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