Building Buzz For Your Book Release
The more time you invest in building buzz for your book, the better your book release will go
Building awareness or buzz for your book before its release is just another form of marketing.
Now, I’m not referring to the week of its release. I’m referring to the long-game aspect. I’m referring to the months before release.
Think about it this way. Any form of marketing accomplishes these things:
Creating familiarity when people see your book
Building intrigue when they stumble across your book
Giving readers something to follow along with
Making readers feel included in the hype
Talking in Public Spaces About Your Book Before You Are Comfortable
Yes, this sounds scary. What if this means you have to begin talking about your book before you have finished it?
Yes, you must do exactly that.
When we talk about our book, our process, our writing journey, and all the in between as we are writing the book, it helps us to build not only an audience for it but momentum.
And in order for this to be successful, it needs to be done from the get-go.
You could:
Share snippets of your writing process (Outlines, drafting, character mockups, and so on)
Share your writing struggles (scenes you grapple with, character choices — without giving anything away)
Post your aesthetic inspiration
Discuss your characters (your favorites, tough choices, who you don’t think readers will like)
Share the research you are conducting
Document your milestones (first draft complete, editing stage, cover creation stage)
When we make the readers feel as if they are along for the ride, we build an audience for the book. They begin to feel invested when they see post after post about your book, and this then leads them to want to see the final result.
Exposing Your Book to Your Audience Without Repeating Yourself
Believe it or not, posting: “Here is my book, buy it.” Over and over again doesn’t sell books.
When we think of how to market our book, we need to imagine what elements of our book readers are going to connect to.
Try highlighting these:
The core emotions that your book centers around
The secret of a character
The inspiration behind the setting
The themes that feel present and any themes that are underlying
If you imagine a playlist for the book, share it
The tropes that your book grapples with
A few lines of your favorite dialogue
Your struggles behind the scenes
Deleted scenes (although depending on what this reveals, do strategically)
Fun facts about the writing process, creation process, or your book
Mixing in these elements helps to promote your book without saying the same thing over and over.
Build Buzz Like A Hollywood Movie Would
When Hollywood releases a movie, we see at least three to four trailers for it before it is released.
We should be thinking of promoting our book in the same way.
Instead of announcing our book’s release date once and disappearing, we can:
Share teaser images (partial cover or character reveal, promising to share the rest later)
Post book trailers on social media
Reach out to blogs and reviewers to do interviews before your book releases
Share sneak peeks and snippets of your book
Create a playlist that matches your book for people to follow along
Post countdowns on your website and on social media
Authors can do what Hollywood does on a small scale. And it helps your book get noticed.
Help Readers Feel Included in the Journey
As I said before, readers enjoy feeling included, and it helps them to invest in the final product.
Here are some ways to get readers involved:
cover reveal voting
title discussions
ARC team applications
countdown posts
newsletter exclusives
sneak peeks
asking readers questions
Here are some examples:
“Which cover version would you pick?”
“Would you survive this book’s universe?”
“Which character would you trust least?”
When we take the time to build buzz for our books and don’t rush it all into the week before its release, the chances of getting book sales are higher.
Remember that getting your book in front of your audience takes real time and dedication. So don’t waste the opportunity to begin early.