This post was originally published on the Publishers Association website.

It’s 2024, and the publishing landscape is evolving. Title schedules are getting busier; big books and brand authors are getting even bigger; mid-lists are getting squeezed, and workloads are growing ever-larger.

Against this backdrop, publishers and their marketing teams are looking for ways to work smarter and leaner, and to optimise their outputs and return on investment, all while remaining bold yet thoughtful in their publishing, and ever-reactive to readers. 

In challenging market conditions, it is more necessary than ever for publishers to identify the best opportunities to help their titles stand out from the crowd, to innovate on the fly, and to stay at the forefront of the very latest trends. 

That’s why we at BookMachine have put together our definitive list of ten book marketing questions publishers should be asking right now, and own expert answers to them. 

Read on to discover quick wins to build out your book marketing strategy, and fresh ideas to help you innovate. 

And if you’re looking for even more expert help, reach out to BookMachine Creative Agency, a team of book lovers and brilliant marketing creatives, who are ready to help you deliver excellence on your next book marketing campaign. 

1. How do we generate buzz and maintain momentum in a crowded market?

Around 185,000 books are published in the UK each year. That’s a lot of books, and a lot of competition when it comes to making your titles stand out from the crowd.

While it might be tempting to go big with your marketing campaign, sometimes it’s far more cost-effective to identify audience niches, and speak to a small but highly engaged community, rather than a mass market audience with a spray-and-pray approach.

We would recommend starting any new campaign by putting together comprehensive audience insights for your target readership, whether that’s readers of your author’s previous titles, or market competitors. Understanding your audience with well-developed research is the first step to delivering cut-through and reaching readers.

2. How can we improve our books’ visibility on social media?

Whether you’re marketing next year’s big romantasy debut to BookTokkers, or making a cosy craft gift title extra pinnable on Pinterest over Christmas, the key is understanding exactly where – and when – your audience are spending their time online.

Is your audience checking Linkedin Messages in the middle of their work day, or are they perhaps new parents scrolling Facebook Reels at 2am in the middle of a night feed? Is your target Gen Z reader going to be looking at Quora first thing in the morning, or are they more likely to be flicking through TikTok at lunchtime?

Use your audience insights to be smart and targeted with your organic – and paid – social, to build visibility that is both impactful and efficient.

3. Is influencer marketing worth the time, effort and money?

Whether influencer marketing is right for your books depends on a number of factors, from the nature of the book, to the audience you’re trying to reach, plus the other marketing levers you’re bringing into the mix. Influencer marketing alone is unlikely to move the dial on your book sales, but when combined with other strategic marketing, it can be highly effective.

To be cost-efficient, there are some easy quick-wins to save on your budget. First, try and reach out to influencers directly wherever you can, to avoid accruing agents’ fees. Go into the conversation with a figure in mind, and don’t be afraid to negotiate on price. Sometimes, working with four or five influencers with a smaller following can have more impact than pricier activity with one mega-influencer. If you’re short on time or resource to do this, you can engage an agency like BookMachine to do all the heavy lifting for you, from outreach to content briefs to drawing up contracts.

4. How can we optimise our blurbs and metadata to increase discoverability and attract readers?

Optimised copy and metadata is your secret weapon to delivering cut-through for your books in online marketplaces like Amazon, Bookshop.org and digital retailers like Apple Books and Kobo.

Spend some time doing comprehensive keyword research using free and paid-for tools like Google Keyword Planner, Jungle Scout, and even the Amazon Search function. The more relevant keywords and phrases appear in your metadata, the higher your chances of strong visibility and searchability across platforms.

It’s not just about the blurbs, though. Make sure all areas of your book’s product page get some attention, including author bio, series information, and endorsements and reviews.

5. What are the most effective advertising channels and strategies for reaching new readers?

When it comes to book marketing, there are tried-and-tested channels that are effective at delivering ROI from digital advertising spend. Meta continues to dominate the book marketing landscape. According to Hootsuite (2024), Instagram offers the highest organic engagement rate for the entertainment and media industry of all the main platforms, at 1.56%, followed closely by X at 1.45%.

One competitor that has exploded onto the scene since the pandemic is TikTok, and most publishers are now pivoting their publishing strategy, at least in part, to capture the next big viral hit.

But alongside your staple Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) and Search / Display advertising, it’s worth thinking about smaller and more niche platforms where you might tap into more engaged communities, such as Quora, Pinterest, and apps like Vinted. According to Spotify, 1 in 5 podcast listeners who engaged with an advertiser in Q3 2023 end up converting.

It’s also worth investigating reciprocal opportunities on platforms outside of the traditional paid advertising model. Spend some time researching and reaching out to brands that would work well in collaboration with your title.

6. How can we collaborate with bookshops and libraries?

As Peter Snell, retired manager of Barton’s Bookshop, wrote in the Bookseller, “Proper booksellers [know] what they are talking about—please use them and assist them or they won’t be here for much longer. I feel that publishing would be immeasurably the poorer for that.”

He’s absolutely right. Booksellers and librarians are the first and last port of call in the journey your book takes to get into readers’ hands. Take time to understand what is going to help these people – who represent a vital link in the chain of the publishing ecosystem – to sell your books more effectively. It can only positively impact your titles’ reach.

Be proactive in what you offer out to booksellers and librarians: whether it’s author talks, readings and signings, book club materials, point-of-sale materials or something more comprehensive in the form of a partnership. Trade and library engagement should be a core strand of your campaign strategy for every title.

7. What metrics should we be tracking to measure success?

When you’re running paid marketing online, it can be tempting to use common vanity metrics in your results reporting. But follower count, reach or impressions don’t tend to give you any meaningful sense of the impact a campaign or creative is having on its target audience.

To truly measure impact, we recommend focusing on metrics which demonstrate meaningful engagement with your content. This could include click-through rate (CTR) on paid social, engagement rate on organic content, and open rates on emails. If you’re tracking landing page visits, focus on the bounce rate and scroll depth rather than session length, to get a better understanding of how your audience is interacting with your content.

8. How can we stay cost-efficient? What are the most effective ways to bring books to market on a micro budget?

Bringing books to market on little-to-no- budget is challenging, but by no means impossible. When approaching brands for potential partnerships, go into the conversation with a philosophy of “don’t ask, don’t get” – or otherwise, always assume that your payment is reciprocal marketing, rather than cash. We’ve found this to be highly effective for campaigns. Instead of offering to pay for placement on a brand’s blog or social pages, instead offer to cross-promote them on your own brand socials or email newsletter.

Advanced reading copies (ARCs), or proofs, are often the biggest expense in a mid-list title’s marketing budget. Rather than running a huge print run of proofs, create a sense of scarcity with a limited run and a wide-reaching digital proof drop. With the right messaging, your proofs become coveted limited-edition items. If you can manage without physical proofs, don’t print them, and take the cost off your bottom line. Plus, it’s good for our planet!

9. What are the emerging technologies in book marketing, and how can we adapt to stay ahead of the curve?

Without a doubt, AI-powered tools and machine learning have had an unprecedented impact on the publishing industry in recent years. While there is a heated ongoing debate around the ethics of machine learning, AI-created art, and its impact on the creative industries, there are many aspects of AI which publishers can leverage to develop smarter and leaner ways of bringing books to market.

AI-powered tools can analyse reader data to provide insights into reader preferences and behaviour. Authors and publishers can use this data to personalise marketing efforts, recommend books to readers, and optimise advertising campaigns.

With this in mind, publishers can think about investing in AI-powered analytics tools to understand reader behaviour and preferences. Use this data to tailor marketing messages, target specific audience segments, and improve book recommendations.

AI can also support data analytics and predictive modelling to help authors and publishers identify trends, forecast sales, and optimise publishing strategies. AI is a fast-moving landscape with many ethical and legal limitations, so we would recommend being extra-cautious and thoughtful in how you use it.

10. How can we prioritise accessibility in our book marketing?

The EU Accessibility Act (EEA) will be fully implemented in 2025, meaning that accessibility will soon be a legal imperative as well as an ethical one. Centring accessibility in book marketing requires a proactive and inclusive approach that considers the diverse needs of all readers. Creating a more inclusive marketing environment that ensures everyone has equal access to your books is not only ethically important but also beneficial for your bottom line.

There are no shortcuts when it comes to creating lasting change. Watch BookMachine’s panel discussion with industry experts on accessible publishing and putting accessibility into practice. You can also dig into resources and handy tips from the likes of the UK Publishing Accessibility Action Group (PAAG), the DAISY Consortium, and Inclusive Publishing.