11 Essential Book Promotion Tips for Newbie Writers

Marketing your book as a newbie is not as difficult as many writers think. You can easily sell more copies of your books if you adopt proven book marketing tips. Keep reading this blog to find eleven actionable tips that will supercharge your book sales.

1. Choose an attractive book cover

Your book cover should persuade people to read your book. The famous idiom “Don’t judge a book by its cover” doesn’t hold up when marketing your book. You have to choose the best book cover that highlights the key message of your book.

Many writers think they should design their book cover themselves. There’s nothing with the DIY approach to book design, but it can backfire if you don’t know how to design.

It’s better to link up with designers who live near you. For example, if you are located in NYC, you should contact NYC book cover designers, as they will create a book cover that local readers will admire.

2. Get started with email marketing

Email is one of the most used communication channels of this digital age. As a writer, you should utilize the power of email marketing to sell more copies of your book in no time. Having an email list will make it easier for you to take the word out about your book.

Getting started with email marketing is comparatively tough. You’ll have to spend some time growing your list of email subscribers. However, once you grow your email list, you can use any of the email marketing tools to reach out to your audience.

3. Stop marketing to everyone

As a writer, you might think you should consider everyone a “potential buyer” of your book. It’s logical to conclude that you should market your books to as many people as possible. However, the fundamental flaw with this approach is that it goes against marketing standards.

A coherent marketing strategy revolves around the concept of describing a “specific group” of people as your target audience. You cannot plan to target every teenager around the world if you are a young adult writer.

Make sure you decide which people can be included in your target audience. You can create a basic “audience persona” to identify the basic characteristics of your readers.

4. Learn about Amazon

Amazon is the world’s largest online store. If you intend to sell more copies of your book, you need to learn how Amazon works. Optimizing your book page for Amazon will make it easier for you to increase your book sales.

Getting started with Amazon is not as difficult as you might think. You don’t have to enroll in difficult courses to learn everything about Amazon. It’s better to cover the basics of Amazon marketing, like choosing the right keywords and categories to sell more books easily.

5. Connect with other writers

It’s better to link up with other writers to learn how you can market your book the right way. Your fellow writers will show you how they went through the marketing process, and it will help you avoid marketing mistakes.

Linking up with other writers is not as difficult as you might think. You can join online or on-site networking events to find writers in your genre. Another great option is to join a writer’s club in your area.

6. Write a query letter to literary Agent

If you’re promoting a book, query letters are essential. A query letter is a one-page letter sent to literary agents in an attempt to secure representation. The query letter should include a brief description of the book, as well as information about the author’s writing experience and publishing history. In addition, the query letter should provide a brief synopsis of the book’s plot, including the book’s climax and resolution. Agent guidelines differ, but most will request that query letters be submitted via email. With a little effort, you can successfully promote your book by sending out query letters to literary agents.

7. Run ads on social platforms

Social media can make it easier for you to market your books with minimal effort. It’s worth mentioning that the SMM panel is a great source of help. Running persuasive ads on social media allows you to connect with people who might be interested in reading your book.

Getting started with social media ads is not as difficult as you might think. You don’t have to spend a ton of money to run ads. It’s better to keep running ads on social media for a certain period to run a consistent marketing strategy.

8. Focus on personal branding

You won’t be able to sell more books if people don’t even know you in the first place. You need to strengthen your personal brand so you can get discovered by your target audience.

One of the easiest ways to build your personal brand is to post content on social media. Your social content will help you show the values you stand for and what you want to achieve as a writer.

9. Publish videos online

Video content has become more valuable over the years. The improved internet speeds and better video platforms allow everyone to post and watch videos easily. If you want to strengthen your social brand and sell more books, you need to get started with video marketing.

Many writers don’t want to publish videos because they don’t want to be labeled as “vloggers.” However, publishing videos online won’t make you a “filmmaker” instead of a writer. You should create videos around the topics you cover as a writer to grow your online audience in no time.

10. Build your book website

How can a person find all details about your books and your creative process in one place? The best way to present your writings and your thoughts the right way is to establish your website. One of the biggest benefits of building a website is that it allows readers to easily purchase your books.

Many writers think it’s hard to establish and maintain a website. However, contrary to popular belief, building your website and maintaining it isn’t tedious. You can use website builder tools that provide an intuitive experience even for people who have never built a website.

11. Create an amazing movie trailer

As mentioned above, video content has become the lifeblood of the internet over the years. A great way you can utilize video to market your books is to make a movie trailer. You can use online tools to make a movie trailer in no time to help your readers visualize the characters in your book.

12. Host reading sessions

The easiest way to give your readers a “sneak peek” into your book is to hold reading sessions. You can go live on YouTube and read any chapter of your book. Doing so will persuade people to buy your book.