12 Things 10,000+ Authors Really Think About Book Marketing

  

In talking directly to well over 10,000 authors over the years, I gained valuable feedback about what they do to promote a book and how they feel about book marketing. Some universal conclusions can be drawn from these very informative interactions.  

Here’s a dozen things that most authors tend to say, think, and believe — and my comments on their perceptions: 

1. Authors: If you are already famous, you will get publicity for your book. If not, you won’t. 

Me: Yes, fame begets fame, but unknown people become famous or successful every day. If you have a quality book that is unique, new, or important — and you sell it hard — you can break through. 

2. Authors: It takes a lot of time and money to promote. 

Me: No doubt authors need to allocate time, money, mindshare, and resources on a regular and consistent basis in order to be positioned for success. There are no free passes in life. You have to work hard and smart to get what you want. It doesn’t have to break the bank or become your obsession, but you also can’t expect to do little and get back a lot. 

3. Authors: They tend to not understand nor use social media as well as they should. 

Me: This is the most underused and misused area of book marketing for authors. You must be on at least one platform and you must focus on posting (often, consistently, with useful links back to your site); gaining followers and connections; and purposefully targeting those who fit your reader profile. There is no escaping this. 

4. Authors: A better book discovery system is needed for books of quality. 

They are right. It seems like there is a great burden placed on authors to put the book in front of people. What should one do if they physically can’t get around, lack technology skills, are shy about reaching out to the media, or live where there just aren’t many opportunities to speak publicly? A Darwinian author evolution takes over, where the books that survive are not necessarily the best ones— just the best marketed ones. 

5. Authors: Everyone thinks their book is great or important or as good as most others. 

Me: Only some can be better than most. That is just a self-defined statistic. Put another way, only so many books can be in the top five percent. Not every book is great. Some are quite bad. Many are mediocre or decent but no better than a lot of others. “Good enough” is not a competitive standard to live by. When you are no better than most, you are behind all of the best. Don’t delude yourself into thinking you deserve a Pulitzer. Get out there and earn your keep. 

6. Authors: There is not a book out there quite like theirs. 

Me: Most likely there is. Or, if there isn’t, then you need to showcase what makes it so unique, first, or better — and scream it from the rooftops. The other answer is it may be different, but is it any good and does anyone give a crap? 

7. Authors: You don’t write a book to get rich. 

Me: This is true. However, you can mint some coin if you can sell various rights — film, television, theatre, foreign language). You can also use the book as a calling card to get other business if you are a consultant or paid speaker. Maybe the book helps generate interest in other books, products, courses, memberships, or services that you provide.  

8. Authors: If the book has terrific reviews, why aren’t people buying it? 

First, Define reviews: Customer ones on amazon or professional ones by real book services?  

Second: Define terrific. Just how gushing are these reviews? 

Third: Quantity is just as important as quality. You need at least 40 amazon customer reviews (not just ratings), most of which need to be five stars. Professional reviews need to be from major book industry sites and publications, leading daily newspapers and magazines. Get as many as you can! 

When you get these reviews, post them on your social media, website, and press kit. Mention them whenever you discuss your book. 

9. Authors: My book is perfect for Netflix. It should be a movie or streamed series. 

Me: Sure it is. Every author thinks this, but few do anything about it. Show proof of concept and get fans on social media, favorable media coverage, speaking engagements, and book-award recognition. 

10. Authors: Hardly any books are sold in bookstores or bought in a store. 

Me: False. There are thousands of thriving independent bookstores — as well as chains like Barnes and Noble and Books-A-Million, as well as other places that sell books: gift shops, Christian bookstores, airports, big box stores like Target and Costco, newsstands, supermarkets, and drugstores. Sell your book in as many formats and price points (hardcover, trade paperback, mass market paperback, e-book, and audiobook) through as many online and brick-and-mortar retailers as possible. 

11. Authors: I advertised my book on Facebook and Amazon but don’t think I made any money. 

Me: Not surprising. Rarely do ads pay off for a book, unless the ad is a loss-leader to get people to buy a book and then that book leads people to buy your other books, if you wrote several others. The ad also can get readers to your site, where they can see other products or services that you can monetize. You do the ad to hopefully gain readers and hopefully more reviews and word-of-mouth sales, but often Google ads, FB ads, or Amazon ads fail to cover their costs. Inexpensive FB post boosts are good ideas, though. Print display ads are almost impossible to make money from when advertising a book. 

12. Authors: I have a Facebook page, so I don’t need a web site. 

Me: Wrong. All authors should have a website. It is your chance to control the message and sell your wares. To not have one is to deprive yourself of an opportunity to position your book the way you want to. 

Need PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with 3.6 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors promote their story, sell their book, and grow their 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

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. 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. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.7 million pageviews. With 4,900+ posts over the past dozen 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.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions 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. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, 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. 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.