Six Book Marketing Strategies Proven By Real Authors

Divya Parekh, of The DP Group, covers business growth, storytelling, high-impact performance and authority building.

As countless books compete for readers' attention, book marketing is a critical component in the journey of a book from creation to consumption.

So, how can authors best bridge their ideas and their audience? I'm a No. 1 bestselling author and the founder of a company that provides tailored high-impact authority positioning and coaching. Here's a little gem from my experiences: Hosting interactive virtual book readings works well. I've tailored these sessions to my non-fiction work, diving deep into key themes, sparking discussions and engaging directly with readers. This wasn't just about promoting a book—it was a chance to connect, share insights and build a community. The result? A stronger reader bond and boosted sales.

To help other thought leaders, I ask members of the Book Authors Group, a community I lead through Forbes Coaches Council, to share real strategies they've tried for successful book marketing.

1. Send A Copy To Top Executives

Sending a copy to top executives is a great way of sharing your message. Reading equals time, which equals money. I let them off the reading hook by encouraging them to "grab a pull quote when you need a snack of inspiration." This is how I've received endorsements as well as sales when leaders "grabbed" my book, Empathy: A Guide to Maximizing Human Potential, on the fly and then purchased it for their teams. - Sharon A. Kuhn, Sharon Kuhn Consulting

2. Incorporate Your Book's Theme Whenever Possible

I've recently created a workbook on monthly goal setting, and whether delivering a keynote or participating in a panel, I always ensure to highlight the importance of goal setting—the theme of my workbook—in my speech and discuss how my workbook supports this process. After my speech, I hold a book signing and offer a special price, which adds a personal touch, significantly boosting sales and impact. - Danielle Melton, M.Ed., MOTHERboard®

3. Join A Network Of Journalists

I joined networks of journalists connecting with experts in niche sectors, so when the journalists need a comment or quote on a topic I am an expert on, I get visibility and the journalist receives an expert's view supporting their article. - Michele Damone, Nature Motivation

4. Ask For Feedback And Recommendations

In my case, asking for feedback and recommendations for the book was very effective. I also tried working with influencers to talk about my book, which worked well on the social media side but not with book sales. Finally, if you can, get experts' endorsements. - Abdulaziz Al-Roomi, Global Legacy Management Consulting & Training

5. Host A Creative Collaboration Book Launch

The unconventional marketing strategy that was effective with my co-authored book, The Life Coach's Toolkit, was a creative collaboration book launch with shared promotional campaign efforts. It eventually led to it becoming an international bestseller! Before the book launch, the authors, along with their teams, engaged in weeks of brainstorming and planning promotion ideas and delegated specific roles for each team - Kurline J Altes, KURLINEJSPEAKS LLC

6. Consider A PR Specialist

For all three of my books, I hired a PR specialist and a podcast booker. These are not nearly as expensive as they seem. My latest book has just been nominated Top 20 Business Book of the Year, so I guess they worked! Good writing, all! - Antonio Garrido, My Daily Leadership

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?