Will Authors Ride Today’s Book Marketing Trends?

 

Ever since I started promoting books and authors over three decades ago, the following trends have taken place:

a. More books are published annually than ever before, up about 12-fold for traditionally published books since my career began. This has been a long-standing trend that does not look like it will slow down.

b. Authors moved from vanity publishing into self-publishing and hybrid publishing, and the majority of published books each year are no longer from traditional publishers. In fact, around only 1 in 7 new books comes from a traditional publisher. There are millions of new books coming out each year from the non-traditional publishing world — and growing.

c. The number of media placements needed to impact book sales and grow one’s brand keeps increasing. There are fewer outlets that have a high command of influence. Further, author-generated media like social media, has increasingly grown in importance.

So, what does this mean for today’s author?

1. Understand that to be a successful writer may take some redefining. The average book sells fewer copies than it used to. So many titles are competing for a certain amount of money available from consumers and libraries. Too many people don’t dedicate time to read books while others choose to obtain their books for free — online giveaways, amazon unlimited free kindle, libraries, borrow from friends.

2. Authors who produce more books are likely to be more successful, meaning being prolific increases your chances of visibility and getting more sales. Writing a series, trilogy, or sequels is a good idea, because once someone discovers, reads, and likes one of your books, they are likely to explore your other books.

3. The key is discoverability and getting word-of-mouth exposure for your books. This can happen only with intentionality on your part. You must market your books on a consistent basis, either through things like social media, speaking engagements, applying for book awards, and securing paid book reviews. You must also utilize the help of a book marketing consultant or a book promoter, someone who can either guide and advise you, or do things for you, such as secure news media interviews, write press kit materials, develop a web site, and media coach you.

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 6,750,000 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