The process of writing a non-fiction book can be fun for many authors. But before the book is finished – or even started, there are some actions you can take to market your non-fiction book for the greatest sales.
We’ll discuss the planning and research you can do before the book is complete and how to market your book once it’s done. Having a good plan will help make your book more successful.
Let’s start with a simple thought: A product like a book or much of anything else will sell best when it is intentionally designed for a particular audience. This also means that you’ll want to spend time researching both what your audience likes to read and how you can connect with them when you are writing a non-fiction book.
You might want to start by researching what competitors you have. In the world of non-fiction books, there are often numerous books about the same or similar subjects. This is true whether you plan to write about yourself or about someone else – there is probably a book with at least a similar theme to yours.
Researching a similar, successful competitor can put you on the right track to knowing what path to take to find the right audience.
There are now lots of ways to ensure that your audience knows about your book. It's all about doing the key essentials to market your non-fiction book. Here are a few examples:
While publishers are more difficult to connect with, their experience and audience reach can be invaluable in marketing your book. With that said, you don’t have to work with a publisher that does the work for you in order to be successful.
Literary Agents
Literary agents are different from publishers. A publisher pays you for the book and then sells it. An agent represents you and often gets a share of the profit. Note that in some cases, a publisher will work only with books submitted by an agent.
Much like working with a publisher, this can cost you some money in commissions and sales, but if you have a strong book, it’ll be worth it!
There are many social media platforms out there where you can simply make a page as an author. From there, you can attempt to drive people to your page and have them follow you. This requires a bit of manual work and time, but the process is free, and you can gain some followers in addition to potential sales.
Social media is also an excellent way to follow and connect with other authors in your genre.
Making your own website can be helpful for selling your non-fiction book. People go on social media for a variety of reasons, and if we are being honest, you don’t own the space. Your own website can help you display more content in a place that’s really just about you. Websites are also pretty easy to make these days and can be set up for a few dollars per month.
Of course, your own website can be a part of your author platform. Write a simple blog and share it on social media and other places where you connect with authors and readers.
Once your book is printed, you can also find local bookstores, and sometimes larger chains, where you can host a book launch. Many larger cities host these as a way to connect new and experienced authors with their regular customers. These events give readers and other authors a chance to connect with each other and to just sit down and have a conversation.
Customers often rely on reviews when purchasing anything online. Rather than having buyer’s remorse or the need to return something, we would rather see if someone else liked it before trying it.
Have some friends, colleagues, and other authors write a review for your book. Although many readers read multiple books per month, they still want to know which books are worth their time and money. Getting reviews can be simple too: Give people a copy of your book before launch in exchange for the review.
Positive reviews on book websites also help you rise up and have a better chance of being viewed on search engines like Google and Microsoft. This is a big deal for getting more free publicity for your book!
The most important start for selling your non-fiction book involves finding the right audience and doing some competitor research. You’ll want to see how successful authors did their marketing. Ensuring that a published book sells well involves marketing yourself via social media and in person and potentially connecting with a literary agent or publisher.
