If you're finding book marketing hard, that's because it is
But do you want people to read your book, or not?
A word to the wise for anyone promoting their book atm. If you’re finding it hard, that’s because IT IS!
Not because you’re doing it wrong, or are bad at it, or your book is bad, or everyone hates you, but because you’re a writer, not a marketer, and you’re doing something that’s probably really new to you.
You are basically trying to convince somebody who already has a list of things they love to not only consume your work, but enjoy it enough to add it to their TBR pile, read it, fall in love with it, obsess about it enough to buy it, and tell everyone they know how they should read it, too.
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A few months ago I saw that Florence Given’s new book hit the Sunday Times bestseller list in its first week with 9195 sales.
For context, FG’s Instagram audience is 813k, and she probably had more support with the pre-order and launch campaigns than most authors can dream of, and yet just 1.1% of her Instagram audience preordered or bought her book as soon as it hits the shelves.
Read that again: ONE POINT ONE PER CENT.
THAT is how hard it is out there.
You might now be thinking, thanks for that, Nicola. What’s the point in doing anything if I’m going to motivate 1.1% of my tiny audience to buy my book? I might as well give up now.
And, to be honest, I wouldn’t blame you.
EXCEPT.
What does future you want to be able to say? I did everything I could to get my book read, or I wish I’d done more to get my book read?
While the Sunday Times Best Seller list might not be the goal for most of us, there are other reasons to participate in your own marketing and drive as many books sales as you can.
A small, highly engaged audience will behave differently to a large, disconnected audience. The internet is littered with tales of book deals being granted purely on the basis of social media followings that then fail to translate to book sales because the audience, while large, isn’t interested in reading that book! In contrast, authors with much smaller accounts can generate a higher ratio of book sales by using your content to cultivate a community of readers who are gagging to read your book.
You never know what connections you might make that will help you spread the word beyond your own followers. The ripple effect of showing up can carry far beyond the ‘followers’ you might accumulate. You might meet a journalist who wants to interview you; connect with a podcaster who says yes to your pitch to appear on their podcast; build a relationship with a bookstagramer who recommends your book to their community; or cultivate a community of true fans who recommend your books to their online and offline friends. These connections can work wonders for book sales as people are often more likely to act based on recommendations from people they know and trust than anyone else.
Your career might depend on it. If you’re traditionally published, publishers will be more likely to give you another book deal if you can prove a solid track record of sales. For indie authors, the reality is even more stark: if you don’t drive your marketing and publicity, who will?!
When it comes to book marketing - on Instagram or anywhere else - putting time and effort into marketing your book might not work.
But NOT putting time and effort into marketing your book, definitely won’t work.
It might not feel like much of a choice, but it is still a choice: which one is for you?
If you’d like to give your Instagram marketing a shot up the backside, come along to the SPARK! workshop this Friday 11th March (replay available).
In 90 minutes I’ll guide you through a series of prompts to generate at least 100 Instagram post ideas bespoke to your reader and your book. No generic lists of post ideas to be seen here, thank you!
Psst… 100 post ideas is enough to post 4 times a week for over 6 months, and last year told me that after the SPARK! workshop she was able to come up with an 8 month long launch plan for her debut novel, Costanza.
*members of TOO MUCH INSTAGRAM check your emails for a 50% off discount code
If I was publishing a book in the next 12 months, this is what I’d do:
I’d be doing my research. What are the marketing and publicity channels that are open to me?
writing for print or digital publications?
broadcast media?
guest speaking at events?
delivering workshops or talks?
podcasts?
social media?
my own newsletter?
paid advertising?
I’d be gathering my people. I’d be pulling together lists of people who might be able and willing to help me spread the word about my book.
These could be online or offline relationships but I’d want to be clear about who the people are that I can definitely rely on, and who are the people I can approach who might be willing to help as the two groups will need different approaches.
I’d be considering where I can do less in other areas of my life.
Folks, you can’t do it all!
I know you don’t want to hear this, but if you’re serious about getting your book in front of readers, perhaps you will have to sacrifice some of your writing time for a period of time (not forever!) 🙈
Time, for readers: is that an exchange you’re willing to make?
I’d be up-skilling in my chosen social media platform.
Social media isn’t easy, and it isn’t to everyone’s taste, but it is a powerful way to build awareness of your book, and to make connections with people who can help you reach more readers.
However, it will be a waste of time to post-and-hope - if social media is going to work for you, you have to learn how to be more strategic.
When you think about it, the business of writing and publishing books is madness.
None of us are doing this to get rich. We’re doing it to get read. So, what are you willing to do to make that happen?
If you want to know how to create Instagram posts that your readers will love, come along to the SPARK! workshop this Friday:
SO hard! Couldn’t agree more.
Such a helpful post, as ever x