Welcome to this week’s Book Marketing Update.

Unlike previous versions, this one is short and sweet. All the better, right? We all have so much to do and so many projects we want to write.

I hope you enjoy this week’s brief edition.

Book Marketing

70+ Book Marketing Ideas to Rocket-Boost Your Sales – from Reedsy: Check out this comprehensive list of book marketing ideas.

How to Plan and Host Worthwhile Online Book Events – by Jane Friedman: Jane “… reached out to some of the most experienced and astute authors and marketers to share their best practices for online book events, regardless of the platform you’re using.”

Social Media

New Report Finds Social Media Video Now Sees as Much Consumption Time as Traditional TV – from Social Media Today: “… US consumers now spend almost as much time streaming videos on social platforms as they do watching traditional TV.”

Publishing

Publishing Trends: Predictions for the Book Industry in 2022 – by Kaelyn Barron and from TCK Publishing: “We’ve analyzed some of the most prominent trends based on recent studies and our own data and observations to get a feel for what’s to come in the year ahead.”

Quote of the Week

Hey, I’m Frances Caballo and I’m a social media expert for writers, building and managing author platforms to enhance book sales. A writer all of my life, I also provide content writing and email marketing services. If all you need is some training, I enjoy offering one-on-one training sessions as well. Of course, check out my free, email-based social media training course (you’ll get a free, 64-page Twitter ebook with it). 

This Book Marketing Update is heavy on social media, as it should be. There’s always a lot happening on that front.

I included below a reference to a new report on social media trends for 2022. Be sure to check it out. TikTok is the internet’s new darling but before you jump on that platform, remember that most Gen Z uses it, making it perfect for YA and similar genres.

My indulgence of choice this winter has been hot cocoa with marshmallows. Nothing else is quite the same for warming me up. What is your indulgence?

Have a warm and snuggly winter.

Book Marketing

Successful Self-Publishing Tips – from Joanna Penn and with Mark Dawson: If you’re new to self-publishing or you need to brush up on your skills, check out this interview of Mark Dawson, an expert in book marketing.

12 Clever Ideas for Promoting Sequels or Later-Series Books – from BookBub Partners: “If you’re publishing a sequel, whether it’s the second book in a duology or a later-in-series book, its launch is a chance to capitalize on the success of the previous book(s). You’ll already have a built-in fan base eager for more, but you need to make sure they’re aware a sequel is getting published and when it’s launching — plus, you’ll want to hook new readers as well.”

The Indie Author Magazine – from Self-Publishing Formula and with Chelle Honiker and Alice Briggs: “As the business of being an indie author has finished its first decade, Chelle Honiker and Alice Briggs have decided to work with other indies to create the world’s first magazine about the industry. James talks to them about the inspiration for this idea, the work that’s being done behind the scenes, and what they see coming in the future.”

Email Marketing

Best Newsletter Design Tips + Free Resources – from MailerLite & by Megan de Graaf: “How did your last email campaign perform? If you expected better results, it might be time to tweak your email design.”

@MailerLite Gegan de Graaf

How to Build an Email List Before Your First Book Comes Out Using Short Stories – by Author Media and with Thomas Umstattd Jr: Author Media released this podcast a few years ago but the content is still valid and current. If you missed this episode in the past, make sure to listen to it or read the transcript now.

Social Media

Facebook Adds New Features to Creator Studio, Including Stories Highlights and Timeline View for Posts – from Social Media Today: “Facebook’s added some new elements to Creator Studio to mark the new year, including a Stories preview option for video uploads, and a new way to preview how your posted content looks in-stream.”

Twitter Launches Live Test of Full-Screen, Visual Tweet Reactions – by Andrew Hutchinson: “Twitter’s taking the next steps with its full-screen, video reply option, with the launch of a live test on iOS that will enable users to choose ‘Quote Tweet with reaction’ to create and customize a unique Tweet take.” This is what it will look like:

2022 Social Media Trends – from Hubspot and Talkwalker: This is nothing short of a phenomenal report. Don’t miss it! TikTok will be bigger than ever in 2022 but remember this: it’s most popular among Gen Z.

Book Titles

5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Book Title in the Internet Age – by Anne R. Allen: “These days the competition — in both the book and film markets— is mind-boggling. Today’s market is more saturated than authors of 30 years ago could have imagined. Successful indie authors publish 12 or more books a year. And both publishers and authors are madly republishing their backlists. 1000s of new books launch every day. This means choosing a book title that people remember is essential.”

Take a Look

A Writer’s Guide To The End Of Self-Doubt – from Joanna Penn & with William Kenower: “How can we recognize self-doubt and create alongside it as part of the author journey? How can we write with confidence and double down on what we love the most? William Kenower talks about these aspects and more.”

Quote of the Week

Welcome to a new year and new opportunities to improve your book marketing and sell more books.

Check out the articles referenced below. I hope they help you to find new strategies to attain your publishing dreams.

Book Marketing

Book Release Checklist – by Elizabeth Spann Craig: This checklist is wonderful.

How Social Listening Can Improve Your Book Sales – from Self-Publishing Relief: “With seven in ten Americans regularly using social media, your target audience will most likely be on one or more social media sites—making it the easiest and fastest way to connect with your readership.”

Social Media

Americans widely distrust Facebook, TikTok and Instagram with their data, poll finds: “It’s the rare thing that Americans of all ages and across the political spectrum largely seem to agree on: They don’t trust social media services with their information and they view targeted ads as annoying and invasive, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll. “

BookTok: A Safe Haven for Young Female Readers – from Jane Friedman: It might well be impossible at this point to host a children’s publishing event without offering at least one session focused on TikTok—or, more specifically, BookTok, the community of young book lovers on the platform. 

Black Literature

These ‘forgotten’ rejections shaped Black lit – from Futurity News: “A new book explores how a history of rejection shaped African American literature and activism for generations to come.”

Publishing

5 Tips on Negotiating a Hybrid Publishing Agreement – from Writer’s Digest: “If you’re using a hybrid publisher, you’ll want to confirm their fees. Some publishers will have you pay a lump sum upfront, while others will stagger their payments during the publication process.”

Take a Look at These, Too

The Dangers Of Comparison – from Sarah Rhea Werner: “We have to go down a lot of wrong paths in order to rule them out. We’re not running this race against other people, against other writers and other creators. We’re running this race against all of the things that get in our way. That’s our true competition.”

Nikita Lalwani on the Art of Eavesdropping – from Lit Hub: “Like many writers, I eavesdrop as a matter of course. In London, if I am taking the subway home after a night out, round midnight, I have found myself on the platform studying the people around me.”

Quote of the Week

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season.

May 2022 bring you plenty of time to write and every publishing success you could ever dream of.

In the meantime, here is a wonderful article to read:

Yes, the Great Books Make Us Better People from The New York Times: “A Core education serves a leveling function” for students, he says, “sharpening their historical awareness of how the world has come to be what it is, giving them a shared vocabulary with which to describe and act upon it, and equipping them to communicate with others who bring different backgrounds and perspectives to the conversation.”

I’ll be back in 2022!