Have You Played Book Marketing Games?

 

Jokes and riddles. Puzzles. Math problems. Word games. Sports. Video games.
Board and card games. Carnival games.

They test us on how we think, what we know, how to strategize, and how observant we are. They sharpen our minds, bring out our competitive nature, and both entertain and frustrate us. But they help us see things in another way. Authors should regularly participate in one or more of these things to get their mind in shape.

Just as you stretch and loosen your body up before you embark on an athletic endeavor, writers need to warm their brains up before they start writing. 

When you expand your views and understanding of the world, you become an informed writer. This comes in all forms — from things like travel, conversations, observations, schooling, life experience, books, and movies. It also comes from the imagination and from your ability to be curious and to question things. By participating in things like word games, riddles, philosophical debates, art, and puzzles, you force your brain to think — and to see things differently.

Marketing your book should be approached like a game, albeit one that costs time, money, patience, and even pieces of your soul. But when done right, you feel rewarded and are propelled forward in your mission to write books that people actually read.

Life is a game and a subset of that is the game of marketing your book. In order to have a chance at winning, you need to play the game. Only this game has no rules or boundaries but the ones you place upon yourself.

Sure, there are standards, best practices, and recommended do’s and dont’s, but you really can approach the marketing of your book as you wish. Any stunt or gimmick employed to sell a book is fine by me. Place your bets in terms of risking your time, money, ego — take a risk — and find your way to get attention for your book.

Many games and contests may have one right answer, but there are often multiple ways to discover it. There are many ways to win a game. Book marketing can be a playground for you to showcase your gumption, creativity, and initiative. Start playing and see where hard work, luck, assertiveness, and some brains get you.

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, 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 four million pageviews. With 5,000+ 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.”  Copyright 2025.

 

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 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