Published: December 9, 2024
If the idea of marketing your book makes you nervous or unsure, this video can help you overcome your thoughts and approach marketing as the fun activity it can be.
In this conversation, we start from the basis and tackle common questions and doubts many published (or soon-to-be-published) authors have.
And if you prefer reading, we published the edited transcript under the video.
Read the transcript
Hi everyone, and welcome. I’m here today with Olivia McCoy, the new addition to Luminare Press, an incredible book marketing expert. We’re going to talk about what book marketing is and how any author can market their book in a way that is simple, affordable, and effective.
Let’s dive in.
The first thing I want to ask you is a broad question: What are we really talking about when we talk about marketing?
It’s a great question because it’s actually a much broader scope than you’d expect.
Book marketing is often used as an umbrella term for book promotion in general. There are three separate parts to it: marketing, publicity, and branding. You can define these as paid media (marketing), earned media (publicity), and owned media (branding).
Marketing is your advertising, paid strategies, giveaways, promotions, listings, newsletters—all the things you pay to participate in. Publicity is earned coverage: consumer reviews, endorsements, testimonials, press features, and the like. Branding is everything you own, including your book, website, newsletter, and social media.
It’s important to have all three because they feed into each other. For example, branding gives you a home base where people can find information about you and the content they want, like purchasing your book. Publicity increases visibility and credibility. Word-of-mouth recommendations from readers or family members carry more weight than anonymous online reviews. Advertising, on the other hand, boosts visibility and discoverability tenfold.
It takes between 7 to 15 impressions before someone decides to take action, like purchasing or reviewing. So, the goal is to ensure the book is discovered, appears credible, and earns an audience’s investment. These three elements—branding, publicity, and advertising—work together to promote your book.
Thank you, that was great. I love how you broke down the components and showed how they work together. Authors often think marketing is a huge task, but understanding it as three parts makes it easier. And, as you said, the book is the foundation. Once it’s published, you’ve already entered the marketing world—it’s just a continuation of the publishing process.
Exactly. And thinking of it that way helps. Marketing isn’t something separate—it’s part of sharing the story you’ve worked so hard to create.
This leads to my next question. Marketing is a hot topic for authors. Most understand its importance, but many don’t know where to start. Often, they say, “I don’t like advertising” or “I don’t want to advertise.” What should authors expect from book marketing?
Great question. It can feel daunting, especially when you hear about all the different elements. But I like to say, “Marketing isn’t a race; it’s a marathon.” Actually, it’s not even a marathon because there’s no finish line.
Once you’re an author, you’re forever an author. Promoting your book becomes part of your brand for the rest of your career. But here’s the good news: you’re probably already marketing your book without realizing it. Every time you talk about it, share it, or answer questions about it, you’re marketing.
My focus as a marketing expert is on consistency and authenticity. Marketing should feel authentic to you, not like something forced or uncomfortable. For example, if you’re uncomfortable with advertising, we can explore alternatives like SEO, metadata optimization, or other backend strategies to increase visibility without running ads.
We also emphasize consistency—finding one or two marketing avenues that feel right for you and sticking with them. It doesn’t have to be everything all at once. Maybe you’re already on Instagram or Facebook. Great, let’s start there. Hate Twitter? Forget about it. Prefer LinkedIn? We’ll focus on that. The idea is to make marketing sustainable for your time, energy, and comfort level.
Our goal is to create a plan that works for you. For example, if posting five times a week feels overwhelming, three times a week might be more realistic. Even if it’s ten minutes a day during your lunch break or before bed, the goal is to make it manageable and natural.
Remember, this strategy evolves over time. You don’t need to start with 25 things. Begin with a few small steps, build your confidence, and expand as you get comfortable. Marketing doesn’t mean becoming a pushy salesperson—it’s about building relationships.
Think of it this way: marketing is a way to connect with readers who will love your book. You’re starting conversations with people who are genuinely interested. This isn’t about selling for the sake of sales; it’s about sharing your story and creating meaningful connections.
When I work with authors, we start by discussing their goals. Many say, “I want to sell more books.” That’s great, but what’s the bigger goal? Is it to educate, entertain, raise awareness, build a community, or inspire? Understanding this helps shape the marketing strategy because sales support those broader goals.
Some authors worry about social media, saying it’s not effective for book sales. While Amazon ads might generate more direct sales, social media is invaluable for building a community. It’s free, flexible, and grows with you. It’s also a great space to experiment—share snippets, stories, or hooks to see what resonates with your audience.
For new authors or those struggling to gain traction, consistency is key. Focus on quality over quantity. It’s better to post once a week consistently than to post daily for a month and then stop altogether. Inconsistent activity can make your account look inactive, which isn’t ideal when potential readers search for you.
To get started, think about building your brand. Even before your book is finished, you can create a social media presence, an author website, or a newsletter. During the editing and production stages, focus on maintaining one manageable aspect of your brand—maybe a monthly blog post or regular social media updates.
For fiction authors, social media is a great tool for connecting with readers. Observe what they’re reading, discussing, and enjoying. You might discover your target audience isn’t who you initially expected. For nonfiction authors, dive into your niche—join relevant groups, follow discussions, and contribute your expertise. Podcasts, blogs, and articles are great places to engage and find your audience.
If social media feels overwhelming, consider other options like hosting giveaways, running e-book promotions, or submitting your book to newsletters. We can also help create sell sheets for bookstores or press materials for outreach. Our role is to support you and make the process easier.
Remember, marketing doesn’t have to be a huge time commitment. A little bit every day—just one small task—can go a long way. Instead of setting aside six hours once a week, dedicate ten minutes a day. It’s more sustainable and effective in the long run.
Many authors worry about content creation, thinking it requires constant writing. But you’ve already created the content: your book. Use it. Break it into sections, share excerpts, or expand on its themes. For example, a psychology book could reference current events or pop culture to illustrate points made in the text.
Fiction authors can do the same. Share character quotes, funny moments, or suspenseful scenes to intrigue readers. Use reviews to highlight what people love about your book. Content doesn’t have to be new—reuse and adapt what you’ve already created.
High-production content isn’t necessary either. Today’s audiences value authenticity. A casual video filmed on your phone can be just as effective as a polished production. It’s about connecting with your audience in a genuine way.
Content creation isn’t limited to writing. You can create videos, share images of your book, or even highlight passages. Interacting with other authors and sharing their work is another great way to engage. This builds relationships and expands your reach.
Book marketing isn’t about competition—it’s about community. Readers often buy multiple books in the same genre, so promoting similar titles can actually benefit you. Supporting other authors increases your visibility and fosters goodwill.
When it comes to actionable steps, start with three things:
- Know your target audience. Understand who your ideal reader is. If your book is for everyone, it’s for no one. Identify comparable titles and study their audience.
- Develop a concise pitch. Be able to describe your book in two sentences. This makes it easy to explain your book to anyone, whether in person or online.
- Have a clear call to action. What do you want people to do? Follow your social media, sign up for your newsletter, preorder your book, or leave a review? Your call to action will evolve, but it’s essential to have one at every stage.
Building a community is often the first goal. Start with a newsletter or social media platform and grow from there. Marketing is a long-term process—it’s about relationships, not quick sales.
Finally, remember this: marketing is not the hard part. Writing and publishing your book was the hard part. Marketing is the reward—sharing your work with the world and connecting with readers who will love it.
Luminare Press authors can access a private strategy consultation with Olivia to develop, review, and expand their marketing plan, tackle specific tasks or needs, or get answers to book marketing questions specifically related to your book or publishing project.