Authors, not sure where to start with book marketing? Start here.

Welcome. If you're an author starting out and aren't sure where to put your efforts, money and time to market your book most effectively, this post is for you. These posts should give you a good understanding of what is needed, what you can get started with straightaway and help you put together a plan for your activity. I have linked to blog posts on this site and on other trusted resources. If you have any questions about book marketing, The Empowered Author or any of the posts you read here, then do comment at the bottom.

1. What can I do before my book publishes?

You do not need to wait to have your book published to start getting your house in order. During this time you can get yourself into a strong position. You'll need some basics, this is often called your Author Platform, this includes your website, your Amazon presence, social media accounts and your author newsletter.

Building your author marketing platform - Lounge Marketing

What to Include in Your Book Marketing Strategy - Ingram Sparks

A definition of author platform - Jane Friedman

What is an Author Platform - The Balance

Finding Your Ideal Audience: A Step-by-Step Guide - Your Writer Platform

How to Title a Book: What Do Good Book Titles Have In Common? - Reedsy

How to set up your Amazon Author Central account - Reedsy

Elements of your author platform

a. What makes a great author website?

What Should I Put on My Author Website?- John Burke for Ingram Spark

Blog post ideas for author websites - Lounge Marketing

b. How do I use social media?

Social media is a relatively easy way to start connecting with readers, bloggers, agents and booksellers. You do not need to have a presence on every social media platform, that is unrealistic. Concentrate your efforts on 2 or 3 that suit you and your readers best.

Twitter for authors - Lounge Marketing

How authors join Goodreads - Goodreads

TEA - 25 Book marketing ideas - small ad for blog posts.png

How to Set Up a Facebook Page for Authors - BookWorks

How to Use Instagram As An Author Plus 10 Ways to Grow Your Account Organically- The Creative Penn

24 Instagram accounts for book-lovers - Lounge Books

Instagram Hacks- Hootsuite blog

25 Creative Ways Authors Use Images for Social Media Marketing- BookBub

c. How do I maximise my Amazon presence?

Writing effective blurbs by author, Kerry Wilkinson - Lounge Marketing

How to Write a Killer Author Bio - Reedsy Blog

How to Write an Amazon Book Description That Sells - Reedsy Blog

Choose The Right Categories And Keywords for Your Book - The Creative Penn

2. How do I create a great cover for my book?

If you are designing your own cover, I encourage you to spend a lot of time getting this right. Your cover must work hard for you, it must reflect the quality of your book and should entice people to choose your book. This is the number one mistake I see indie authors making - poorly designed covers. If you can hire a professional cover designer, then I highly recommend you do.

How to Choose the Right Book Cover Dimensions - Reedsy

How to create a compelling book cover- The Creative Penn

Top 7 Resources to Design Your Own Book Cover- Reedsy

Why authors should never design their own covers (without help) - Lounge Marketing

5 Ways a Book Cover Could Hurt Sales — And How to Fix It - BookBub