Many first-time authors think that marketing starts only after their book hits bookstores. They are under the impression that writing the book comes first, followed by publishing, and then by marketing and promotion. The truth is, that’s way too late to start marketing. In fact, you need to set your book up for success by planting marketing seeds while you’re writing.
The good news is that writing and marketing can be done in parallel. Here are some key steps to start taking now, before you’ve finished your draft:
In this article
- Confirm the book’s purpose
- Stake your claim to online accounts
- Start building your email list
- Repurpose book content
- Ask a high-profile person to write your foreword
- Book guest podcast interviews
- Look for publicity opportunities
- Explore public speaking gigs
Confirm the book’s purpose
People write books for many different reasons, and it’s important to be clear about what you hope will happen once your book is published. This will guide your marketing approach. Are you looking to land paid speaking engagements? Attract more clients? Close more deals? Create a new income stream from book sales? Leave a legacy? Or something else?
Get clear about your primary objective and who your target reader is. That will inform your marketing decisions, too.
Stake your claim to online accounts
Depending on what you already have in place, you’ll want to be sure you own the URL (aka your website address) for your book title, or as close as possible to it, as well as your name, which can house your author page. On your author page, upload your photo, a bio, and some information about your forthcoming book, as well as a sign-up form so that interested readers can join your email list and be notified when the book is released.
Then set up accounts on social media platforms where your ideal reader hangs out. You don’t need to be everywhere, and you really shouldn’t try, but pick one or two places where you can check in regularly. LinkedIn is smart for a business audience, and Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Threads could be a good second.
Start building your email list
One of the first places you want to turn as soon as your book is available for sale is your list of people who’ve expressed interest in it—your email list. You need to start building that now because the larger your list, the higher your potential sales.
The best way to do this is by creating a free digital download — a freebie — related to your book that you can offer to the public in exchange for sharing their name and email address. This could be a checklist, a quiz, a list of resources, or some step-by-step guidance on how to do something.
After someone has given you their contact information, you’ll want to keep them updated on your path to publication, such as by asking for help in choosing your cover. Engage with your list as much as possible so that when your book comes out, they are eager to support you. Ideally, you’ll be able to build a list of a few hundred interested readers, and the sooner you start, the more time you have to add names.
Repurpose book content
As you write each chapter, pull out related material and use it to start connecting your name with your topic. Don’t copy and paste sections of your book, but use the topic as a jumping-off point for other types of content, such as LinkedIn posts, blog posts, newsletter articles, and presentations.
This can be useful in gauging public interest in some of your topics, too. And don’t worry about sharing too much; readers who like your free content are more likely to buy your book when it comes out, to get even more guidance from you.
Ask a high-profile person to write your foreword
A foreword written by a leader in your industry or a celebrity of some type can attract attention, so make a list of people you’d love to have associated with your book. It doesn’t matter if you know them or not; you can ask anyone if they’d be willing. Once you have a list of your top choices, ask your network who is connected to them.
The foreword isn’t an endorsement, you can reassure them, but rather, it’s commentary on your topic and why it’s important or relevant today. You can even offer to write it for them, based on their input, if they’re concerned about whether they’ll have time to complete it.
Book guest podcast interviews
Even before your book is out, you can start to talk about your perspective and what the book is about. Identify podcasts devoted to your topic or where you would be a good fit for the typical conversations. Reach out to ask about guest opportunities. Look into podcast guest subscription services like PodMatch, which can help identify potential opportunities for you.
Hold off on a big podcast guesting push until your book is available for pre-order, if you can, so that listeners who are intrigued can pre-order it right away. Without pre-order capabilities, you may miss out on buyers who will forget about your book after the podcast episode is done.
Look for publicity opportunities
As you get closer to your release date, three or four months out, start paying closer attention to what writers and reporters are planning to cover. Register for services that alert you to stories that are already in the works, so you can determine if you’d be a fit. Some are free, and others have a monthly subscription cost. The top services are Help a Reporter Out (HARO), Qwoted, Source of Sources, and MentionMatch for B2B stories.
Read each email you receive from these services, which list the planned articles and news reports, and respond to any that are related to your book’s topic, mentioning that you have a book being released soon. Any coverage you receive should be free and potentially drive traffic to your website, or to buy your book.
Explore public speaking gigs
One of the most efficient ways to spread the word about your book is by standing in front of a room of interested attendees. Public speaking can increase awareness of and interest in your book. Local civic organizations have a regular need for speakers, as do libraries and colleges and universities. Where do your target readers spend time? Those are the rooms you want to be in. Ask if they ever bring in outside speakers and tell them you’d be interested in being considered.
Although your focus right now is on creating your book, setting aside time regularly to spread the word about it can have a significant impact on sales when it comes out. Building your audience several months in advance gives you the runway, so to speak, to get them excited about it and eager to buy it as soon as it’s available.
I don’t provide paid book marketing services, but I do help my author-clients with many of these preparations as part of our work together. If you’d like to learn more about what the ghostwriting and publishing processes look like, email me at marcia@marcialaytonturner.com to request my free guide.