Whether you’ve just hit enter for the last time to finish your book or have self-published work collecting virtual dust on your desktop, chances are you’re wondering, “how can I get my books into customers’ hands (or kindles)?”. Even though you’re a proficient writer, when it comes to marketing your books online, you’d rather pull the covers over your face and go back to sleep than put yourself out there. If this sounds like you, don’t worry – even the best indie authors felt this way.
In this article, we’ll walk you through how to market a book online (without overwhelm), so you can confidently promote your incredible work and connect with your highly engaged audience. We’ll look at different book marketing avenues at your disposal, from social media to amazon and how you can use the web as your marketing BFF. With infinite possibilities to share your writing, we’ll help pinpoint the best platforms for you to sell and grow your audience.
What you need to start marketing your book online
Like most things, a little bit of preparation can go a long way. Before we jump into each marketing channel, there are non-negotiables you’ll need when marketing your book online…
- A short and engaging blurb
- Captivating book cover and on-brand photography
- Virtual or hardcopy books ready to sell
- Pricing guide
- Shop set up e.g. Amazon or website – where customers can buy your books
- Clear target market/ideal audience to pinpoint your marketing channels
If just reading this caused your chest to tighten slightly, we’re here to help. Specialising in indie author marketing, we’ll help you set up the essentials and develop a custom marketing strategy.
Where to market your books online
Marketing books on Instagram
Originally a photo-sharing platform, Instagram has well and truly adopted video marketing, focusing primarily on reels, IGTV and stories. It allows you to connect with your audience and find new users by sharing videos and static images. If your reader is a 20-30-year-old woman who loves beautiful visuals and being engaged, Instagram is for you.
Our top recommendations for marketing your book on Instagram
- Use your bio. Make sure it showcases your genre, who you are and links to your shop
- Keep consistent. This doesn’t mean posting every day. But try and post 2-3 times a week.
- Stay on-brand. It’s wise to keep your business and professional accounts separate.
- Use reels. Find trending mime audio, record a quick 10-second video, and you’re set to go
Our favourite indie authors marketing their books on Instagram
Marketing books on Facebook
Use Facebook if you want to market books while building a highly engaged community. Its audience spends time reading captions posts and engaging with others via comments. You can create public business pages or private groups where you can start conversations, answer questions and be surrounded by like-minded people.
Our top recommendations for marketing your book on Facebook
- Create an exclusive fan-only Facebook group
- Post thought-provoking on-brand questions that start conversations
- Share monthly newsletters or upcoming projects
- Link to your website, other marketing channels and online store
Our favourite indie authors marketing their books on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/catecwells
https://www.facebook.com/milayoungbooks/groups
Marketing books on Pinterest
Pinterest is all about aesthetics. The ultimate place to share your beautiful visuals, book covers and photography. It’s also a place to share writing tips or inspiration. Pinterest is perfect if you want to drive followers to your website while sharing beautiful images.
Our top recommendations for marketing your book on Pinterest
- Create on-brand boards. To share on-brand images and find new users
- Use scheduling tools. To keep you consistent and save you time
- Link to your store. Make sure all boards and pins link back to your website or online shop
Our favourite indie authors marketing their books on Pinterest
https://www.pinterest.com.au/julienbradley/_created/
https://www.pinterest.com.au/thelindsayeliz/_saved/
Marketing books on TikTok
The ultimate video sharing app, Tik Tok, is a fantastic platform to get creative and share your personal brand. It’s great to use in conjunction with another marketing channel like Instagram or your website, where you can lead users to see more images of your books. When it comes to marketing your books on Tik Tok, it’s less about selling and more about connecting by sharing your personal brand.
Our top recommendations for marketing your book on Tik Tok
- Use trending audio clips. Create quick mime style videos with relevant on-brand captions
- Optimise your bio. Add who you are, your writing style and links to your store or website
- Share behind the scenes videos. E.g.writing process, procrastinating or funny tips
- Connect with your #booktok community
Our favourite indie authors marketing their books on TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@authorabigailmhair
https://www.tiktok.com/@authorskmunt
Marketing books on Amazon
If you don’t have a website or a shop, amazon provides a third-party solution to sell your books. It’s an incredible place to market your books online and engage with indie readers. The question is, how can your audience find you among the other indie authors on Amazon?
Our top recommendations for marketing your book on Amazon
- An enticing description. Optimised with relevant and highly searched keywords
- Add engaging images for each book
- Encourage reviews. The more reviews, the better.
- Use other channels to lead users to your amazon store
Our favourite indie authors marketing their books on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com.au/Chris-Keniston
https://www.amazon.com.au/Ken-Rudisill
Final Tips
Now that you know where and how to market your books online, nothing can stop you. Just keep a few things in mind.
- Start small – Focus on one channel at a time, get that set up and then use another
- Take our quiz to see which social media platform will attract your dream customers!
- Set realistic goals – Don’t expect to have thousands of followers overnight. An engaged audience is the best audience
- Trial and error – Try different channels. Some will work better than others, depending on your audience.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help – especially if you’re short on time or skills
How we can work together
If you feel stuck marketing your books online, know you don’t have to figure it all out yourself. If you’re looking for an experienced author marketing specialist to help promote your books, get in touch or book a 1:1 strategy call.