Achieving success as a self-published author requires more than just pouring your heart and soul into writing an excellent book—it also involves getting that book into the hands of your target readership through book marketing.
Forming a book marketing strategy can be daunting for self-published authors, especially those needing more experience and expertise. Fortunately, options like hiring book marketing services are available. In this blog, we explore and provide actionable insights, weighing the advantages and costs of hiring a book marketer to help you decide the best marketing strategy for you and your needs.
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Can I Hire Someone to Market My Self-Published Book?
Many self-publishing authors face a critical dilemma and ask, “Can I have someone to market my self-published book?” The short answer is yes, you can recruit someone—preferably a professional—to handle your self-published book marketing needs. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different types of professionals and groups you can hire to promote your self-published book:
- General Book Marketer: A general book marketer uses various marketing strategies to promote books across different genres and formats. They may work independently or as a part of a team, agency, or company, assisting through a broad set of activities such as social media marketing, email campaigns, online ads, and offline promotional efforts. Since the scope of their services is extensive, they usually offer package deals for authors to choose from, most of which are customizable depending on their budget and needs.
- Specialized Book Marketer: Unlike a general book marketer, a specialized book marketer concentrates on marketing books within a specific genre or niche. They can also be called “specialized” if their marketing services focus only on one or two promotional activities. For example, a romance author can hire a book marketer who specializes in romance books; a self-published author who wants to improve his online presence can hire a marketer who specializes in social media marketing. Since they have a more targeted approach, their services often yield higher engagement and better results for that particular book or promotional service.
- Book Publicist: Hiring a book publicist might be the best choice for self-published authors who want to build their public presence and reputation or generate buzz and media attention to drive book sales. These professionals focus on securing publicity for a book and the author by arranging book reviews, interviews, press releases, and features in media outlets like newspapers, magazines, blogs, and podcasts.
- Book Promotion Agency: A book promotion agency offers various services specifically promoting books. These agencies usually have a team of marketing professionals who manage different aspects of book promotion, such as social media marketing, author branding, event planning, and media outreach. They provide a more holistic approach than individual marketers, often offering comprehensive campaigns tailored to the book and author.
- Book Marketing Company: Unlike a book promotion agency, a book marketing company provides end-to-end marketing solutions for authors and publishers. The team of professionals under such a company handles all facets of the book marketing process, providing support through market research, strategy development, and marketing plans even before the publication phase. Their comprehensive services aim to maximize the book’s exposure and sales, extending their support after the book launch and even tracking data to guide authors and publishers for their next book release.
While writing is enjoyable, book marketing is a different story, involving thorough planning and execution. Many self-published authors acknowledge their inexperience and lack of knowledge in this aspect. This realization explains why they enlist the assistance of book marketers and marketing firms who work with them hand-in-hand to boost their profile, increase their visibility, and drive sales. Of course, there’s so much to ponder when hiring someone to market your self-published book, so take your time, weigh your options, and consider your budget before finalizing your decision.
How Much Does Book Marketing Services Cost?
The cost of book marketing services varies widely depending on the services required, marketing packages offered, project scope, customization, and other factors. While there’s no exact cost to market a book, they usually range from as low as $50 to around $10,000. Here’s a rough breakdown of the aspects that can impact the pricing set by book marketing professionals and agencies:
- Scope of Services (market research and analysis, social media management, etc.)
- Marketer’s Experience and Expertise
- Project Duration and Time Sensitivity
- Book’s Genre, Target Audience, and Marketability
- Marketing Budget
- Client’s Needs and Goals
- Geographic Reach (local, national, or international)
- Number and Types of Marketing Channels To Be Used
- Technology and Tools
- Customization and Personalization
- Author’s Platform and Following
- Level of Competition in the Book’s Genre or Market
- Amount and Type of Content Creation Required
- Extent of Public Relations Activities
- Success Metrics and Frequency of Reporting
- Discounts or Pricing Structures of Bundled Services or Long-term Contracts
These factors help book marketers, promotion agencies, and marketing companies determine their pricing structure, ensuring they can deliver effective marketing strategies while meeting their business needs. By thoroughly considering these costs, you can plan your budget and select the package that best fits your marketing goals and financial situation.
Should I Hire Someone to Market My Book?
The decision to hire someone to market your self-published book depends on various factors. While not mandatory, hiring a book marketer can be an excellent investment because their experience and expertise can significantly boost an author’s success rate, augmenting the book’s visibility and driving sales. However, it’s crucial to remember that spending thousands of dollars to advertise a book doesn’t always guarantee success, and hiring someone doesn’t mean you won’t have to do any legwork. Therefore, self-published authors should weigh their options before hiring a book marketer. To help you decide, here are the pros and cons of hiring someone to market your book:
PROS
- Experience and Expertise in the Field: Professional book marketers and marketing companies have specialized knowledge and experience in book marketing. Since they understand the industry’s complexities, market trends, and target audience preferences and know effective marketing strategies, they can significantly amplify your profile and book’s visibility.
- Time-Efficient: Writing requires time and effort on its own. Hence, authors may struggle to find time to execute and monitor any marketing plan they have in mind. By hiring a book marketer, authors can achieve maximum productivity. How? The marketer will handle promotional activities while the author focuses on writing and other creative aspects.
- Access to Established Networks: With their marketing experience, book marketers and marketing companies often have connections with media outlets, influencers, bloggers, and reviewers. Authors won’t have to worry about contacting numerous people in the industry! Their chosen marketers with access to established networks will do this for them, helping garner more publicity and reviews for your book and increasing its reach.
- Optimized Marketing Campaigns: Professionals can create and manage comprehensive marketing campaigns that include social media, email marketing, book tours, and advertising. Their expertise can ensure that these campaigns are well-coordinated and effective while also tailored to the author’s specific short—and long-term goals.
- Higher Sales and ROI: Your chosen marketer’s targeted and well-executed marketing strategy and reach will likely help your book reach its target readership. Once executed, this can result in higher sales and a better return on investment, ultimately increasing your book’s success.
CONS
- Cost: Hiring a professional book marketer can be expensive. While some are willing to negotiate, marketing services can still be costly, especially for self-published authors or those on a tight budget.
- Lack of Control: While marketers will tailor their services to fit your goals and budget, you may still have to give up some control over the marketing aspects of your book. Hence, if you have a specific vision for your branding and promotional tactics, you shouldn’t expect all of it to be executed as you wish, as marketers also have their creative vision or preferences.
- Varying Quality of Service: Since marketers don’t follow one blueprint for book marketing, not all book marketers deliver the same quality and effectiveness. While other marketers might exceed your expectations and provide exceptional results, there is also a risk of hiring someone who might not deliver the expected outcome, leading to wasted time and money.
- Diminished Reader Engagement: Relying heavily on a marketer, primarily if the marketer handles their online accounts, could make authors less engaged with their readers. This disconnect might result in less authenticity and reduced reader interaction.
- Short-Term Engagements: Some marketers are only available briefly, especially during your book’s launch. While their services can lead to a temporary surge in visibility and revenue, once their contract ends, the promotional activities may dwindle, leading to a gradual decline in book sales and reader engagement. Books can have a long shelf life, and continuous promotion is necessary to avoid becoming a fleeting phenomenon rather than a lasting success. Because of this, you have to learn how to market the book or hire a marketer again.
As you can see, hiring a book marketer comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. By meticulously evaluating your options, you can make the best choice—one where you can achieve your desired goal in the long run.
Can You Sell a Book Without Marketing?
There are some genres where the books sell themselves, so technically speaking, it’s possible to sell a few copies without structured promotional efforts. However, without any marketing, it’s impossible to increase your book sales and achieve the kind of success other authors have. Remember, even the best-written books need to be marketed!
Hiring a book marketer and utilizing book marketing packages can significantly boost your sales. For authors with budget restrictions, you can promote your book alone, using any available information you’ll find through your research and applying everything you learn to make a comprehensive marketing plan.
Marketing Your Self-Published Book
Marketing is a crucial component of successful book publishing. Whether you hire a professional or do it yourself, one thing is sure: while book marketing services for self-published authors can significantly enhance your book’s chances of success, there are always other options for you, like learning book marketing, creating your promotional graphics, and organizing promotions alone, offline and online. As you contemplate your next step, consider the tools and software we have here at Adazing. Our tools are tailored to help you on your book marketing journey, whether to build your author brand or promote your latest book release. Scroll through the site to see our free and paid tools and software!
