A lot of less experienced authors or first-time authors devote all their time to creating the content of the book. Then, there is little energy left for the days and weeks shortly before and after their book has been released. This is exactly the time in which it is determined whether the book will actually be a success. However, there are benefits of book marketing. If you are not a well-known person who has already attracted a large number of readers, you need to start looking for them. Optimally, even before your book is published.
Personal brand
How strong is your personal brand? Is your name well-known, do you have thousands of followers on social media? Do you send a regular newsletter to hundreds or thousands of people? Do thousands of people visit your personal website or blog? If so, you’ll probably have a slightly easier time selling your book at the beginning. However, if you are not famous enough and you haven’t created your own channel or account, you need to start working on them step by step. There are several ways how to do it – a website and social media are definitely a priority.
What is personal branding?
Personal branding is a widely recognised and to a certain degree unified perception or impression of an individual based on their experience, expertise, competencies, activities and/or achievements within a community, branch or the market.
Blog or website
Do you already have a website or do you write your own blog? For a lot of writers, a personal website is a great tool to build their personal brand in the long term. It’s also a way to start building a relationship with your supporters, gradually develop themes from your book, or communicate directly with readers and fans. You can create your blog/website before you have started writing your book, or at the initial stages of writing it, especially to create a community of people who will be eagerly awaiting your work before it appears in bookshops or in e-stores. You can cover a variety of topics – even post short parts from your upcoming book to entice your readers.
You don’t have to make a particularly big investment in a new website. You can choose one of the commonly used CMS systems. The world’s most widely used system, especially if you want to run your own blog, is WordPress. You can choose one of the templates designed specifically for writers. Their prices are usually in tens of euros.
Social networks
Are you on social media? You don’t have to be active on every single one. Choose the ones where your potential fans – the readers of your upcoming book – are. Do prefer to post photos or short videos documenting your activities? Instagram may be suitable for you. Or would you rather develop ideas in the form of short texts? You will probably make a choice between Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, especially if you want to address your audience abroad, where this network is much more popular than in Slovakia. Is your life interesting enough to be documented it in the form of regular vlogs (longer videos)? Or do you want to do regular Q&A video series? YouTube is the most suitable platform for you. Are teenagers target group? In that case, you shouldn’t skip the currently extremely popular TikTok.
Creating a fan page may be the optimal way for you but creating an open or closed Facebook group doesn’t have to be a wrong decision either. It is up to you to make a decision. However, you should opt for a social network you will really be active on.
And what posts are appropriate? Choose your own way and strategy. Your approach is likely to be different depending on what you write. Professional publications, novels or children’s books. If you are building your personal brand as an expert, your potential fans will certainly be interested in a lot of interesting information, facts, advice – you can make use of the form of articles as well as organise regular webinars.
Another type of fans may find it interesting to find out more about your private or professional life. For many authors, it is enough to document their life on a regular basis. For example, posting photographs or short stories in the form of texts or videos.
Organising events
These days have brought several opportunities to interact directly with the readers who are interested in our book. It is no longer face-to-face meetings, such as book talks. You can also speak to your audience via webinars or live streaming. It’s the livestreams (either on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok) that have become extremely popular due to their simplicity. You can virtually get in touch with your audience within seconds, answer their questions or discuss a topic that matters to you. Thanks to the social network algorithm, you will gain new fans by showing your live stream to more new people.
However, you should definitely bear in mind a personal contact with your fans or potential future readers. Organising a book-talk or discussion in not that difficult, and you can create an interesting issue out of it – capture the most important ideas and post them on social networks or create a video that can be send further.
Influencer marketing
You might think that influencers are only suitable for some companies, corporations that sell their products. However, if you can appropriately address and engage an influencer in your segment who will give a review on your book, that’s a huge benefit. You can get the attention of other communities and relevant people.
Plus, in Slovakia, there are several book influencers too who review books on a regular basis. They have created a larger audience around them who, like the influencers, read books regularly.
Book cover – more important than the content?
They say the cover sells the book. You must have experienced it too – you have entered a bookstore and after a while, you’re holding a book in your hands that has caught your eye with its cover. To people who come into a bookstore to buy a particular book by a particular author, the cover usually doesn’t matter a lot – it can only be a bonus. However, for an undecided customer, it is the cover of the book that will be one of the crucial factors when choosing book. That is why it is important to pay a particular attention to the cover of the book. Do not underestimate it. If you are self-publishing your book, ask someone who is graphically skilled or a professional who designs book covers. There are several of them in Slovakia. These professionals know exactly what to focus on to make the cover attractive.
Of course, the title of the book or the annotation on the back of the book, which is read perhaps by everyone before buying the book, are also especially important. In the end, even the smallest details can decide whether the customer puts your book in the basket.
Start now, hold on for years
We’ve outlined a few ways which can help you increase the likelihood that your book will be in demand in bookshops. However, the most important thing is to start thinking about marketing well ahead your first book is published (or start now if you haven’t already done so and you’ve already published your book), Even more important is, to hold on. Don’t expect an immediate result – it can take years to build a strong community, but once you succeed, you’ll benefit from it for just as long.
