You've poured your heart, soul, and countless late nights into your book. Now you’re ready to get your story into the hands of the readers you wrote it for. The only problem is, unless you're royal, famous or have millions of followers on Instagram, people won’t know you’ve written a book. Without the backing of a large publishing house, it’s your job to market, promote and get people talking about your book.

This blog post is your guide to creating an effective book marketing campaign. Whether you're a first-time novelist or you’ve done this before, this guide will walk you through creative promotion ideas tailored to self-published authors.

With these tips, you'll find that book promotion isn't just about marketing – it's about sharing your passion, your story, and your unique voice with the world.

How to promote your book as a self-published author

Author website: Create a professional website to showcase your books, provide information about you as an author, and offer ways for readers to connect with you.

Blog: Regularly update your website with content related to your books, writing process, and topics of interest to your readers. This will help increase your visibility, website traffic and reader interest.

Social media: Start by choosing platforms that align with your target reader audience. Then begin sharing engaging content regularly. This could include snippets from your book, a behind-the-scenes look at your writing process, or posts that encourage readers to engage and share their opinions.

Goodreads: This is an excellent place to connect with a community of avid readers, share your blog posts and promote events. You can start by creating an author page, including your photo, bio and a link to your website. Then you can leave reviews for other books you’ve enjoyed. When you participate in the community and leave thoughtful, well-written reviews you attract attention to your profile and your books.

Create a compelling book cover and description

As much as we’d like people to judge our book by its contents, what they see first is the cover and description. The job of both of these is to hook the reader and entice them to continue reading. 



It’s a good idea to invest in a professionally designed book cover that visually represents your book's genre and themes. And to craft a captivating book description that entices potential readers and gives them a clear idea of what to expect.

Engage with readers

Once you’ve started building your online presence, it’s really important that you respond to all comments and messages on social media and your website. This helps to foster a sense of community and connection with your readers. 



You can also engage with readers by joining discussion groups on Goodreads. Or you could host a virtual book club, Q&A session, or giveaway.

Email marketing

Email marketing is an amazing tool for authors because it offers a direct and personal way to connect with readers, build relationships, and promote your books. 



You can start building your email list by offering readers a free sample chapter, exclusive content, or a newsletter subscription.

Once you have your list, you should send regular emails to your subscribers with updates about your writing journey, new releases, and special offers.

Book launch strategy

A successful book launch strategy involves careful planning and execution to generate buzz, attract readers, and maximise sales. There are three phases to a book launch:

• Pre-launch prep: Pick the right time to launch considering major holidays and world events. Set up pre-orders to generate early interest and build anticipation. And put together a launch team who is excited to support you in promoting your book.

• The launch event: This could include a physical or virtual launch party where you read excerpts, answer questions, and interact with readers.

• Post launch: Keep the momentum by continuing promoting your book after the launch. Engage with readers, participate in online discussions, and leverage your author platform.
  
  

Utilise Amazon and other online retailers

Amazon offers self-published authors a platform to publish, distribute, and promote their books to a global audience, with access to valuable tools, resources, and opportunities for visibility that can help authors succeed in the competitive publishing landscape.

You can optimise your book's Amazon page by including a compelling book description, relevant keywords, and accurate categorization. If you can encourage your readers to leave reviews on Amazon (and other platforms like Goodreads) it will help to boost your credibility.

Collaborate with book bloggers and influencers

Collaborating with bloggers, book reviewers, and social media influencers can be a powerful way for you to reach a wider audience and promote your books. Influencers have dedicated followers who trust their recommendations, making them valuable partners for book promotion.



Keys to a successful influencer collaboration:

• Look for influencers who align with your book's genre, theme, or target audience.
• Establish a genuine connection before reaching out.
• Write a personalised and concise pitch that explains who you are, what your book is about, and why their audience would be interested.
• Offer value: whether that’s a free copy of your book, exclusive content (e.g. behind-the-scenes details), or incentives like affiliate commissions for book sales generated through their promotion.

Remember that influencer collaborations should feel authentic and mutually beneficial. Respect the influencer's creative voice and audience, and focus on providing value to their followers.

Utilise paid advertising

Consider running targeted online ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Amazon.

Two huge benefits of paid ads are:

• You can target your ideal reader. Most ad platforms provide advanced targeting options, allowing you to reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviours.
• You can retarget and show ads to users who have previously shown interest in your book or visited your website. This can be highly effective in converting potential readers into buyers.

It's important to note that while paid advertising can be effective, it requires careful planning, monitoring, and optimisation. Understanding your target audience, selecting the right ad platform, and creating compelling ad creatives are crucial elements of a successful paid advertising campaign for book promotion.

Local outreach & networking

While the majority of these tips have been online focused, it’s worth noting that local promotions can also be extremely effective. You can partner with local bookstores, libraries, and community groups to host book signings, workshops, or readings. Or try participating in local or virtual book fairs, author panels, and literary events to connect with readers and fellow authors.

Lastly, you can focus on networking and building relationships with other authors. These connections can lead to collaborations that introduce your work to a wider audience like joint promotions, blog tours, or cross-promotion on social media.

As a self-published author, you have the unique opportunity to take control of your book promotion.

In the dynamic landscape of self-publishing, successfully promoting your book requires a blend of creativity, strategy, and persistence. You will likely have to test and trial a variety of these methods to discover which platforms and approaches work best for you.

And if you are looking for:

• An objective perspective to pick up any mistakes, inconsistencies or weak storytelling you might have missed.
• Someone to ensure the language you use is engaging, appropriate for the intended audience and consistent.
• Help with removing errors that could detract from the message of your book.

Take a look at my editing and proofreading services. I’ll make sure the book you publish is polished and professional.