Get Book Readers Without Needing Anyone’s Permission!

 

Many authors each day operate under several negative beliefs:

“No one wants to buy my book.”
“I can’t get any book reviews.”
“Bookstores won’t have me as a speaker.”

Are these declarations based on fact, fiction, or fear?

People might buy your book, they likely do not know it exists.
As for book reviews, you need to submit your book to many media outlets four months before your publication date.
Bookstores will have you speak if you convey that you have an interesting book, a connection to their town, and can show third-party validation, such as testimonials, reviews, awards, and media exposure or a big social media following.

Did you try to market your book?

How well?

How often?

Ok, let’s put all of that aside. What can you do to make people aware of your book without needing anyone’s help or permission? Where are there no gatekeepers or obstacles to reaching targeted readers?

Warning: if you are lazy, cheap, or don’t believe in your book, just quit reading, and for that matter, toss your book to the garbage heap. I refuse to hear that you feel helpless or defeated or that you will let that state of mind dominate you.

Here is what you will need to do to get readership and build word-of-mouth — without having to get the approval of others.

1. Pay for it: advertise, paid book reviews, pay-for-play media outlets, and influencers.

2. Give it away for free. Make the ebook free on amazon and on your site. Post it on sites that do giveaways. Hand out printed copies of your book.

3. Social media posts. You can create as much content as you want to and the quality of it is in your hands. You can be quite aggressive with being active on one or more platforms and you can find and reach out to your targeted readers. If you can’t do this (skill), or don’t want to (mental), or lack the time (priority), then pay someone to do it for you.

4. Build your network up and offer to those whom you know to read your book and for them to offer the free book to those they know.

5. Try guerrilla marketing tactics. Hand out postcards with QR codes about your book outside of where readers congregate, such as bookstores, book fairs, and libraries. Partner with another author to give out each other’s books. Cut a deal with local merchants to sell your book at a discount and let them merely pay the cost of printing your book and they can keep the profits. Connect with groups who can give your book away and that helps them get attention for whatever it is that they do or sell. Partner with a non-profit to give your book away or to sell as a fundraiser.

Once you realize that there are plenty of things that you can do, say, or pay for in order to get readers and attention for your book, the more empowered you will feel.

Yes, you may invest thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours into this, but you will not be at the mercy of others or have high barriers to hurdle.

You can position yourself for a chance to break through and to finally gain an honest opportunity to gain readers.

So, what shall it be? Whine and moan about rejection? Remain immobile by fear? Or take ownership of your book marketing and invest some money and time to give your book what it deserves: a fair chance.

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 7,300,000 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 2026, 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