If you’ve toiled for months or even years to write a complete book, give yourself a heartfelt congratulations! This is a threshold to which many aspire but few ever achieve. Think the hard part’s over? Not so fast, writer—it’s time to prepare for your book release with a stellar marketing strategy.
Most authors will shudder hard enough to move mountains at terms like “social media marketing” or, heaven forbid, “sales numbers.” But these are essential ideas that you’ll have to get used to if you want your book to have mileage.
You can think of developing a market strategy as working to get your book into the hands of the right readers. We’ll break it down into manageable steps so you can release your book to real results.
Why every author should create a book marketing strategy
A wide proportion of authors are introverts who would rather be fridged in an action film than smile for the camera on social media. But here’s the thing: the publishing world is very saturated and very competitive.
Today’s readers are faced with a case of “choice paralysis.” This means that there’s so many options that it becomes hard to choose anything at all. Previously niche genres are now bursting with authors hoping to become the next cult classic. A solid marketing plan will ensure you stand out.
Not only that, but today’s publishers are investing less and less in promoting mid-range authors (this means early-career authors who aren’t hitting the tops of the charts). This means authors are expected to do more of the leg work on their own. Developing an organized marketing plan will make this less overwhelming.
Do I need a book marketing plan if I’m a traditionally published author?
You might be thinking, but why should I do the marketing for my own book? Isn’t that supposed to be their job? I already WROTE the thing! And yes, in a perfect world, we would do our part as writers and then let the experts take over. But that’s rarely the case.
Book marketing isn’t just for self-published authors (although if you are a self-published author, you’ll definitely want a concrete marketing strategy). Did you know that some publishers are now requesting marketing plans with submissions, along with the query letter? All other elements being equal, a publisher’s more likely to take on an author who knows how to generate book sales.
Part of this comes from how rapid our culture has become. Consumers—in this case, readers—are always after “the new thing.” This means that publishers are struggling to meet demand and are publishing dozens, sometimes hundreds, of books in a year. That’s dozens or even hundreds of authors who need attention. There’s only so much bandwidth to go around.
When is the best time to develop a book marketing strategy?
It’s never too early to start thinking about your target audience. But the best time to start writing down strategies to reach that audience is once you’ve finished your first draft and are embarking on revision.
Why? Because right now you’ve done the writing part and have rediscovered that excitement you had when you began. And as you begin editing, you’re shifting your messy creative brain over to a more intellectual, analytical brain. This is the perfect mindset to be in when you start developing your marketing plans.
At this point, you’ll likely also be thinking about submissions. If you’re pursuing traditional publication, you may need to include a marketing plan with your submission materials. If you’re planning to self publish, this is a good time to work out how you’re going to get this book into the world on your own.
Already finished revising? Not to worry—there’s no time like the present.
Start with a book marketing timeline, beginning with your estimated release date and working backwards from there. A dedicated calendar, online or at your desk, could be useful in keeping each of these steps organised. We’ll help you out with our marketing plan template down below.
How to create a book marketing plan, step by step
Ready to dive into the marketing deep end? Here’s how to get started—especially if you’re an author looking to pitch your work, check out this comprehensive guide on how to write a query letter.
Step 1: Establish your book marketing budget
There’s no way around it; getting your name and your book out there costs money. But it doesn’t have to cost the moon.
Some of your expenses will be one-off costs, and others will be ongoing costs. These might include:
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Registering a domain for your author website
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Fees for website design
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Social media ads
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Email marketing services
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Design programs like Canva or InDesign
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Video editing tools for your live streams or book trailer
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Event expenses, such as food and drink
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Printing fees
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Travel
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Vendor fees for book fairs or markets
And lots more.
You’ll probably spend more close to your book’s launch than you will later on. So your budget might be something like $200 per month for the first six months, and then $50 per month after that. By the time your launch has wrapped up, you’ll just be paying ongoing expenses like maintaining your author website.
Start thinking small, and then you can gradually build up from there.
Step 2: Set up your author website
A personal website is probably the most essential tool you have as an author. You can pay a professional to build one for you or, if you’re tech savvy, try to make one yourself.
The first thing to do is register a domain, which is the web address that houses your website. Every time you type in a website, the address is the domain. The best domain is simply your full author name however it appears on your books. If that domain is taken, you can add a word like “author,” “writes,” “books,” or the books’ genre after your name.
You’ve probably seen regional suffixes like .ca, .au, .co.uk. Really, .com is the gold standard for websites, so try to use this one if you can. It will be the first thing people type in when they look for your website, and so you and your books will be easier to find.
Once you’ve registered your domain, you can start putting together the website. This will look different for every individual, and at every stage in your career. If you’re just starting out, an author website at a minimum should have:
An “About” page
This is where your author bio goes. It can be in first person or third person. Talk about what you’ve published, what you like to write about, why you write, and who you are when you’re not writing. If you need some inspiration, check out the author bios on the back page of your favorite books!
A “News” page
This is where you’ll post blog posts, updates, events, explorations of the writing life, and so forth. It can be as professional or casual as you like. This is where readers will go to see what else you’re working on or if you have any signings coming up.
A “Books” page
Even if you’ve just written one book, it should still have a dedicated page where readers can find out more about it. As you grow as a writer, this section will get bigger and have a list of all your titles on it with their own book page.
Be sure to include links to retail sites like Amazon, Bookshop.org, Waterstones, Barnes and Noble, and the like with each book so that readers can easily hit “Buy Now.”
A “Contact” page
Finally, make sure you have a place on your website where people can reach you. It might have a little form that they can fill out, or you might include a dedicated author email address (it’s good to have one of these anyway).
This is so that if someone wants to invite you to their literary festival, ask you to teach a workshop, or just tell you that they loved your book, they’ll have a way to get in touch.
Once you have these elements, you may choose to gradually introduce other pages on your website such as:
A sales page
If you’re a self published author, you’ll definitely want to be able to sell books through your website. This is a page where readers can buy books from you directly instead of going through a third party’s online store, like Amazon.
A newsletter signup page
Email marketing plays a huge role in getting readers invested in your work. As you get further in your author career, consider starting an email newsletter with regular updates for your fans. Make sure it’s easy for them to find where on your website they can sign up.
A dedicated events page
As you start doing more events, you might want to create a page on your website that lists where and when you’ll be appearing. You can talk about them in more detail in a blog post in the News area, but here readers can quickly see at a glance if you’ll be coming to a bookshop or event nearby.
An additional services page
If you offer services related to writing such as editing, manuscript assessment, book coaching, or school workshops, you can include a page dedicated to explaining what you offer and how people can book those services. Make sure to include a link to your contact page so they can get in touch.
A media page
Another fun page is one where you store all the mentions you’ve gotten in various media outlets. This might be local newspapers, “Best” of reading lists, podcasts, and so forth. It’s a humblebrag way to say “People are paying attention to these books.”
Make sure that the overall look of your website fits with your author brand. We’ll look at that next.
Remember, your author website will constantly evolve along with you and your career. It’s the ultimate calling card with everything a reader needs to take the next step.
Step 3: Build your author brand
As you start building your career, try to think of yourself as a business. And like any successful business, you should have a distinctive brand.
Spend some time thinking about your target audience, what kind of stories you want to write, and what kind of writer you want to be. If you’re a visual thinker, try putting together a mood board of images and quotes that feel like “you.” What colors, aesthetics, scenes, or motifs are you drawn to? Start looking at what these all have in common.
If you’re less of a visual person but love working with text, try making a word cloud or a big list of keywords and ideas that come to mind when you think of your overall writer brand.
Your author aesthetic should be something that appeals to your target readership. There’s a really good chance it will do this anyway, since… you’re the target readership! Here are a few ideas for things you can incorporate into your author brand, but definitely adjust to suit your personal style.
If you write romance novels
Romance writers are big into aesthetics. Think soft, dreamy colors, love letters, sunsets and sunrises, roses and candlelight, and sensual language. These author brands feel like wearing a favorite cashmere sweater and snuggling up with a loved one.
If you write fantasy novels
Fantasy covers a wide spectrum, but in general you’ll see that fantasy author brands embrace rich jewel-tone colors, fantasy-inspired fonts, and beautifully illustrated graphics. Be sure to incorporate symbols that appear in your books.
If you write historical fiction novels
Readers who devour historical fiction want to be transported to the past, so these writers often incorporate old parchment-type colors and old fashioned fonts. You can also include graphics inspired by architectural motifs, such as art deco lines or art nouveau florals.
If you write dark academia novels
The dark academia aesthetic practically writes itself. Old books, moody blues and greys, wingback armchairs, gilded frames, that gentle touch of death clinging to the edges of just about everything.
If you write cozy mysteries
Cozy mysteries have a lot in common with dark academia, but they’re much softer and brighter. Snuggly armchairs, blankets, spiced tea, lots of sunlight, the occasional bloodstain. Cats. This author brand should feel like burrowing in for a perfect night of cozy reading.
If you write literary fiction
Literary fiction can of course mean just about anything, but you’ll usually see literary fiction authors using lots of stark, clean lines without too many jarring colors. Pick two or three of your favorites and use them sparingly. Take inspiration from the settings of your books.
If you write dark thrillers
Unlike cozy mysteries, these novels feature more violence and complex psychological turmoil. You’ll see a lot of mystery and thriller writers choosing one distinctive bright color and setting that against darker backgrounds and images. Sharp lines and angles will create a sense of heightened tension.
Don’t feel like you have to follow any of these genre conventions precisely. Your author brand should feel like you! Specifically, the version of you that you want to project to your readers. But these styles are what readers often look for when searching for the kind of books they enjoy.
Now that you’ve developed your author identity, it’s time to start showing it to the world. And that means—you knew this was coming, didn’t you?—becoming active on social media.
I know, I know. But until some new trend comes to replace it, social media is the best way for people to find out about you.
Don’t feel like you have to excel at all the platforms. It’s best to pick just one that you feel comfortable with and begin building an audience there. If you’re not sure, try out one at a time for a couple of weeks and choose your favorite.
At the time of writing, some of the most popular platforms for social media marketing for authors are:
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Instagram
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Facebook
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Pinterest
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TikTok
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Threads
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Twitter
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Youtube
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Goodreads
You’ll notice that some of these are primarily text-based while others are more image- or video-based. Knowing which medium you feel most comfortable with will help you choose the best one for you.
Then, you’ll need to start filling your chosen social media platform with content. You’ll often hear marketing experts cite the “⁸⁰⁄₂₀” rule. This means that 20% of your posts should be about the thing you’re trying to sell (your books, or paid live or virtual events) and 80% should be more general topics that will appeal to your target audience.
This could include things like reading memes, links to interesting articles you’ve come across, questions that you need advice on, invitations for reading recommendations, short reviews of other books you loved (tag the authors, and maybe they’ll do the same for you!), beloved writing quotes, and so on. The goal is to reach the sort of people most likely to pick up your book and get them to follow you. But no one likes a door-to-door salesman, so you’ll have to give them other reasons.
Try to keep these posts consistent with the aesthetic you developed above. For example, you can share a favorite quote with a font, background, and border that fits your author brand. Even though you’ll be talking about lots of different things, they should have a sense of unity to them. This will be more appealing and engaging than a bunch of posts that don’t seem to match.
If you get readers liking, commenting, or sharing your content, be sure to respond and start a conversation. Engaging with readers builds trust over the long term and helps humanize you as a brand. If you’re seeking new ways to connect through authenticity, consider exploring shadow writing to deepen your creative process.
Building an author platform takes time, so be patient and take it one step at a time. Eventually, your name and your business will grow.
Step 4: Distribute some ARCs
As you prepare for a successful book launch, an important step is getting some advance reviews. And the best way to do that is to send out some ARCs.
“ARC” stands for Advance Review Copy, or sometimes Advance Reader Copy. It’s a preliminary copy of your book that’s sent to newspapers, magazines, and social media readers a few months before the book actually releases into shops. In exchange for getting to read the book before everyone else, these readers will leave reviews in places like Goodreads, Amazon, or their own newspaper or blog.
Note that these won’t all, necessarily, be good reviews. It’s unethical to trade products or services for a positive review. ARC readers are encouraged to leave their true, honest opinion. And if you’ve done the work right, there should be at least a few positive ones!
ARCs can be hard copy or they can be digital. A hard copy ARC will usually be a paperback book with a simple cover that says “Advance Review Copy—Not For Sale”. It might have a blurb on it, but it won’t look as polished as a final published version. If you’ve been traditionally published, your publisher will supply the hard copy ARCs. If you’re self publishing, you can just do your first print a bit early and send some of those out for review.
A digital ARC is formatted like an ebook. It should be available in a number of different file types like epub, mobi, and pdf, so that readers can view them on whichever device they’re using.
So now that we’ve established what an ARC is, where do you find people to read them?
NetGalley is a popular service that connects authors or publishers with ARC readers. There is a fee that you’ll need to pay if you’re self publishing, but if you’re traditionally published, the publisher will cover it. These readers are encouraged to go to Goodreads, Amazon, or social media platforms to share their reviews.
Social platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram are great for connecting with ARC readers. Facebook has groups for just about everything, so have a look through them and keep an eye out for book lovers or book bloggers. On Instagram, search for #Bookstagram or #Bookreview to find members who are sharing reviews of other books. Then, send them a message and ask if you can send them a copy of yours.
Scribophileis full of readers too! If you’re looking for ARC readers, why not try posting in the Publishing forum? You can invite private messages from interested readers, or include a link to your NetGalley page where they can download a copy. Be sure to leave an honest review for their book when it’s ready, too.
Literary journals, local newspapers, and bookish blogs are all great places to send out your ARCs. Be sure to check their guidelines, or inquire if you’re not sure. Some publications prefer hard copy ARCs (they look better in photographs), while others prefer digital (they don’t take up any space).
It’s best if you can find a specific columnist or reviewer to engage with, rather than “Whom it may concern.” If you’re in their area, be sure to mention it! Everyone loves lifting up local talent.
Other authors are a very useful resource for reviews, because you can use them for endorsements. This means that you stick a quote from a popular author on the back of your book or on your website. That way, people who already like this author will want to read your work, because someone they respect as a storyteller has said that they enjoyed it.
The goal is to start compiling some social proof that potential readers—that is to say, the paying ones—can turn to when looking for a new read. If they see some reviews which talk about elements in your book that they like to read about, they’ll be more likely to hit that all-important “Buy Now.”
Step 5: Build an author newsletter
Email marketing is widely considered to be the best way to generate book sales. Even better than every social media platform combined! (So if you’re a social media-phobe, this hack is for you.) The people who sign up for your author newsletter aren’t just interested in reading your genre—they’ve specifically chosen to keep up with your books. This means you’ve already broken down the most important barriers.
Moreover, email marketing allows direct author-to-reader communication in a way that Amazon ads and sales platforms don’t. With an author newsletter, you can build long-term, trustworthy relationships with your fan base.
First you’ll need an email service provider like MailChimp, MailerLite, or Substack to connect your newsletter with its recipients. Then decide how often to send your readers updates about your writing life: weekly? Monthly? Quarterly? Don’t spam their inbox so often that they get annoyed and unsubscribe (we’ve all been there), but also don’t follow up so seldomly that they forget who you are.
You’ll want to become familiar with the phrase “subscriber magnet.” This is something that encourages readers to sign up for your newsletter. You’ll include it on the signup page of your website, front and center. “Be the first to hear about new releases!” is a common pitch, but it lacks specificity. See if you can come up with something concrete that you can offer these special fans, which they can’t get anywhere else.
This could be something like a short story set in the world of your story, a “bonus chapter” that takes place after the end of your first book, a “cutting room” scene that didn’t make it into the final version, a list of ten tips for writers in your genre, some concept art for your next book, and so on. It should feel like they’re getting something special in exchange for signing up.
Consider what sort of tone you’re going to use in your newsletters. This comes back to developing a strong brand. Will you be informative and professional? Intimate and confessional? A best friend, or a comforting advisor? You’re forming a long-term relationship with these readers, so think about what you want that relationship to look like.
Then, draft an email template with your name and any images, graphics, or colors you associate with your writer brand. Close it with a short and snappy email signature. You can use this template for every email; just change the written content.
The ⁸⁰⁄₂₀ rule we looked at earlier applies here too. It shouldn’t be all about selling books. You might include bits of writing advice, travel photos, excerpts from your work in progress, or recipes from your story’s world. Then you can sneak the book pitches and special offers in between the other content.
This is about engaging with your readers. You’re giving them a reason to open each email you send them, and to look forward to receiving the next one. If you do that well, the book sales will naturally follow.
Step 6: Create some promotional material
Now you can sit back and take a restorative breath, because this step is all about what you do best: getting creative! Your promotional materials should include:
An author media kit
This is an all-in-one handout or pdf that you can distribute to introduce people to you and your book. It should have a professional year approachable photo of you; an author bio that says a bit about who you are, what you’ve written, and why you write; an image of your book’s cover; and a blurb for the book. You can also list any upcoming appearances.
This handout is like a business card that gets the conversation rolling.
Bonus swag for your adoring readers
It’s always a good idea to have something to give out with pre-ordered books or at live events. Bookmarks are the most popular choice because they’re relatively inexpensive to produce, and you can have a lot of fun developing the image that appears on it. And, you know it’s something your reader customers will actually use!
If you have a wider budget, you could also consider things like branded tote bags to carry their books in, or pins to stick on their book bags. These should be simple things that can prominently feature your book, but can also be in daily use.
Promotional graphics featuring your endorsements
Keeping with your author branding, take some of the author endorsements you’ve received and put them front and center in a shareable image. These can go on social media as well as on your Amazon or Goodreads page, and will show potential readers that some pro names are vouching for you.
An epic book trailer
It’s been proven by Science™ that the human eye is drawn to movement. Because of this, book trailers have become a super popular way to promote books. Your video content can be as simple or complex as you like (and as you can afford). Get feedback on your writing.
A simple book trailer could be something like a lyric video with your book’s blurb in place of song lyrics. “Cover reveal” videos have also become popular with publishers; these start with your book cover’s background and slowly incorporate each element, ending with the book title and author. This shows the cover gradually coming to life.
At the other end of the spectrum, you could create an actual trailer with actors portraying your characters. This can get expensive quickly, but if you’re experienced with the film medium, this is a fun and effective way to bring your book to life for potential readers.
Prize draws
If you already have something of an author following, a prize draw is a good way to generate some momentum. Like the trailer, these can be as simple or complex as you like. A simple prize draw might be a signed copy of your book and some simple free content, like your branded bookmark. A more intensive and high-value prize draw could be something like offering a manuscript assessment for aspiring authors, or appearing to give a talk at their school for younger readers.
Decide how people can enter into this prize draw. Sharing a social media post is a common way to get people to engage and extend your readership. Or they might comment with an answer to a question you’ve asked. If your prize doesn’t involve the book itself, the prize might be awarded to someone who purchases your book during a certain time period.
It’s best if these entries encourage readers to either engage more deeply with your work, or help promote your work to new fans.
These are just a few starting places to develop your promotional materials. Use your imagination—the sky’s the limit!
Step 7: Navigate a virtual tour
Now that you have all the essential pieces in place, it’s time to level up your social media strategy with a virtual tour. If you have a traditional publisher, they should be able to help you with this step. If you’re an indie author, you’ll be responsible for arranging some appearances that you can share on your social platform. This will bring more attention to your author platform and, ideally, generate sales.
A virtual tour might include:
A blog tour
Book review blogs get a lot of reader traffic, and many of them are also active on social media. You can find book blogs by searching for reviews of books that are in the same genre as yours. Look for ones that resonate with your style and seem genuinely enthusiastic about books like yours.
Some book blogs will have submission guidelines, while others will just have a contact page. Approach this a little bit like you would if you were writing to a literary agent or publisher: approachable yet professional email, a compelling pitch. Many blog bloggers receive requests for more reviews than they can fit in, so cast a wide net.
Podcast interviews
There are also tons of podcasts that feature up-and-coming authors. “Confessions of a Debut Novelist” is a popular one that interviews new writers, but there are many more and many that specialize in particular genres.
Have some topics ready in mind to talk about so you can include these in your pitch. As above, check for submission guidelines or reach out with a respectful email.
Features in literary journals and newspapers
Many literary magazines also have author features. They’re more likely to run a feature on a writer who’s been published with them before, but there’s nothing to lose by reaching out to a range of online magazines. Likewise, look into magazines and newspapers that are local to your area who might want to feature some local talent.
Live streams with local bookstores
Even as the world moves more and more online, our local booksellers are still an important part of any writer’s journey. The great news is that now you can have it both ways—an in person event that’s filmed and shown to the international masses.
Because bookshops live off sales, it’s best to hold these events after your book has been released so that people attending can buy them. But it’s never too early to start planning!
Step 8: Cross promote
Another great way to get your name out is to use cross promotion. This is basically a fancy term for teaming up.
Your team ups could be other indie authors or popular book clubs, but challenge yourself to do some additional research and expand your reach. What’s a business or organization that’s relevant to your book? If you’re writing about suffragettes, for instance, you might cross promote with a women’s rights organization. If you’re writing about someone who recovers from a nervous breakdown, you might partner with a business that draws attention to mental health. Or if your characters go on a road trip, you could choose a trip planning agency. The sky’s the limit.
Once you’ve determined some likely candidates, you need a plan. The goal is for you both to reach each other’s social channels. This could be through a giveaway, a series of blog posts, or a shared event. When you approach this second party, you’ll want to have an idea of what you’re asking for and what you’re offering in return.
Step 9: Invest in some paid advertising
Now that your upcoming book is almost ready for release, paid ads on places like Facebook or Amazon can be one of your more useful marketing strategies. They don’t need to be expensive, but they can give you a bit of extra leverage in the weeks following your launch. Plus, it will help you see where most readers purchase their books and where they’re turning to for new reads.
In your ad, include relevant keywords like your book’s genre and any reading-related buzzwords that will grab attention. This means that when someone enters something like “best new romantasy” into search engines, your book’s ad will come up.
These ads should also include a link to your author page so that readers can find out more about you and your work.
Decide how much you’re willing to spend on paid advertising, and for how long. It could be something like $5 per day for three months, and then checking in to see how useful it has been.
Step 10: Book launch day!
Now you’ve done all the preconception work, it’s time for the big day: your book launch! Book launches can be stressful, but you should really think of them as a celebration: a baby shower for your newborn release.
You can have an in-person launch, a virtual launch, or both. If you’re setting up an in-person launch, coordinate a location, ideally a local bookshop or your local library, well in advance. You shouldn’t have to pay a bookshop to host a launch, but they will expect you to bring in potential buyers.
You should also bring some light snacks and drinks to keep people mingling on the day of the event. In a perfect world the publisher would pay for this, but the reality is it’s becoming more and more common for authors to cover their own book launches. Be prepared to invest a little bit into making your launch a success.
Start getting the word out as soon as you can. Ideally around three months before, then one month before, then a week before. Post on all your social platforms, ask your writer friends and your publisher and your agent and your cross promotion partners and your mom to post on theirs. Encourage your social media followers to retweet, regram, repost, and especially send a message out to your newsletter’s email list. People can’t attend if they don’t know it’s happening!
At the launch, people may expect you to say a short thank you speech. If you’re not exactly a showman, you can ask someone to “interview” you for a few minutes and have the conversation act as your “speech.” Then, try to relax and have a good time. You’re with fellow book lovers, after all. Hold onto this moment, because pretty soon you’re going to be doing it all over again for the next one.
Make book promotion easy with our free template!
We hope you’re feeling inspired and ready to get your book out into the world. It’s a lot to take in so to make book marketing manageable, we’ve designed a full Book Marketing Plan template just for you! All you have to do is add your own personal details and approach.
Don’t worry about filling in every single step right away. Just write what you know, and add to it gradually as you go along. You’ll have everything right in front of you so you can break your promo plans into straightforward, manageable steps. Now go forth and aim for the bestseller lists.
