5 Things to Do After You Publish Your Book Books have become the business cards of modern entrepreneurs. Here are the best ways to market your book after publication.
By Sara Tyler Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It's no secret today that entrepreneurs are writing and publishing non-fiction books to market themselves and their brands and businesses. As an entrepreneur, it increases your authority and credibility, helps you reach new clients, gain speaking engagements and much more. Books have become the business cards of modern entrepreneurs.
Since COVID-19, the amount of eBooks available on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) has more than tripled. That means that writing and publishing have become the easy part and that book marketing is the real challenge.
Despite this, too many entrepreneurs turned authors see their non-fiction book as the end of something when it's really just the beginning of a new level of marketing.
Related: How to Begin Your Lead-Generating Non-Fiction Book
What should I do after I publish a book?
After your book is published, you shouldn't sit back and relax. It's a common mistake to assume that book sales will take care of themselves. In reality, that couldn't be further from the truth.
Yes, writing and publishing a book will open many doors for you. But you still have to be the one to walk through those doors. Otherwise, what was the point of all the hard work, time and money you put into publishing your book?
In this article, I will share five things I tell all of my authors to do after publishing their books.
Related: 3 Ways to Sell More Copies of Your Non-Fiction Books
1. Take a bunch of pictures with your book
Do you know what picture gives me a spike in book sales whenever I share it? The one of me, holding my paperback next to my face and smiling. It's not a professional picture by any means; it's just a selfie taken with my smartphone. I don't use filters or wear makeup, and I certainly don't dress the part of a traditional businesswoman.
But guess what? That selfie resembles every other picture your friends, family and colleagues share. It doesn't look like an ad to buy your book. And that's what counts. That is what people respond to on social media.
My advice is to take pictures with your book often. It makes for a much more interesting scene. I tell authors to try different poses and locations. You can find many pictures of my books traveling, standing up in the sand on the beach or atop a balcony overlooking the Caribbean sea. Where I go, my books go.
Related: 5 Proven Tips for Effectively Marketing Your First Book
2. Tell people about your book again… and again
To be clear, I am not talking about bringing up your published book non-stop and no one ever being able to have a productive conversation with you. I just mean that you need to remind people periodically, preferably in various creative ways. You can share pictures with your book (as I mentioned), record videos of you reading powerful one-liners or valuable paragraphs, book quotes, glowing reader reviews, bestseller status or other sales updates, anniversaries and more.
You need to keep reminding people subtly about your book for two main reasons. One is that people get distracted easily, and you have to catch them at the right time if you want them to buy something.
The other is the commitment implied by purchasing a book. There is a funny thing that happens. Readers only want to buy it if they actually have time to sit down and read it. They take the book purchasing commitment seriously.
It's been almost two years since my first book was published, and every time I share an update, I get messages in my inbox from someone who had no idea and/or just finally got the chance to sit down and purchase it.
3. Set up an author meet and greet and book signing
Nothing is as effective in selling your book as in-person events where you can connect with your ideal reader. Unfortunately, nothing else is as intimidating either. New authors always doubt their ability to organize book signings, draw a crowd and actually sell copies of their books.
Stop doubting yourself! You will be surprised just how open venues are to hosting you as an author. Contact local libraries, bookstores, relevant organizations, schools, universities, etc.
Related: The World's Best Marketing Tool: Writing a Book
4. Start guest blogging
One of the biggest benefits of writing a book is having a writing sample in front of you. Guest blogging in your niche is a great way to grow your audience and boost your book sales by providing insights and value to your ideal reader.
This can also be very lucrative as well. I have found that not only are niche websites willing to pay for my knowledge, but they also link directly back to my books within the blog post.
5. Write a speech to expand on your book
Most speaking engagements go to published authors. Writing a speech is very similar to the idea of guest blogging. You want to write a talk, or talks, that expand on your book.
You can find speaking opportunities online via virtual summits and in person with relevant professional organizations, events, universities, etc. As a bonus, you can usually set up a book table where you can sign and sell copies of your book and connect with your ideal reader.
Related: 7 Simple Ways to Market Your Book and Brand Organically
To sum up
In conclusion, there are several ways to market your book, and by extension, yourself and your ideas, after publication if you want to sell as many copies of your title as possible.
I always give the advice to my authors that you really can't screw up a book launch, unless you go silent. All you have to do is keep talking and, above all, have fun! It may sound a little cheesy, but happiness and excitement are contagious. Keep talking, participating, sharing, and interacting by using the five strategies I outlined, and you will have no problem marketing yourself as an author.
