’ll want to make sure to get your Amazon retail page just right.

From optimization your Amazon page to include keywords and categories, to adding A+ content and running Amazon ads, all of this matters.

If you aren’t sure how to run Amazon ads or optimize your book – take the time to learn how or reach out and we can help with this!

Connect with Local Influencers

When I talk to authors about local media and local bookstores, some folks get excited while others find the local angle pretty ho-hum.

And I get it, nothing says “glitz and glamour” more than a spot on The Today Show. But local influencers matter.

Reaching out to your local libraries and local indie bookstore (or stores, if you’re lucky) and getting to know your local media – all of this matters. And local stores and media love their hometown authors, so make this part of your launch plan and add it to your ongoing to-do list for sure.

These stores can offer book signings, in-store promotions, and opportunities to reach new readers. Establishing relationships with bookstore owners can also help your book gain shelf space, especially if you’re an indie author.

Track Progress and Adjust

Keeping a log of your action items, what you did – what worked and what didn’t, is a great way to make sure you’re on the right path.

Part of why I like to track everything I do, and why I encourage authors to do the same, is that if something works really well, you’ll want to replicate it.

And so often we have these long to do lists and do a bunch of stuff and we aren’t really clear on what worked. So keep track. Note when you did eBook promos, for example, or when you started running Amazon ads.

But always keep in mind, rarely does one marketing effort move the needle. It takes multiple efforts supporting each other in productive ways. So don’t get hyper-focused only on social and then wonder why sales aren’t happening. Or don’t discount your book for a long weekend but neglect to get the word out about the discount in advance.

Fail Fast and Early

I get it, it’s a bit of a buzzkill to talk about failure when speaking of a marketing plan, but let’s face it – failure happens.

They key is, don’t wait too long to assess if something isn’t right.

Maybe your book description needs work, or your elevator pitch isn’t as intriguing as it could be. Maybe your book cover isn’t as spot on as it should be for your reader audience, or maybe you’re just in the wrong genre.

Failing fast means that you assess quickly what isn’t working, fix it, and move on. And believe me when I say that I’ve made mistakes and looked at things and thought “What was I thinking?” We’ve all been there. But don’t stay there. Realize that whatever you did isn’t working and level up, or fix it.

When you talk to any successful author they will tell you that one of their secrets to success is always knowing when something isn’t working.

A thoughtful, strategic book marketing plan starts with your goals – and from there, you can build in elements that will help you get to your longer-term objectives.

Book marketing plans don’t have to be hugely complicated, but they should contain enough elements that you never start a new week wondering what you’ll do to promote your book.

By leveraging the right tools, and regularly assessing your progress, you’ll create a marketing plan that drives long-term success.