Reading Time: 3 minutes

You may be a savvy blogger, or maybe you’re still digging in your heels about starting your blog, but no matter where you fall on that spectrum I have to tell you that blogging is a critical piece to your author marketing.

If you want to sell more books, I urge you to get on the blog train.

Why?

Because blogging is a great way to connect with current fans, and it’s also a great way to put a piece of yourself out there to draw in new fans and buyers.

Reading is very personal.

Genre preferences and the types of books we seek out to fulfill needs or answer questions in our lives say a lot about us as individuals. The days of the elusive, mysterious author are over. When 4,500 books are being published every day, personalization becomes a cornerstone of your author marketing if your goal is to sell more books.

But I realize it’s easier said than done!

Blogging more is great in theory, but like every other author marketing strategy a little inspiration can go a long way. Especially if you’re new to this whole thing.

So here are some fun, unique ideas for posts to get your creative juices flowing:

Recommend some other books in your genre

Fans of your genre are fans for a reason. And there’s something really special about an author that’s willing to share the love and show that it’s about the readers!

Remember that clever author marketing means you’re not always blatantly trying to sell more books.  Anything you can do that draws attention to you and your brand while also putting your readers first is a slam-dunk.

Do a “what I’m reading now” post or “my bookstore wish list” post. Plus that also leaves the door open for you to do another in the coming months.

Use humor and shared connections

Are there are some clichés or stereotypes associated with your genre or topic?

Put it all out there and have some fun with it. Address the clichés and stereotypes. Throw in a few funny memes and you have something your fans can relate to.

Discuss plans for the future and sneak peeks

Almost all readers can appreciate a prolific author. Some get downright nervous about investing time and energy into a single title if the author doesn’t have any other books published yet.

So share your plans for future titles, and let them know what you’re working on. If you need some motivation, remember that there’s no better way to sell more books than to write and release more books.

Sharing sneak peeks like cover mock ups are also smart author marketing tactics that you can play up not just on your blog but across social media as well!

Be a book-centric thought leader

Readers that follow and read author blogs are usually super readers, and quite bookish. So they’ll definitely appreciate anything book-centric you have to share.

Effective author marketing also establishes you as a thought leader, even if it’s for pure enjoyment and entertainment. If they trust you to be a good resource, they’ll keep coming back for more.

Think book-related gift ideas, fabulous vacation destinations for literature lovers, even recipes inspired by famous storylines or characters. Get creative!

Inspirational and insider info

As I said previously, author marketing is going to get more personal as the competition gets fiercer.

And what’s more personal than your experience as an author?

Let your readers in on what inspires you to write, your inspiration for specific characters, your inspiration for writing that how-to book.

This is also a great opportunity to remind them that THEY inspire you. So let them get involved in something fun like naming a character in an upcoming book, or choosing the name of the small town the story takes place in.

If you want to sell more books you have to keep readers engaged, it’s not enough for your books to be better than the competition anymore. Now you have to be better than the competition too. And if you really could use some assistance learning where you can improve, reach out to us!