Looking for an easy way to market your book? Anyone and everyone can write articles for relevant media to promote their books!
Book marketing for beginners
Writing articles and op-eds is one of the best ways you can be proa-ctive with your book marketing. I have a background as a women’s media journalist, so writing and pitches articles was a significant part of my strategy because I’m good at it and I enjoy it (check out some of my articles here. Almost all websites are looking for quality content from interesting voices, for free. You might not be able to get reviewed by some of your top press, especially women’s magazines as they review so little books every month, but you can certainly get published on their websites.
1. Op-eds
Opinion pieces are smart, well-expressed essays about noteworthy issues of the day. Your best bet is to tie this kind of piece to the themes or central argument of your book.
2. Personal essays
The more relaxed cousin to the op-ed, personal essays focus more on your personal, lived experience. They’re less about trying to explicitly make a political or topical point, and more about sharing a unique human story about something noteworthy.
3. How-to
All writer-focused websites are looking for craft-focused pieces. Logic and practical advice are king. Base your how-to pieces off your book: think back on what you did to achieve publication, that other writers would find useful.
4. Trend pieces
Popular media and even more highbrow pop culture outlets love trend pieces. These are articles that say something—really, anything—about a new or accepted trend.
5. Listicles
The bread and butter of the internet, listicles are list-based articles. Because most readers want “snacky” content, articles they can flick through and read quickly, listicles are very popular.
6. Profile pieces
On 110-year anniversary of her birth, I wrote a profile piece for Bust about the controversial silent film star Clara Bow. While THE REGULARS does touch on women in Hollywood and the construction of female narratives, as Clara’s story does, it really has nothing to do with silent film stars or the 1920s. This was just something I was interested in and could write easily about, and the anniversary was a good tie-in.
If you're serious about starting or improving your career as an author, check out my course, The Pro-Active Author.
Further reading!
Book Marketing Ideas That Will Change Your Life - Author Media
Book Marketing 101 | Jane Friedman
Marketing Your Book | The Creative Penn