Affordable Book Marketing Services: 5 Do’s and Don’ts if You’re Trying to Save Money

by Penny Sansevieri | Dec 17, 2024 | Book Marketing Basics

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There’s no shortage of affordable, even dirt-cheap, book marketing services out there.

For an indie author working with a tight budget, the temptation to sign up for a $50 ad blast or a “guaranteed bestseller” promo can be strong. But here’s a PSA: throwing cash at one-off services without a real plan is rarely a ticket to long-term success.

If you’re serious about building an audience for your book, these hit-and-run marketing tactics often end up costing more in the long run. In this post, I’ve created an actionable guide to making smart, budget-minded choices to ensure that every dollar counts.

1. Be Careful of “Guaranteed Bestseller” Promises

Why This Is a Don’t

There are plenty of marketing services promising that your book will be a “bestseller” if you just invest in their packages. They’ll often leverage Kindle categories with minimal competition to get your book a brief “#1” label, but these quick wins rarely lead to sustained sales or genuine reader interest. I freely admit that the bestseller flag is nice (I’ve gotten several and I always get giddy with excitement when it happens) – but be mindful of the lure of these kinds of promises. Because a bestseller flag for a one-off narrow genre that isn’t really your niche, won’t help you at all.

Do Look for Realistic, Data-Driven Services

A reputable book marketer can provide insights into where your audience is, what’s working in your genre, and how you can make the most of your specific niche. Real value isn’t in quick wins; it’s in learning how to keep your book in front of your readers over time.

2. Don’t Opt for Inexpensive, One-Off Services Focused on Isolated Efforts

Why This Is a Don’t

One-off services are everywhere, but sending out a single, solitary press release or doing a one-time social media promo without ongoing efforts won’t move the needle. One-off services are isolated efforts that don’t account for the rest of your marketing goals or your existing platform. Without continuity, you’re missing out on building a cohesive brand or reaching readers repeatedly—both of which are essential for book marketing success.

Do Invest in Consistent, Long-Term Strategies

Look for marketing strategies that involve ongoing engagement with readers. And if hiring someone for the long-term isn’t something you can afford, consider instead doing smaller, regular actions like building an email list or connecting with a community of bloggers and reviewers over time. Small, consistent efforts often have a bigger impact than large, one-time initiatives. Think marathon, not sprint.

3. Don’t Overlook Education—You Should Be Learning, Not Just Paying

Why This Is a Don’t

My company has always prided itself on teaching and encouraging authors to learn. Because there’s power in knowledge.

When you hire someone to run a promo or manage an ad without understanding what’s happening, you’re not growing your marketing knowledge. An educated author makes better choices and as an author, you should be learning the “how” and “why” behind the results you see so that you can make more informed choices in the future.

Do Choose Services That Encourage Author Involvement

Invest in marketing services that offer to walk you through the process or, even better, offer insight and guidance about things you might be able to do on your own. Many book publicity firms (mine included) won’t share the secret sauce to their magic, but they will offer you insights into things that you can easily learn and add to your to do list. Also, many legitimate marketers will give you a breakdown of what’s working and why, which equips you to make better decisions for your next campaign.

4. Don’t Settle for Services That Don’t Align with Your Author Goals

Why This Is a Don’t

Cheap book marketing services can be generic, sometimes relying on templates or strategies that are too broad to benefit your unique book and goals. You need services that understand and align with your goals, your book genre, author brand, and audience preferences—otherwise, your investment won’t lead to long-term success.

Do Work with Professionals Who Understand Your Genre and Market

Find book marketing services and book publicity services who are familiar with your genre and who know and understand the preferences and demands of your ideal readers. They should also respect your vision and goals as an author. If you write cozy mysteries, you need a service that gets that genre, not one that’s blanket-promoting all genres the same way. A little research goes a long way here; look for reviews or portfolios that show they’ve worked with authors like you.

5. Don’t Ignore the Warning Signs of Scams and Low-Quality Services

Why This Is a Don’t

The sad reality is that some (not all!) cheap book marketing services are scams or simply subpar. They might promise things that sound too good to be true (because they are), like “100 Amazon reviews” or “instant media coverage” or “We’ll help you sell X number of books!” These services often use tactics that violate Amazon’s or media outlets’ terms of service, which can hurt your book and your author brand.

Do Look for Transparency and Reasonable Expectations

Good services are transparent about their methods, their process, and what you can reasonably expect from them. They won’t guarantee instant results, sales, or reviews—they’ll talk to you about building traction, growing your visibility, and engaging readers over time. A legitimate book marketing company values your success above all else. Also, many of the subpar companies are pop-up shops, so they show up for a short period of time and then vanish (with your money).

Book marketing isn’t about shortcuts.

Even when money is tight, goals should be at the forefront of your decisions. When you choose services that align with your vision, your goals, and your author brand, and helps you grow your knowledge, and offers transparency, you’re investing in your long-term success.

Every dollar you spend should bring you closer to your readers—and that’s what truly makes a marketing effort worth it.