In this article we'll consider:
What distribution and marketing refer to
What you are selling
Where you are selling
Marketing your fiction
Marketing your brand (as opposed to your book)
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When it comes to self-publishing, ensuring your novel reaches the hands of eager readers is as critical as the writing process itself. Distribution involves making your book available to potential readers through various channels such as online platforms, bookstores, and even direct sales. Your distribution strategy directly impacts the accessibility of your book.
Marketing, on the other hand, is about making your book visible to the right audience (those who'll love your story). It involves creating buzz, generating interest, and ultimately driving sales. From social media campaigns to promotion sites, marketing plays a crucial role in capturing the attention of readers in a crowded literary landscape.
But fear not. To help you navigate this crucial phase of your self-publishing endeavours, we take a look at the key decisions to consider in terms of distribution, and how where you choose to sell is tied in with your marketing strategy.
What are you selling?
One book does not necessarily mean one product. Consider all the ways readers may prefer to consume your content:
Ebook
Paperback
Hardback
Large print
Special edition
Signed editions
Illustrated editions
Audiobook
When you're just starting out, and you've yet to grow a large following, you'll likely begin with an ebook as your staple product, then add paperback perhaps and also audio if the budget stretches to it.
While the ebook format is relatively easy and inexpensive to put together, paperbacks (and all other print formats) will require specialist formatting as well as their own cover (which includes front, spine, and back cover with book description). You may choose to do much of this yourself, or hire a professional to save time. For advice on DIY book covers, take a look at: Book Covers That Sell.
The demand for audiobooks has been increasing in recent years, but they're notoriously expensive to produce. There are options for more manageable means of production, such as royalty sharing, but this comes with a tie-in period of anywhere from seven to 10 years, so requires some long-term thinking before proceeding. (For an in-depth guide to audiobook production and distribution, Written Word Media has a comprehensive guide here.)
Your first step then is to consider which formats you would like to sell right now, or that are at least feasible propositions. Naturally, the more formats you have, the greater the opportunity to reach readers. But if you're just starting out, begin with one or two, and consider if you'd like to add more as part of a longer-term plan.
Where are you selling?
In the digital age, online retailers are a self-publisher's best friend. Platforms like Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Kobo, Google Books, and distribution aggregators such as Draft2Digital, offer easy-to-use tools to publish and distribute your book worldwide. By utilizing these platforms, you can reach a vast audience of readers with just a few clicks.
But your first step on your way to being adored by an army of fans is whether to publish on one of these platforms or multiple.
Exclusive with Amazon - While enrolling your book(s) into Amazon's KDP Select program is not a prerequisite for selling on Amazon, it does come with benefits. Millions of readers who pay a monthly subscription to Kindle Unlimited have access to your books theoretically for free - removing the barrier to purchase, and for which you the author get paid according to the number of pages they read.
Bear in mind, KU subscribers are voracious readers and always on the lookout for their next read, which makes them a very eager audience. Enrolling your book in KDP Select also gives you access to promotional opportunities that aren't available to non-exclusive KDP authors. Take a look here for more details.
When you enrol, you commit to publish exclusively with KDP and no one else for at least three months. You then have the opportunity to exit the program at the end of the three months (whilst still keeping your books in the retail store), but you'll need to switch off the enrolment yourself or Amazon will automatically keep you enrolled in three-month increments.
The downsides to exclusivity? You're missing out on the chance to reach more readers, in more countries, by not distributing through other popular book retailers, such as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo, to name but a few.
Publishing wide - Wide refers to having the freedom to publish on as many platforms as you like. As alluded to above, publishing exclusively to only one platform is effectively leaving money on the table. Potentially a lot of money. Not to mention the readers who only buy from, say, Apple Books or Barnes & Noble, and therefore never lay eyes on your books, let alone get the chance to purchase them.
Wide can also mean arranging a print run and trying to get your books into local bookstores (this can work particularly well if your story is set in the region you're trying to sell them). It can also mean setting up your own store, direct selling to readers via platforms such as Payhip, Shopify, or your own website.
Direct selling is usually part of a long-term plan; it works particularly well when you have a large following - readers primed and waiting for your next book to come out. These readers guarantee you sales, and by selling to them direct through your own store, you're able to retain more of the royalties than you would from any other retail platform. Selling in this way also enables you to set your own promotions, generate voucher codes, and run special sales. It puts you in command - writer, publisher, retailer, promoter. But you need to be non-exclusive in order to take advantage.
The downsides to wide? It's a time commitment. The more retailers you publish to, the greater the administrative tasks involved. You're not just uploading your book to one platform but to several, and each with their own specific requirements and restrictions, e.g. for file formatting or cover design.
Additionally, each retailer reaches their readers in different ways, so getting sales is a learning curve that takes time. For example, while Amazon's algorithms may push books that are already selling well, Apple Books may favour popular book series, and Kobo prioritize audiobooks.
Best advice - If you're just starting out, begin with one retailer. Just the process of uploading, publishing and promoting your book is a steep learning curve in itself, and using one platform is a good way to get to grips with the process without becoming overwhelmed.
As the biggest revenue-generating platform is still currently Amazon, the advice would be to start there. If you wish, you can take advantage of their promotions by enrolling in their KDP Select program initially, safe in the knowledge that after three months you can opt out of the program (or remain for another three months and opt out at six months, etc).
In that time, you'll have probably decided what your next move will be - remain with Amazon, or add another platform. But certainly take your time to get familiar with one retailer at a time, building systems that work for you, with your long-term goals in mind.
While some authors begin with KDP Select to gain traction then move out wide when they have the experience and confidence to do so, growing their fanbase further - others will distribute wide on multiple platforms from the outset, jumping right in and learning as they go.
There's no right or wrong way. It comes down to what you're comfortable with, time availability, or mental bandwidth, and how much reach you want your books to have. There's a lot of effort involved in publishing wide, but if you can make it work either now or further down the line, you reduce the risk to your author income that comes with being at the mercy of one platform alone.
Marketing your fiction
This is often the sticky bit for self-publishers. But like all aspects of the writing and publishing process, marketing your books is about finding a system that suits you, using methods you're comfortable with, and that deliver on the goals you aim to achieve. And this you can only find out by testing.
Owing to the upsurge in successful self-publishers over the last ten to fifteen years, there is now thankfully no shortage of marketing opportunities, paid and free, to help you get your book in front of readers. We've already mentioned KDP Select's built-in promotional features, but Amazon - regardless of whether you're enrolled in Select or not - also offers paid advertising to enable you to improve the visibility of your books and/or your brand.
Getting to grips with Amazon ads and making them work for you requires patience and the funds to keep testing until you find what works; but many authors find success with them, and there is an abundance of courses and advice out there to guide you through the process.
I personally recommend Dave Chesson's Amazon Ads Course via Kindlepreneur - it's free, updated as of July 2024, and is as simplified as you can get it whilst still covering everything.
(By the way, this is not an affiliate link; but the link to Dave's superb Publisher Rocket software at the bottom of this page is. Publisher Rocket helps you quickly identify Amazon categories in which to place your books, as well as effective keywords and comparable authors, saving time as well as headaches! One lifetime-access payment includes all future updates for free - and Dave is very generous with updates.)
Paid ad opportunities also exist via Facebook (Meta), and BookBub. Whilst Facebook is a social platform rather than a retailer like Amazon, or a book deal site like BookBub, many authors have been able to grow their sales and following exponentially through Facebook advertising campaigns.
To reiterate, paid advertising on any of these three platforms (Amazon, Facebook, BookBub) requires an initial investment of time and of course money. Think about what your goals are before you begin, as this will influence how you advertise - e.g. a free or 99p book to reach new readers and build a following, or full price to earn more royalties. Either way, it's unlikely you'll see a return straight out of the gate, but bear in mind what you invest now can reap rewards later.
These days there's plenty of information and advice freely available - on Google or in author discussion groups - so start with one advertising platform at a time, research as much as you can, finding out what's currently working for authors, how to read results, and what considerations to factor in. Then set aside a budget you can afford to lose during the testing process. Remember, too, to record your findings in order to evaluate what works and what doesn't over the long term.
Lower-risk paid marketing opportunities can be found via promotional deal sites, such as those offered by Written Word Media, Fussy Librarian, and BookDoggy, to name but a few. These are reasonably priced sites that will promote your book to thousands of subscribers on a particular day, usually when you're running a special promotional offer.
They are a good way to give sales a short boost and/or reach new readers, and work particularly well if you have a series or if you stack promotions with various sites over a couple of days or a week; for instance, if you're launching a new full-price book in a series, and promote book 1 for free or 99 cents.
For more details of promo sites and how to get the most out of them, take a look at Nicholas Erik's Recommended Book Promo Sites here; and also David Gaughran has a phenomenal amount of practical information he gives away freely about all things advertising and promoting your book.
Finally, a couple of other options to consider. Book bloggers and reviewers can be powerful allies in your book marketing efforts. Reach out to influential bloggers in your genre, offer them a free copy of your book for review, leveraging their platforms to gain exposure. Positive reviews can significantly impact your book's visibility and credibility, so the more the better.
Similarly, in the digital era, physical book tours have transformed into virtual book tours; consider collaborating with book bloggers, social media influencers, and online communities to organize a virtual tour. These tours may help you connect with readers across the globe and generate buzz around your book.
Most importantly, don't fret. You don't have to try all of these promotional methods. Find the ones that suit you (and your genre). As with everything we've discussed here, what works for one author (or one book) may not work for another. So consider every new avenue an opportunity to test effectiveness, and be prepared for it to go either way. It's a fickle, constantly shifting business that will keep you on your toes.
Marketing your brand (as opposed to your book)
Establishing a strong brand is recommended for long-term success in your author career, and there are three key areas that are useful for laying the foundations.
Firstly, consider your professional website as the home of your author business. It provides readers with a touchpoint where they can learn more about you and your books, and perhaps even contact you to rave about your latest release or to ask when the next one is coming out.
Likewise, a social media presence on the platforms your readers hang out at the most provides a golden opportunity for engagement that narrows the gap between you and your audience, and increases the chance of their continued support.
While you may groan about the thought of social media, consider it from your readers' point of view; how exciting it is for them to get nuggets of insights into your writing life or the book you're currently working on. It feeds curiosity, builds intrigue, and keeps you top of their mind and eager to buy when your next book launches.
Finally, a critical foundation for your book brand is your email subscriber list and newsletter. Think about it. When a reader purchases your book from Amazon, or downloads it via their Kindle Unlimited subscription, you make a sale, but have no contact with that reader. You don't know who they are, whether they enjoy the book they've downloaded, and if they'd like to read any more from you.
What if they loved your book, but now they've already moved on to the next one by another author and have quickly forgotten how much they enjoyed your writing?
While unfortunately no amount of nagging will get retailers to divulge the details of your buyers, you can bridge that gap by providing an easy way for readers to willingly provide you with that information themselves.
At the back of every book you publish, provide a clear link for interested readers to subscribe to your newsletter; and/or in exchange for them providing you with their email address, you offer them a free additional bonus (such as a short story, bonus chapter, deleted scene, next book preview; literally anything they'll find irresistible).
By growing your list of interested readers in this way, you are increasing opportunities to market directly to them in the future, building a base of superfans eager to buy your next book and take advantage of your promo offers.
In turn, as we mentioned earlier, a large enough fanbase broadens your scope for selling to them directly via your own platform and retaining more of the royalties you've so rightly earned. The sky's the limit!
For more information on newsletters, I recommend expert Tammi Labrecque's Newsletter Ninja.
Finally...
Self-publishing distribution and marketing requires careful planning and execution, and then a great deal of holding your nose and jumping in. Tailoring your strategies to your target audience's preferences will aid you in achieving success, but sometimes we only come to understand these preferences by trial and error.
Embarking on the journey is a bold step for any aspiring author. But with time, patience, and remaining open to continually learning, there is nothing to stop you from unlocking the full potential of your author career.
Successful self-publishing for the long term is about writing fiction you enjoy, and reminding yourself that there are readers out there who will love your stories as much as you do. Marketing is simply a means of bringing you and your readers together, and distribution is how you deliver those books to them. What could be simpler?
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Tina Williams of Fiction Yogi is a copyeditor and proofreader who works with writers at all stages, giving them the tools to improve their manuscript and level up their writing so they can meet their publishing goals.
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