Marketing your children’s book might be even harder than writing it in the first place! After all, writing the book is a one time job...
But marketing never ends!
For many introverts, like myself, the biggest challenge of marketing isn't the hard work, the cost, or the time involved... it's the fact that marketing often involves talking to…*gulp* PEOPLE!
Just thinking about words like marketing, promotion, or publicity is enough to make me want to lock my front door and hide under a blanket. But, for traditional and self-published authors alike — it simply HAS to be done!
What's an introvert to do?
So, what can an introverted author do to make marketing more bearable?
More achievable?
Maybe even a little bit… enjoyable?
I once heard a personal trainer say, “The best exercise is the one you’ll do.” And that holds true for marketing too!
So much time will be spent marketing your book! So, it’s important to use marketing tools and strategies that come naturally to you - otherwise you risk burning out and giving up altogether.
Here are 7 marketing strategies that will appeal to your introverted personality. So YOU can put yourself out there...while staying home!
Social Media: Facebook, Instagram, X
I know, I know. It's ironic that I'm starting out my list with "social" media. Doesn't exactly sound introvert friendly! But, it can be if you choose the right platforms!
In my experience, text and image focused platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and X, are more introvert-friendly than video based platforms like Tiktok or YouTube.
Social media is free and easy and it allows you to post engaging content that attracts new followers and fans to your books, without ever having to leave the comfort of your own home. And contrary to what some may believe, you don’t ever have to show your face if you don’t want to!
For example, instead of hosting an in-person book signing at a local bookstore (which means scheduling it, dressing up, and worrying if anyone will attend), you could simply sign the store copies privately, and post a photo of your book on the shelf at said store to let your followers know signed copies are available there.
Now, is there a chance you'd have gotten more sales if you did the in-person event? Maybe. But in my experience, most local events are attended primarily by friends and family, and sales are usually not huge. So, is the anxiety of planning the in-person event worth a handful of sales from people who were probably going to purchase your book anyway? Maybe not.
And don’t feel like you have to master all the various social media platforms right away. Just choose one to start with and add others gradually as you become comfortable with them. Here's a great post to help you get started.
Blogging
If social media isn’t your thing, you can always start your own blog. This can be done for cheap or free via sites like Wordpress or Wix, and it allows you to connect with potential readers, again, without ever leaving home. Blogs are great for sharing longer-form text and photos, personal anecdotes, and more. Readers can comment on your blog posts, and you can respond. You can also include a direct link to purchase your book.
Another benefit is that most blogging platforms allow you to collect emails from subscribers, which you can then use to build your very own…
Email List
Collecting and maintaining an email list CAN be a little complicated, but software like Mailerlite make it easier. You can embed a sign-up form directly onto your blog homepage, and if you do it right, you’ll end up with a list of people who genuinely WANT to know about your next book and are highly likely to be enthusiastic customers.
You can send out emails to your subscribers weekly, monthly, or just a few times each year. And those emails don’t have to be long or complicated. Just share information your audience will be interested in, give them updates on your latest projects, and be yourself!
Blog tours
If you don’t want to manage your own blog, or have the pressure of posting new content regularly, another introvert-friendly option is to organize a blog tour for your book.
A blog tour is when you arrange for various established blogs to post about you or your book over the course of a certain two week period - usually right around launch. Some of the hosts might want to interview you. (Don't panic! It's usually via email.) Some might agree to post their own honest review of your book. Some might agree to share your personal author journey. Reach out to bloggers to schedule these posts, and as they go live, share them with your own followers, answer questions readers might ask in the comments, and generally “meet” new fans along the way.
You don’t have to leave your house, and you still get lots of new eyes on your book!
Influencer partnerships
I know, I know. Reaching out to influencers doesn’t sound like a very introverted thing to do! But, honestly, all it takes is some research and a well-written email to get you in the door - and the worst they can say is, “No thanks!”
Check out this post about how to reach out to influencers and start emailing! If you can find someone willing to share your book - their audience becomes yours, which can lead to sales and success.
Press Releases
Another great way to put yourself out there - without ever leaving home - is with press releases. A press release is a document you send to media outlets to let them know about your book release or other book events. Newspapers, television and radio stations, and magazine editors are always looking for feel good stories of interest to their communities. By sending them a press release, you let them know about your book and they will get in touch with you if they are interested in featuring your story.
(Warning: If you send a press release to a tv or radio station, they may request a live interview! So stick to newspapers and magazines if that scares you!)
PPC ads
Perhaps one of the best examples of marketing for introverts is PPC (or pay per click) ads. These ads can be run on various platforms (like Amazon and FB), and allow you to actively reach out to potential customers without ever interacting with them directly. You create an ad, and your chosen platform pushes it out to the audience you’ve targeted.
Of all the strategies mentioned above, this is the only one that costs you money up front, but you can easily set your own budget and spend as little or as much as you like.
If you’re the type of person who would rather spend the evening balancing your checkbook than socializing….give PPC ads a try!
You HAVE to put yourself out there.
So many authors say, “I just want to write the books. I want someone else to do the marketing.”
Unfortunately, that’s just not the way it works. Marketing and promotion are essential to every author’s success. But, choosing the strategies that work for you and your personality can go a long way towards helping you enjoy - and find success - on your author journey!
Disclaimer: This blog post may contain affiliate links to products we enjoy using ourselves. Should you choose to use these links, At Home Author may earn affiliate commissions at no additional cost to you.
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