Misconceptions About Book Marketing

Authors who plan on taking the traditional publishing route sometimes reconsider after hearing some pervasive misconceptions.

One common myth is that traditional publishers make authors do all the marketing, so writers are better off self-publishing. Unfortunately, this holds very little truth.

Most authors who believe this have tried traditional publishing but failed to market the book properly. Others have gone through the publishing process without understanding what book marketing means. There is also a tendency to confuse book marketing with book publicity. (Read: Book marketing or book publicity: what is more effective?)

The goal of book marketing is to get readers and booksellers to buy the book. Publishers do this by creating marketing campaigns that increase awareness and thus hopefully drive book sales.

P.T. Barnum’s quote, “Without promotion, something terrible happens…nothing!” rings true here. While advertising and promotion fall under the umbrella of marketing, these strategies work hand-in-hand to create visibility for a book.

Many authors believe, erroneously, that posting on social media and asking friends to buy their book make up the bulk of marketing. In truth, these things only account for 1% of what needs to be done for a book to be a success. The other 99% remains a mystery to the general public, and since authors don’t know what needs to happen or what publishers do, they just assume it’s—nothing. It’s a defense mechanism, but it hurts them a great deal.

First, publishers determine the target audience for the book and work out concrete steps to best reach potential readers. They develop campaigns and look for potential channels to sell their work.

Advance reader copies (ARCs) are sent out to booksellers, reviewers, writers, the media, and influencers who might connect to the material. Choosing the right readers to promote and review the book can expose it to an interested audience early on in the process.

Take, for example, Celeste Ng’s second book. Prior to the release of “Little Fires Everywhere,” publishers arranged to hand out galleys at the Winter Institute, a conference of independent booksellers, since this demographic had been supportive of Ng’s first book, “Everything I Never Told You.”

Publishers handle the design and creation of promotional material. This includes in-store signage, posters, and book swag.

Acclaimed author Patricia Hruby Powell passes out business cards that feature her book covers as a quick and easy handout for potential buyers and readers. Not only has she amped up the usually straightforward design of cards, but she also established brand recall.

With over a million books released nationally each year, it’s difficult to catch the attention of retailers. Book marketing covers advertising in spaces for trade to encourage interest in a book, including industry publications, conferences, and more.

As mentioned above, social media marketing goes beyond posting about a book’s release. Publishers’ in-house marketing teams also manage a book’s pay-per-click advertising, influencer outreach, pre-order campaigns, and cross-promotion on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.

Over the years, HarperCollins has launched several podcast series that cater to a variety of readers. Authors and creators are given a chance to speak directly to their market, establish a fan base, talk about the craft, and promote their work. The podcasts proved to be an effective direct-to-consumer marketing approach across a global network.

Ryan Holiday has emphasized the importance of pre-orders, as they suggest demand for a book to bookstore buyers, as well as help a book debut high on Amazon’s various bestseller lists. For the pre-order campaign of his self-help book, “The Obstacle is the Way,” Holiday created personalized reading recommendations, an exclusive reading list, and one-on-one consulting calls for pre-order customers. This resulted in over 2,000 pre-order copies sold.

Book clubs and other special interest groups in the media help authors reach a wider audience, engage with readers, build and strengthen a fan base, earn more reviews, and eventually boost sales.

Oprah’s Book Club represents an influential stamp of approval. When Colson Whitehead’s “The Underground Railroad” was chosen, it paved the way for strong mainstream recognition and a very successful award campaign, as well as worldwide translations.

Book tours and events are a shared responsibility with the publisher’s publicity department. Both teams work to organize several events where authors read their work, conduct interviews or panel discussions about their books, attract media attention, sign books, and meet readers.

Industry-related events are an excellent way for writers to network and connect with an audience on a larger scale.

In 2009, Elizabeth Gilbert gave a TedTalk titled: “Your Elusive Creative Genius” before the release of her memoir, “Committed: A Love Story.” Her thought-provoking ideas on craft and creativity made the talk a widely-suggested Ted-Ed video for writers. Not to mention, it earned her a following.

Marketing budgets vary based on the publishers’ prediction of the profitability of their investment in a book. Standard marketing costs for hardcover books average about $1 per book sold, whereas trade paperbacks cost less. If a publisher projects 20,000 hardcover sales for a book, the initial marketing budget will likely be $20,000.

It also depends on the size of the publisher. Small to medium-size presses are likely to start with smaller figures. Micropresses often don’t have a marketing budget at all.

While a publisher does most of the work, authors are also asked to contribute about 5% to the process. Here are a few ways in which an author can help market their book:

The website serves as the authors’ primary online presence. It should be the platform where people are directed to learn more about the author’s work. A previous Coriolis blog post outlined the essential sections of an author website. (READ: Author Website Must-Haves)

This is the fastest and cheapest way to engage with readers and potential audiences. An e-mail list provides a free promotion outlet that can direct people to book purchasing channels.

It’s not enough to make the book visible – authors should be, too. Being active on social media, interacting with fans and readers through personalized newsletters, polls, and online hangouts ensure a steady presence.

Successful authors have always done their part in promoting their own books. All that’s different now is that publishers are asking all authors to do their part, and smart authors would want to do this anyway. In today’s extremely competitive market, a book can use all the help it can get, author’s efforts included.

~Nanda