At Staging Post, our authors often ask us how they can market their book to reach the widest possible audience. There are many marketing opportunities out there for books, but the author needs to make sure that they tap into the right channels to reach their readers. This may sound like a difficult task, but there are ways to make this step much easier. We have compiled our own top ten tips for marketing your book list.

Our tips for marketing your book:

1. Identify and define your target reader. You need to know who you are selling and marketing your book to, before coming up with your marketing plan. From our experience, this should be done as early as possible. Who is it that will read your book? You need to understand your readers’ demographics, interests and preferences.
2. Look at the market and study the competition. What are the strengths and weaknesses of your book, and what other titles will you be competing against? The more you understand the market, the clearer your marketing plan will become.
3. Start planning! You should include budget, goals, strategy and schedules in your marketing plan. You can consult a book publicist to help you with your plan. For more information on what a book publicist can do for you check out this article: https://makeabook.co.za/a-book-publicist-why-you-should-consider-hiring-one/
4. Start building your author platform according to what has been set out in your marketing plan. One of the best ways to do this is to create an author website where you can blog and promote your book from.
5. Use the power of social media to build buzz for your book. Link your social media profiles to your author profile or create new social media accounts. You can promote your book through a multitude of platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, X and many more. This can be done before you launch your book but should continue during and after the publication as well.
6. Start engaging with your readers. You can interact through your website, social media profiles or other channels. It is important that you start to build and foster relationships with your readers.
7. Use your book cover to entice readers.
8. Plan a book launch. Whether in-person or online, it is important to have a book launch to introduce the world to your book.
9. Get some reviews for your book. It is important to have endorsements for your book and the best way is to send it to book reviewers.
10. Maintain your online presence and stay active in the book community. Once your book is out there, don’t stop promoting it! Keep blogging, attend book events, send out newsletters, network with other authors and industry professionals. The more people you engage, the more they will notice you and your book (or hopefully books)!

Marketing never stops. The more you engage, the more visibility you have! We know that this can be challenging, but in order to maximise sales, you have to maximise presence.