Writing a book is an incredible achievement, and your main focus right now might just be getting it over the finish line. But if you want to sell a lot of copies or build a business, don’t wait until you have a finished product! Cultivating an audience for your book takes time, so you should start planting the seeds and reaching readers before your book is even published. Here are nine ideas for marketing your book before you’ve written “the end.”
1. Learn about your target audience
The first step to crafting an effective marketing plan is knowing your audience. It’s incredibly difficult to stand out in today’s publishing industry — there are tons of books (and other products!) competing for readers’ attention. So the more you can narrow your focus to a very specific audience, the more you can speak directly to the interests of your ideal reader, and the better chance you’ll have of capturing their attention.
To find your audience, start by defining which particular types of readers will be excited to read your book — here’s a guide to doing that research. Then you can figure out where to reach those readers and what messages and topics will resonate with them. Here are seven strategies you can use to learn more about your target audience.
2. Write your elevator pitch
An elevator pitch is a quick summary of what your book is about — the one-to-two-sentence answer you might give if someone asked, “What are you writing?” on a short elevator ride. It can be a helpful exercise to craft a concise description of your book early in your writing process to further clarify who your book is for and what they’ll get out of it — both of which are important insights for your book marketing. Need some inspiration? Discover five steps to write a killer elevator pitch.
3. Create a website
Some authors rely exclusively on social media platforms to grow an audience, but if you’re serious about making your books into a business, you should create a website. Unlike a social media page, a website is an online space you own where you can tell your story and showcase your writing.
Before your book is finished, your website should include a short author bio, a description of the book you’re working on, and any other information that can help potential readers get to know you and your writing (keep reading for ideas!).
4. Start collecting emails from readers
Another important reason to create a website early in your writing journey, even if it’s just a simple landing page, is to start collecting email addresses from future readers. Email is the most reliable channel to stay in touch with your biggest fans. Similar to a website you own, an email address you own is much more valuable than a social media follow — social platforms can change their algorithms or policies at any time, making it more challenging or unpredictable for your posts to be seen by your followers.
Every time someone expresses enthusiasm for your book is a chance to grow your list. When you give your killer elevator pitch, if you’re lucky, the response will be “I can’t wait to read it!”. You may have just found a new reader! It might feel pushy or salesy to say “If you want to know when it’s published, you can sign up for my mailing list.” But the people who are genuinely curious or intrigued — the people you should be most eager to stay in touch with — will be delighted for the opportunity to get updates. These early readers may even be willing to offer feedback on your book.
If you’re wondering what to do with these emails once you start collecting them, see what kind of content other authors include in their newsletters or keep reading for ideas!
5. Begin building an ARC team
Sending advance reader copies (ARCs) to engaged readers, bloggers, or influencers is a popular strategy to generate word-of-mouth recommendations and early reviews for your book. Many people like to see that a book is well-reviewed by other readers before making a purchase, so it’s important to generate reader reviews on retailers as soon as your book is available.
As you start collecting email addresses from prospective readers, consider asking if they would be willing to join your ARC team. ARC readers typically receive a free print or digital copy of a book in advance of publication in exchange for posting reviews on retailers and reading platforms like BookBub and Goodreads. Learn how one author built an ARC team for her first book to reach 120 reviews with a 4.5 average rating!
6. Start a blog
Another way to start growing an audience before your book is published is to start a blog. You can email blog posts to your newsletter subscribers, but the added benefit of posting online is the potential to get discovered by new people via search. Many website platforms include blogging capabilities, or some authors use services like Substack or Medium to share their writing, which can offer additional exposure to new readers on those platforms.
Whichever platform you choose, a blog can be an opportunity to grow your online visibility, establish your voice as an author, and attract readers who are interested in the topics you’re writing about. This can be especially effective for nonfiction, but fiction writers can blog too!
Wondering what to blog about? Learn how to develop a plan for consistently creating new content that plays to your unique skills, strengths, and goals.
7. Share writing updates
Whether through an email newsletter, a blog, or the social media platform of your choice, one easy way to stay in touch with potential readers before you’re published is to share updates about your writing!
Documenting your writing journey can be a great way to start attracting attention from your target audience, especially if you tease elements of the book that will appeal to them. In addition to sharing details about the projects they’re working on, many authors also share humorous perspectives on the writing process.
Author Z.S. Diamanti used a popular TikTok sound to relate to the next stage of his writing process — trying to write a short blurb that sums up his lengthy fantasy novel.
@zsdiamanti Who’s having fun (or struggling) with their book blrub? 😂 #authorsoftiktok #authortok #indieauthor #indieauthorsoftiktok
Booktuber Haley Pham announced that she was working on her first book by sharing her current word count and her word count goal for the first draft.
@haleypham SURPRISE 😭 #booktok #authortok ?!
8. Share excerpts or quotes
Another way to promote your work in progress is to share excerpts or quotes. Pick something that demonstrates the value or stakes of your book, a relationship between characters, a unique setting, or an unexpected twist.
Physician, nonfiction author, and podcaster Dr. Rangan Chatterjee shares quotes from his books in carousels on Instagram to spark conversations with his followers.
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Author Karina Halle created a Reel that showed off her book cover and a quote from the romantic lead in her dark fantasy romance.
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9. Share book recommendations
One easy way to connect with readers that doesn’t require talking about your own writing is to share book recommendations. Many readers rely on recommendations to discover their next book, and they put a lot of trust in authors to suggest books. Talking about books you love — especially if they’re similar to the book you’re writing! — can build genuine connections with a community of fans in your genre.
Fantasy author M. J. Kuhn makes novel recommendations on TikTok based on people’s favorite video games, highlighting the similar elements between the games and the books she’s suggesting.
@mjkuhnbooks Calling all fans of Poe, fungi, zobies, and vaguely creepy stuff! #booktok #gamertok #tlou #thelastofus #houseofusher #fallofthehouseofusher
USA Today bestselling author Farrah Rochon posts Recommendations on BookBub.com, sharing the details she loved about a recent romance read.
10. Share book research
If you’re doing research while you’re writing, you can engage readers by sharing what you learn along the way.
If you’re writing nonfiction, keep an eye out for social media trends or conversations related to your topic so you can chime in with an expert’s perspective. Share interesting data, anecdotes, discoveries, or takeaways that will pique readers’ interest in your forthcoming book.
Fiction writers can share research too! Anything you learn to aid your writing or world-building — facts about clothing, technology, architecture, historical settings, food, or weaponry — could be interesting to your target audience.
New York Times bestselling author Lucinda Brant curates dozens of Pinterest boards with research and information about the Georgian era of her historical romance and historical mystery novels.
Querying writer Kamy joked on TikTok about the differences in how fantasy and mystery authors approach certain writing research.
@kamy_writes Oh the things we research as writers. 🤣 #kamy_writes #write #writer #writertok #writers #writingcommunity #writerslife #writing #writingabook #writinganovel #writingya #writingfantasy#story #writingyafantasy #authorsoftiktok #fantasywriter #fantasywriting #fantasywriters #ya #yawriter #yawritertok #fantasy #yafantasytok #writingismylife #writersgonnawrite #amwriting #authorsofinstagram #words #wordsmatter #writinghumor #mysterywriter #thrillerwriter #writingresearch
For more marketing inspiration, learn from both first-time and experienced authors:
- The Marketing Strategy I Used to Launch My First Book
- Getting Started with BookBub Ads: Promoting a Debut Novel
- 14 Fantastic Marketing Tips for Debut Authors
11. Publish chapters on fiction apps or other platforms
Another way to begin engaging readers and growing an audience before you publish is to share your work in progress in bite-size pieces. Many readers use serial fiction platforms like Wattpad, Radish, Tapas, or Royal Road, which can be a good fit for books in particular genres. You can publish one chapter of your book at a time to hook readers into your story, and the platforms will help surface your writing to a relevant audience. Some authors find that publishing a chapter at a time can be a good way to stick to a schedule and hold themselves accountable for hitting writing goals.
Crowdfunding and subscription services like Substack, Patreon, or Kickstarter are also increasingly popular for authors to give readers early access to their work. In addition to building excitement and closer relationships with readers, these platforms can generate additional income to fund the upcoming book.
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