Marketing A Book, Part 2
- Em Buckman
- May 5
- 15 min read
My last blog about marketing a book was written just over a year ago. At that point, my first, and I thought only book (a non-fiction) had been published for just four months and I shared what I had learnt in that time. Here's a link to that article for anyone who is a newbie like I was and who is interested in getting started: Marketing a book
Since then, a second book has emerged from deep within my noggin, and much to my surprise, I find myself the author of a traditionally published novel with a small press, at the age of sixty-one. In the run-up to that book's publication, a renewed focus on marketing has forced itself into my consciousness. I'm as reluctant as I was before, but I have learnt a lot more in the last year, and have been encouraged to share my findings. In this article, I am going to focus on what has gone well, what hasn't gone so well, what I am planning to do with regards to marketing from now on, and importantly, what I have decided will receive less of my energy.
There is a plethora of free advice online. For example, the Reedsy website (link below) is a good place to find sound advice from people who know what they are talking about. However, sites like this can be a bit overwhelming. The more you read, the more daunting it can become. There are so many things you are supposed to do! What I've learnt as I have got further into it, is that there's no "one size fits all" approach to marketing, just as there isn't one for writing. Also, there's no magic answer - no one thing you must do to ensure your book will sell (despite what the scammer marketing "experts" who bombard you with unsolicited messages will tell you). Of course, there are lists of sensible things to consider, as the Reedsy article on marketing a book advises. And the harder you work, the more likely you are to open up opportunities. But you do have to consider how far you are prepared to go.
Things that have worked for me (so far)
A good product
It sounds so obvious, but marketing something that isn't very good gives you a disadvantage right from the get-go. Writing a book that people want to read, and one that is properly edited, which has a great cover and offers an enticing blurb, helps give you the best chance of success. I was lucky to secure a traditional publishing deal and so they took the lead on how we would go about all the pre-publication stuff like editing, formatting, finalising the cover design and blurb. Luckily also for me, I am married to a very talented graphic designer, who has designed the front covers of both my books, in partnership with the publisher. In addition to writing a book that I thought was readable and possibly sell-able, I created a website and social media presence which I aim to be user-friendly, informal and informative - this approach fits with my personality as well as my writing style.
Creating a presence
I created Facebook and Instagram pages for my author profile. This means I can post as MJ Buckman (Em) and keep everything there relevant to my writing and the themes I write about. I do more on Facebook and have slowly gained a greater following there. I receive analytical information about how my posts perform and tips on how to improve my reach. Some weeks there are well over 5,000 views to my posts. I have a few great supporters and advocates. Although the first book didn't sell brilliantly, this foundation can be built on now for the second.
Thinking of my customer
I find it beneficial to think always of my reader, to consider what will they want to see, read, and experience as they come across my book for the first time. This is true for any marketing of course: think of your customer. I will always be the author, but the book will, by definition, belong to someone else when they buy it, and a key job of the author and the publisher is to make them want to pick it up.
Collaboration with other authors
Writing can be a very lonely business and although many writers are introverts, networking is necessary in order to boost your book's visibility. And who better to collaborate with than fellow authors, who understand exactly what you're experiencing? In addition to finding your community, you will come across opportunities to promote your work. I have found various ways to do this that have been mutually beneficial:
I am very active in several writers groups on Facebook. The ones that are well run are a great place to meet others, to find and offer support, and to discover opportunities.
I follow other authors and some follow me back. An increased following helps you increase your reach and the more active you are, the more the Facebook algorithm fairies will do to make your posts visible to others. I have no idea how this works, but I have seen it in action - the more I do, the more Facebook will reward me by recommending my page to others. Whenever this happens, my follower numbers go up a bit. I still don't have that many, but it's a good core group now.
I support other authors by sharing their posts and commenting on their posts, and sometimes they do the same back. The potential snowball effect is huge.
I have worked with other authors on blog posts. I've included them in some of my articles and some have included me in theirs. For instance, I contributed recently to a blog about book covers, and to another one about writing in two different genres.
I am interviewed for other people's podcasts. I have done one already and have another imminently.
I provide material for other people's books. As an older author, I have discovered that people are interested to hear how and why I came to start writing books in my sixties. This has been an unexpected outcome of collaborating with others but a very nice one all the same and I will appear in two books later this year!
Promotions and awards
My publisher takes care of applying for promotions and by far the most successful so far with the first book has been a BookBub promotion. On the day of the promotion, when the book was featured in email communications to a wide readership, my book was catapulted briefly to numbers one, one and two in its three Amazon categories, as a result of hundreds of sales.
My publisher runs other price offers occasionally, and each time, we shoot up the charts. In terms of numbers sold, this approach has reaped the most dividends, and is possibly the thing that requires the least effort. It means you make much less on each sale, but the extra numbers of sales still means overall a better result.
I entered three competitions with the first book. There are loads to choose from, so I would advise researching each one carefully to find the right fit for your book, especially if you have to pay to enter. Some people feel that pay-to-enter competitions are a rip-off and shouldn't be taken seriously, but let's face it, most of us are unlikely to win the Booker Prize, so I choose not to be snobby about it and give it a go. Two competitions I entered were specifically for LGBT+ books, and I came nowhere in one and won the other one! This was voted for by readers. The other one I entered was judged by a panel. And I won that one too. This was with Readers Favorite. You can enter in various categories and in addition to possibly getting an award, your book will be reviewed by at least one of their reviewers. I walked away from that process with a five star review and a gold medal (first in my category). I don't think this translated into an increase in sales if I am honest, but it was very good for the ego to be recognised, so I've included it here.
Working with a pro-active publisher
Things that my publisher took care of in addition to the offers and promotions explained above included a press release, Amazon optimisation, contacting bookshops (particularly ones local to where I live) and setting us up for ARC readers on Goodreads. I managed to find nineteen people who would review the book prior to publication. This isn't a big number but it gave us a start.
Writing a blog
This is the twentieth blog article I've written. I write in different categories, namely writing and becoming a published author, mental health, and LGBT+ culture and history ( a focus of the first book). I wrote a flurry of articles shortly after publication of the first book and although I have hardly any subscribers, posting them onto Facebook groups and on my own social media pages generated a readership of several hundred for some of them. My blogs appear on my website, so everything is in one place. I did look at other options e.g. Substack, but so far I haven't uploaded any elsewhere.
Trying different things
That elusive lucky break could come as a result of any of the marketing tools we attempt to utilise. My approach has been to try a variety of different things and do more of what seemed to gain attention, and less of what didn't. Whilst I can't say, a year and a half later, that any of these worked in making any kind of money, there was some satisfaction in experimenting and it certainly helped in terms of making new connections.
Defining what I meant by success
The best outcome for me, by a mile, was the overwhelmingly positive feedback I got from people who had read the book. I always said with the first book that my aim was to reach just one person and make a difference to them. And that happened, more than once. For someone else, success might look like thousands of books sold or an appearance on national tv. Yes, it would have been nice to have sold more, especially for my publisher who invested time, money and effort, but ultimately, I achieved what I set out to do.
What hasn't work for me (so far)
Social media toxicity
Facebook advertising for the first book definitely didn't work for me. I tried producing my own adverts, and I paid two reputable marketing agencies to produce, run and monitor Facebook adverts for me at different times. None of these resulted in sales increases, and all of them resulted in me being trolled horrendously. The subject matter (LGBT+ culture and history, mental health journeys, and accepting ourselves and others) triggered some angry people to accuse me of abuse and I was told me to fuck off and worse. As someone with severe anxiety at the best of times, this experience was extremely shocking and left me wanting to stop marketing altogether.
I received nasty comments about my subject matter in some of the Facebook writers' groups too. I did withdraw for a bit after these experiences, but with support from my publisher and friends, I came to put the remarks into perspective and appreciate that speaking up for what I believe in - equality and acceptance - is the right thing for me to do, but only when I am feeling strong enough to face potential backlash.
Endorsements
As part of marketing for my first book, I was lucky enough to receive endorsements from two prominent figures in the LGBT+ community, namely Peter Tatchell and India Willoughby. Whilst this was incredibly generous of them both, sales didn't spike after the posts they made. I don't regret this as it was still a wonderful gesture on their part, but it was just such a shame that their generosity didn't pay off.
Getting into bookshops
Not one bookshop accepted the book. When I went into my local famous-name bookshop, they said they did not usually take on books that are print-to-order and digital first. Like most small publishing houses, this is how my publisher operates. The manager did take a copy of the book and said to leave it with him. I left it with him and that was the last I heard from him or saw of the book.
Festivals and book fairs
I applied to all the local ones with the first book, and didn't get into one. In fact, no-one even got back to me. I followed up with one and they politely said they were already full. As I have said elsewhere, in the UK we are not blessed with a support network for unknown authors who are championed by their local bookshop. Oh, that we had something like Barnes and Noble! Here it seems that in order to get bums on seats at festivals, and footfall into shops, there's pressure to have big names to pull in an audience. It's demoralising for us unknowns.
Merchandise
I loved my merch for Bent Is Not Broken! I paid for bookmarks, pens, mugs, tote bags and I enjoyed giving these out freely. They looked great, and I received some extremely positive feedback, but once again I don't think this resulted in any sales. I know this is at least partly because I didn't actually ask anyone to buy the book. I am hopeless like that. And of course, because I didn't get accepted to any festivals, fairs, or other events, I wasn't able to set up a lovely stall to sell my books and offer giveaways. I just had the giveaways.
Getting into press and other media
I was successful in having four articles published in an online magazine, but other than that, there was no press interest in me or the book. Whilst I wasn't in the least surprised (I have a big case of Imposter Syndrome), I guess a small part of me hoped that the local press might be interested. I wonder if the subject matter was deemed too controversial. What I thought was my USP was perhaps a barrier. After all, the book was published when negative attitudes towards the LGBT+ community were becoming more visible in the media. Of course though, I don't really know the answer.
My personality
I think this has been my biggest barrier. Unfortunately, we are not all brimming with self-belief, convinced that we have written the best book in the world and that readers will love it. I am always told I come across as confident, but in reality I find self-promotion excruciating due to my anxiety, imposter syndrome and lack of self-belief. So, while I plod away at marketing, there is always this little voice inside telling me there's no point, the book is no good, and I am a fraud. I have found ways to deal with it but this feeling doesn't go away.
Current marketing focus
Taking all of the above into account, I have decided to approach marketing for the second book in a slightly different way.
I still like the idea of a USP as it is something to pin the marketing plan onto; having a clear message is crucial. It seems that my new USP has something to do with being an older person who has written their first books after retirement, and who has written books in different genres. I have come to this conclusion having been asked to contribute to two books on the subject of becoming an author in my sixties, and because it's something I am often asked about.
As with the first book, I will commit to do something related to marketing every day. Last time I waited until after the book was published as I didn't know any better, but this time, I'm already on it. And I'll keep doing something every day for the first few months after publication, however small - whether it's creating a Facebook post or pitching an article or drafting a new blog. The big difference this time is that I am broadening my horizons and relying a lot less on social media. Additionally, I am going to try and be kinder to myself and not put too much pressure on myself. Easier said than done.
I have written an outline marketing plan. My headings are as follows:
Competitions
Reviews
Media - including journals and press, social media, radio
Advertising
In-person events - including readings/signings and festivals
Bookshops
Collaboration with other authors - including podcasts, blogs, book contributions
What I'll try and do more of
I want to be more pro-active about asking people who have read the book to review it. I hate asking favours, but what's the worst that could happen? They ignore the request, or are rude about it. I'll have to risk that.
I am going to submit more articles to local press and national press. For example, The Guardian runs a regular feature on life after sixty so I plan submit something on becoming a published author in later life.
In-person events - I was very reticent with the first book. I didn't try to get one book-signing event. This was partly because I wanted to protect the identity of my friends and myself against trolling. Hopefully, there are less people inclined to troll me about the novel. I am going to force myself to offer to give readings and do book signings and to keep on trying with it. I gather from other authors that the in-person experiences they get involved with can be really productive as well as satisfying. One author I've come across a Facebook group has done over 100 events in a year and sold hundreds of books that way. I don't think that would be physically possible here in England as there just aren't that many, but I will make an effort to find at least some.
There's a new festival launching near me who they say that they want to support local unknown authors and they seem keen to work with me. Encouragingly, their motto is "You can write."Perhaps others will follow suit! Plus, if I am successful there, maybe others will have me?
I am going to try and be more assertive about going into bookshops. I gave up after one in-person failure last time. This takes me outside my comfort zone: if I was taking some-one else's book in I'd be fine, whereas taking my own feels very exposing. But I feel I owe it to myself and my publisher to try.
Looking for new opportunities
My publisher and I are always on the lookout for new opportunities to promote them as a new publisher, and me as a new author.
Since my first book was published, my publisher has been trying a range of new ideas and they recently offered the new book on LibraryThing for ARC reviews - there were 25 copies available in the offer and 119 people applied to take part. Fingers crossed a decent proportion read the book then review it. I will continue to support and promote all my publisher's endeavours as best as I can. We are a partnership.
My mindset
Determining what motivates me has helped me to decide how much I am prepared to do. When I was marketing Bent Is Not Broken, I was trying to convey a message about accepting ourselves, accepting others and celebrating difference. I immersed myself into all sorts of groups and debates about it and although it led to me being trolled and called the most awful names, it also garnered me some support. People who knew very little about LGBT+ culture and history read the book and found it moving and enlightening, and LGBT+ people themselves read it enjoyed my perspective as an ally of the LGBT+ community. Finally, for the first year, all profits I made were donated to charity, so that motivated me to do my best. I was in a very niche genre - in fact so niche I couldn't find any other non-fiction books about LGBT+ history and culture written by an ally. This, I suspect, was both an advantage and a disadvantage,
With Women of Note, a novel, I feel less like I am a campaigner and more like I am a microscopic fish in an enormous ocean. The genres in which the book sits are huge, and are full of famous authors who have written best-sellers. There's no point in thinking I am in competition with them. I just have to do the best I can with the energy that I have. To look on the bright side, it's a much bigger potential market which hopefully might appeal to a wider audience. I am not motivated by money, but I want my publisher to do well, and I am very motivated by the idea that someone might enjoy what I have written.
What I'm giving less energy to, and why
Facebook ads and Instagram - I'm done with getting trolled, at least if I can help it. If I do any adverts for Women of Note with my preferred marketing agency, I will make sure we are very careful about the language we use (mind you, I thought we had been before). Social media posting can be soul destroying. I know another author who worked tirelessly to build a social media following on Instagram and who now has nearly 3,000 followers. She produces great content and is very disciplined about it. However, this hasn't translated into book sales for her. And as Reedsy says, if the algorithms suddenly change, your ability to reach your audience may suddenly disappear. I'll stay involved on Facebook as that's where I have made the best connections, and because the new book is in a different genre so may attract a different following. But after a year and a half I only have a very small following on Instagram and honestly, I hate trying to think up exciting posts every day. I'll keep it open and post occasionally, but I won't be beating myself up about it failing anymore.
Buying lots of freebies - it was fun, but ultimately costly for me. I think going forwards I'll just concentrating on bookmarks and maybe some more pens.
Giving lots of copies of my book away that I had bought. This time, I am going to ask people to buy the book. Gulp!
Doing things I don't want to do - I'm too old! This relates to my motivation. For the new book, I want to do my best for me and my publisher as we've put a lot of work into this book, and I do actually feel quite proud of it. But I am not going to force myself into situations where I feel too overwhelmed, or exposed to nastiness.
As I mentioned at the start, there are people who claim to have all the answers to successful book marketing, and conversely, there are people who say basically that it all boils down to luck, to being in the right place at the right time. From what I have read, luck comes to those who work for it. As Trembearth says, "In the end, luck favors the bold, the prepared, and the persistent." I'll keep trying. For now.
Ricardo Fayet: How to market your book in 7 Simple Steps (2025). Reedsy website. Accessed 29.04.2025 How to Market Your Book in 7 Simple Steps
Kimberley Trembearth: The Role of Luck in Marketing (2024). Kimberley Trembearth website. Accessed 05.05.2025. The Role of Luck in Marketing — Kimberly Trembearth
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