Book Marketing: The 1 Strategy That Works

[@ElizaFabricius]

This video is incredibly honest and refreshing. I'm so sick of hearing people advertize the hustle of book marketing and the assumption that it needs to come out with a bang or else... Having a small audience or at least starting with one is a solid enough foundation. Social media followers don't guarantee sales either.

[@cpryan127]

Best part of this, I don't have to become a super salesman. It's kinda like building a house i plan to live in. When it's ready, i move in and invite friends for coffee. Not the whole town.😄 No pressure pitch. Just me with friends. I can do that. As always, thank you, Tim.

[@KimKrenik]

People definitely NEED to read my book! Thank you for sharing!

[@delphinerachel3536]

What’s your book? I will read!

[@fityogafun]

Not rich, just starting out. Good video 😊

[@egl9sun]

OMG, I found someone who is sane about marketing. This was such an inspiring video.

[@JaneNewAuthor]

I love this! The reason I keep on writing and putting my books out there is that I KNOW my stories are good! And my readers confirm this! I've started getting a few really good reviews on Amazon. You're so right, it takes time. Really appreciate this video, perfect timing for me, thank you. ❤

[@StoryGrid]

Love this Jane! - Tim

[@storyleaks1681]

Have you self published your books? If so, how do you market it? Ads or social media marketing?

[@JaneNewAuthor]

@@storyleaks1681 I use very little social media marketing, I've found it to be expensive with little return. The only social media I use is organic and free. Advertising through Amazon and other sites is better and cheaper. IMHO.

[@EmonHassan]

Thank you for this! Just what I needed to hear as a first time author. Instead of putting so much pressure on my first to perform miracles, the book can focus on longevity, which I know it has.

[@notalltheories]

This is SUCH a relief!! Thank you for saying that about the launch window being two years. I self-published my book a few weeks ago on KDP and I am NOT a marketing genius in any sense of the word, but everyone is telling me I have to grow a following on social media and I have to have a platform in order to sell any books and I have to do this, and I have to do that or it's never going to take off and it's SO overwhelming!! (I also have ADHD and anxiety, so being on social media is both a torture and an addiction that leaves very little time or mental space for writing the next book in the series) but I DO really truly believe in my book. It changed my life to write it and it changed how I look at myself and I feel like there are likely thousands, or maybe even hundreds of thousands of people who will resonate with what I've written if only my book can find them. Now I don't feel so bad about "only" selling 30 copies so far... I've sold 30 copies to people I KNOW are going to read it, and I KNOW they are going to LOVE it!

[@nicinator]

I know this feeling really well. The worst question is always "how are your sales going?". This simple phrase makes me nervous every time and I catch myself finding excuses why I only sell like 10 books a month even though I am really proud that so many people are reading (and enjoying) my book.

[@GaryFosterThrive]

@@nicinator well done you. 10 books a month = 120 books a year - that's cool - the numbers will grow for sure

[@greenlitlleman]

90% of your book's success comes from marketing and presentation (aka blurb, book name and concept). From my experience without using ads at least 30% of all time sales come in the first month.

[@ortal_or9197]

Same here! Good-luck🌻♥️

[@davidwimble9907]

I'm about to self publish my first book and your talking about the time it takes for the book to find its audience was extremely helpful. Thank you!

[@hpgildwel]

The SAM principle is the gold here. The simple advice of "Be Confident" is for salesman. The "word of mouth" depends if the people have multiple friends, who then have multiple friends. I'm hopelessly confused, and am legitimately looking for advice. Single Audience Member seems to help, but I need more.

[@futurekron]

You're the most honest book marketing expert I've seen. Great tips.

[@AuthorCourtneyFlagg]

Great advice. I definitely dont have the right mindset. I shy away and don't want people to know i write books. I should be proud and want to yell it to the world!

[@GaryFosterThrive]

I've just written my first novel and decided to tell everyone I meet that 'I am now an author' - their response has been great AND many have picked up their mobile/cell phones, accessed Amazon and ordered a copy - it's not about Mindset, it's about just doing it - give it a go for the next 7 days and let us know how great it goes for you @authorCourtneyFlagg

[@fakunlearemu553]

Why are you shy?

[@TheDragonCodexBk]

New author here. I'm weeks from launch and I totally needed to hear this. I keep hearing about how important the initial launch is but marketing is ongoing. And, I agree, whatever your endeavor, whatever your product, whatever your service, you need to be ground zero for the hype and excitement for it. Thanks.

[@DenitresB]

This video just spared me so much stress. Thank you! 🙏🏽

[@Relief4Headaches]

Loved your advice and the way you presented it. I am absolutely certain about my book - Stop the Rain Dance - so much so, I continue to re-read my own book when I am in need of some head clearing but never really considered my own conviction to be so essential to the process. Your advice to me today was indeed life changing. Thank you!!

[@ryancruz446]

New subscriber here - will self publish my first book soon

[@AnnabelYouens]

Thank you for your clear and practical advice. I'm off to buy your marketing book. 🙌

[@Khartlef]

Thanks for the awesome tips. I already do most of them. I am a new author and have already 3 books out.

[@ihath]

Thank you for keeping it real.

[@TheologyMade]

Appreciate the honesty and the grittiness needed to make a book successful. Thanks for creating this content

[@WadeQuick]

Good advice, most writers have heard these tips and let them fly right through their heads (me). Getting enough people to read your book to gain traction with positive reviews or viral social media is a marketing tactic. Sometimes free book (ebook) carpet bombing promotions work to attain an audience. The marketing is work, time and money. Be ready for a long campaign. Liked and subscribed

[@andrewhoulston9925]

Some really great advice in the video. Footwork and belief in your book are two excellent points.

[@bryanvanmaalsen2697]

Very helpful. Makes complete sense. At the end of the day your product should be a helpful advantage to someone else. Thanks a lot for sharing!👍🏾

[@unclejoe7929]

Just like with cooking. If you as the chef don’t just think but know in your heart that this meal that you have prepared will not just leave your guests full and their appetites quenched but you are giving their taste buds an experience that they have never had before. Great character and scenes make for a memorable reading experience. Everyone’s time is precious. Don’t waste your readers time.

[@KnightFallProd]

Thank you so much for this. Truly.

[@PERCYSTV620]

How do you get the 60k book launch consultation and is there a payment plan ?

[@RoadJuice-z1t]

Possibly the best video's I have ever watched about marketing your self published book! I wrote a book called "Road Juice" ....Live, Eat, Drive, and get better at it. I would love to give you a copy if I knew how, Thank You for the great info !!!

[@jerryhinessrtv]

Wow, this information is so wonderful ! Thank you, Story Grid!!

[@alinageorge2681]

This really is the most motivating type of advice for creatives

[@RichardHaslam-sj3vo]

I've been an author since 2020, but rereleased my first book in 2022 as an indie publisher since my original publisher closed down. I've since written 4 more books in my ongoing saga, with a sixth already in the works. I tried marketing my books, I tried advertising my books, I tried everything, and still, my first book won't sell. Only a trickle so far. I'd already gotten positive reviews for the first book, four to five stars on the US Amazon site, with one three stars, but that's because she didn't know the target audience is 9 to 15 years old. I'd had my book shown to a friend's two sons, one 10 and the other 13. Though they both loved it, the oldest was disappointed that there wasn't much action, but I told their mother that that's in Book 2, which, including 3, 4, and 5, is not selling at all. I want to write stories because I wish to tap into areas that hadn't been discussed nor explored. My book saga, Now.Here, has female leads and is set in an alternate 18th Century of a post-apocalyptic past.

[@DanBryanWrites]

I am so happy the algorithm threw this into my feed. Just on the cusp of my book going live and this was the one issue that I was worrying about

[@CatAndCloud]

Thank you!! I really needed to hear that! I believe in my book with all my heart, I can talk about it 24/7, I read it over and over again, and I listen to the audio narration done by the exquisite narrator! I believe in it so much that I am writing a prequel (almost ready :) but what makes it so hard that it is a sci-fi book for a 6+ year old kids and I have to convince parents that their kids will be so much better after reading/listening engaging with my book. It will boost their creativity, imagination, not to mention the science knowledge. When I placed audiobook to the Netgalley many parents praised it being a great listen for kids and them. If I only knew how to convince more people to give it a try and start listening... I am a one-person marketing machine, lol :)

[@atelierperformances6986]

Hi ! This is Yennenga. I can't wait to read your book. You're such an inspiring writer and coach ! I wish you all the best for this book and for your work with Story Grid

[@venalleader2909]

The cynic in me sez: the 1 strategy that works: Use your social media platform to clickbait authors nervous about whether they can sell their book and then repeatedly mention your new book as an example of a good book that will change people's lives. I'm just saying... every single time you mentioned your new book in this video, it sent alarm bells off in my head about the sincerity of the video.

[@StoryGrid]

Ha, I love this. Did you notice the 100+ videos I’ve put up, all but a couple don’t even mention my book? Or maybe you think the 1000+ hours I’ve put into creating this free content I shouldn’t use to promote my $10 book? What exactly is your stance here? I should creat unlimited free, helpful content and never mention anything I or my company do? I could use more clarity on your expectations on me. - Tim

[@katwhy]

....it's called good marketing. Take notes 😉

[@jerryhinessrtv]

Wow

[@quigglyz]

what a gay comment 😂😂

[@kristalt.7404]

Sir, you have no idea how motivational and informative-ly helpful this content is to me. Such a blessing! Looking forward for more of your videos! Thank you so much! Godspeed!

[@Sisanf]

I hope people hear you on the mindset piece. Having true, unwavering belief in your work is vital to your book’s success. The confidence really comes through when you talk to people about it; it’ll be your energy and enthusiasm that will cause people to open it and start reading. Promoting your work is not easy, though. My throat constricted while I handed copies of my novel to my book club-type coworkers. But I’m glad I did; one of them enjoyed it so much, she asked for another copy to give to her dad. That’s how it starts. Thanks for the fantastic video Tim! Congrats on the new book 🙏🏾

[@StoryGrid]

Love this! - Tim

[@allymarkotich1265]

This is so helpful. Thank you!

[@Thestylemonk]

Thank you for being so concise and honest. I am in the process of interviewing agents since the publisher reached out to me....I want to make sure that when the book is ready It feels right.

[@Wordshine77]

@ 12:12, that is very encouraging. That is how I feel about my book Time Seed that I just self published.

[@SarahMcAshan]

Who-Hoo! Copies of The Shithead on the shelf behind you--sharing shelf space with Shawn's original Story Grid book--how thrilled are you right now. Congrats, man, you have earned it.

[@sonicthefox2478]

This will be helpful, thanks. I haven't gotten many sales in the books i have published. That said, though, my primary concern is to get my books out there for people to enjoy, and hopefully, it'll be fun and nice for them and leave an impact. Mostly friends and church members have bought the books, granted i can confirm that only one person has actually read it, so you are right about that. (The others buy it mainly to support me. I would rather them read it, though, at the end of the day, though i do appreciate the support.) Also managed to ask someone to review at least my first novel, which was fun and nice, too. She was very nice and helped me figure out some things to work on for my next novel. I just wish there were more readers willing to give my book a shot, though i know it's not gonna be for everyone. But eh, maybe one day I'll be surprised. Oh well, thanks for the help, sir, and I hope you have a blessed day. Im sure many people are going to improve on things cause of your videos on topics like these, so thank you for that too.

[@SavvySelf-Publishing]

I do have the right mindset then. I do believe in all of my books. I just need to find the readers.

[@LifeAfterReligion]

Thank you! Awesome advice!!

[@arturd.3284]

Hey Tim, is "Your First 1000 Copies" still worth a read and the price? After all, it's already over 10 years old. That may not be much for a book, but a lot has changed in marketing and book market in recent years.

[@StoryGrid]

Yep - Tim

[@LindalineBush-yp6cc]

Wow. Books are so essential. What with the loose security conditions in the small library of the high-security prison in Cameroon from where one of my students have been released. They let the prisoners steal all the books except for four which are safely guarded. 1 . "The Hanging Garden" by Ian Rankin. 2. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. 3. "Bleeding Stubs" by Donald Besong. 4. "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Please send your used novels to any mayor in Douala with the tag "Prison reform program."

[@PutInsomniaToBed]

Thanks for the great video and helpful advice. It makes sense.

[@n-Fold]

I found Virginia Woolf’s biography 45 years after her death. I then read all the volumes, without stop. I then found her book “waves”. Similarly with Emily Bronte. I read Withering heights, over 150 years after her death. I read it tens of times, after I began to notice the inventiveness of its structure. I then read everything she wrote. Or that which was written about her. Without her sister Charlotte being business-minded, her book would never have been read…

[@reinventingmelissa2061]

How much is the workshop? I am not going to apply until I know how much it is.

[@matsnotfat]

Really excellent video Tim. It's really what I thought about my book, that it's about sales over time and having the intention to find the right readers. Whenever I talk about my book, people are genuinely interested, and there's definitely an audience for it. I have one question though. You say give copies to people you know will love the book. I'm slightly nervous of this, because I don't want Amazon to say I have a personal relationship with the reviewer, which can break their terms and conditions and lead to account deletion. Should I tell readers I know personally not to review the book, but just tell others about it instead?

[@sunnyday6680]

What if you have a pen name and don’t want to put yourself on blast with your family members and friends? Who should I approach, how do I find them, what then ??

[@cindyfinlayson4197]

Find some unemployed people who have plenty of time 🙋🏻‍♀️

[@sallyalter6003]

So humble!😄

[@healingheartsandsouls1019]

Thank you

[@siliconalleys]

When you say you send people your book, is it an ebook, a manuscript, a physical book, or what. Thanks.

[@StoryGrid]

Either ebook or paperback version. - Tim

[@jasonsharp8621]

I agree with this. I've given copies to several friends so they can review them for me. I also have one friend that does a podcast on new movies after seeing them in the theaters. His podcast is small but has sveral thousand viewers so im looking to request a shout-out for a signed free hardcopy of the book qhen he finishes both of them. Good video.Thanks for the information.

[@splatterdaynightmares]

easier said than done. i just write. i thought I had those people. i guess I didn't.

[@johnpalermo2247]

Here's the thing...how about an author who wrote their first book & is broke? What do you do there? Hello that is me. All I know is I feel that I can go somewhere, yet I am "trapped" by money & broke. What do I do when it costs 2k to 5k for a guy who took 15 years to publish & everyone he's shown his writings literally liked it, loved it, found it interesting, or agreed with it?

[@saxbend]

So the one strategy is build an ARC team.

[@reinotsurugi]

Cool beans! My friend had a cat named "Shithead." Good title.

[@zrienkersh1475]

Wow amazing credentials

[@rbowdenscipio3408]

Niche authors gonna be depressed after this one (I'm in that group!) 😅

[@feruspriest]

Why? Niche isn't an issue according to Story Grid models.

[@rbowdenscipio3408]

@@feruspriest According to writing models, it doesn't make a difference. But for marketing and sales (which is what this video was about)? It does, and that should be obvious.

[@StoryGrid]

It is more constructive to think “How could this work for me?” instead of assuming “This won’t work for me.” - Tim

[@samsternjones]

Great video Tim. Thank you!

[@DaveCollins123]

He's effectively advocating niche marketing... 🙄

[@kavilwagh]

Bro's advice is literally go out and find people who will like your book. 😅 I already knew that, just how do you market it is still a question

[@jacquelinejanssen2739]

Do you still do publicity? My book is at the galley proof stage. I have written an excellent nonfiction and when read by mothers of people who live with mental illness, county mental health directors, legislators and people who are working to reduce homelessness, it will happen. I signed up to meet with you but hard to wait. Not sure if the class is right. Might be better to work with you directly. You and your vid were recommended to me.

[@Jam27365]

Love this advice Tim, always practical and real I’m curious to know who the SAM is for The Shithead? Can it be another version of myself, simply because I’m writing a genre I love? Thanks 🙏🏻

[@StoryGrid]

Yes, your SAM can be another version of yourself. As for The Shithead, if I reveal the SAM then it would be a spoiler for my book 😀 - Tim

[@miggseye]

@@StoryGrid Ahhhh, so the Narrative Device (and its Author/SAM relationship) is not just a tool for the author to write the book, but it's also an integral part of the reader experience (hence not wanting to spoil it). I'm starting to see the importance it more and more.

[@johannesrehn6494]

I'm into the speculative and experimental, which naturally becomes what I write. However, I highly doubt that anyone I know will enjoy reading it based on the fact that it's speculative fiction. What I write is New Weird-ish even, and that's not for everyone. Who do I write for? Thanks. Also, first

[@AWildBard]

Who do I write for? Good question.

[@miggseye]

No book is “for everyone”. But your “weird-ish” is for someone. Finding the someone’s who would enjoy it is what Tim’s talking about.

[@johannesrehn6494]

@@miggseye I agree. What I meant was that I haven't found that someone to write for yet, and I don't know what to do in the meantime. I agree with Tim. I could write for my wife, though I'm not interested in the kind of books she's interested in, which creates a sense of being disingenuous on my end. It's more of a "this is my situation, what now?"

[@sheila19954]

i'm guessing that you'll find your audience you write for yourself first and foremost

[@TheMontagPress]

sounds interesting. what books? where? nothing came up under your name.

[@JeanClaudeNsabimana-m4f]

You just earned a 1 more sub for being honest with us, unlike the rest of other KZbinrs talking about this topic.

[@MarkLandonJarvis]

Succinct and powerful. Thanks as always, Tim.

[@YoWorkMama]

People will definitely be better after reading my book. I love my books, they are funny and heartwarming and life changing.

[@jamin6517]

❤

[@hallelujah.moritz]

This is wise advice. Thank you!

[@ParisianPaddy]

handsome

[@Griddiho]

Not sure about the title of your new book? It's a little off-putting? But courageous, for sure!

[@YudronWangmo]

I'm a little baffled by this video. How exactly is giving a bunch of people who are already connected to you and will love your book, free copies of it going to help you? You say they will generate buzz, but a lot of book lovers are introverts who will read it and never mention it to anyone. Amazon frowns on 'friends' writing reviews--since a lot of our readers are FB friends with us, it is risky to have them write reviews. Are you doing the classic move of making your book free on Amazon so that these folks can be verified as having purchased it? Are you telling them to post about it on social media? You never finished your thought here.

[@thisoldgoat3927]

Tim says to believe in yourself and find people who will read your book. Yeah, a lot easier said than done.

[@YudronWangmo]

@@thisoldgoat3927 Fortunately, people read my books and they pay for them.

[@joeovip]

Hey Tim! I know you from those CreativeLive days! You remember? Those 3 days live workshops. Anyhow, glad to see you and thanks for this video and the reminder.

[@FredKimmel]

So, basically, what you are saying is that the only way to sell a book is to have followers first. Either the author has them by the thousands on FB, X, or YT, or he can find a good enough publisher who uses theirs. Therefore, authors without these followers cannot self-publish, and if no agent picks up their book, there is no way to successfully publish it.

[@StoryGrid]

Wow. No that’s not what I said at all. It sounds like that’s what you already think so you decided to hear that in my video. - Tim

[@FredKimmel]

@@StoryGrid Sorry, but this is my conclusion. Seems so obvious.

[@authorjgamber]

Hi Tim, just a nobody here getting started in my writing career, but... even I know the first rule of marketing is "the customer is always right." Not sure why you feel the need to further impress your credentials upon people in the comments by replying indignantly. --- Jacob

[@matthewkjames4498]

@@StoryGrid I am close to agreeing, but I'm hearing we need to use our author brain that drums up creative stories, to switch over and put it towards marketing in a unique way.