Good ghostwriters lull their clients into a false sense of luxurious ease. A seasoned pro makes life easy for clients by accommodating schedule hiccups, maintaining a quick and efficient pace, and delivering best-in-class content. The job involves making everything look easy to the person paying for the writing.
But once the book is written, the client is faced with that troublesome question: What now?
Even if you have a contract with a big five publisher, it’s a mistake to just sit back and wait for the loving reviews to rain down and high-dollar royalty checks to roll in. The truth is, publishers large and small have essentially downsized their press and promotion departments out of existence.
That means any author—even one with a ghostwriter—must tirelessly self-promote to sell a book. The good news? There are all kinds of opportunities to do that. Modern book promotion is more a matter of legwork than dollars spent. The keys to success are energy, perseverance, and some creative salesmanship.
The Promotion Game
Although high-profile influencers with seven-figure follower numbers can promote their books with fifteen minutes, a keyboard, and a little strategic posting, us mere mortals have a bigger hill to climb. That effort requires both real world and online strategies.
• Exposure. When it comes to selling books, there’s no such thing as too much exposure. That starts with building your profiles on social media sites, from LinkedIn to TikTok. Exploit each site’s own algorithm and post as frequently as possible. That can be anything from an article written on the site to simply commenting on someone else’s post. Frequency is crucial. Effective book promoters post on all their social media pages every day. If you want engagement, you have to engage. Ceaselessly.
• Traditional media. Don’t discount the “nonline” world. Conventional interviews with magazines, newspapers, and radio shows remain highly effective for promoting a book. This applies to local as well as national outlets (sometimes more so). The good news is that local publications and news organizations are often budget starved and scrambling for content. Pitch them a good article angle and you’ll often get a response and high-visibility placement.
• Live events. Bookstores welcome readings and author appearances, because those draw crowds of potential book buyers. You don’t need a PR rep or publisher to set up a reading, signing, or Q&A session; simply call the bookstore manager and schedule the event. If you’re willing to travel, you can arrange appearances throughout your region or even your state.
Pitching yourself as a speaker is another effective method to get the book in front of a wide audience. Platforms such as TedX constantly look for effective, engaging speakers. There are also be opportunities to schedule themed speeches in front of conventions, gatherings, or clubs. For instance, if you’ve written an investigative account of a major crime, a law-enforcement convention would likely welcome you to the stage.
Even if attendance seems light, every book you sign or hand you shake is a pebble in a pond. Appearances, events, and speeches garner publicity locally and beyond. The people who attend events often serve as book ambassadors who spread the word to friends, family, and co-workers.
• Guerilla promotion. Although this approach is generally a long shot, guerilla book promotion is all about creativity in crafting totally unique and unusual promotions. For instance, twenty years ago a friend promoted his book by ordering 1,000 business cards printed with the book cover on one side and the website on the other, under an intriguing mystery tagline. He spent a weekend riding different trains and lines on the New York subway, tucking the cards into the corners of windows and between seats. By Wednesday, the book’s website had hundreds of visitors and he saw a boost in sales on Amazon. Accomplished ghostwriters make life easy for clients. But for a book to do well, the client must do the heavy lifting required to effectively promote the book. The best writing in the world cannot, on its own, be expected to sell a book in today’s crowded, hectic book marketplace. It’s never too early to start strategizing promotion and never too late to fit in one more event, pitch email, or outreach engagement.