Book Marketing Blogs

The world of book marketing is in constant flux. I'm on a mission to share what I learn with other authors. Join me if you'd like.

Most of my author marketing blog posts end up on other sites, like the Nonfiction Author's Association, Jane Friedman's blog, or others. Some of the gems land here as well.

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Perennial Seller (A Book Review)

The Short Version: A Welcome Focus on the Long Haul

In an age of short attention spans, failing fast, and unicorns, Ryan Holiday has written a refreshing book about creating work that lasts. The advice in Perennial Seller applies to all creative endeavors, from building companies to writing books. It’s both realistic and inspiring.

The Long Version: A Worthy Read for Writers and Marketers Alike

On my blog here, I review books about marketing and about writing. Perennial Seller, by Ryan Holiday, works for both groups.

Holiday lays down the challenge right in the title – create something that keeps selling. He challenges us to do work that has a chance of lasting – perhaps ten years, maybe longer.

Sounds obvious, right? But we’re surrounded by short-term thinking in every aspect of our lives.

This quote (page 3) really resonated:

People claim to want to do something that matters, yet they measure themselves against things that don’t, and track their progress not in years but in microseconds. They want to make something timeless, but they focus instead on immediate payoffs and instant gratification.”

If you want to do work that matters, you may have to combine a long view with a great deal of work, a bit of faith, and a lot of luck.

The book has four sections that mirror the process of creating work that lasts.

Part One covers the creative process. Writes Holiday,

We must set out, from the beginning, with complete and total commitment to the idea that our best chance of success starts during the creative process.”

This kind of commitment isn’t easy. It requires sacrifice, time, patience and effort. And there are no guarantees.

Yet when reading a book I can tell, almost instantly, if the author was trying to create something that lasts, or something that fills a fleeting need, makes a quick buck, and disappears. It’s much more exciting, as a reader, to become personally invested in work meant to last.

Part Two describes positioning – this is for the marketers among you! Positioning for the long-term requires that you focus on the audience needs rather than your own.

Part Three covers marketing. Here, too, Holiday has terrific advice for book authors in particular about avoiding the obvious paths and choosing strategies that support sustained growth.

In Part Four, building and maintaining a perennial seller’s platform is a job that is never done, nor would we want it to be. If we care about what we do, if we’re doing work that matters, then we must invest in the platform.

For writers and potential authors, Perennial Seller offers realistic advice and motivation to work on your craft and create something meaningful rather than fast.

For marketers, the book is an important reminder to focus on the long-term relationship with the customer. It’s hard to build a business that endures based on fleeting transactions. Ongoing customer relationships will give your business staying power.

The Best Book Marketing Advice I Ever Got

The best book marketing advice I ever got came from Guy Kawasaki — not in person, but in his book APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur. Reading that book before setting out on my own publisher adventure, I encountered his analogy about bakers:

“There are two kinds of people: eaters and bakers. Eaters think the world is a zero-sum game: what someone else eats, they cannot eat. Bakers do not believe that the world is a zero-sum game because they can bake more and bigger pies. Everyone can eat more. People trust bakers and not eaters.” — Guy Kawasaki

This was the first time I’d encountered this idea of generosity and abundance in the context of book publishing and promotion. But it would resurface many times.

Book Marketing with an Abundance Mindset

Are you an eater or a baker? Do you act from a sense of scarcity (your gain is my loss) or abundance? You have many opportunities to make this choice. For example:

Do you keep your content under lock and key, afraid that people will steal your ideas? Or do you spread your ideas widely?
Do you see other authors as competition for a fixed, limited market, or as a source of partnership and support?
Do you expect everyone you interact with to purchase the book, or do you share review copies and author copies freely with readers, reviewers, and other influencers?

Choose abundance over scarcity.

After slaving away for months or years on your book and investing in its publication, it’s only natural that you want to protect your content and maximize the return on your investment.

But the scarcity mindset can cripple your success — particularly when you’re just getting started.

I have heard new and aspiring authors voice their scarcity-based concerns, afraid to take the actions that would support their book’s growth:

A nonfiction author didn’t want to write or speak about the topic until the book was published, out of fear that others would jump on the idea.
A new fiction author expressed a fear of sending review copies because someone might distribute the book on the Internet ahead of its release; she’d heard of it happening to Stephenie Meyer.
New authors lose sleep about others pirating their books. (Read Tim Grahl’s take on this in his article Ebook Piracy= Sell More Books.)

My advice in each situation is the same: Take a deep breath and let it go. You’re getting in the way of your success by keeping the book out of the hands of people who might help you.

People buy books from authors that they like and trust. But first they have to find you. You will need to share your content, make friends with other authors, and rely on others to help you spread the word.

Check Your Mindset

Even if you approach the world with an abundance mindset in other situations, you may find yourself tested when marketing and promoting your book.

Let’s look at a few of the ways that a scarcity mindset interferes with book marketing strategy.

Working with other authors

When you hear about another author in your genre having success, do you feel competitive? If you have a scarcity mindset, you may feel, deep down, that this author’s success takes away from your potential audience.

In reality, authors often help each other. They answer each others’ questions. Many like-minded authors use joint marketing and book bundling to great effect. If you cling to a scarcity mindset, you will miss these opportunities.

Review copies

Some authors view every review copy given away as a lost sale. That’s flawed logic. If people never hear about the book, they won’t buy it.

Be generous with your books. Independently-published authors often have more control over giving away copies than authors working with legacy publishers, for whom review copies are more expensive. Plan on giving away many books to those who can support you.

Sharing content from the book
Authors with an abundance mindset share freely of their content, attracting people who value what they have written. Offer free chapters, worksheets, or other content from your book to gain either new sales or sign-ups to your mailing list.

Some publishing contracts restrict how much copyrighted content you can give away. If you are traditionally published and face those restrictions, you can paraphrase the content and share it. Ideas are free.

Pricing
Pricing is a complex matter with many variables. Your objective is to earn royalties — over time. Sometimes to earn long-term royalties, you sacrifice the quick returns. Experiment and figure out what works for your market.

A BookBub promotion is a great example. Giving away free copies for a day or two can drive sales for weeks or months afterwards.

Resetting Your Mindset

You can recognize the scarcity mindset by the way it feels — a knot in your stomach, anxiety, tension, fear, or jealousy.

Whenever you feel it, take a breath and let it go. Choose abundance. If nothing else, it simply feels better.

Remind yourself that good ideas don’t get “used up” when they are shared. People buy your book because they like your ideas or stories, so spread them.

I read an essay by a nonfiction author — I forget which one — who operated on the theory that when the first 1,000 copies of his book were out in the world, it would start to take off. So he gave away the first 1,000 copies of his book.

Yep, he gave them away. (If you find and remember who this was, please let me know in the comments!)

I think of his story any time I feel the constriction of scarcity creep into my thinking.

You may not want to give away 1,000 books. Fair enough. But the idea of a critical mass is powerful. I saw it for myself, when my first book hit 1000 copies. Things started happening that I wasn’t instigating.

That’s the power of abundance.

Do you see the book publishing and promotion as a zero sum game? Are you fighting for your slice of the pie? Or are you willing to give freely and assume that things will rebound?

Ideas multiply when shared. Let yours out into the world.

You know what I’m going to here say, don’t you? If you like this, share it with others. I’m off to bake more pies.

A Book Marketing Strategy for Any Budget

New authors are confronted with book marketing advice everywhere they look. This person sold 10,000 copies in three months following a system that they’re selling, while that one got on a major television show by sending a video to a Hollywood star.

Some of these tactics work may work for you, but others won’t. Navigating this advice can be confusing and frustrating.

Indie authors usually don’t have the resources to exhibit at book shows or schedule interviews on daytime television. Most of us are starting from another place, and with a smaller budget.

Relax — you’ve got this. Book marketing is really about influencing human behavior, and that’s something you’ve been learning and doing your entire life.

Play to your strengths.

What indie authors lack in big budgets, we make up for in personal investment and relationships. Those attributes can serve as the foundation for a flexible book marketing strategy.

Your main objective, in book marketing, is turning strangers into readers and fans. It’s like making friends — something you’ve been doing since you went to school as a child.

The tactics that you use to achieve this goal may change as your platform and budget grows. But any tactic you deploy must drive an overall strategy. I’d suggest you start with a three-step plan grounded in basic rules of playground etiquette:

Make friends
Share
Ask nicely

When you approach it this way, book marketing isn’t intimidating or uncomfortable. It’s fun and rewarding.

Let’s look at how to put this strategy into action.

Make Friends

Your initial circle of connections (and potential readers) may be quite small: friends and family, colleagues, and people connected with you on social media.

Over time, you want to operate on a larger platform so your books can reach more people. To do that, you’ll need to start making friends.

First, find the right playground. Identify your target audience and the people who influence or interact with those readers. Find out where the action happens:

Where do your target readers hang out online?
Which authors do your readers follow?
What kinds of events do they go to?
Where do they purchase books?
What podcasts do they listen to?

Figure out where you’d like to be, and then start making friends.

The Internet is the largest playground around, so you need to be online, and social media is a great starting point. Find Facebook, LinkedIn, or Goodreads groups related to your subject, and participate.
Reach out directly to people you admire who influence your target audience.
Participate in in-person events, whether it’s a conference, a book club, or the local library. Nothing beats a personal connection.
Create an email list so new friends have a way of staying connected with you.
Make sure your books can be found where readers hang out on Amazon and Goodreads.
Make friends with other authors in your genre. Review their books on Amazon, Goodreads, or your blog. Reach out directly and let them know how their work affected you.

Get yourself and your books out into the world, whether physically or virtually.

Making friends is not about showing up and pitching your books. No, it’s about participating with others. First, start sharing.

Share With Others

After polishing every word with loving care, indie authors sometimes cling protectively to their books. While writing, they don’t want anyone to steal their ideas. When publishing, they don’t want to give away content from the book.

Take a deep breath and let it go. The best way to succeed is to share generously with your new friends.

Nonfiction authors can:

Give away a sample chapter.
Revisit and expand on ideas from the book in blog posts.
Create videos with content from the book.

What about fiction authors? Try one of the following:

Share an excerpt from the story.
Share research from or inspiration for the book
Make a video about you, your book’s setting, or related themes.

Don’t stop at the book’s content — share your time and expertise. Answer questions, help authors you admire spread the word about their books, and review other books.

When you give to those around you, others will reciprocate.

Ask Nicely

Asking is the third step because ideally, it happens after making friends and sharing. No one likes people who pound on the front door and start pitching. Don’t be that person.

At the same time, don’t hesitate to ask nicely. A while back, I brought a stack of books to an event at which I spoke. I gave my presentation, answered questions, and had a great time. We even had some post-event selfies going on. After everyone had left, I remembered the books. I’d forgotten to ask people if they were interested in buying one.

When you’ve done the work and given freely, it’s okay to ask for the sale, for a review, for a reference. When someone asks you how they can help, be ready with a suggestion.

Get comfortable asking.

If you make a thoughtful and polite request, the worst that can happen is that the person says no. (More often, you may hear silence.) But sometimes they will say yes.

A book sale is only one of the actions you can ask for, and it’s not always the most appropriate or valuable one. Consider these other types of requests:

Ask for reviews — and be willing to give away review copies
Ask others to share their thoughts
Ask people to subscribe to your email list (after you have provided valuable information in a blog)
Ask people on your email list to help you launch your next book

You earn the right to ask by executing the first two steps of your strategy: making friends and sharing. When you ask, do so politely.

Let me demonstrate how easy this is: If you enjoyed this article, share it with others. And if you really liked it and want to see more, sign up for my Writing Practices list. Thanks!

This article was originally published on The Verbs – a Medium publication by Pronoun.

The Perils of Worshipping the Big Idea

Raise your hand if you’ve ever worried about someone “stealing your idea” – and let that worry stop you from doing something.

We’ve all done it at one point or another. But except in patent situations and other unusual cases, those worries are usually unfounded.

Worse, they can hurt us as writers.

Be careful not to buy into the Big Idea Myth.

How the Big Idea Myth hurts writers

The Big Idea Myth is the belief that for any creative endeavor, the idea counts the most. Execution is trivial.

Start-up founders often believe this myth: they come up with a great, no-fail idea for a business.

The start-up landscape is littered with the ghosts of businesses built on great ideas.

In writing, the Big Idea Myth leas you to believe that the concept is the important part of the project, while effective execution is either trivial or something that anyone can do.

Not only is this myth untrue, it’s dangerous.

For authors, the Big Idea Myth New impedes publishing and marketing efforts. New authors are protective of the work they have done – or that they plan to do – and don’t want to share their ideas.

They hesitate to submit a proposal to an agent or publisher, in fear the publisher will “steal” the great idea.
They wait to build their author platform, to keep the idea secret for the “big reveal” of publication day.
They don’t reach out and speak with other people in their field (who could be wonderful advocates for their books) because they want to protect and shield their ideas.

In protecting your cherished idea from prying eyes, you may well condemn it to languish in obscurity.

The Big Idea Myth is dangerous for any type of writing. If you believe in this myth, you might wait to start writing until you have a “golden” idea. For most of us, the ideas only flow when we’re actually working.

Worshipping the big idea short-changes the other significant part of creating excellent work: execution.

Great writing is much more than a great idea

If execution were so easy, the world would be filled with wonderful movies and books. Ideas are abundant. Most stories can be mapped to a finite set of plots.

Good ideas aren’t scarce; great execution is.

Behind the Big Idea Myth is another fallacy: that ideas are a finite resource, operating by the rules of scarcity. A single idea can be claimed and used up.

When it comes it writing, this is not true. I love this quote from Seth Godin:

Sure, it’s been done before. But not by you. And not for us.”

(See the blog post: It’s been done before. Write anyway.)

Good ideas are a multiplying resource. Share them and they grow.

The Big Idea Myth in the workplace

The tendency to worship a “big idea” is prevalent in our society. If you work as a writer in an organization with this bias, then people will not value the work you do shaping and crafting content. They’ll toss outlines at you and act surprised if the final result isn’t dazzling.

The Big Idea Myth marginalizes the real work of writing.

You can attempt to educate those around you about what is involved by making your process more visible. Or you can accept your fate and hope for acknowledgment or recognition from the people who matter in your job.

But whatever you do, remember that skillful execution is at least as important as the original idea. And sometimes, execution is the path to bigger and better ideas.

Related Resources

This is one of the common writing myths discussed in The Workplace Writer’s Process: A Guide to Getting the Job Done.

See these other posts about writing myths:

Anyone can write, but … (the Universal Writer Myth)

Writing is effort, not destiny (the Destiny Myth)

For authors, read Tim Grahl’s post Ebook Piracy = Sell More Books

Newbie’s Guide to Sell More Books [Book Review]

A few years back I took a pause from my B2B marketing career to write a book. Then I got hooked on the book thing, and never looked back.

Oddly enough, in learning about indie publishing, I forgot everything I knew about marketing. Or it seemed that way.

Books Need Marketing – Duh!

The B2B technology marketing world was filled with long sales cycles that demanded tons of content. Multiple decision-makers weighed in on every purchase. When I started writing and publishing books, I though I could leave all that behind.

How wrong I was. Yes, a book is a simpler sale, but the marketing basics still apply. It took me a while to internalize that fact and put my big-girl marketing pants on yet again.

You don’t have to suffer through that same struggle.

Start on the Right Path

If you’re just publishing a book or figuring out this author marketing thing, there’s a better way. Read Chris Syme’s Newbie’s Guide to Sell More Books With Less Marketing.

Chris is an excellent guide to the marketing challenges. I first encountered her on the wonderful Smarty Pants Book Marketing podcast. Give it a listen. Then I started reading her books.

Her newest book, the Newbie’s Guide, does a great job of encapsulating practical marketing strategies for people figuring out the book marketing thing.

What Makes This Book Special

The online world is filled with book marketing advice. Here are three things that differentiate this book from the crowd.

1. Simplicity. While Chris comes from a marketing background, she doesn’t assume that you’re going to go on a full-on marketing crash course. As the title indicates, this book about setting the goals and working on the most essential parts of the marketing plan.

For example, she narrows down on three things every author needs: a website, an email marketing strategy, and a Facebook business page. You might want to argue one of those points, but there’s power in simplicity.

2. Understanding your starting point. Every time you see one of those “this is how I sold 10,000 copies” posts, ask yourself: where was that person starting from? Chris makes the starting point explicit. The book describes various platform levels for fiction and nonfiction authors, and discusses how they map to marketing strategies and tactics.

3. A focus on loyalty. Instead of promising thousands of sales, Chris focuses on all three components of the book buyer’s journey: discovery, sales, and loyalty. As someone who has spent a great deal of time talking about the importance of long-term customer retention and loyalty (read Subscription Marketing), I’m thrilled to see due attention given to nurturing existing readers and loyal fans.

The book is on sale now on Amazon, and the book includes access to a free book marketing course.

Three Keys to Writing Copy That Sells More Books

[Update 2020: This is a rare guest post from the wonderful Chris Syme—a woman who shares my combined interests in books and marketing. First published in 2017, the advice is timeless. There is an updated version of her book, which is linked in this article.]

Book descriptions, blurbs, social media posts, ad copy. Even though you consider yourself an author, your head may start to spin at the thought of having to write a book description or copy for a Facebook ad.

Yes, copywriting is a different animal with a different goal than writing a book. But fortunately it’s a learned skill. To simplify the process of learning, let’s consider three keys to writing copy that will sell more books.

Put On Your Marketing Hat

First things first. Why is copywriting different than writing a novel or a nonfiction book?

Your goal is not to tell a story or teach, but to get the reader to take an action. If you approach copywriting with your marketing hat on it will make more sense. Before we look at the three keys, let’s define the marketer’s mindset.

1. Know that a well-crafted book description will sell more books. Your book description is not a throw away. Successful indie author Mark Dawson surveys his readers via email every year. In his recent survey he asked his readers what convinced them to buy one of his books. Of the 5000+ readers, the overwhelming majority said the book description. Don’t think good descriptions sell books? Think again. My reader surveys (much smaller sample than Mark’s) have confirmed the same. The book cover gets them to read the description and the description makes them click the buy button.

2. Think like a marketer. What influences people to to buy a product? Authors need to use time tested marketing principles to help influence readers to buy.

Social proof: Make sure your books get reviews and recommendations early. When people see a long line at a restaurant, they think the food must be good. That is social proof—lots of people like it; I will like it. Develop a strong advance review team. Use a “street team” to help you promote the book on social media. Build a network of loyal fans.
Make them say yes. Marketers have used this technique for years and it’s critical in copywriting. Getting people to answer “yes” to a question makes it easier for them to say yes again when you ask them to buy. Make sure you touch on an emotion or experience that readers can identify with and say yes to.
Authority. This one is particularly important for nonfiction writers. People respect recognized experts and want to follow their lead. Nonfiction writers should establish their expertise.
Scarcity. The rule of the few. When there is a limited supply of something, people are anxious to act. Do you have a limited time preorder or launch sale? What about a bonus available for a limited time? Create an urgent need.

3. Remember the goal: get them to read the next line. Think of your copy as a compelling story. But story does not mean regurgitating the book’s plot. It’s about the story of the reader experience. Every line of copy needs to propel the reader to the next line. Remember people don’t buy stuff, they buy an experience. Where is your book going to take them? What problem will it solve? What emotions are you going to connect with? Marketers know how to push their buyers’ buttons.

The Three Keys

There are three keys every type of sales copy needs: a hook, compelling movement (or also called the “line”), and a call-to-action. Let’s break these down first as they apply to book descriptions. Then, we’ll take a look at how they may differ for ads and social media posts.

1. The Hook is Gold

Every copywriting expert I’ve ever learned from agrees that your hook is the most important piece of your copy. The hook is an attention-getting statement that will lay the foundation for the rest of your copy. In other words, it can’t be what we call “click bait”, or a sensational headline that grabs attention but has absolutely no relation to the book. Those hooks are cheating and usually make readers mad. Just don’t do it.

The hook is part of the traditional copywriting formula called “hook-line-sinker.”
A good hook is a promise. It will tease readers’ emotions and connect with a need the reader has. In fiction, it’s the need to read a good story or be entertained. In nonfiction, it’s the identification of a problem and promise of solutions your book delivers.

Hooks are not paragraphs; they are one or two sentences max. They may even be a sentence fragment. But one thing they do: make the reader want more information. Copywriter Bryan Cohen describes a hook this way: “If someone was making a movie of your novel, what would be the one liner on the poster?”

Many copywriting experts suggest that you brainstorm a list of hooks, leave them for a day, send them out to trusted friends, and revisit to distill. If you have an advance review team, they might be a good source of feedback. I suggest you not post your hooks in a general author Facebook group. Many of the authors there are not your readers, and different genres have different conventions. You’ll get good feedback from a small group of trusted people that know your genre and your voice.

Here are hooks I’ve run across that grab attention and connect with an emotion readers would be looking for in that genre. Let’s start with fiction; notice the different tone and voice in different genres:

Could you murder your wife to save your daughter? (crime and thriller)
What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light… (thriller and suspense)
Three generations of women. One family funeral business. Two suitors. And a very fat cat. (cozy mystery)
I was born into British aristocracy, but I’ve made my fortune in Manhattan. New York is now my kingdom (contemporary romance)
Something frightening is happening to time. (Young Adult)

How about a couple from nonfiction that identify a problem-solution for readers in that genre?

The difference between helping and selling is just two letters, but those two letters make all the difference. (marketing and sales)
What if you could wake up tomorrow and every area of your life was beginning to transform? What would you change? (business and entrepreneurship)

All these hooks succeed in connecting with the genre’s audience and compel readers to move on to the next line.

NOTE: Sometimes a hook is placed after a declaration that has to do with the book’s bestseller status or its series—I’ve noticed this in the crime and cozy mystery genres quite a bit. If you begin your description with a declaration—a high profile recommendation, a nod to the book’s bestseller status or the name of the series—make sure that piece of the description is short and the bolded hook follows immediately.

2. Identify the Most Compelling Pieces

Whether your copy is a book description or a Facebook ad, take some time to identify the most compelling pieces of your book. The biggest mistake I see fiction authors make is just regurgitating a plot summary complete with at least four character full names and one or two towns thrown in where the action takes place. This is a mistake.

Sit down and brainstorm a list of the most compelling pieces of your book. What is driving the action? What is the conflict for the hero? Is there an important backstory you can tease? Nonfiction: what is the problem and what are the most important solutions?

Many fiction authors have a severe case of TMI (Too Much Information) when it comes to book descriptions. Here are some problem areas I see often:

Too many character names — One or two will suffice and you don’t need last names.
Too many locations— You don’t need to name every town involved in your book, or even one unless it’s a compelling part of your story.
Spoilers – This isn’t just about giving away endings. Every backstory doesn’t need to be explained in the book description.
Too many words to explain —Be succinct. Weed out the prepositional phrases and other poor writing. Write your book description and then edit, edit, edit. Bryan Cohen calls this cutting to the chase.
Describing the hero’s entire journey —Leave something to the reader’s imagination that will make them want to read on.
Wandering into secondary plots—Stick to the main events.
Citing reader reviews in the description. Unless you have a well-known author or well-known publication’s endorsement, don’t put this in your description. Relegate all this info to the Editorial Reviews section.
Don’t repeat yourself—This is especially true for nonfiction. Start with a list of benefits, prioritize them by which ones are the most life changing and limit yourself to five bullet points that address common pain points for all your readers.

The bottom line is that the description needs to tie pieces of compelling information together—not just the retelling of a story you believe is compelling. When it comes to sales copy, people will quit reading when you don’t keep them moving forward. Read your description out loud several times to make sure it sounds continuous and not choppy. The object in a good description: get readers to move to the next line. Personal note: I like to watch movie trailers in a genre when I am working on a description. Sixty seconds to entice people to see the movie. It’s good creative practice.

3. End With a Call to Action

The call-to-action is the “sinker” part of the hook-line-sinker formula. Many authors forget that a book description is, in fact, a sales description. You are trying to get the reader to buy something. You will be remiss if you don’t include a call-to-action at the end of your description. If they make it to the end, give them something to do to. Don’t be afraid to sound pushy–you won’t be. You got them this far, lead them to the logical conclusion.

Calls-to-action should not be just, “buy this book now.” There are a number of different ways you can ask people to buy. In Words That Sell, copywriter Richard Bayan has a wealth of suggestions. I highly recommend his book for anyone that writes any kind of sales copy. It sits on my desk.

Here are a few of my favorite examples for books:

I invite you to…or You are invited…
Get your copy now…
Start reading today…
Just click “add to cart”…
Put this book in your shopping cart and start reading now…
Can’t wait? Get your copy right now…
Get it now for a limited time price…
Join the story by grabbing your copy today
Start (solution to problem) today…

What About Social Media Posts?

The formula for social media posts is pretty much the same except for the length. Twitter will give you only 140 characters and you should be thinking of no more than 400 or 500 on Facebook unless you are including buy links in your post.

There is a golden rule when it comes to selling on social media that many authors are missing: you must engage with people to earn the right to sell. The majority of your social media posts on any channel should be about adding value or making people feel an emotional connection. When you gain their trust and they see you as a valuable connection, you have earned the right to sell.

“Buy my book” billboard posts on social media without the element of an established relationship will never take full advantage of social media’s power to sell. If you abuse that purpose and just post sales ads, people will tune you out. Just don’t do it. Take the time to develop connections and trust. Then readers will give you permission to sell; and they’ll help you sell by telling their friends about you.

Good social media copy understands the psychology of buying and social media’s particular buying culture. People have different motivations for being on social media. People want to connect with other people and causes that fill an emotional need. According to research from HubSpot, people go to social media to feel:

Happy. People love to laugh, smile, feel good about themselves, others, and their world.
Inspired. Inspiration is a key to perseverance. Let’s face it—the world can be a cruel place. Inspiration gives us confidence and courage.
Compassion. Compassion is the capacity to care about people and things outside ourselves. We all want to live in a caring world.
Informed. It’s not just FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) that drives people to information. Help people stay on top of news, cultural trends, what’s going on with your books, and much more.
Supported. People want to feel that they’re okay and that others identify with their lot in life. Be a friend to everyone and look for posts to share that celebrate diversity and hope.
Connected. We humans have a driving need to connect with others. No man (or woman) wants to be an island.

In my new book, The Author’s Guide To Sell More Books With Less Marketing I teach a social media copywriting formula called the 80-20 Content Rule. I explain that if 80 percent of your content is about adding value, readers will expect you to sell 20 percent of the time. You earn the right to sell by adding value first.

The copywriting formula for ads is much like the formula for book descriptions. You want to remember that the object of an ad is to sell something or sign someone up for something so it’s okay to reference buying in your hook or line sections.

In an ad, your hook is a promise. What are you delivering? An experience, a promise of rise in income, or a particular outcome after reading the book? Many good ad hooks start with a question about a universal problem that will lead to a “yes” answer from the reader, as I mentioned above. You also may hear the term “pain point,” especially as it relates to nonfiction books. What is your reader’s pain? How is your book going to solve that problem?

Good ad copy takes a lot of rewriting, editing, and rewriting again. The fewer character numbers you are allowed in the ad, the tougher the challenge. Amazon ads, for instance, are extremely short. The hook becomes the main attraction there. Facebook ads give you more rope to hang yourself. My college writing professor always said it is harder to write shorter. She was right.

No matter what kind of sales copy you write, it isn’t like writing a book. The three-key formula can guide you into writing effective succinct copy that will help you sell more books.

Chris Syme has over 20 years experience in the communications industry and is the principal of the award-winning agency, CKSyme Media Group. She is a former university media relations professional, a frequent speaker on the national stage, and the author of the popular SMART Marketing For Authors book series. Her book marketing books are available on Amazon, Kobo, and Nook. Her latest venture is Women Finishing Well.

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Perennial Seller (A Book Review)

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