Writing a book is a form of art. But marketing a book? It feels like the opposite of that. It feels like spreadsheets, analytics, and awkward self-promotion. It feels like a never-ending checklist of things you’re “supposed” to do. It feels overwhelming, exhausting, and maybe even a little soul-sucking.
But here’s the thing—marketing is storytelling. And as a writer, we already know how to tell a story.
At its core, marketing isn’t about manipulation or algorithms no matter what the gurus say. People were marketing long before algorithms and psychology weaseled their way into capitalism.
Instead, we can think of marketing as simply telling a story that resonates with the right audience. It’s about crafting a narrative that makes people lean in and say, “That sounds interesting—I need to know more.”
Think about it this way: Every time you write a book description, share a behind-the-scenes post, or tell people why you wrote this particular story, you’re not just promoting your work. You’re building a world, setting the scene, and inviting readers to take a journey with you.
Marketing doesn’t have to be separate from your creativity—it can be an extension of it.
One of the biggest mindset shifts that helped me embrace marketing was this: I am not the main character of my book marketing. My readers are.
When we promote our books, it’s easy to focus on ourselves. Our process, our struggles, our victories. And while that’s fine in small doses, readers ultimately care about one thing: What’s in it for them?
That’s not selfish—it’s human nature. Every reader wants to be drawn into a story that speaks to them. Every reader wants to find the book that scratches the exact itch they’re looking to scratch.
So instead of approaching marketing as selling my book, think of it as telling a story where my reader is the hero.
For example:
Instead of “I wrote this book because I love worldbuilding,”
→ Try “If you love immersive worlds and intricate lore, this book will be right up your alley.”Instead of “I struggled to finish this book, but I’m so glad I did,”
→ Try “If you’ve ever felt stuck in your creative process, I totally get it—here’s how this book helped me push through.”
In the world of MBAs and polo shirts, this is called “customer-centric messaging.” We want to make the reader feel like the book belongs to them before they even buy it.
But how?
Use the Same Tools You Use in Fiction.
You already know how to tell a compelling story. You do it every time you sit down to write. Marketing is just applying those same storytelling techniques to your own work.
Here are a few ways to do that:
1. Hook Them with a Strong Opening
Just like your book needs a great opening line, your marketing needs a great hook. Whether it’s a social media post, an email subject line, or the first sentence of your book description, it should make the reader stop and pay attention.
Bad example: “Hey, I wrote a book. You should check it out.”
Better example: “What if the only way to save the world was to become the villain?”
Best example: “A murderess is accused of killing her husband—ironically, perhaps the only murder she didn’t commit.” (Blood Sugar, by Sasha Rothchild)
2. Show, Don’t Tell
In fiction, you don’t just tell readers what’s happening—you show them through action, dialogue, and sensory details. Do the same in marketing. Instead of saying “This book is really exciting,” share an excerpt that is exciting. Instead of saying “This story is emotional,” describe a moment that will hit readers in the heart.
Other ways of doing this are to show them using images that evoke the feel and experience of the story, create videos depicting moments in the stories, or resharing reader responses (like reviews) that emphasize their experience of the story.
3. Create Emotional Stakes
Readers don’t just buy books. They buy experiences. They buy emotions. They buy the promise of a certain feeling—whether it’s excitement, nostalgia, comfort, or thrill.
Instead of listing off your book’s genre and word count, tap into what makes it matter.
“This book will break your heart in the best way.”
“If you love found family, sarcasm, and morally questionable heroes, you’ll love this.”
“Get ready for an adventure filled with secrets, betrayal, and one character you’ll hate to love.”
These kinds of statements give the reader an experience before they’ve even cracked the book open.
Emotional stakes can come in other ways as well. Doing live events and allowing the reader to engage directly with you, the author, can make them more invested in you and your work. Giving sneak peeks at the story, images, or cover reveals can also help the reader feel emotionally invested in you and the story.
What kind of emotions do you want your reader to experience when they read your story? Try to mimic those with your marketing.
4. Build Suspense
We don’t dump all our plot twists in chapter one, so why would we dump all our marketing at once?
Build anticipation. Tease snippets of your book. Drop little hints about what’s to come.
Instead of “My book comes out next month—preorder now!” try:
“Here’s a small excerpt from my book, but I won’t tell you who’s speaking.”
“One of my characters makes a very bad decision in Chapter 7. Any guesses what it is?”
“I just got my cover back, and I love it. Wanna see a sneak peek?”
Give your audience a reason to keep following along. Ask questions to keep them engaged. It’s not just about coming up with the most generic content, it’s about making it customized and intriguing, and should be based on what we’re offering in our work and what our readers are specifically looking for.
Marketing Is an Invitation, Not a Demand
At the end of the day, marketing isn’t about forcing people to buy your book. It’s about extending an invitation:
"Hey, I made something I think you’ll like. Wanna check it out?"
That’s it. No sleazy tactics. No pretending to be a pushy salesperson. Just sharing a story in a way that makes people curious, engaged, and excited to be part of it.
And when you start thinking about it that way, marketing stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like what you’ve already been doing all along.
So stop stressing about selling and start telling—because the best marketing is just another damn good story.
