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Marketing For Writers Who Hate Marketing: The No-Stress Way to Sell Books Without Losing Your Mind
Is marketing sucking the joy out of your writing life? Do you wish you could spend more time writing and less time selling? Do you suffer from platform paranoia or social marketing madness? Are you stressed because you can't keep up with the latest marketing gimmicks and perpetual-motion author-entrepreneurs? Here's good Marketing For Writers Who Hate Marketing will show you how to have the kind of writing life you long for by dispelling the marketing myths that weigh you down. You'll learn what works best, what doesn't, and how a few simple strategies are all you need to get the most out of your marketing efforts. Marketing For Writers Who Hate Marketing will help you prioritize your marketing so you can concentrate on the handful of tools that are most effective, and eliminate the worry that you're never doing enough. It will teach • The #1 most effective marketing tool ... one you already love! • How to maximize the all-important first impression your book makes on a browser. • How to turn browsers into readers. • How to turn readers into fans. • Pricing as a strategic marketing tool. • How to grow and nurture an email list. • All the time-sucking practices you can avoid so you're free to write! • And more. Whether your are self-publishing or working with a traditional publisher –– or both –– you need to know how to market smart. This book will show you how.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
130 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2017
62 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
James Scott Bell
132 books1,037 followersJim is a former trial lawyer who now writes and speaks full time. He is the bestselling author of Try Dying, No Legal Grounds, Presumed Guilty, Glimpses of Paradise, Breach of Promise and several other thrillers. He is a winner of the Christy Award for Excellence in Inspirational Fiction, and was a fiction columnist for Writers Digest magazine. He has written two books in the Writers' Digest series, Write Great Fiction: Plot & Structure and Revision & Self-Editing.
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Jim has taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver.
Series:
* Shannon Saga (with Tracie Peterson)
* The Trials of Kit Shannon
* Ty Buchanan
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 5, 2017
I am one of those writers who hates marketing, especially being an indie author where it feels like I'm shouting out into the void. This is a fantastic book with practical advice which will be very handy for new authors. For a writer that's been around for a little while like me, I particularly liked it because it wasn't filled with an excess of cheerleader-like hurrahs or complicated explanations. Everything is simplified and straight-forward. Bell also emphasizes writing and improving on your craft is more important than marketing which I wholeheartedly agree with.
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May 12, 2017Focus on the writing. Marketing won’t help if your book isn’t great. Social media is a distraction. That’s the main lesson here, summed up as:
“Do only those things that do not affect the quality of your writing, either through physical or emotional stress.”
If you want detailed information about, say, how to run a price promotion with advertising, look elsewhere. He did have some interesting suggestions about email list management, like ditching the HTML in favor of plain text. I’ll probably try that out.
He closed with another section about focus, citing Cal Newport’s Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted WorldDeep Work extensively. I read that book about a month ago and I was not very impressed by it, so I kind of rolled my eyes at this section. That said, I do agree with the other reviewers that this is an important antidote to all the dozens of stress-inducing FOMO books about marketing aimed at authors these days.
“Do only those things that do not affect the quality of your writing, either through physical or emotional stress.”
If you want detailed information about, say, how to run a price promotion with advertising, look elsewhere. He did have some interesting suggestions about email list management, like ditching the HTML in favor of plain text. I’ll probably try that out.
He closed with another section about focus, citing Cal Newport’s Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted WorldDeep Work extensively. I read that book about a month ago and I was not very impressed by it, so I kind of rolled my eyes at this section. That said, I do agree with the other reviewers that this is an important antidote to all the dozens of stress-inducing FOMO books about marketing aimed at authors these days.
September 22, 2021
Very informative. Practical steps. You get the facts like it is.
October 1, 2017
It may be a bit unfair that I’d just read another marketing book, which I loved, when I started this one for a book club. Still, I found merit in this book, along with many helpful tips that made me appreciate it. I feel confident that I will use this as a reference guide at some point down the road.
What I liked:
I liked that he referenced other well-known industry books. It was clear what information came from things he learned from others and what came from his own experiences. I liked that he put an emphasis on actually writing, not just the creative stuff, but the necessary stuff like copy on the book cover and in a promotion. I liked that he acknowledged the importance of a good book cover and even explained the importance of price (free isn’t always good or bad).
What I didn’t like (semi-spoiler in the next paragraph):
Some of his advice had an heir of absolute dos and don’ts, as opposed to tried and true suggestions. I feel like he took too much for granted. It’s as if he made the assumption that all writers were on the exact same journey he was on and came from the same background and support system. I think it’s foolish to tell an aspiring writer that they “have to” start a blog, but I also agree that it’s just as dangerous to tell them that they should not even think about it. There a few other subtle pieces of advice that seemed a bit harsh and restrictive to authors coming from different environments and going in different directions.
Overall, this was a short read; very concise and easy to follow. I’d recommend it to aspiring writers with a warning to take all advice as suggestions and to be open and calculating about the career choices they make.
What I liked:
I liked that he referenced other well-known industry books. It was clear what information came from things he learned from others and what came from his own experiences. I liked that he put an emphasis on actually writing, not just the creative stuff, but the necessary stuff like copy on the book cover and in a promotion. I liked that he acknowledged the importance of a good book cover and even explained the importance of price (free isn’t always good or bad).
What I didn’t like (semi-spoiler in the next paragraph):
Some of his advice had an heir of absolute dos and don’ts, as opposed to tried and true suggestions. I feel like he took too much for granted. It’s as if he made the assumption that all writers were on the exact same journey he was on and came from the same background and support system. I think it’s foolish to tell an aspiring writer that they “have to” start a blog, but I also agree that it’s just as dangerous to tell them that they should not even think about it. There a few other subtle pieces of advice that seemed a bit harsh and restrictive to authors coming from different environments and going in different directions.
Overall, this was a short read; very concise and easy to follow. I’d recommend it to aspiring writers with a warning to take all advice as suggestions and to be open and calculating about the career choices they make.
March 25, 2017
Read this book first!
There are tons of marketing books for writers out there. Most will weigh you down with yet another list of MUST-DO strategies for success.
Forget about them.
Read this short (essentials-only), concise book from James Scott Bell.
You'll be energized instead of sapped. Optimistic instead of overwhelmed. (And the ROE principle will keep you sane...and productive!)
Now, get back to writing!
There are tons of marketing books for writers out there. Most will weigh you down with yet another list of MUST-DO strategies for success.
Forget about them.
Read this short (essentials-only), concise book from James Scott Bell.
You'll be energized instead of sapped. Optimistic instead of overwhelmed. (And the ROE principle will keep you sane...and productive!)
Now, get back to writing!
March 26, 2017
Thank you, James Scott Bell, for freeing me from time-sucking activity! Being a new auther is much like being a new parent getting overwhelmed with advice. This book restores my confidence by helping to focus energy on the things that work.
June 23, 2019
I usually love Bell's books. His non fiction books are a gold mine of good information for writers, even us indies. But this book disappointed me. I went in thinking he'd give good advice on marketing strategies, but beyond harping on writing a good book, and using all your free time to write, there wasn't a lot of solid advice here.
I agree that lots of us need to be reminded to write and to not get caught up in social media, or the uselessness of building an author platform. Social media doesn't sell books, and doesn't matter if you're on social media if you don't have a book because you're on social media all the time.
But this time Bell didn't give any good advice on how to market if you do have a couple books out beyond write more books. Eventually, you're going to have shove your books in front of readers, or you'll have a large back list without an audience.
I gave this book three stars. I feel it would be more useful for an author without books published, so the book isn't to be discounted. But if you've got a handful of books published and you're looking for a solid way to put your books in front of readers, this book won't help you do that.
I agree that lots of us need to be reminded to write and to not get caught up in social media, or the uselessness of building an author platform. Social media doesn't sell books, and doesn't matter if you're on social media if you don't have a book because you're on social media all the time.
But this time Bell didn't give any good advice on how to market if you do have a couple books out beyond write more books. Eventually, you're going to have shove your books in front of readers, or you'll have a large back list without an audience.
I gave this book three stars. I feel it would be more useful for an author without books published, so the book isn't to be discounted. But if you've got a handful of books published and you're looking for a solid way to put your books in front of readers, this book won't help you do that.
October 8, 2017
Another great book by Mr. Bell on writing craft and the business. His writing is informative and engaging. The info is delivered in a straightforward manner that makes for an educational and enjoyable read. I own all his books. Highly recommend.
March 7, 2020
Great Tips
I bought this a few years back and only got around to reading it, which is annoying, because the tips could have helped me a lot in my early self publishing career. Concise, relevant and easy to follow, it gives a great insight into the important areas of focus if you're wanting to establish yourself as an author.
I bought this a few years back and only got around to reading it, which is annoying, because the tips could have helped me a lot in my early self publishing career. Concise, relevant and easy to follow, it gives a great insight into the important areas of focus if you're wanting to establish yourself as an author.
August 9, 2017
This is one of the better books about writing... or more specifically, about marketing one's writing... I've ever read. And I'm not just saying that because he reaffirmed the beliefs I already had about the usefulness of some "should-do" marketing methods. :)
Although I'm very grateful for the helpful tips I picked up in this book, I most appreciate the author's conversational style of writing. If you're looking for some pedantic do-it-my-way kinda book, this one isn't for you, but if you like the idea of receiving personal suggestions from a fellow writer who comes across like a friend... this one pulls it off nicely.
Although I'm very grateful for the helpful tips I picked up in this book, I most appreciate the author's conversational style of writing. If you're looking for some pedantic do-it-my-way kinda book, this one isn't for you, but if you like the idea of receiving personal suggestions from a fellow writer who comes across like a friend... this one pulls it off nicely.
August 21, 2022
A quick look at what you should do (author pages, email list, website) and what should be avoided (blogging, podcasting, blog tours, getting reviews) as one gives obvious results and the other is a time suck.
Though there are obvious good advice here – stuff one could learn more of and with looking at both sides from the Creative Penn podcast and the Self-Publishing Show podcast – it is marred by the author’s assertion that this works and this doesn’t and that’s that. Personally, I’ve found that blogging and podcasting about the right stuff, and getting reviews (usually accompanied by a blog tour) grows my email list and sells books.
It does talk about the book package that gets people to buy and read your book (cover, blurb, title, price, look inside pages) and how to maximise these to your benefit.
A good primer on marketing, but one should read more books on the subject to get a holistic view.
Though there are obvious good advice here – stuff one could learn more of and with looking at both sides from the Creative Penn podcast and the Self-Publishing Show podcast – it is marred by the author’s assertion that this works and this doesn’t and that’s that. Personally, I’ve found that blogging and podcasting about the right stuff, and getting reviews (usually accompanied by a blog tour) grows my email list and sells books.
It does talk about the book package that gets people to buy and read your book (cover, blurb, title, price, look inside pages) and how to maximise these to your benefit.
A good primer on marketing, but one should read more books on the subject to get a holistic view.
December 8, 2017
I have spent too many precious hours researching self-publishing and marketing over the last 6 weeks because I plan to self-publish. I'm so glad I found this book because all of the other clutter I've read on marketing was mostly focused on nonfiction and didn't make any sense for a fiction writer. This book was easy to read and everything Bell said made sense. He offers a lot of valuable insights that I found nowhere else. I genuinely appreciate his concept of a social media platform, because I have a real dislike for social media. It feels like screaming into an abyss most of the time. It's an incredible time suck and genuine conversations do not occur. This is the best marketing advice I've read or heard anywhere, for a fiction writer, and I've read a lot of books and articles and watched a lot of webinars in the past 6 weeks. James Bell did an excellent job with this book.
January 3, 2018
This is the approach that works
It’s true, Facebook ads, Amazon Marketing, BookBub, and a host of other tactics can give authors a well-needed boost to their discoverability. But at its heart, Marketing is a out one thing: Increasing the odds of your customers (readers) finding your product (Books). And in the history of Marketing and everything else, nothing has proven better and more reliable than good word of mouth.
What the author proposes in this book is a strategy for generating good word of mouth. He brings us back to the most basic and primary marketing tool we have—the Books themselves.
I recommend this book for authors of all stripes, and I hope you’ll pay close attention. Herein lies the secret to real and lasting success.
It’s true, Facebook ads, Amazon Marketing, BookBub, and a host of other tactics can give authors a well-needed boost to their discoverability. But at its heart, Marketing is a out one thing: Increasing the odds of your customers (readers) finding your product (Books). And in the history of Marketing and everything else, nothing has proven better and more reliable than good word of mouth.
What the author proposes in this book is a strategy for generating good word of mouth. He brings us back to the most basic and primary marketing tool we have—the Books themselves.
I recommend this book for authors of all stripes, and I hope you’ll pay close attention. Herein lies the secret to real and lasting success.
November 13, 2017
Yeah, I really liked this book! The main reason of course is that it tells you to write. I mold this to my need as a graphic novel creator and of course I can't apply all of the book, but most of it.
Coming to a point where you have an angst attack because you forgot the passwords to your billion social media accounts, it's great that somebody who's been around and learned a few things, tell you to stick to your trade and simplify things. The author isn't afraid to say things as they are. That said, things change in publishing all the time, but the principle of this book is clear: perseverance, simplification, AND WRITING, first of all. Short, simple, motivating.
Coming to a point where you have an angst attack because you forgot the passwords to your billion social media accounts, it's great that somebody who's been around and learned a few things, tell you to stick to your trade and simplify things. The author isn't afraid to say things as they are. That said, things change in publishing all the time, but the principle of this book is clear: perseverance, simplification, AND WRITING, first of all. Short, simple, motivating.
May 1, 2020
Salve for the struggling writer by emphasizing that the best marketing ends up being able to continue to write... which makes perfect sense. I was especially interested in Bell's observation that too much emphasis on social interaction can be both limiting and destructive. Great sense of humor and knowing when a single word -- in place of long sentences -- can be entirely appropriate. I intend to re-read the book in a couple of days.
John Keeler Mitchell
John Keeler Mitchell
August 31, 2025
No fluff.
James Scott Bell went straight to the point about Marketing For Writers Who Hate Marketing; how can an author get readers to read their books? I don't want to spoil anything for you; you'll have to read this book, and it's short, which is the best part. I can easily see myself revisiting it in the future. Smart, practical advice from someone who has done it and is still doing it. I also want to point out the book cover, which makes sense.
James Scott Bell went straight to the point about Marketing For Writers Who Hate Marketing; how can an author get readers to read their books? I don't want to spoil anything for you; you'll have to read this book, and it's short, which is the best part. I can easily see myself revisiting it in the future. Smart, practical advice from someone who has done it and is still doing it. I also want to point out the book cover, which makes sense.
February 14, 2018
This is a good book. Writers who have been in this business for a while already know most of the information in the first few chapters, but can find value in the later chapters. This book is great for writers who are new to the business. I also found encouragement in this book. Being a writer can take it's toll; positive emotional support is always helpful.
May 30, 2017
Solid advice
implementable advice on marketing your book, that actually respects your primary objective, which is to write. Avoids the recent social media frenzy. A little light on technical instructions, but pleasant and useful.
implementable advice on marketing your book, that actually respects your primary objective, which is to write. Avoids the recent social media frenzy. A little light on technical instructions, but pleasant and useful.
August 19, 2017
Talk about taking the pressure off an author, this book does it! I sighed with relief when I realized it's okay not to be able to do it all! Just focus on writing. But not just writing a book, but writing an excellent book! Thank you, James.
April 10, 2021
My only problem with this books is that some of the tips will only work or be possible if you selfpublish on amazon. There is a lot of useful info on how to create an audience for your wirttings, but I ended skiping some sections because there was no way I could put them to use.
March 18, 2017
James Scott Bell's writing books are among the best available. Any aspiring or professional writer would do well to read them.
August 5, 2017
I loved this book and can't wait to put Mr. Bell's ideas to work.
June 23, 2018
A fantastic little book. Full of useful information for the author (like me) who hates marketing. Totally recommend this to anyone trying to figure out the whole book selling thing!
August 14, 2018
A Good Read.
This book has a lot of helpful advice for authors, but I felt it was a little dates in places.
This book has a lot of helpful advice for authors, but I felt it was a little dates in places.
March 11, 2019
I've considered all of James Scott Bell's books on the craft of all things "author" and "writing" my go-to books. They resonate with me - simple to follow and packed with good advice and lessons.
March 31, 2023
I am one of those, love to write, hate marketing but know that it's necessary. Good read.
March 20, 2017
Reading this book would have saved me a lot of time early on in my fiction-writing career.
Bell has reinforced what I've come to believe. Now I can stop stressing g over anD I don't do and focus on good writing g! Thank you, James Bell.
Bell has reinforced what I've come to believe. Now I can stop stressing g over anD I don't do and focus on good writing g! Thank you, James Bell.
March 19, 2017
In the current climate of indie writer/publishers angsting about book launches and BookBubs and velocity and seemingly everything else other than focusing on what readers really want--good stories--JSB's new book for writers is a joyful read, encouraging writers to focus on the one sure-fire form of advertising--the next book.
Another standout reference guide from James Scott Bell.
Another standout reference guide from James Scott Bell.
May 21, 2025
2024-04-21:
i like this guy's writing. it is readable and quite convincing comparing with other producers of text in the self-help genre. yet, his texts are mostly fairy tales written in the self-help genre. probably that is why they are selling well. for example his story with the big editors being concerned with ”selling for $25" a hardcover when the kindle was "$10". that never happened. and countless equally gifted fairy tale journalists were bitching and moaning of why the price of an ebook was matching a hardcover, when the expenses were not matching. conveniently the weasels concluded that amazon pockets unjustified profits, and simply ignored the editors that were using their weight to push the prices up. and of course, most, if not all, journalist weasels also had several books with the said editors, so why upset the hand that feed them?
2025-05-21
actually, the guy is crap. he is saying the same thing 500 other hungry self-publishers say.
and i notice the same sort of weasel in bell: barns and noble ”could” get a discount, amazon was selling cheap books, oh, the poor publishers and editors, many of whom are friends with him, and they might lose their comfy routine jobs.
i like this guy's writing. it is readable and quite convincing comparing with other producers of text in the self-help genre. yet, his texts are mostly fairy tales written in the self-help genre. probably that is why they are selling well. for example his story with the big editors being concerned with ”selling for $25" a hardcover when the kindle was "$10". that never happened. and countless equally gifted fairy tale journalists were bitching and moaning of why the price of an ebook was matching a hardcover, when the expenses were not matching. conveniently the weasels concluded that amazon pockets unjustified profits, and simply ignored the editors that were using their weight to push the prices up. and of course, most, if not all, journalist weasels also had several books with the said editors, so why upset the hand that feed them?
2025-05-21
actually, the guy is crap. he is saying the same thing 500 other hungry self-publishers say.
and i notice the same sort of weasel in bell: barns and noble ”could” get a discount, amazon was selling cheap books, oh, the poor publishers and editors, many of whom are friends with him, and they might lose their comfy routine jobs.
April 24, 2020
Must have book for authors. Full of practical marketing tips for busy writers. Simple and straight forward suggestions on increasing your book sales.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews