take their stories from head to paper,
working at their own pace and time.
The Secrets of Book Marketing You Should Know
I call this the secret of book marketing because you may not hear of this early enough as you write your book! But it is the number one thing you should know. So, everything else rests on this.
Most new writers do not think about this until it is too late. And they get frustrated and give up!
I wish I had known the secrets of book marketing before I wrote my first book—something that could have saved me so much time and stress. Let us look at what you should know and why it is important.
The Secrets of Book Marketing Starts Here!
You may not know this: Writing your book is just the beginning. I thought once I finished my manuscript, the hard work was over. But the real challenge is getting people to ‘read’ it.
The secret? You need to think about book marketing ‘before’ you finish your book, not after.
Why Is this important? There is a beautiful feeling when people buy your book. Even a few copies will give you the confidence that you will sell more later as people get to know your brand!
Marketing is not something you do when your book is ready to launch. It’s something you start planning earlier on. The biggest mistake I made was focusing entirely on writing. I did not consider how I would connect with readers when I publish! Remember to connect with yours early and prepare their minds to buy your book!
Build Your Audience Before You Publish
You don’t need to have a finished product to start connecting with people. Share your writing journey on social media or in a blog. Give updates, teasers, and behind-the-scenes looks at your creative process.One of the secrets I wish I knew: Start building your audience while you’re writing.
You don’t need to have a finished product to start connecting with people. Share your writing journey on social media or in a blog. Give updates, teasers, and behind-the-scenes looks at your creative process. Do you know how big brands give samples as giveaways to spread the word about a new product? Please do the same thing with your book marketing. Give people snippets of your book, so they are eager to read the real thing!
By the time you are ready to launch, you will have an engaged audience who is excited about your book. I missed out on this step and had to play catch-up after my book was published. I am still trying to catch up. Do not give up on your book if you already published it and you skipped this step.
Growing an email list early on is one of the smartest marketing moves you can make. Your email subscribers are likely to become your first readers and biggest supporters.
The Power of Networking and Collaborating with Other Authors
Another secret? Do not try to do it all alone. I did not realize how powerful author collaborations could be until much later. An African proverb says: "If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”.
We are better achievers when we work with others. We can do this through social media, blog posts, books, Facebook groups, and anywhere fellow authors or beginner authors hang out.
Partnering with other authors in your genre is a fantastic way to cross-promote your books to new audiences. This could be through joint giveaways, author interviews, or simply sharing each other’s work with your readers.
The writing community is full of supportive people. Building relationships with other authors can open doors to opportunities you would not have on your own.
Don’t Wait for Readers to Find You—Use Ads Strategically
Here’s a big one: I used to think, “If my book is good, readers will naturally find it.” But that’s not how it works in the modern book market. The market is crowded. Finding your book is like finding a needle in a haystack.
You have to put your book in front of your ideal readers. And one of the most effective ways to do this is through paid ads—especially on Amazon or Facebook.
The secret is to start small. Test different ad campaigns to see which one gets the best results, and then scale up. I was hesitant to spend money on ads at first, but once I understood how to target readers, it made a huge difference in my book sales.
Plan Your Book Launch Like a Pro
I can’t stress enough how important it is to plan your book launch in advance. When I launched my first book, I didn’t realize how much preparation goes into a successful release. I did not plan a launch. I know better now!
Think of your book launch like a movie premiere—it’s your chance to generate excitement and momentum.
Here’s the secret I wish I knew: Plan your launch at least three months in advance.
Reach out to bloggers, bookstagrammers, and influencers to review your book before it’s released.
Organize a virtual or in-person launch event. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, but it needs to get your core audience talking about your book.
Set up pre-orders if you can. This helps build early buzz and sales, so you hit the ground running on release day.
The Importance of Book Reviews
Reviews are gold in the book world. The more reviews you have, the more credible your book looks. And the more likely readers are to take a chance on it.
The secret I didn’t realize? You need to ask for reviews. Most readers won’t think to leave one unless you prompt them.
You can ask your readers in your book’s back matter, on social media, or in your email newsletters. And don’t be afraid to reach out to book reviewers who specialize in your genre.
So, what are the big secrets of book marketing I wish I knew before writing my first book? It’s that book marketing starts *long before* your book is finished. Building your audience, planning your launch, and making connections within the writing community are essential to success.
If I had known this earlier, I would’ve saved myself a lot of frustration and had a much smoother publishing experience.
If you are starting, remember: the earlier you start thinking about your marketing plan, the better.
But if you have published your book, remember that marketing your book is an ongoing process. Keep talking about your book on social media. The sales will come. And if you want to watch any of my videos targeting beginner writers on YouTube please click here. And hit the subscribe button.
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