Connect your book with the readers who’ll love it

Crafting a beautiful book is only part of the publishing process. Without a clear and focused marketing strategy, your book may never make it further than your own bookshelf. With the help of a professional publishing marketer, authors can give themselves the best chance of getting their books into the hands of readers.

Through Reedsy, authors can seek professionals to assist with:

High-level marketing strategy

Work with a professional marketer to define your pre-and post-launch marketing plan. They’ll help you stand out from the crowd by identifying the marketing channels that work best for your project and creating a strategy for each one.

What can I expect from a high-level marketing strategy?

Reedsy marketers will work with authors to leverage their existing strengths while filling in any gaps that are essential to a successful book launch. The strategy may cover:

1. Email marketing
2. Social networks
3. Author website
4. Giveaways and promotions
5. Book descriptions, metadata, and in-store SEO
6. User reviews 
7. Social and display advertising

With this service, the marketer will prepare a strategy document of around 5 to 10 pages that will detail the author’s plan of action. With this plan in place, the author will be well-placed to work towards a successful launch.

When should I start creating my marketing strategy? 

Many authors wait too long to start marketing. Whether you’re self-publishing or releasing your book through a traditional press, you should look to create your marketing plan 6 to 12 months before your launch.

Can a marketer just “do it all” for me?

Not really. Book marketing, especially in indie publishing, requires regular attention from someone invested in the book’s success over a long period of time. For this reason, the most successful self-publishing authors tend to be the ones with efficient marketing plans that they can execute on their own (with some occasional help for specialist tasks).  

While many services outside Reedsy will claim to market books on behalf of authors, almost all of them are scams with fees that usually outstrip any royalties an author might earn with their help.

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Email marketing

An author’s email list is perhaps the most potent marketing tool at their disposal. Creating a digital list and adding relevant readers should be a top priority in advance of your book launch.

What can I expect from an email marketing service?

An email marketing specialist will help you build reader mailing lists and leverage your existing fanbase to sell more copies every time you release a new title. Assuming that you don’t already have a mailing list, a professional marketer will help you with:

1. Mailing list integration. Find elegant ways to convince readers to subscribe. In particular, a marketer will think through the reader’s journey on your website from the initial visit to signup.
2. Increasing conversion through email sequence automation. Design and install automated emails for your subscribers. A marketer will then determine the most effective way of engaging with readers so your leads convert into sales.
3. Mailing list management. Ensure your emails always target the right audience by segmenting your mailing lists.

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Advertising

Acquiring readers through advertising platforms like Facebook, Amazon, and BookBub can produce incredible results. However, there’s often a learning curve, and you will need assistance in designing and setting up advertising campaigns that turn a profit.

What can I expect from a book advertising service?

A book marketer specializing in advertising will work with you to:

1. Set up accounts on each platform
2. Research and test target audiences 
3. Set suitable budgets 
4. Optimize conversion rates

Crucially, the marketing professional will teach you how to progressively manage those campaigns, allowing you to independently use and benefit from each ad platform.

Is book advertising right for me?

Digital ad platforms are an effective way of finding people interested in books like yours. Your average cost of acquiring a new reader will often exceed the profit you make from selling a book. For this reason, self-publishing authors will typically advertise for one of two reasons: 

1. To promote a series of books. If an ad captures a reader who buys book 1, there’s a decent chance they’ll read books 2, 3, and 4 — which represents great value for that one ad.
2. To boost reviews, ratings, and retailer rankings.  If you’ve just published a book, getting a healthy chunk of reviews and high ratings is essential.

If you’re interested in learning how to run ads for your books, reach out to our specialist book marketers.

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Blurb & Metadata Optimization

Your book description isn’t just there to convince readers — it also has to convince retailers that your book is a relevant search result. To that end, you’ll need a compelling blurb and clean metadata (e.g., book title, subtitle, ISBN, and other non-blurb data that describes your book). 

Without good metadata, no one will be able to find your book, no matter how good the book itself is.

What can I expect from this service?

A Reedsy marketer specializing in blurb & metadata optimization will help you:

1. Select your ideal categories on Amazon and other retailers;
2. Choose the right keywords to maximize your book’s visibility;
3. Write and refine your blurb.

By honing your book’s categories and keywords, a professional marketer can organically drive more readers to your product page and where the finely tuned blurb can compel them to hit the ‘buy’ button.

Will this service help a book that’s already been published?

This kind of metadata optimization is critical ahead of a book launch, but can also be extremely effective in revitalizing a backlist! So if you have books out there that aren’t selling, consider giving them a second wind by having a professional optimize the metadata for you.

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Resources related to marketing

1. How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market [book]: A complete guide to indie book marketing from Reedsy co-founder Ricardo Fayet. (Download the ebook for free)
2. How to Identify a Target Audience for Your Book in 3 Steps: A simple guide to building a profile for your target reader.
3. How to Build an Author Email List: Easy-to-follow tips for finding new readers and signing them to your mailing list.
4. Authors: Build Your Street Team in 4 Simple Steps: Find readers who will help you spread word-of-mouth and get a steady stream of reader reviews for your launch.
5. How to Get Book Reviews in 5 Steps: Find out where you can find reviewers to give your book a write-up in time for your launch