marketing for self published book

[simpsonkeith9]

besides going through amazon B+N ads etc what are other ways that arent a waste of time for marketing a new book?

 

[pmmg]

Hard to say what is a waste of time. Some have a very low probability of success, but if one hits...

Just some I could list:

Win awards
Get noticed on blogs of other noticed people
Find a fantasy convention and buy a table
start a video blog
Have a good cover
Have lots of reviews
Do something at your library
Have a website
Have a newsletter
Be active in social media
be active on author and fantasy sites.

 

[ThinkerX]

Reviews help. I had the most success with the review groups on Goodreads.

Most of the book promotion sites are not worthwhile. Still, if you find one for like fifteen or twenty bucks...maybe?

What worked for me - for a while, anyhow - was plain old ordinary posts on Facebook Book groups. Not ads or boosted posts, just plain old posts.

 

[skip.knox]

I'd be interested to know two things from the OP.

1. What would the OP consider to be a waste of time?
2. How would the OP measure wasted time?

I don't want to skew the reply, but simply to illustrate what I mean, perhaps I might (as the OP) say that wasted time would mean money spent but zero sales made. As a measure, maybe I'd have some sort of ratio, like $100 spent must result in ten books sold. Or something like that. The measure wouldn't have to be money; I just reached for the easiest measure.

 

[ThinkerX]

I have gotten some sales with promos that cost ten or fifteen dollars - basically lunch money.

I have also *failed* to get any sales from promos that cost over a hundred dollars.

(I have also had quite a few ten or fifteen dollar promos that flopped.)

 

[Foxkeyes]

'This is Marketing' by Seth Godin is a good book explaining marketing principles. Applies to all marketing.

 

[Jason]

Reviews help. I had the most success with the review groups on Goodreads.

Thanks, ThinkerX for the prompt - set up my Goodreads author profile.
Any tips for the next steps?

 

[skip.knox]

How much have you read on how to market books? There's a huge variety, with a variety of advice. I would ignore anything older than three years, and maybe even older than a year, because the landscape changes quickly. Even at that, you have many, many hours of reading ahead of you.

You have to read much and widely because you're only going to adopt some of it. Some won't make any sense to you at all. Some will feel overwhelming. Some will seem exactly right. Keep your list of reading and keep adding to it, because what did and did not resonate with you now is going to be different six months from now and then again two years from now. Not only does the market change, you change as well, as does your position within it.

To put it differently, what makes sense to me very likely won't entirely make sense to you. So it's best to carve your own path. What I've found helpful is to read this or that, then come to groups like this one, say what I just read, and ask what others think of that specific tactic. I've had very good feedback at that.

 

[ThinkerX]

Thanks, ThinkerX for the prompt - set up my Goodreads author profile.
Any tips for the next steps?

Just find the appropriate group and submit your book.

These work on a 10 / 4 system - ten people per group. You read and review four books within a certain time limit - mine included a book of poetry, a self-help book, a murder mystery, and a fictionalized account of childhood trauma. Four people also review your book (not the same ones).

 

[Ned Marcus]

Selling short stories to fantasy magazines can help make your name better known too.

 

[Ned Marcus]

Hard to say what is a waste of time. Some have a very low probability of success, but if one hits...

Win awards
Get noticed on blogs of other noticed people
Find a fantasy convention and buy a table
start a video blog
Have a good cover
Have lots of reviews
Do something at your library
Have a website
Have a newsletter
Be active in social media
be active on author and fantasy sites.

Winning awards is probably a good one—you can stick them on your cover—but hard to arrange. Do you know anyone who's bought a table at a fantasy convention and had good results?

 

[pmmg]

Me personally?

Well, I have been to some conventions where books were sold, but never to an actual book or publishing convention. I've also never rented a table. I am not sure where I picked that up. I think it might be from some of the marketing vids on youtube.

If I was to personally to this, I would want a big attractive banner, and or merch to sell (small things like a button, or a magnet, or a bookmark) and I would probably have my book at a severe discount, or even just a freebie (book 1...not book 2+). The idea being, to talk it up and get readers who might then post reviews. I would also want to give them something that had a web address and listed other stuff they might want. For this, I might go in expecting to take a loss for the reviews to make it up later.

Thinking on this some more, I believe Malik has said he had success with this. Malik has mentioned that he is a good promoter. I probably am not, but I think my daughter would be. Either way, I would want to bring someone who could work my table better than me.

I had wanted to go to Ad-astra in Toronto, but life changed. I would like to do it once and see whats there. Maybe closer to home....but not too close

 

[ThinkerX]

Me personally?

Well, I have been to some conventions where books were sold, but never to an actual book or publishing convention. I've also never rented a table. I am not sure where I picked that up. I think it might be from some of the marketing vids on youtube.

If I was to personally to this, I would want a big attractive banner, and or merch to sell (small things like a button, or a magnet, or a bookmark) and I would probably have my book at a severe discount, or even just a freebie (book 1...not book 2+). The idea being, to talk it up and get readers who might then post reviews. I would also want to give them something that had a web address and listed other stuff they might want. For this, I might go in expecting to take a loss for the reviews to make it up later.

Thinking on this some more, I believe Malik has said he had success with this. Malik has mentioned that he is a good promoter. I probably am not, but I think my daughter would be. Either way, I would want to bring someone who could work my table better than me.

I had wanted to go to Ad-astra in Toronto, but life changed. I would like to do it once and see whats there. Maybe closer to home....but not too close

As far as actual money made, I had my best results selling author copies to local bookstores. Usually, the author copies cost me five or six bucks with shipping, the retail price is $14 - $22, so I sell them for ten or twelve bucks, coming out about five bucks ahead. I almost went the booth route...but my area lacks the population for that.

 

[pmmg]

I think you have go where the population is.

For me, it would just be a weekend adventure. If it dont work out, I would still see what I think of an authors convention.

 

[queen silvia]

That’s a really fair question especially because so much book marketing advice sounds busy but doesn’t always translate into meaningful reach.
Outside of paid ads like Amazon or B&N, what tends to matter most isn’t doing more platforms, but choosing the few that actually fit how readers discover books in your genre. For a new release, time is often better spent on visibility that compounds rather than constant promotion.
Some authors get traction through reader-facing spaces short-form content that highlights tone or theme, newsletter swaps with writers at a similar stage, or appearing in genre-specific communities where conversation already exists. Those approaches usually work best when they’re intentional rather than scattered.
Something that helped me personally was getting guidance from a professional who helped me assess which marketing tools made sense for my goals, instead of trying everything at once. It saved a lot of time and made the effort feel more focused rather than experimental.
Out of curiosity, are you aiming more for steady long-term discovery with this book, or trying to create an initial push around release?

 

[queen silvia]

Me personally?

Well, I have been to some conventions where books were sold, but never to an actual book or publishing convention. I've also never rented a table. I am not sure where I picked that up. I think it might be from some of the marketing vids on youtube.

If I was to personally to this, I would want a big attractive banner, and or merch to sell (small things like a button, or a magnet, or a bookmark) and I would probably have my book at a severe discount, or even just a freebie (book 1...not book 2+). The idea being, to talk it up and get readers who might then post reviews. I would also want to give them something that had a web address and listed other stuff they might want. For this, I might go in expecting to take a loss for the reviews to make it up later.

Thinking on this some more, I believe Malik has said he had success with this. Malik has mentioned that he is a good promoter. I probably am not, but I think my daughter would be. Either way, I would want to bring someone who could work my table better than me.

I had wanted to go to Ad-astra in Toronto, but life changed. I would like to do it once and see whats there. Maybe closer to home....but not too close

That actually sounds like a very grounded way of thinking about it you’re not romanticizing conventions, you’re weighing the cost, the effort, and what you’d realistically want to get back from it. That alone already puts you ahead of a lot of advice floating around online.


What you described treating the event less as direct profit and more as reader acquisition is often where in-person events make the most sense. Reviews, mailing list sign-ups, and genuine conversations tend to be the real return, not the book sales themselves. And you’re right that having something physical with your web address or next steps matters far more than people expect.


You’re also very self-aware about the promotion side. Not everyone enjoys “working a table,” and there’s no shame in that. Having someone who naturally enjoys talking, inviting people in, and explaining the book can completely change the experience it becomes less draining and more effective.


One thing that sometimes helps is getting a clearer picture of which events actually match your goals before committing some conventions are better for networking with other writers, others for reader discovery, and some honestly sit somewhere in between. I found it useful to get outside perspective from someone experienced with author promotion, just to help evaluate whether a specific event is likely to be worth the energy, not just the money.


If you were to try it once, would you see it more as a learning experience to understand the audience and atmosphere or would you want it to directly support the launch of a specific book?

 

[queen silvia]

Thanks, ThinkerX for the prompt - set up my Goodreads author profile.
Any tips for the next steps?

That’s a great step to take getting your Goodreads author profile set up gives you a solid foundation, even if you don’t do much with it right away.


For next steps, I’d suggest keeping it simple and sustainable. Making sure your books are correctly linked, your bio reflects the kind of stories you write, and your profile photo is clear and consistent with your author branding can already go a long way. After that, small activity tends to work better than heavy promotion things like updating your status occasionally, adding books you genuinely enjoy, or responding when readers leave questions or comments.

Goodreads seems to reward consistency more than intensity, so treating it as a slow-burn visibility tool rather than a sales platform can make it feel much less stressful.

Are you mainly hoping to use Goodreads to support your current book, or more to build a longer-term reader presence as you keep publishing?

 

[pmmg]

If you were to try it once, would you see it more as a learning experience to understand the audience and atmosphere or would you want it to directly support the launch of a specific book?

Queen Silvia, are you here to sell marketing?

If I was to do it, for sure it would just be for the experience. But this all falls against the fact that I only have so much energy to spend, and at the moment, marketing is not where I am spending it. Cancer did take a lot out of my sails last year, and I still linger with things to overcome from it even today, but I do hope to be back on a somewhat regular schedule soon. My only big hope for this year is to get book 5 very far along.

The only thing I can say about marketing so far, is that amazon ads seem to be a waste of money.

 

[queen silvia]

Queen Silvia, are you here to sell marketing?

If I was to do it, for sure it would just be for the experience. But this all falls against the fact that I only have so much energy to spend, and at the moment, marketing is not where I am spending it. Cancer did take a lot out of my sails last year, and I still linger with things to overcome from it even today, but I do hope to be back on a somewhat regular schedule soon. My only big hope for this year is to get book 5 very far along.

The only thing I can say about marketing so far, is that amazon ads seem to be a waste of money.

Not at all I’m not here to sell marketing, and I’m really glad you asked directly.
Thank you for sharing that, too. What you went through last year matters, and it makes complete sense that your energy has to be spent carefully right now. Recovering from something that heavy isn’t just physical it affects focus, stamina, and even how much noise you can tolerate. Wanting to prioritize the work itself over promotion right now is more than reasonable.
Honestly, having the main goal be getting book 5 well underway sounds like a healthy and grounded focus. That’s progress you can control, and it feeds everything else later.
You’re also not wrong about Amazon ads. For many authors especially in long series or niche fantasy they can burn money fast without giving much back unless the data, targeting, and read-through are already strong. A lot of people quietly come to the same conclusion you have.
Marketing doesn’t have to be “now or never.” It can be seasonal. There are times for output, and times for visibility and it sounds like you’re very clearly in an output season.
When you do feel ready again, even light-touch options that don’t demand constant energy can exist in the background without pressure. But there’s absolutely no rule that says you must be pushing promotion while you’re still rebuilding your strength.
For now, getting back into rhythm and moving book 5 forward feels like a meaningful win in itself.
When you think about the series as a whole, does writing the later books feel energizing again, or are you still easing your way back into that creative flow?

 

[ThinkerX]

Not at all I’m not here to sell marketing, and I’m really glad you asked directly.
Thank you for sharing that, too. What you went through last year matters, and it makes complete sense that your energy has to be spent carefully right now. Recovering from something that heavy isn’t just physical it affects focus, stamina, and even how much noise you can tolerate. Wanting to prioritize the work itself over promotion right now is more than reasonable.
Honestly, having the main goal be getting book 5 well underway sounds like a healthy and grounded focus. That’s progress you can control, and it feeds everything else later.
You’re also not wrong about Amazon ads. For many authors especially in long series or niche fantasy they can burn money fast without giving much back unless the data, targeting, and read-through are already strong. A lot of people quietly come to the same conclusion you have.
Marketing doesn’t have to be “now or never.” It can be seasonal. There are times for output, and times for visibility and it sounds like you’re very clearly in an output season.
When you do feel ready again, even light-touch options that don’t demand constant energy can exist in the background without pressure. But there’s absolutely no rule that says you must be pushing promotion while you’re still rebuilding your strength.
For now, getting back into rhythm and moving book 5 forward feels like a meaningful win in itself.
When you think about the series as a whole, does writing the later books feel energizing again, or are you still easing your way back into that creative flow?

Here. This thread details my marketing misadventures. Read the last few pages:

https://mythicscribes.com/community/threads/where-to-go-from-here.24204/