If you’ve written a book, you are probably extremely proud, and rightly so! Writing a book is not easy, whether you’re a fiction or nonfiction author. However, the work is not over despite reaching ‘The End’. Getting your book out there to as many readers as possible is the next step if you want it to be a success. If your sales have slowed down, or they never really took off to begin with, something needs to change and it’s time to switch up your book marketing.
If you’ve been trying to market your book but you don’t think it’s going as well as it should be, this blog outlines a few things you may need to do.
Reassess Your Ideal Reader
Are you sure you know exactly who your ideal reader is? If you don’t know your ideal reader, you’re highly unlikely to be able to put a strategy together that entices them to buy your book. To properly define your ideal reader, make sure you know your genre. Some books can be a mix of genres, but you should still get clear on which yours best fits. Look at your current analytics to get a good idea of who has previously purchased your book and figure out why. You can poll your audience on social media too, to get an idea of what other books they read and how they find new books to buy or borrow. Creating a profile of your ideal reader will help you to better devise a strategy to attract them.
Redesign Your Cover
Although it’s said you should never judge a book by its cover, having an amateur looking or not-matched-to-genre cover design can make a difference to your book’s success. A better book cover could potentially double or even triple your sales, without changing anything else about your writing or marketing strategy (although publishing a well written, edited and proofread book in the first place is obviously crucial). Check out Amazon bestseller lists, Goodreads and Pinterest for comparable cover designs and general trends (covers that are already working well for books similar to yours), keeping your genre at the forefront of your mind as you do. Consider your brand as an author, as well as where the book is being sold. It could take a few tries before you land on a cover that really helps things take off, so don’t give up too soon.
Write A Catchier Blurb
Maybe you need a catchier blurb to draw people in – a blurb is meant to be a sales tool, after all. Ensure it’s easy to read, focuses on genre, and doesn’t give anything too big away (especially a twist in the tale!). A blurb isn’t about summarising the book (a synopsis does that), it’s about enticing people to want to read it with a ‘hook’. Avoid being too waffly (blurbs need to be concise) and try to appeal to the emotions of your potential reader.
Create/Update Your Web Presence
If you rarely update your website or social media pages, make sure these become a priority for you. Posting helpful content and exciting news will encourage people to become more invested in you as an author, and therefore, your work. If you don’t yet have a website, creating one (or even a landing page through BookFunnel) could be the key to getting people more interested in what you do. Using a free website builder such as Jamstack websites could be an easy way to get started too. Remember, your site should be easy to use, high quality, and updated regularly.
Find A Way To Get More Reviews
Reviews are really important if you’re hoping to sell a lot of books. It’s unusual for people to want to buy a book with no reviews, so consider giving a few copies away initially, in exchange for honest reviews, and/or organising an online blog tour. Again, be mindful of genre. The more reviews the better, and they don’t have to be solely five star reviews for your book to be successful either!
Check out these other posts related to ‘How To Switch Up Your Book Marketing’:
How to write a blurb for your self published book
3 thoughts on “How To Switch Up Your Book Marketing”