By Bridgitte Jackson-Buckley, author of The Gift of Crisis​ 

If there is one thing I’ve found out about book marketing it’s this: everyone is not your customer.

As a reader, this makes sense. You don’t want to read every book that’s out there yet, when you publish your own books, why does that knowledge suddenly become irrelevant?

You suddenly want everyone in the world to read your book. It doesn’t matter if it’s the silver-haired grandmother in Texas, the roughneck in Alaska, or the mouthy teenager next door — you simply now insist your book appeals to every demographic on the planet and no one can convince you otherwise.

So, you share your book links everywhere and sit back and wait for the sales to roll in. 

And then…

Crickets.

According to Worldometer as of this writing, over 40 thousand books have been published and we’re only a few days into the New Year! 

Within this publishing phenomena, how can one book stand out and/or connect with the right readers? 

Well, you make your book marketing more effective.

Here are a few options you may not have considered.

• Take the time to determine your ideal reader

What is your reader most likely to carry in their backpack, handbag, or briefcase? Is your ideal reader a teen girl, a business person, or a blue-collar worker? Once you’ve determined who your ideal reader is, the next step is to find out where your people hang out online. 

Here are some place to look:

• Hubspot: If you don’t know a lot about demographics or marketing, this is a great place to start. Their services are a tad pricey, but the blog is free.
• Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that provides tons of great info about our world. You can use it to find out where your demographic/ideal reader spends time on social media. Enter the search terms you’re looking for about demographics and it’s likely in there. 

1. Goodreads quotes
   This seems like such a simple and obvious suggestion, but believe it or not I recently got this straight. I’ve had a Goodreads profile for some time now. Even though I often search online for quotes and inevitably Goodreads shows up in the search, it never occurred to me list quotes from my book on my profile! You never know when your work may appear as others search for quotes. On the author profile there is also an “ask me questions” feature, which is a good way to connect with readers. Additionally, Goodreads is a great place to connect with genre readers – for free! 
2. Quote graphics
   My website is hosted by WIX and I have to be honest…if asked, I would happily do a promotional spot for WIX’s stellar customer service. Beyond great customer service, they have a marketing tool that allows users to create beautiful quote graphics that can be posted on all social media platforms. The picture is an example of one of my favorites that was made through my website.
   Canva is also an excellent source for creating graphics. However, you will have to research the correct sizing for the graphic you create. Depending on which site you want to share it to, if the dimensions are off the site you post the image on will cut off the edges or stretch the image, distorting it and sometimes making it blurry. It’s helpful to name the pictures as you save them as “A World without Butterflies — Insta” or “A World without Butterflies — FB cover” etc. so you’ll know which graphic can be used for which site based on the dimensions.
3. Podcast interviews
   Shortly after my book was released I received several interview requests. Considering this was the first time I had ever done anything like this, I was quite nervous. It was interesting to see how differently each interview was conducted and how the information came across. I had to get used to watching AND listening to myself on video and in audio interviews. Consider podcast interviews great practice for book signings, speaking engagements, interacting with the public and representing yourself as a writer. One of the best interviews I have ever done to promote my book was on The Soul Directed Life podcast with Janet Conner. Overall it was a spirited exchange between two people with a genuine interest in my book’s subject matter.
4. Quora
   I’ll admit, Quora didn’t appeal to me for a long time. However, it’s another great way to find your audience. If you’ve written “How to Start a Podcast without Looking Silly,” go onto Quora and find people asking questions about how to start a podcast and provide a creative and honest answer, while also linking your article in the answer.
5. YouTube readings
   Recording readings or making quick videos on the topics you write about is a good way to draw readers to your site and your writing. You can create a 10 minute video discussing your book and reading a few key paragraphs and share on your (newly created) YouTube channel (the one with 3 followers). You can also post the video link to your author pages on Goodreads, Amazon, and your website.
6. Use smaller sites like Mirakee and Flipboard
   Mirakee is a great place. It’s a visual site with a younger following. Flipboard allows you to post articles like a collection of online magazines that people can follow.
7. Contact your local newspaper
   You never know! I emailed one of my local newspapers to get information on how to get my book featured beyond a paid advertisement. The editor responded, “If you can make it relevant to the community, we’ll run a feature.” Done!
8. Create author share groups
   Creating a small group of 3–5 people who agree to do a share rotation of work. If there are three of you, each person can share their “promo-of-the-day” link or two to the group, and as you make your promotional rounds you share yours, then theirs, and they do the same for you. Set an agreed number of sites to share to and number of shares so you each benefit from the sharing collaboration.
9. ManyStories for Medium
   ManyStories is part of the Penname platform. Penname is a platform of integrated websites dedicated to content distribution and discovery; a place where writers grow their audience and readers discover stories. ManyStories links to the original article link and selects stories to share on the front page of the site each day and will notify you if your work is selected to distribute. If you’re already a writer on Medium, it’s great because it allows writers to find new readers who are not part of the Medium  platform and allows writers to find a pool of writers, with a disproportionately high number of active Medium writers, as well.
10. Business cards/face-to-face interactions
    Yes. Good old-fashioned business cards. The business card I use now is version number 5! It took several different versions before I finally created a business I am absolutely proud of. When I hand my business card to someone, I am so grateful that my presentation is strong and well-prepared to represent myself as a writer. When I am out and about and a natural conversation strikes up with someone, I’ll give the person my business card and invite them to read my writing. The title of my book is listed on the back of my business card and they can search my name and find my writing on various platforms. Considering we live in an infinite universe full of infinite possibilities, you never know what can happen as a result of these brief encounters!
11. Focus and learn
    You can’t be everywhere, all the time. It’s inefficient and exhausting. A good approach is to narrow down tactics, or start slowly, and see what works. Toss what doesn’t. The definition of efficacy is the power to produce an effect. The more you learn what works for you, the better prepared you are for the next book launch. And the next.
12. Do what you can, then let it go and live your life.
    As a writer, there comes a point when you simply have to let go. The book is written, you’ve poured your heart into it and then you have to let it do what it’s meant to do…not always at your direction or on your preferred timetable. A relationship with a book is very similar to the relationship a parent (or caregiver) has with a child. Eventually the child will grow up and have a life of its own. Until then, you do everything within your power, means and resources to provide a good start, a good foundation and then…all you can do is let go. You let go and trust your very best efforts will contribute a life – an existence – that will thrive and touch people in ways you could not have imagined. 

I’d love to hear your feedback. Share what works for you and what doesn’t below in comments!

Bridgitte Jackson Buckley is a freelance writer, author and ghostwriter whose focus includes spirituality, transformational documentaries, and in-depth interviews. She is a former contributor to General Religion on the National circuit of Examiner.com as the National Spirituality Examiner. She’s interviewed many New Thought luminaries including Eckhart Tolle, Iyanla Vanzant, Deepak Chopra, and Elizabeth Gilbert. As a freelance writer, she has written online articles for Examiner, Tiny Buddha, Recreate Your Life Story, Thrive Global, Medium, Gaia and Patheos’ Spirituality Itself. She is a fluent Spanish speaker and has traveled extensively throughout Central America including Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Additional travels also include Hong Kong, Malaysia and (her favorite adventure) Thailand. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, three children and Miniature Schnauzer.