by Penny Sansevieri
Let me start by saying that when it comes to self-publishing a book and getting readers to buy it, there is no fancy marketing that will convince readers to buy something that isn’t right for them or isn’t appealing. In the end, it’s up to your book to make the sale.
Too many authors sabotage their success and waste valuable time by not understanding the difference between marketing and sales, so let me present an analogy.
Book marketing is about creating awareness with the right people, like sending potential buyers to an open house. But in the end, the book–or in this case–the house, makes the final sale.
For an author who is, let’s say, running Facebook ads with lots of clicks to the Amazon book page but very few sales of the book–that’s a sign the book page isn’t converting, and there could be a few reasons why. Maybe the traffic you’re sending isn’t the right market for your book, or perhaps your book isn’t appealing to them.
This is super important for authors who choose to self-publish a book. So let’s dig in and find out what really matters:
Know Who’s in Your Buyer Market
The first secret to generating sales when self-publishing a book, is knowing your buyer market. Everything you do should be strategic with a solid understanding of who your reader is. And you may think you know, but if a lot of what you’re doing in your book marketing is failing, this could be the reason. You can’t sell a puppy to a cat person. Book marketing works the same way.
Have a Strong Amazon Book Page
Make sure your Amazon book page is solid. I mention this a lot for a reasons, and it absolutely matters. Many times I see authors who don’t have good book descriptions, or don’t have an author bio and author picture and instead have a faceless box. Don’t be a grey box on Amazon!
Fail Fast
I know this sounds awful. Why would I mention the “f” word in a positive article on book marketing? Well, for this reason: we all fail. At some point, hopefully earlier rather than later, we all fail. We put out a book cover that isn’t quite right, or we push our book to the wrong market, or the book isn’t very good. Whatever the reason, don’t hang onto the idea of your book if it’s not selling. Find out what’s wrong and fix it. Maybe it’s a new book cover, or maybe it’s another edit. Whatever it is, a lack of sales often means something that needs fixing.
Know the Difference Between Book Marketing and Book Sales
I alluded to this earlier, but it’s worth mentioning again: book marketing and book sales are not the same. Raising awareness takes time, and most books can take a while to show signs of life. It’s like when you’re in a plane that’s getting ready to take off. First, they charge the runway, and then the plane can fly. The runway is your marketing, yes, but it’s also your brand and platform. So the longer you’ve been writing and publishing books, the shorter (in theory) your runway needs to be.
Be Smart About What You Do to Market Your Book
Make sure you’re doing all the right things, especially if it’s your first time at self-publishing. I know this sounds simple, but one of the biggest issues many authors face is picking the wrong book marketing. Some marketing programs and ideas seem really alluring, easy, and fun, but if it doesn’t resonate with your target audience (are you sure your readers are on TikTok?) it won’t accomplish anything. Smart marketing gets you in front of the right people, and in the end, that’s the only bottom line that’s worth targeting.
When self-publishing, your book makes the sale. And if you’re disappointed by what’s happened since your book launch, maybe it’s time to ask yourself some hard questions. Don’t accept disappointment, and don’t be one of those authors who assumes it’s all too hard. The more you’re willing to dig in, the more likely you are to succeed.
Penny Sansevieri, CEO and founder of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. (AME) and an adjunct professor at NYU, is a best-selling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most cutting-edge book marketing campaigns.
