Top 10 Book Marketing FAILS (and How to Avoid Them)
Top 10 Book Marketing FAILS (and How to Avoid Them)
Blog Article
When I first started publishing, social media was still exciting and a lot of authors attempted to grow their platform by spamming or abusing the platforms. This is still mostly true, even though marketing has changed in the past decade… and even more in the past 3 years.
But new authors, inevitably, continue to make the same mistakes. Revising my guide, Book Marketing is Dead, I felt like it was pretty basic, and pretty old – but then I hopped online and saw a ton of authors asking whether or not some marketing company or service or tool or platform was worth it. And almost always, the answer is NO.
My first book was about what not to do, and that to really succeed, you should try forming authentic relationships. I’ve discovered some much more powerful ways to actually sell books since then, but again and again, authors cannot get these strategies to work at all, because they’re skipping over the essential basics.
So it’s still a pretty great introduction to book marketing for most authors… and it’s FREE. But since most people won’t take the time, I’ve summarized the main points here so you can very quickly get ahead of the game (so you’re ready to skip to the more impactful stuff that works).
Book Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
1. Believing “Good Enough” Will Sell Itself
You’ve got a decent book, a basic cover, and a DIY blurb, so you think it’s ready for the market. Wrong! If you don’t invest in making your book cover exceptional, and ensuring the blurb hooks readers instantly, you’re dooming your book from the start. A mediocre product will never stand out, no matter how much you promote it.
2. Marketing Before the Product Is Ready
Jumping into marketing without a solid, polished book and a carefully targeted presentation is like pushing a cart with no wheels. If your book is undercooked—riddled with errors, a lackluster cover, or a confusing blurb—save your marketing energy. Perfect the product first, THEN think about promotion.
3. Shouting on Social Media Instead of Building Connections
Announcing “Buy my book!” repeatedly across your social feeds isn’t marketing—it’s noise. This kind of promotion not only fails to get traction but actively drives potential readers away. The modern audience craves connection, not demands. Focus on building genuine interactions rather than blasting sales posts.
4. Relying on Vanity Metrics or Empty Visibility
Getting featured in an article, building visibility, or collecting followers without understanding your true audience doesn’t guarantee sales. Book marketing isn’t just about more views—it’s about targeted views. You need to be in front of the right audience, in a way that engages them.
5. Pouring Money into Ads Without Reviews
Running ads for a book with zero reviews is a classic money pit. Reviews build trust, and without them, your ads won’t convert. You’re paying to put an unfinished house on the market. Get some social proof first.
6. Ignoring the Power of a Killer Book Cover
Your book cover isn’t just decoration—it’s your #1 sales tool. Covers that are “different” or “artsy” may appeal to you, but if they don’t communicate genre expectations immediately, they’ll confuse and lose potential readers. A great cover is about fitting in with genre norms while being distinct enough to catch the eye.
7. Trying to Please Everybody (and Ending Up Pleasing Nobody)
Books that claim to appeal to “everyone” end up appealing to no one. Successful books have a clearly defined audience. If you try to market a book to too wide an audience, you’ll find no one truly connects with it.
8. Misplaced Expectations About Favors
Expecting friends, family, or random strangers to review or share your book as a “favor” sets you up for frustration. People don’t owe you reviews. Build relationships and make it easy for them to engage—give them a reason, not an obligation.
9. Overpaying for Useless Marketing Packages
The self-publishing industry is a billion-dollar market because it sells hope, not results. Buying into expensive book marketing packages or vanity publishing services often means throwing money at tactics that provide little return. Effective book marketing isn’t about the latest shiny package—it’s about understanding your audience and providing value.
10. Burnout from Doing Too Much, Too Fast
The biggest book marketing FAIL is to exhaust yourself trying every possible marketing strategy—most of which don’t move the needle. More doesn’t mean better. The best strategy is often fewer, more targeted actions that give you room to write the next book without losing your sanity.
Book Marketing is Dead (again)
Over the years I’ve repeated the idea that MOST authors are susceptible to scams, because they believe in the dream of becoming a wealthy bestselling authors and so take financial risks to make it happen. The fact that beginners with no idea how to market their books also want and look for the WRONG THINGS, means someone is always going to fill that void; selling authors what they want and not what they need.
And in fact, with the new AI bots ruining the internet, this just means publishing scams are going to become smarter and more convincing. I’m hoping, by presenting some reasons not to do the popular stuff authors want to do – because it doesn’t work – I’ll save some writers the heartache of spending all their money without seeing results.
Spam has gotten better, and it’s probably going to fool some more authors into expensive mistakes... which is why I’ve made these resources free… if you see any writers about to spend too much money on bad ideas, I hope you’ll direct them here.
Check out about self-publishing view our new website: read here.