How to choose wisely from a menu of 100 book promotion tactics
What’s the best way to promote a nonfiction book? It seems like every expert I talk to has a different take on this. I asked ChatGPT. The list it came up with is, frankly, a reasonably good survey of everything you, as an author, might consider, including 100 different tactics.
Platform & audience building
- Build an email newsletter
- Grow a LinkedIn following
- Publish a personal blog
- Guest blog on established sites
- Create a YouTube channel
- Launch a podcast
- Appear on others’ podcasts
- Build a Twitter/X presence
- Grow an Instagram audience
- Build a Substack
- Create a community (Slack/Discord)
- Speak at conferences
- Host webinars
- Teach workshops or courses
- Create a personal website with lead magnets
Content marketing
16. Publish excerpts of the book
17. Write articles derived from chapters
18. Create infographics from ideas
19. Share short-form video summaries
20. Post quote graphics
21. Release a “book trailer” video
22. Create a companion workbook
23. Publish research behind the book
24. Share case studies from the book
25. Turn chapters into slide decks
26. Write op-eds tied to book themes
27. Create downloadable checklists
28. Release a sample chapter PDF
29. Build a resource hub tied to the book
30. Syndicate content across platforms
Media & PR
31. Pitch traditional media (TV, radio)
32. Pitch journalists with angles tied to news
33. Hire a PR firm
34. Write press releases
35. Create a media kit
36. Secure book reviews in major outlets
37. Pitch niche industry publications
38. Do author Q&As/interviews
39. Submit to book award programs
40. Leverage HARO/Help a Reporter Out
41. Get quoted as an expert in articles
42. Arrange local media appearances
43. Write bylined columns
44. Partner with influencers for coverage
45. Use publicity stunts tied to book themes
Launch strategies
46. Run a coordinated launch team
47. Offer preorder bonuses
48. Discount ebook at launch
49. Host a virtual launch event
50. Host an in-person launch party
51. Schedule a podcast tour
52. Schedule a blog tour
53. Encourage early reviews on Amazon/Goodreads
54. Run a limited-time bundle
55. Coordinate social media blasts
56. Offer signed copies for early buyers
57. Do a live AMA (Ask Me Anything)
58. Release behind-the-scenes content
59. Publish launch-day guest posts
60. Use countdown campaigns
Partnerships & networks
61. Partner with organizations in your niche
62. Bulk sales to companies
63. Collaborate with other authors
64. Cross-promote with complementary brands
65. Speak to corporate audiences
66. Partner with associations or trade groups
67. Offer book as part of training programs
68. Create affiliate programs
69. Leverage alumni or professional networks
70. Tap into mastermind groups
71. Work with book clubs
72. Partner with course creators
73. Bundle with consulting services
74. Collaborate with nonprofits
75. Co-create events with influencers
Retail & distribution tactics
76. Optimize Amazon listing (SEO, categories)
77. Use Amazon ads
78. Run Goodreads giveaways
79. Pitch independent bookstores
80. Arrange bookstore signings
81. Get featured in airport bookstores
82. Secure library distribution
83. Use print-on-demand strategically
84. Create special editions (hardcover, workbook)
85. Offer bulk discounts
86. Use BookBub promotions
87. Optimize metadata and keywords
88. Encourage shelf placement in stores
89. Create QR codes linking to book pages
90. Use subscription box services
Direct engagement & credibility
91. Collect and showcase endorsements
92. Use testimonials from readers
93. Highlight case study results
94. Run reader challenges tied to the book
95. Offer coaching tied to book concepts
96. Build a certification program
97. Create a speaking demo reel
98. Share reader success stories
99. Maintain ongoing email nurture sequences
100. Continue publishing new content to extend the book’s life
Confused yet?
Probably.
This is enough to make anyone’s head spin. You could easily consider doing all of these tactics and spend every waking moment — and every available dollar — on it. Like all “spray-and-pray” strategies, that’s very unlikely to succeed.
Obviously, you should do execute some of these tactics and not others. But which ones?
That’s the hardest choice to make in book promotion. Here are some key questions to ask:
- What’s your objective? For a lot of the authors I work with, it’s building a consulting or speaking business. That requires focus on your specific, and sometimes narrow, audience. So ask what it will take to reach into that audience, not how to reach the largest possible undifferentiated group.
- What’s your budget? There are some very expensive line items in that list of 100 tactics, including hiring experts like publicists and PR firms. Those are impactful if expensive choices. If you’ve got a healthy budget, they’re worth it. If your dollars are tighter, focus more on what you can do yourself, like publishing a Substack.
- Where does your talent lie? Your time is the resource that’s most in demand during a book launch. For that to be efficient, you need to spend time on what you can do well that makes an impact. If you’re a great writer, then blogging or publishing a newsletter might be best. If you’re great on camera, maybe you should be podcasting or publishing a video series. If you’re a great public speaker, ramp up a (free) speaking tour. This is going to be a lot of work, but it’s a lot easier if you’re doing something you love.
- What resources do you have? Take inventory of your assets. These might include: a large or intense social media following, a company willing to promote your work, a diverse and active professional network, or an online community where you’re already highly visible. Building on existing assets is far less work than creating such assets from scratch.
In the end, you’ll have to create a coherent plan that creates the highest impact with the tools you have at your disposal.
Creating that plan is the work you should be doing in the six months or more between when your manuscript is complete and your publication date. If you’re diligent in that interval, you can pluck the most effective tactics out of that confusing list and get to work on them.
If you wake up near the pub date and start planning then, you’re screwed.
Because there’s no way to make sense of which of the multitude of tactics to lean into unless you’ve given yourself time to plan it first.