Self-Publishing in the Age of BookTok
Self-publishing hasn’t always had the potential for profit that it has today. I remember a time when self-publishing was a quirky option for non-commercial authors whose books were more a passion project than business. But social media has made self-publishing out to be the golden ticket to best selling author.
Today, self-publishing authors are making just as many, if not more, waves in the publishing industry as traditionally published authors. Self-publishing is a viable option for authors to build profitable writing careers and take control of their publishing journey. This is mostly thanks to social media. As a fellow oldest daughter control freak, I totally understand the appeal of taking control of the publishing process. In fact, I’m planning on self-publishing my own book next year (yay!)
These days, it feels like TikTok and Instagram are breeding grounds for any book, self-published or otherwise, to reach viral levels of popularity. But it does create a bit of a conundrum for authors who aren’t typically drawn to social media. It seems like the only way to be a profitable writer is to be a social media influencer, and who has time for that?
As someone who is also working on building a personal brand as a writer, I’m grappling with this conflict between artist and influencer myself. Even major publishing houses expect their authors to create (if not already have) a social media presence. That’s because, as consumers, readers have grown used to buying into a personality rather than a product.
At the same time, people are increasingly tired and mistrusting of social media. How many of you have been personally victimized by overhyped books on social media?
Yeah, me too.
So much so that I personally am very skeptical of any book I see on social media. But what does that mean for book promotion?
I’d like to think that I am my own target audience, and if I’m disappointed by book choices influenced by social media, what does that mean for my target audience?
In a way, the over-saturation of BookTok and Bookstagram recommendations has freed up space for other marketing tactics. While everyone else is putting all their energy and resources into social media marketing, this could be the time to put energy into some other, sneakier, or traditional marketing tactics.
I find myself leaning on my professional marketing experience to come up with other options. I worked in industries that got almost zero leads from organic social and relied solely on other marketing tactics. I think some of these could apply to book marketing as well.
Non-TikTok or Instagram marketing ideas:
1. Long-form or blog posting. SubStack reminds me of what Tumblr and Twitter used to be before the algorithms. (Here’s a fun post about the rise of “brain rot” as a result of social media.) I think there’s a lot of potential audience there.
2. Within your local community. Where I live, there are always little pop-up markets for small businesses, usually filled with handmade jewelry or baked goods. I plan on setting up a book booth at whatever little pop-up market I find. Many local coffee shops and stores also sell books and would probably love to carry physical copies of books from local authors.
3. Book clubs & social events. Most people are excited to learn their new acquaintance is an author. Why not take it one step further and give them a business card with a QR code to download your book? This is a great and cheap way to give away something tangible that people are less likely to forget.
4. Podcasts & YouTube. If you like to yap (like me), then a podcast could be a great place to find readers and community. Whether that be your own podcast or YouTube channel, or someone else’s, I think this is a great way to build a brand around yourself as a writer without relying on social media. I’ve used MatchMaker.fm in the past for marketing clients, but there are other free options. (This could also be a way to use social media as a tool. Reach out to podcasts you think you’d be a good fit for. You never know!)
My biggest tip is to find a way of marketing that feels authentic to you. Not just because people can sense when you’re not being authentic, but because it’ll be a lot easier to maintain if you’re not forcing yourself into a highly uncomfortable position like being in front of a camera on TikTok.
That’s all I have today. Let’s think out of the box to market our self-published books and find our best audiences!
Are you ready to take your book to the next level? Let’s work together!