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Books for Writers #2
How To Market A Book
The first job of an author is, of course, to write great books, but these days, their second job is to market them.
Marketing isn't a skill that most authors have naturally, and there is little formal training. But when your book hits the shelves, and the sales don't start rolling in, there's only two things an author can do. Keep writing more books and ... Get to grips with marketing.
This book is for authors who want to sell more books, but it's also for those writers who want to think more like an entrepreneur. It's for traditionally published authors who want to take control of their future, and for self-published authors who want to jumpstart a career.
There are some short-term tactics for those who want to kick up immediate sales, but the focus of the book is more about instilling values and marketing principles that will help your long-term career as a writer.
It's also about going beyond just the book, because the methods in this guide can take you from being an author into professional speaking, making money from other products and creating opportunities that you can't even imagine yet.
There are no rules in this game, but learning this kind of authentic marketing has certainly changed my life, so read on and I'll share everything I know with you.
How To Market A Book covers an extensive range of marketing principles, strategies and tactics:
Part 1: Marketing Principles - including myths, how to balance your time, co-opetition and generosity
Part 2: Prerequisites for Success - including an understanding of yourself and your target market, professional editing and cover design, your book page on the retailer websites, pricing and the use of free
Part 3: No Platform Needed - Short-term Marketing - including how to get book reviews, paid advertising, using traditional media and tips for TV, radio and press releases
Part 4: The Author Platform - Long-term Marketing - including the reasons why a platform is a good thing, author branding, your author website, list-building and email marketing, content marketing and blogging, audio and podcasting, video and book trailers, social networking, professional speaking, and becoming an author-entrepreneur.
Part 5: Launching Your Book - including how launching has changed, soft launch, launch spikes, post launch and relaunches as well as lessons learned from some major book launches.
Plus/ tips for when you get overwhelmed and plenty more links to further resources.
Marketing isn't a skill that most authors have naturally, and there is little formal training. But when your book hits the shelves, and the sales don't start rolling in, there's only two things an author can do. Keep writing more books and ... Get to grips with marketing.
This book is for authors who want to sell more books, but it's also for those writers who want to think more like an entrepreneur. It's for traditionally published authors who want to take control of their future, and for self-published authors who want to jumpstart a career.
There are some short-term tactics for those who want to kick up immediate sales, but the focus of the book is more about instilling values and marketing principles that will help your long-term career as a writer.
It's also about going beyond just the book, because the methods in this guide can take you from being an author into professional speaking, making money from other products and creating opportunities that you can't even imagine yet.
There are no rules in this game, but learning this kind of authentic marketing has certainly changed my life, so read on and I'll share everything I know with you.
How To Market A Book covers an extensive range of marketing principles, strategies and tactics:
Part 1: Marketing Principles - including myths, how to balance your time, co-opetition and generosity
Part 2: Prerequisites for Success - including an understanding of yourself and your target market, professional editing and cover design, your book page on the retailer websites, pricing and the use of free
Part 3: No Platform Needed - Short-term Marketing - including how to get book reviews, paid advertising, using traditional media and tips for TV, radio and press releases
Part 4: The Author Platform - Long-term Marketing - including the reasons why a platform is a good thing, author branding, your author website, list-building and email marketing, content marketing and blogging, audio and podcasting, video and book trailers, social networking, professional speaking, and becoming an author-entrepreneur.
Part 5: Launching Your Book - including how launching has changed, soft launch, launch spikes, post launch and relaunches as well as lessons learned from some major book launches.
Plus/ tips for when you get overwhelmed and plenty more links to further resources.
280 pages, ebook
First published August 9, 2013
315 people are currently reading
2192 people want to read
About the author
Joanna Penn
46 books1,237 followersJoanna Penn writes non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling fiction and memoir author as J.F. Penn.
She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. She lives in Bath, England with her husband and two British shorthair cats, and enjoys a nice G&T.
See also Goodreads author's profile as J.F. Penn.
She’s also an award-winning podcaster, creative entrepreneur, and international professional speaker. She lives in Bath, England with her husband and two British shorthair cats, and enjoys a nice G&T.
See also Goodreads author's profile as J.F. Penn.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 352 reviews
August 6, 2013
Solid advice - as you'd expect from Penn. I've been following her blog almost since the beginning, and I've always found her candidness and transparency about her own journey as an independent author to be refreshing and incredibly helpful. So it's great to see her compile all that into one volume. Save for a little repetition in places, this is great (and up-to-date) primer on the art of not just marketing one book, but on building an entire career. I've already benefited from many of her suggestions in the book (having read them on her blog in years past) and benefited from them again in the re-reading. Recommended.
May 13, 2018
"How to Market a Book" by Joanna Penn was a very helpful resource in my writing career! She definitely pin-poined all the useful tricks of the trade, sharing the tools for her own success and what she recommends for more sales and for long-term marketing for authors. She talked about everything: website, other income streams, how to "make it" as an author and how to collect more readers/sales. I was taking notes and doggy-eared several pages to go back to and improve on my website as well as add to my existing profiles! I would recommend this book for anyone wanting to go further as an author or as a writing entrepreneur; this is the resource book for you!
March 19, 2015
Where I got the book: part of a Kindle box set which was a pretty good deal.
Out of the three books in the Indie Power Pack, this was definitely the most clearly written (the fact that Joanna Penn uses Scrivener to give her books a strong structure has not escaped my attention). There’s an awful lot of information here for a newbie, but for the author who’s spent a little time figuring out what’s what this is a worthy addition to the (virtual) bookshelf, with lots of clear practical advice to get you started. This is a book best read on a tablet rather than an e-ink Kindle, like the other books in the Power Pack, because of the many links to blog posts, websites and other books—I frequently found myself accidentally hitting a link on my Paperwhite when I went to turn the pages, and quickly backing out of the Kindle’s browser because, Kindle browser.
On the other hand I highlighted a ton of information, so now I can hop on the Cloud Reader and remember what it was I liked about the book. I’d recommend this one as a good read for self-publishers, or even for traditionally published authors trying to get a grip on what self-publishing’s about. Penn is less bombastic than some of the other self-publishing/entrepreneur gurus, and I for one enjoy her down-to-earth, unpretentiously practical approach to becoming an indie author.
Out of the three books in the Indie Power Pack, this was definitely the most clearly written (the fact that Joanna Penn uses Scrivener to give her books a strong structure has not escaped my attention). There’s an awful lot of information here for a newbie, but for the author who’s spent a little time figuring out what’s what this is a worthy addition to the (virtual) bookshelf, with lots of clear practical advice to get you started. This is a book best read on a tablet rather than an e-ink Kindle, like the other books in the Power Pack, because of the many links to blog posts, websites and other books—I frequently found myself accidentally hitting a link on my Paperwhite when I went to turn the pages, and quickly backing out of the Kindle’s browser because, Kindle browser.
On the other hand I highlighted a ton of information, so now I can hop on the Cloud Reader and remember what it was I liked about the book. I’d recommend this one as a good read for self-publishers, or even for traditionally published authors trying to get a grip on what self-publishing’s about. Penn is less bombastic than some of the other self-publishing/entrepreneur gurus, and I for one enjoy her down-to-earth, unpretentiously practical approach to becoming an indie author.
August 8, 2017
"Good advice - if you can afford it"
It's hard to argue with anything Joanna Penn says. If you're just starting out on your writing journey, then this book will be a vital resource. If you have been at the game for several years you should have tackled (if not mastered) most of the basics she covers, but there are probably new tips between these covers she has spotted you can to add to your armoury.
My only reservation on giving the full five stars for this book are the financial implications involved, which are somewhat glossed over. Getting a professional cover designed, then having a full-length novel adequately edited, and formatted for publication can set you back a minimum of a thousand dollars. There are free, and cheap promotion sites out there, as the writer points out, but they rarely deliver significant returns.
Once you add in the extra costs of adverts on social media, whether Amazon, Twitter, or Facebook, then the financial commitment is significant. In a ‘How To’ book such as this it’s necessary to cover a vast array of ‘opportunities’, and as Ms Penn points out, you don’t have to do ALL of these things at once. Who can afford to anyway?
A newcomer needs to be aware just how much you might have to commit, if you are hell-bent on making a career out of writing. The statistics are readily available. Only a very small percentage of self-published writers are successful. Over ninety-percent will sell around fifty copies of their first book to family and friends, regardless of how many of the essential items they tick off the list provided by writers like Joanna Penn.
You can only achieve so much by investing time too, instead of money, as she suggests, and who wants to spend virtually every waking hour searching for the right genre, the perfect set of keywords, and the promotion sites that give you a half-decent chance of a return on your investment?
The only people guaranteed to come out in front financially from a court case are the lawyers. In the writing game, the cover designers, editors, book promoters, and advice experts can make a good living out of those who sweat blood trying to write the best books they possibly can. It’s a long, hard road, and although books like this appear to provide the answer, I would advise caution.
There is no magic bullet; and as in many other walks of life money talks the loudest. By all means, use this valuable resource as much as you can, but keep a running total of the rough cost of all the things you must do. Keep a close eye on your purse-strings, it can be expensive.
It's hard to argue with anything Joanna Penn says. If you're just starting out on your writing journey, then this book will be a vital resource. If you have been at the game for several years you should have tackled (if not mastered) most of the basics she covers, but there are probably new tips between these covers she has spotted you can to add to your armoury.
My only reservation on giving the full five stars for this book are the financial implications involved, which are somewhat glossed over. Getting a professional cover designed, then having a full-length novel adequately edited, and formatted for publication can set you back a minimum of a thousand dollars. There are free, and cheap promotion sites out there, as the writer points out, but they rarely deliver significant returns.
Once you add in the extra costs of adverts on social media, whether Amazon, Twitter, or Facebook, then the financial commitment is significant. In a ‘How To’ book such as this it’s necessary to cover a vast array of ‘opportunities’, and as Ms Penn points out, you don’t have to do ALL of these things at once. Who can afford to anyway?
A newcomer needs to be aware just how much you might have to commit, if you are hell-bent on making a career out of writing. The statistics are readily available. Only a very small percentage of self-published writers are successful. Over ninety-percent will sell around fifty copies of their first book to family and friends, regardless of how many of the essential items they tick off the list provided by writers like Joanna Penn.
You can only achieve so much by investing time too, instead of money, as she suggests, and who wants to spend virtually every waking hour searching for the right genre, the perfect set of keywords, and the promotion sites that give you a half-decent chance of a return on your investment?
The only people guaranteed to come out in front financially from a court case are the lawyers. In the writing game, the cover designers, editors, book promoters, and advice experts can make a good living out of those who sweat blood trying to write the best books they possibly can. It’s a long, hard road, and although books like this appear to provide the answer, I would advise caution.
There is no magic bullet; and as in many other walks of life money talks the loudest. By all means, use this valuable resource as much as you can, but keep a running total of the rough cost of all the things you must do. Keep a close eye on your purse-strings, it can be expensive.
October 13, 2023
An author career is a marathon, and LONG TIME (years, possibly a decade) is what’s behind most big name author’s’ seemingly overnight successes. Patience is key when dealing with anything you’d like to keep long term. I will read it again and take notes as well as recommend this to others.
October 4, 2014
I just published my first book a few months ago, and I always procrastinated on the marketing aspect of it. I knew I shouldn't, but I was overwhelmed by fear and self doubt, especially choosing to go down the self-publishing route. I was so sure that was what I wanted when I did it, but then I started to question my self worth when my book wasn't doing as well as I had hoped.
Then, by the grace of God, I found Joanna Penn. And, more importantly, I found this book.
I cannot even begin to express the weight I feel lifted off of my shoulders because I read this book. It's going to take some time (especially since I slacked and didn't start doing any of this BEFORE I published my book, but as it's part of a series, I can use this as practice for the next one :)) but it's totally worth it to read. Being an author, no matter if you're new or experienced, takes a lot of work. A lot more work than people who are not authors would understand. There's so much time and effort we put into the craft, and Joanna makes it so easy to understand how to survive in a world where your voice is shouting against a million others.
Thank you, Joanna! Keep up the good work! If nothing else, you've at least changed one life :)
Then, by the grace of God, I found Joanna Penn. And, more importantly, I found this book.
I cannot even begin to express the weight I feel lifted off of my shoulders because I read this book. It's going to take some time (especially since I slacked and didn't start doing any of this BEFORE I published my book, but as it's part of a series, I can use this as practice for the next one :)) but it's totally worth it to read. Being an author, no matter if you're new or experienced, takes a lot of work. A lot more work than people who are not authors would understand. There's so much time and effort we put into the craft, and Joanna makes it so easy to understand how to survive in a world where your voice is shouting against a million others.
Thank you, Joanna! Keep up the good work! If nothing else, you've at least changed one life :)
March 15, 2015
A very thorough book on how to market your books. A little too thorough for me. Joanna penn writes both fiction and nonfiction books, and this book covers techniques for both. I ended up skimming large chunks of the book - mostly the info on podcasts, videos, interviews, media, etc - because it applies mostly to nonfiction authors. A few fiction authors who have endless time and energy and really engaging personalities might get something out of those sections, but for the most part, spending the time writing the next book is a much much better idea.
The material presented was good though. I think I picked up a few new ideas. I might have enjoyed this more if I was a newbie to these ideas and if I hadn't just read another book with similar ideas. I do recommend this is you are just now looking into self publishing and ways to promote your book. Just know some of these methods are so not worth the energy and time.
This book was great for reinforcing the ideas and plan I already have in mind.
The material presented was good though. I think I picked up a few new ideas. I might have enjoyed this more if I was a newbie to these ideas and if I hadn't just read another book with similar ideas. I do recommend this is you are just now looking into self publishing and ways to promote your book. Just know some of these methods are so not worth the energy and time.
This book was great for reinforcing the ideas and plan I already have in mind.
July 24, 2021
This book provides a nice and comprehensive overview of how to market a book, with tons of information that's applicable to both self-published and traditionally published authors. Even though the book was published in 2017 (at least, the edition I read was), it's got a lot of relevant information, and not much was out of date (though no mentions of BookTok, obviously!)
Highly recommended!
Highly recommended!
March 14, 2018
Well, the blurb for this book practically covers everything there is to say about it. And the book is as comprehensive as the blurb. It’s not a get rich quick type of marketing book. J. F. Penn also known as Joanna Penn from the Creative Penn website and Podcast states;
The focus of the book is more about instilling values and marketing principles that will help your long-term career as a writer.
And that’s what this is, writing and marketing yourself and your work in a long-term way advice book.
I don’t think it’s just for indie authors as not many traditionally published authors have a lot of marketing input from what I’ve heard and it’s not just about how to sell your book, it’s about setting yourself up for the long haul; websites, blogs etc, so I believe any writer can read this and gain from it.
Joanna has a really common sense approach to everything and often evidences what she advises with examples from her own working life.
There were some things in here I was already doing, or already aware of and other snippets of great information that I could take away.
I would recommend this book for any author.
The focus of the book is more about instilling values and marketing principles that will help your long-term career as a writer.
And that’s what this is, writing and marketing yourself and your work in a long-term way advice book.
I don’t think it’s just for indie authors as not many traditionally published authors have a lot of marketing input from what I’ve heard and it’s not just about how to sell your book, it’s about setting yourself up for the long haul; websites, blogs etc, so I believe any writer can read this and gain from it.
Joanna has a really common sense approach to everything and often evidences what she advises with examples from her own working life.
There were some things in here I was already doing, or already aware of and other snippets of great information that I could take away.
I would recommend this book for any author.
June 24, 2015
Well, it does what it says on the tin. Joanna Penn offers no-nonsense advice on marketing self-published books, based on her own experiences. A lot of this advice is common sense, but there are useful bits and pieces that even the most switched-on writer is likely to overlook.
Penn's writing is a little flavourless, though, and perhaps the book's biggest weakness is how much she does draw on her own experiences. I think a broader and more enduringly-useful book would have widened the net and focused on the marketing strategies of other successful indie authors.
(I also think that Penn, in her role as book-marketer, has done a brilliant job of building a platform for herself based on her expertise in self-publishing. I would argue that this platform is what has helped to sell her fiction. Without it, would she be selling as many novels? Probably not. So I'd add a note of caution that this book is going to be most useful for authors of non-fiction, where 'content marketing' really can be very effective.)
Penn's writing is a little flavourless, though, and perhaps the book's biggest weakness is how much she does draw on her own experiences. I think a broader and more enduringly-useful book would have widened the net and focused on the marketing strategies of other successful indie authors.
(I also think that Penn, in her role as book-marketer, has done a brilliant job of building a platform for herself based on her expertise in self-publishing. I would argue that this platform is what has helped to sell her fiction. Without it, would she be selling as many novels? Probably not. So I'd add a note of caution that this book is going to be most useful for authors of non-fiction, where 'content marketing' really can be very effective.)
August 27, 2017
This is a great resource for all self-published authors. I have so many pages marked and highlighted for future reference and the information within will come in very hand for my next publication.
Joanna Penn covered many things in this book that I either had not thought of or had not given enough thought to. A lot made sense and although some of the suggestions were common sense it went to prove that common sense is not that common as I have seen many of my fellow authors struggle with them, including myself.
I would highly recommend this book.
Joanna Penn covered many things in this book that I either had not thought of or had not given enough thought to. A lot made sense and although some of the suggestions were common sense it went to prove that common sense is not that common as I have seen many of my fellow authors struggle with them, including myself.
I would highly recommend this book.
September 15, 2018
3.5/5
Had some great tips; wasn't all for me (she really pushed podcasts; I hate podcasts; that was all super boring to me), but a lot of it was great. Lots of info about branding, advertising, etc. She also talked about traditional media more than I felt necessary, though, which I think is ... fading. xP
Okay, I don't know why I'm so negative today. But I felt like I needed to explain NOT giving it 5 stars even though it was a great, useful resource, lol.
I plan to reread it soon to glean even more as well as check back!
Had some great tips; wasn't all for me (she really pushed podcasts; I hate podcasts; that was all super boring to me), but a lot of it was great. Lots of info about branding, advertising, etc. She also talked about traditional media more than I felt necessary, though, which I think is ... fading. xP
Okay, I don't know why I'm so negative today. But I felt like I needed to explain NOT giving it 5 stars even though it was a great, useful resource, lol.
I plan to reread it soon to glean even more as well as check back!
April 10, 2018
The first marketing book I've really enjoyed reading!
February 15, 2022
This book is very informative! Personally I’d have liked to see more fiction examples as she focused more on podcasts, blogs, and nonfiction books. Overall I found it helpful.
September 26, 2014
I’ve been aware of Penn’s blog and used her advice on many instances before I bought her book. I knew she was all about quality material and no fluff. Her book is also straight to the point.
She covers plenty of topics on how an author can sell books both without and with a platform.
Some of the advice made me nod continuously like the fact that you need an email list and how to grow it.
Some of them I skipped, like those where she explains how to behave at a photo shoot.
Many I highlighted with great interest, for example how to use guest blogging and where to find bloggers who will feature you.
Joanna covers plenty, she shows her path. Of course all of us have different paths and there are many roads that lead to Rome, so you might not find an answer to each and every one of your questions but this is a great start if you’re new to book marketing and it’s also a great refresher which includes some things you’ve never heard of even if you’re a seasoned book marketer.
She covers plenty of topics on how an author can sell books both without and with a platform.
Some of the advice made me nod continuously like the fact that you need an email list and how to grow it.
Some of them I skipped, like those where she explains how to behave at a photo shoot.
Many I highlighted with great interest, for example how to use guest blogging and where to find bloggers who will feature you.
Joanna covers plenty, she shows her path. Of course all of us have different paths and there are many roads that lead to Rome, so you might not find an answer to each and every one of your questions but this is a great start if you’re new to book marketing and it’s also a great refresher which includes some things you’ve never heard of even if you’re a seasoned book marketer.
July 15, 2013
While there's some good information, it suffers the same problem as many "how-tos: aggravating, mind numbing repetition. Also, it really shills for Amazon -- it pushes the 70% ebook royalty rate without even touching on the downsides of giving a single retailer exclusivity to you book, both short-term (fewer readers will find the book) and long-term (you're helping a retailer create a monopoly and guess what if that retailer succeeds -- no more 70% royalties and maybe really terrible royalties when there's no competition).
March 24, 2017
An excellent book full of great hints, tips, and step-by-step instructions to market your book. Joanna Penn starts by helping you to change your thinking about marketing, and then points you in all the right directions. I would highly recommend this book for those authors just starting out or those who have never taken the time to develop any kind of platform but now would like to. But it's also a good resource for other authors who are considering things like audiobooks, podcasting, and video casting.
October 13, 2016
I was a bit disappointed with this one. It was focused mostly on traditional media marketing (TV, radio) and not on digital marketing. And it was VERY focused on nonfiction authors. Many of the case studies she gives are of nonfiction authors who are only using their books as entry points to their courses and speaking events. Typically, fiction authors aren't interested in that. The book IS the product they're selling.
August 16, 2017
Joanna Penn does it again! The third and updated edition of How to Market a Book is accessible, inspiring, and has something for everyone--but also reminds us overly ambitious people of the bunch that no one can actually do it all. You have to pick the types of marketing that will be fun and easy for you, and this book is full of plenty of good ideas. Recommended for traditionally published and indie authors alike, whether of fiction or non-fiction.
September 18, 2021
This book is full of great, practical advice, for both new and established authors. Covering both traditional and digital marketing, Joanna tells what's involved with each one, letting the reader consider what works best for their personality. She states that being a writer is a long-term game, and includes a handy checklist to help you through the process. This book is a valuable resource to keep coming back to.
August 24, 2017
Tons of useful tips for self-published authors regarding how to market a book. There are so many ideas that you probably won't be able to implement everything for one book, but it gives you lots of ideas to consider. The only downside I can think of is that there is not much detail on how to implement each idea. Overall, its a good book and I highly recommend it to self-pub'd authors.
July 29, 2013
A helpful book for indie writers looking for ways to reach wider audiences. Even the topics she doesn't cover completely, she leads readers in the right direction for the answers they seek. Straight forward and honest.
October 12, 2017
Great, practical read.
This book has a lot of great, practical advice for anyone wanting to get the word out about their book. I feel like I have a huge to-do list now. A very encouraging to-do list.
This book has a lot of great, practical advice for anyone wanting to get the word out about their book. I feel like I have a huge to-do list now. A very encouraging to-do list.
July 3, 2018
Really good idea for a first time author. I found it easy and encouraging and landed the idea of writer and entrepreneur well. I'd recommend it for any new writers who are ready to start marketing their work.
May 27, 2019
Great information!
I really enjoyed reading this. This book contained everything I was looking for in how to market my book. There is so much information and so many good links. It will take me weeks to digest.
I really enjoyed reading this. This book contained everything I was looking for in how to market my book. There is so much information and so many good links. It will take me weeks to digest.
October 1, 2017
Great resource
I can't thank Joanna Penn enough for writing this. It has helped me immensely. I will be reading the rest of her works for authors.
I can't thank Joanna Penn enough for writing this. It has helped me immensely. I will be reading the rest of her works for authors.
July 30, 2018
Great book with heaps of practical ever-green tips!
September 11, 2020
How to Market a Book was an informative read about marketing. I do feel that it mostly gives you a very broad scope of marketing possibilities and what to try, but doesn't go super deep into some of the topics or how to apply them. What it might lack in depth it definitely makes up in the sheer amount of possible marketing techniques. It also has some great parts about how to approach marketing, social media and your author career. I also found the author really honest about what worked and not and even how those things which didn't have an immediate ROI might still be worth it, depending on your situation and what you like to do.
Marketing books are always a bit difficult for me to read as I already know a lot about marketing and thus it's harder to find ones that have new to me information. This book didn't have as much new to me information, but I do like how broad the book covers the whole topic of marketing. And there was definitely some pieces I didn't know yet. Mostly I think this is a good book to pick up when you're starting out and what to get an idea of what's possible. On the other hand it might be a bit overwhelming as it addresses a lot of topics and it doesn't really give as much of a guide of where to start, you have to decide that for yourself. the author does recommend to not do everything in the book or not all at the same time.
I liked the few case studies where she described what's she's doing and also what she does for each of her pen names, so you could see the difference per brand. There also is a big load of questions toward the back of the book that's a nice way to look back on the content as well as recommendations for other resources.
I liked that the book also dipped into the topics of marketing physical copies and audiobooks as most marketing books focus on digital format. On the other hand I do think it's better to focus on digital format most of the time. And for audiobook marketing Joanna Penn's book about audio is a better one to pick up as this book felt a bit outdated and limited compared to her Audio for Authors book.
I didn't really care about the part where she discussed traditional media marketing. I just don't think that's something a lot of authors want to do or will have a lot of success with. She does mentions that it might not lead to sales, but there's still a piece of the book that details these options. I also felt that there are a few newer techniques or additional techniques that were missing in this book, but that's probably because a book like this gets outdated fast. On the other hand it is nice she showed what's possible for those who are passionate about exploring those marketing venues.
To summarize: this book is a good one if you want to see the broad scope of marketing possibilities. There is a big variety of marketing techniques that gets discussed, but the strength of the book lies in it's broadness instead of the depth. So you hear a bit about huge variety of techniques, but not enough to really master any of them or figure out where to start. As I know a lot about the topic already, there wasn't as much new to me information, but I still enjoyed reading this one and liked the way the author addressed the topic. I liked the part where she mentions how she handles her own marketing for her different pen names and there is some great advice in this book on how to approach your author career and marketing. I didn't really care about the section on traditional media marketing and would've liked to see a bit more direction and general advice. All in all this book is definitely a good one to pick up if you want to know more about the variety of marketing techniques you can employ as an author.
Marketing books are always a bit difficult for me to read as I already know a lot about marketing and thus it's harder to find ones that have new to me information. This book didn't have as much new to me information, but I do like how broad the book covers the whole topic of marketing. And there was definitely some pieces I didn't know yet. Mostly I think this is a good book to pick up when you're starting out and what to get an idea of what's possible. On the other hand it might be a bit overwhelming as it addresses a lot of topics and it doesn't really give as much of a guide of where to start, you have to decide that for yourself. the author does recommend to not do everything in the book or not all at the same time.
I liked the few case studies where she described what's she's doing and also what she does for each of her pen names, so you could see the difference per brand. There also is a big load of questions toward the back of the book that's a nice way to look back on the content as well as recommendations for other resources.
I liked that the book also dipped into the topics of marketing physical copies and audiobooks as most marketing books focus on digital format. On the other hand I do think it's better to focus on digital format most of the time. And for audiobook marketing Joanna Penn's book about audio is a better one to pick up as this book felt a bit outdated and limited compared to her Audio for Authors book.
I didn't really care about the part where she discussed traditional media marketing. I just don't think that's something a lot of authors want to do or will have a lot of success with. She does mentions that it might not lead to sales, but there's still a piece of the book that details these options. I also felt that there are a few newer techniques or additional techniques that were missing in this book, but that's probably because a book like this gets outdated fast. On the other hand it is nice she showed what's possible for those who are passionate about exploring those marketing venues.
To summarize: this book is a good one if you want to see the broad scope of marketing possibilities. There is a big variety of marketing techniques that gets discussed, but the strength of the book lies in it's broadness instead of the depth. So you hear a bit about huge variety of techniques, but not enough to really master any of them or figure out where to start. As I know a lot about the topic already, there wasn't as much new to me information, but I still enjoyed reading this one and liked the way the author addressed the topic. I liked the part where she mentions how she handles her own marketing for her different pen names and there is some great advice in this book on how to approach your author career and marketing. I didn't really care about the section on traditional media marketing and would've liked to see a bit more direction and general advice. All in all this book is definitely a good one to pick up if you want to know more about the variety of marketing techniques you can employ as an author.
September 26, 2017
I listen to Joanna Penn’s CREATIVE PENN podcast religiously. The life of a writer – particularly an indie author taking faltering first steps – is a solitary one, and so it’s great to tune into someone who’s taken the route themselves and is eager to hand out the benefit of their experience.
As my blog post the other day proved, I’m no expert on book marketing. But I’m learning and trying to find the best ways to get my books out there and read. HOW TO MARKET A BOOK is a fantastic tool for beginners (and probably intermediaries too, I’ll let you know when I’m at that level). Penn has been doing this a long time and has picked up so many useful hints to pass on. If anything, there’s too much information in the book, but then the introduction does make it clear that it’s probably best to view it as a smorgasbord to dip into. You can read it in one go as I did, or see it as a reference manual to come back to again and again. Or both. Stylistically, Penn writes much as she speaks, and if you’ve never listened to her podcast, that means basically having a happy, enthusiastic friend encouraging and cajoling
I read it on my Kindle and I’m never overly impressed with the bookmark facility on a Kindle. So really the best compliment I can give this book is that I’m tempted to buy it again on paper, and when I read it next (and I will read it more than once, as there’s too much here to be taken in through a single perusal), I’ll post-it note and pencil-mark the hell out of it!
As my blog post the other day proved, I’m no expert on book marketing. But I’m learning and trying to find the best ways to get my books out there and read. HOW TO MARKET A BOOK is a fantastic tool for beginners (and probably intermediaries too, I’ll let you know when I’m at that level). Penn has been doing this a long time and has picked up so many useful hints to pass on. If anything, there’s too much information in the book, but then the introduction does make it clear that it’s probably best to view it as a smorgasbord to dip into. You can read it in one go as I did, or see it as a reference manual to come back to again and again. Or both. Stylistically, Penn writes much as she speaks, and if you’ve never listened to her podcast, that means basically having a happy, enthusiastic friend encouraging and cajoling
I read it on my Kindle and I’m never overly impressed with the bookmark facility on a Kindle. So really the best compliment I can give this book is that I’m tempted to buy it again on paper, and when I read it next (and I will read it more than once, as there’s too much here to be taken in through a single perusal), I’ll post-it note and pencil-mark the hell out of it!
April 18, 2019
I always start out with the same advice when it comes to business books: take what works for you and leave the rest. This book is no different.
Author Joanna Penn writes about the marketing techniques that work for her, while fully acknowledging that there is no One True Path to success. Much of what she says is common sense marketing strategy, but already the book is dated by the demise of Google+ as plank in anyone's platform.
I got a few new ideas that I will implement in my own work, all the same.
Author Joanna Penn writes about the marketing techniques that work for her, while fully acknowledging that there is no One True Path to success. Much of what she says is common sense marketing strategy, but already the book is dated by the demise of Google+ as plank in anyone's platform.
I got a few new ideas that I will implement in my own work, all the same.
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