7 Extensive Book Promotion Ideas to Drive Sales in 2024

Despite the impact of digitalization on traditional media, 1.5 million new titles were published in 2021. In the US, 825.75 million books were sold last year. 

But at the same time, sales of books are down more than ever. In fact, book sales peaked in 2007 ($17.17 billion) and have gradually decreased. 

What does this mean for new authors, especially those who self-publish or to well-known authors whose sales have slowed down?

Book promotion: The plight of an author

Book marketing may be easier for authors who work with a traditional publishing house. The publisher usually handles everything, from getting critics' reviews and arranging book launches to placing newspaper ads and securing good shelf spaces in bookstores. 

On the other hand, self-published authors must sort these things out by gathering ideas and inspiration from as many diverse sources as possible.

Book promotion primarily entails getting your target audience interested in you and your book by telling them more about yourself and your work. It is a form of communication that requires a lot of work. 

Your book promotion campaign starts and ends with your book. This is particularly true if you've authored a nonfiction book, like a self-help, spiritual, or cultural guidebook. Even in fiction, you must establish a need for your work.

Two questions define successful book marketing:

• What will the readers gain from your book?

• Why should they pay attention to what you have to say?

The first question determines your book's market position. Your work must fill a need for a specific group of readers, or it will be overlooked. The second question builds your author brand by showing the reader why you are the best person to solve that problem.

Once those answers are ready, you (or your marketing team) can plan a book promotion strategy targeting your key audience.

7 Clever book promotion strategies that work

You’ve authored a great book. Now, it’s time to let the world know about it. Here are some of the best practices in promoting books.

1. Invest in a professional website

One of the key steps in a book promotion strategy is setting up your author website. When a reader stumbles upon your book, they’ll look you up and must be able to find your website. 

Make sure that your site is well-designed and professional-looking. If a reader visits it and finds it hastily put together, they might make the same assumptions about your own book.

An author website built by techgstore

An author website built by techgstore

You don't have to sell your book on your site openly. Retailer buttons at the bottom of your web pages will suffice. You can also set up a pre-order promotion as a marketing tactic to create a buzz.

You need an author website to give your work more credibility and allow potential readers to learn more about you and why you wrote the book.

It is also a place for displaying your whole body of work. Furthermore, directing your marketing to your website rather than to Amazon or other online retailers is more professional.

Gaby (techgstore) is a website designer and builder specializing in services for authors, bloggers and small businesses.

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Start blogging

You can also start a blog on your website. This is a great way to share content that didn't make it into the book and keep readers up to speed on other areas of your writing life. 

Your followers will be keen to peek into your writing process, and whatever you post can be used for your next newsletter. Plus, optimizing it for SEO to bring in more visitors is good.

Create a page with links to your books so visitors can easily access all the titles you've published. Include book cover images, blurbs, and links to various retailers so your books can be purchased anywhere people shop.

Another way to maximize your digital space is to gather email addresses from your website visitors and build a subscriber list. Encourage your readers to subscribe by offering back something of value, such as a discount coupon. Grow your mailing list and keep in touch with people who might be interested in your next book.

2. Expand your online presence

In addition to having an official author website, you need to build an author profile on various channels like:

• Retailers like Amazon, iBooks and Kobo

• Self-publishing platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), CreateSpace and IngramSpark 

• Social cataloging sites like Goodreads, LibraryThing, and Shelfari

Create an author bio and a dedicated author page on each site if it's your first book. On these channels, you can use book marketing ideas like audiobooks to offer more options to potential buyers as it offers an accessible option.

Writing for non-traditional publications is another way to build your author platform. Consider self-publishing on your blog or Tumblr account if you are a first-time author and don't have access to major outlets. When your articles are published, you're introduced to new readers, which may help you reach a wider audience for your work.

3. Invest in social media marketing

You should, of course, establish your own social media accounts. Get the same username for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tumblr, About.me, TikTok, and Pinterest. 

Even if you don't stay active on every site, claim your name and direct people to the ones where you are most active. Post regularly and hashtags to encourage the discoverability of your account.

Consider investing in advertising on social media platforms with paid ads to increase the exposure of your newly published book and yourself as a writer and author. You can use different tactics and different platforms for different goals in your marketing campaign.

For example, if you’re an indie author or have sold bestsellers previously, use that as a point of attraction while promoting your book.

Facebook and Instagram will help you increase awareness of your book. You can use the Facebook marketplace to sell your book and create buzz on Instagram with visual ads.

An online ad for a book promotion campaign made by bookadsbykelsey

An online ad for a book promotion campaign made by bookadsbykelsey

4. Use video content

Readers are visual beings, and people generally like watching videos. Ignoring video in your new book promo is a wasted chance. There are various creative ways of generating video content for your website and social profiles.

YouTube readings 

You can host readings on your YouTube channel. Choose your favorite chapter and read it how you want your followers to read it. When you use personas in your voice, you give your readers a feel for your characters. Share with them a sense of how you have designed your characters or how you want motifs and themes to be perceived.

Book trailers

You can also create a teaser trailer for your book. Most fictional genres take advantage of this trend. With some narration and eye-catching visuals, you can help viewers picture your characters and story. You may also add lines from the book to hook them up. Various online tools are available to help you make a trailer on your own, or you can hire a professional to do it for you.

A book video trailer created by Markus

Q&A video

Another type of video content you can do is a Q&A. You can ask your followers to send in their questions and answer them via Facebook Live or Instagram Story. If you still don't have that many followers, you may do Zoom interviews with other authors in your genre. The idea is to put your name and work at the forefront.

5. Collect book reviews

Acquiring book reviews must be one of your top goals in your marketing plan. It is a priority that you must work on even before your book is released to ensure that you get reviews from the get-go. 

Contact reviewers early on and provide an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC). Encourage them to share their reviews across many platforms. Additionally, you can offer free book copies to your email list as a giveaway so that you can use the reviews as a marketing tool for the actual campaign.

How can you collect reviews? 

• You can find early reviewers using platforms like NetGalley or Edelweiss. Or you can pitch your books to reputable book bloggers or #bookstagrammers. While they can't post their review books on retail websites until the book is officially released, they can write reviews on their blogs, social channels, and Goodreads.

• You can also send your book for editorial review. Many genres partner with outlets, such as RT Book Reviews, where authors may submit their works for editorial review. But remember that most of these publications need you to send your book months before it is released, so plan accordingly.

• Another option is to look for the top reviewers in your genre or users who have reviewed books similar to yours on Amazon. Contact them and offer them free copies of your book in exchange for genuine feedback.

• You may also arrange book giveaways. Romance authors do this all the time, and with good reason: romance novels grossed $1.44 billion

   

  last year. They often host blog book tours and raffles for book giveaways on their social media platforms. You may emulate this by providing free copies to chosen book bloggers in exchange for an honest review. This will not only help your book get traction but also foster loyalty.

6. Create your community

Some readers can become hardcore fans. If you win a reader's confidence, loyalty, and affection, there's a high possibility they'll back everything you write. And that support may take two forms: purchasing your book and spreading the word about it. Creating a reader community is more than just a priority in book promotion. It's the live thread behind it.

Facebook groups

You can create a Facebook group page to help you grow your community. Fan groups are clubs where readers and followers may gather without being compelled to participate in promotional activities. 

Make a conscious effort to interact with these groups as often as possible. You don't have to specifically promote your book. You can post silly GIFs related to the characters or say hello. The goal here is to engage and build rapport with them. When there's an organic relationship, the community will spread the word about you and your book without even prompting them to do so.

Another excellent way to broaden your community is to join an online social group with other writers in your field. You can promote each other's books, organize giveaways and raffles, and help each other. It's a creative and clever way for each author to get more people interested in their books.

Street team

You can also put together an author street team, a group of fans who volunteer to help promote the author and their work. The goal of a street team is to get people talking about a book. They do this because they like and respect the author's work. Create your street team from your fan group.

Explore setting up a read-along via your Facebook group. If your book just came out, start a virtual book club where people read several chapters weekly and discuss them in the group. Fans are more likely to join the club if you're an active participant.

7. Hire an expert

Get help from a professional book marketer who can create comprehensive campaigns that include ads, PR, and other promotional initiatives. 

You could find a skilled book marketer on online platforms such as Fiverr. The site offers several book publishing services, like:

• Editing your book manuscript

• Creating captivating book trailers

• Crafting persuasive copy for emailers

• Creating press releases

• Creating an attractive cover design

• Finding the right channels for promoting your book

If you have a new manuscript, you can hire a book proposal expert who can help you impress publishers and literary agents. Additionally, they can help you with other book marketing strategies like guest posts, podcast appearances, and influencer marketing.

The takeaway

There are a lot more technical ways to improve your book promotion strategies. Nonetheless, the ones above will help you see that promotion is about letting people know about your work and making it available on different platforms. 

As you start to use the book promotion ideas provided here, you will find many more ways to advertise your book and reach more readers. The most crucial thing to remember is that book promotion is a marathon, not a sprint. Success is step-by-step. It takes time, effort, and dedication. The key is to get started now.