How Do You Get More People To Read Your Book?

 

How do authors get more readers?

The better question is: How much money and/or time are authors willing to invest in order to get more readers?

You can get lots of readers by giving away thousands of digital and/or free print books— but it can leave you in a financial hole. That is okay — if you can afford it — and it serves some greater goal of yours, which could be as simple as ego, a business strategy to sell something else, a loss leader to introduce other books that you have published, or to simply help others by giving the gift of your book.

You might say that in order to get more readers, just: “Write a great book,” but if no one knows it exists, no one is reading it.

So, if you have a great book, what would you do to let people know it exists?

First, you need to demonstrate why your book is great. You can say it — or someone else can. Getting third-party validation is critical. This means you need to:

* Seek out influential testimonials
* Pursue earned and paid book reviews
* Find or encourage readers to post positive Amazon customer reviews
* Won or place high in writing contests and book awards

Post the comments and recognition on your:

*Web site
*Social media
*Amazon page

Include them on your book cover, inside your book, and in your press kit.

You might, to get more readers, explore using any or all of these resources:

* News media interviews/feature or news stories/ byline articles

* Advertising

* Speaking engagements

* Your social media

* Your own blog, podcast, or newsletter

* Building a web site

* Telling your network

* Getting others to sell for you/affiliates

* Give-aways

* Discounted books

* Bundling your book with some other book, product, or service

* Handing out fliers

* Doing targeted postcard mailings

* Conducting a direct e-blast campaign

* Having a catchy mantra or tagline or jingle

*Handing out attractive business cards on quality stock

*Including your book on your email signature

*Using automated email responses

*Scheduling your email and social media posts 

*Circulating Fliers

*Sending out Postcards

*Having a 10-second Elevator pitch

*Being active in Content creation, such as articles

*Making a Free download available on your site for those who sign up (build your mailing list)

*Having a solid Web site that gets updated regularly

*Speaking engagements

*Conference events display

*Having a partner in crime

*Getting Investors

*Doing a Taste test on potential products/books/services

*Executing your own Research and Development

*Using Focus groups or beta readers

*Crafting an attractive Logo

*Giving some proceeds to a partnering charity

*Sequel then series then spin-offs 

Promoting and marketing your books successfully comes down to implementing a few key strategic approaches well, having the right attitude, dedicating the proper amounts of time, energy, money, and mindshare, and turning a lot of core basic things into real opportunities to gain an advantage. There is also a need for your creativity, courage, luck, timing, planning, and of course, having a decent product that is marketable against the landscape of competition in the marketplace. 

Long story short: there are many ways to get more readers, so get to it!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 6.100, 000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Should You Lie To Sell Your Book?

 

 

We all tell lies. It is just a matter of to what degree and how often we do so that separates each of us. Our lying is on a spectrum. For some, the stakes are high, like when a life is on the line — or a career, marriage, or business deal. Other times we lie for ego, friendship, convenience, and even for fun. But we all lie, and if not to others, to ourselves.

Should authors ever lie to market or sell their books?

Politicians lie. So do the police, lawyers, doctors, teachers, salespeople parents, store owners, anyone on a date, the military, and even dog walkers. We lie with the full intention to cover-up a negative, hype a positive, to stay away from a problem, or to position ourselves for a payday.

* We lie by cheating: in sports, relationships, and taxes.
* We lie by omission and intentional silence.
* We lie by not asking, reviewing, or researching.
* We lie by distortion.
* We lie when cheating or stealing.
* We lie by knowingly making empty threats.
* We lie by suppressing our feelings or views.

Oh, the lies we tell, so many, so often, to plenty of people on so many possible contexts. See this article about a study on lies and liars. It gives you insights on who lies and why they do so: https://www.uwlax.edu/currents/how-often-do-people-lie/

Should an author lie for an advantage — or at least not to be at a disadvantage? How can an author lie? Here are some examples:

* Fail to mention a bad review or only quote from the positive part of a mixed review.
* Do not double-check the information in their books.
* Plagiarize passages.
* Make up quotes in their non-fiction book.
* Hype a book they know is ordinary at best.
* Fake their background qualifications or origin story.
* Pay for something, like a customer review or use AI, but do not make it clear that they did so.
* Get testimonials from friends/family but a conflict-of-interest is not stated.
* Make up reviews or endorsements.
* Intentionally pass along fiction as fact.
* Distort or manipulate images as being natural.

There is a long list of liars and the types of lies they perpetuate. Some people use lying as a default, addicted to saying untruths and avoiding the fallout of real-life wrongs. Their go-to is simply to overstate positives, understate negatives, obfuscate, avoid unfavorable truths, and manipulate information, images, and ideas in order to position them for an undeserved advantage, pay-off, or advancement.

Today’s world lives on a trust-truth spectrum that ranges from serial liars to one-time white lie perpetrators. It could be illegal, certainly is not ethical, and sometimes can be very costly. Writers should not lie, but they might do so at times. But lying cannot be a strategy, a tool that you keep resorting to. Eventually you get caught or feel the guilt of lying and the fear of getting caught. It eats at you.

We should never lie to market or sell a book, but each author has to make a choice as to what he or she will do. 

What will you do?

 

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,850,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Celebrate World Book Day April 23rd!

 

How will you celebrate World Book Day?

Notice how I did not ask:  Will you celebrate it? That is not an option.

If you love books, care about free speech, and are concerned about literacy rates you will celebrate books every day in so many ways. 

UNESCO celebrates World Book Day to mark the anniversary of the deaths of great writers, William Shakespear and Miguel de Cervantes. The day also intends to encourage children to enjoy reading books, enhance literacy, and turn the act of reading into a lifelong habit. This year, Rabat was named the book capital  by UNESCO. This is also Copyright Day, where we honor the legal protections of a writer's creative work and seek to stomp out piracy.

Here are some suggestions of what you can do on World Book Day:

1. Work on writing your book.

2. Buy a book or two or three!

3. Discuss a book with others.

4. Read a book.

5. Visit a library.

6. Gift a new book to someone, especially a kid in a poor neighborhood.

7. Donate books or funds to a library.

8. Volunteer to read books to the blind, illiterates, the elderly, the young, or the sick.

9. Protest a book ban and encourage free speech.

10. Post on social media your love of books and encourage others to read, write, buy, share, and donate books.

11. Open a book store or help finance someone’s bookstore dream.

12. Build a little free library and stock it.

13. Support prison libraries.

14. Volunteer your time to help stock shelves, repair a local library, or do community outreach

15. Learn about great writers and books — and share what you know with others.

 

The idea for World Book Day originated from a Spanish celebration known as "The Day of Books and Roses." It is celebrated in over 100 countries. School children frequently dress up as their favorite literary characters to celebrate. 

“We champion reading for fun,” says www.worldbookday.com.  “That’s because it seriously improves lives.  Today, only one in three young people likes reading. We’re determined to change this by inspiring them to see reading differently. Together, let’s help every child enjoy the life-changing benefits of reading for fun.”

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,950,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

Can You Walk Your Way To A Best-Seller?

 

As we get older, we become more aware about our brain health. We hear of older family or aging celebrities getting dementia or Alzheimer’s as we grapple with aches and pains to our body that were not there in our 20s or 30s. As writers, we stimulate our minds plenty, not so much the body. Well, it turns out, movement not only is good for our brain health but it stimulates our creative juices.

If you want to write a best-seller, take a walk!

We hear how important it is to engage our brain with puzzles, new challenges, and changed routines. Check. But walking, hiking, and exercising will help us generate ideas, gain clarity of thought, and give us an energy boost.

They say: “Garbage in, garbage out.” This applies to the quality of the data that you use to conduct a science experiment or a computer program, the food that you eat, or other aspects of living a productive life. You can’t use low-quality resources or make a half-assed effort and expect to get maximum results from it.  Well, this is along the same lines: put in the effort to move and your writing output can improve. 

According to published studies reviewed by Harvard Health, movement of the body can significantly boost our cognitive functions and increase our ability to think and remember. 

Since any physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, even short bursts of movement reportedly improve our mood, sharpen our ability to focus, and aid in problem-solving. 

Studies show that exercise stimulates the release of chemicals like BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which supports brain cell health and neuroplasticity. 

Personally, I have witnessed it firsthand how walking for 30 minutes allows you to think through things. I also notice that after playing two and a half hours of pickleball I feel spent. Somewhere in between is likely the sweet spot to gain stimulation but not exhaustion, readying you to pen your next book.

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,950,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum

 

 

 

What’s Your Solution To A Stalled Book Marketing Campaign?

 

Turn it off, then turn it on.

Unplug, then plug it back in.

Exit a program and then sign back in.

Charge it or replace the batteries.

Smack it.

Get on the Wi-Fi.

Move to get better reception.

These are the things many of us do or say when our technology and gadgets are not responding and doing what we expect.

Most of the time, these simple, no-cost, low-skill solutions work. I have heard more then one IT professional suggest doing these very same things to resolve tech problems. The same approach may be true for an author with a floundering book marketing campaign.

Maybe the simplest solution is the best one. For instance, if whatever you are doing to market your book fails to yield positive results, simply:

* Stop what you are doing and alter your approach — do more or less of something.
* Change what you are doing completely.
* Take a break and recharge your personal battery.
* Move around to gain a better perspective.

Let’s say your approach on a social media platform is not getting you anywhere. You can stop using that platform and try another one. You can dump social media completely and pour your time and resources into other areas of marketing. You can stay on the same platform but try new ways to use it, increase/decrease what you have been doing, or combine changes in your usage on that platform AND add another platform in your arsenal.

The idea here is to tinker and experiment. You are to treat book marketing like a mad chemist, seeking the right ratio, balance, or conditions for all if the chemicals to mix together in such a way that something new and better results. Or follow your IT guy’s approach to fixing glitches and service outages by just turning off your computer, taking a break, and turning it back on.

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 5,950,000 page views. With 5,600+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum