What’s the best marketing tools for my book?
It just so happens, that I work full-time as a Digital Marketing Executive for a company in Essex, writing my book is a thing i do as a hobby; but marketing for a book is something entirely new for me.
I like to think that social media is my best shot for marketing, at the moment I only use X (twitter) to market myself – mainly because my book is not out yet so its a good way of gaining interest before release date – but there is so much spam on X that i’m starting to avoid it. As I’m still a year or so away from releasing, i have plenty of time to do my research into what i think will work for me – i can’t speak for other authors who sell on KDP.
So, what are the best marketing tools for my book?
For those who have been following my progress, you would know that my book (The War for Eyrador) is a dark fantasy, which in most cases applies to 18-40 year olds, particularly men. My second book, a much shorter and more light-hearted approach to my world (The Slightly Heroic Adventure of Boggleskin), would apply to a much younger audience who primarily use TikTok. I think the only platforms i would avoid are Facebook and LinkedIn. As much as X is a good platform for sharing ideas, it is unfortunately going downhill – that’s my personal opinion – so it could be worth switching to Threads to have a much larger engagement with my audience.
First i have to gain an audience and that’s where Instagram / TikTok / YouTube come in handy, because these are platforms that are primarily content based (images/videos etc). While i may not be the most confident on camera, i am very confident in my ability to create and use trends to sell my book. I see a lot of authors, especially new up-and-comers using TikTok / Instagram to reach out to their audience, using amusing videos to capture the essence of their personality – i like that, because as authors, we have to sell ourselves not just the book.
In short, Instagram and TikTok would be the best marketing tools for my books, to showcase my artistry and humour.
Planning ahead for a steady flow of content.
Sure, social media is always a good way to increase your audience, its also good for the awareness of your book. However, websites and blog posts (such as this) are always a good way to post content, and they should be the backbone for any content creator who is trying to sell literary work. When i launch, i would still update these platforms on a regular basis – but my main focus would be socials.
Planning content can be a struggle, and those of you who follow this blog will know that because i don’t post every week, sometimes it will be a few months. My excuse is that I’m still building myself up to that critical point before I launch my book(s). Social media is different, you have to post regular content that is engaging to build an audience.
Planning is key because each platform is different.
Instagram and TikTok can be similar, short engaging videos that should ideally be uploaded 2 to 3 times a week – some post even more.
My plan for content will be yet to come, i still have a few months to get ready, i will start up my social media campaign shortly after Christmas 2025 i reckon. In the meantime i can research what other indie authors do and how often they post, i can also see what content works for them and see if i can make any improvements or changes that fit my personal needs.
S.M.H
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