Authors: Who Is Your Marketing Role Model?

 

Writers will often tell you which books are similar to theirs and identify which authors they best emulate when it comes to their writing style and themes. But none of them can identify a marketing model when it comes to promoting their books.

 

Authors will ask many similar questions when it comes to their understanding of marketing:

·         Where should I advertise?

·         How can I use tik Tok?

·         Can you help me get a publisher or literary agent?

 

But no one seems to have a holistic, cohesive approach to marketing their book in an effective way that targets their readers. They lack a model or an approach to marketing their books – and they certainly don’t have an icon or hero that they admire or want to copy.

 

Makes sense. Authors do not know much about the leading book marketers or their cohesive approaches. Authors hear a book sold well and then they try to associate one thing that the book or author did in order to have success. The truth is, there are likely many factors that came into play for a book’s success, many of which the public lacks awareness or understanding of.

 

One of the world’s richest humans, Wearren Buffett, once said: “Much of what you become in life depends on whom you choose to admire and copy.”

 

So, who or what do authors copy or admire when it comes to book marketing?

 

They know in principle, certain things that could or should work, generally when marketing something. For instance, they know they need professional help. I don’t mean a therapist, though that would not hurt, but a marketer or publicist who specializes in books. They know or feel they have to advertise the book, be more active on social media, or get out there to get media exposure. But they don’t really understand how to do any of these things singularly well, or collectively and strategically.

 

So, how is an author to promote their book effectively?

 

1.      Develop a budget of money and time.

2.      Set short- and long-term goals.

3.      Be ready to have a big learning curve but do not shy away from it.

4.      Seek out good advice from qualified professionals.

5.      Be ready to learn to do things for yourself and to work with a promoter.

 

There are many strategies one can employ to promote a book. Know, at least, what is available to you, and then start to transition from thinking, planning, and contemplating to doing and trying.

 

The best book marketing plan is the one that you actually execute.

 

 

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 5,000,000 page views. With 5,400+ 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 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 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