It’s not long before she discovers the book club is a ruse.

The women just want to escape from their families, drink wine, and gossip.

“You didn’t really think we read the book, did you, Lois?” asks one woman, shocked.

Fortunately for authors, many book club members take their club commitments seriously, reading the assigned book and arriving prepared to both socialize and discuss the book.

This is good news for you if you think your book is book club material.

Finding book clubs

If your book is the type that’s popular with book clubs, it’s possible that some in your area will find and contact you. This is more likely if you’ve had local publicity.

You can also look for book clubs to contact. Options for doing so include:

1. Ask at your library’s reference desk or talk to your local bookstore’s community relations manager.
2. Talk to friends about the clubs they belong to and whether your book is a good fit for them.
3. Inquire on social media.
4. Search the book club section of Meetup.com.
5. Use the ZIP Code search box at Reader’s Circle or list your book with the site.
6. Pay a service to advertise your book to clubs.

Start by identifying local clubs so you can participate in person rather than by Skype, FaceTime, Google Chat, or speaker phone.

Local clubs will also be more open to working with you than those in other regions, which makes them a good starting point.

Use local club meetings to discover which discussion questions resonate and what questions they ask that aren’t on your list but should be. Let them be your training ground.

Getting selected

Your next challenge is to get your book selected by clubs. Even then, though, you also need to make sure it can be borrowed from libraries and purchased online or in person.

How will book clubs know yours is the perfect choice for them?

Among other things, you want to include a book club reading guide on your website.

This is essential because it helps your book get found by groups. It also tells them that you’re interested in working with them.

You’ll find detailed information on what to include in your book club discussion guide as well as what to expect from club appearances in Module 4 of our popular online course, “Book Marketing 101 for Fiction: How to Build Book Buzz.”

Reader connections are worth it

Like nearly every other book marketing tactic, attracting and connecting with book clubs takes time and effort.

Even so, if your book is appropriate for clubs, whether they’re general interest, cookbook, or Christian book groups, think about reaching out to them.

The one-on-one interaction with people who have read (and loved) your book can be more energizing than a Starbucks latte.

In addition, the feedback you’ll get that you can use to shape your next book is almost priceless.

Do you participate in book club meetings? What advice can you offer authors reaching out to them? 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in July 2013. It has been updated and expanded.)

Do you wish there were other options that are a better fit for your style, skills, personality, or preferences?

Do you want to know how to promote a book without using social media?

You are not alone. Keep reading.

Marketing beyond social media

When I asked authors in the Build Book Buzz Facebook group what they’d like to learn about through this blog, several wrote a variation of “marketing beyond social media.”

Easy.

Two of my traditionally published books sold out a combined four press runs without a single tweet, post, update, or share.

With that in mind, here are nine things you can do to promote your book without logging in to a single social media account. They’re in no particular order.

1. Guest blogging

This involves finding blogs that reach your book’s target audience, studying the type of content they use, and contacting the owners to propose that you write an article for the blog that will interest its readers.

In fact, here’s a guest blog post I wrote about guest blogging: “Guest Blogging for Authors is Alive and Well.” Here’s more advice on “How to be a great guest blogger.”

2. Book fairs

Exhibiting at these local and regional events lets you meet and converse with readers, network with other authors in your genre, and learn more about industry developments. If exhibiting doesn’t appeal to you or isn’t in your budget, attend anyway — you can still talk to other attendees, connect with other authors, and so on.

3. Publicity

People often confuse publicity with advertising. Publicity is the free exposure you get when you’re interviewed by or mentioned in the news media. I’m a national award-winnig former publicist, so you’ll find lots of information about how to get publicity on this site.

Typing “publicity” into the search box on the right generates a list of articles, as does searching for “media.”

The “Book Marketing 101” courses (one each for both fiction and nonfiction) on the training page also teach you how to generate book publicity. You can get the tools you need — templates for pitch letters, creating and practicing memorable sound bites, the messages you share, radio email pitches, and so on — in Build Book Buzz Publicity Forms & Templates.

4. Create a holiday

It’s easy enough to create a holiday and select the annual date for it. But it’s not enough to just pick a date and call it your own. For it to have book marketing value, it has to have a direct link to your book or something in your book (for example, the author of a novel or children’s book telling Raggedy Ann’s “real” story could create Raggedy Ann Day),  and you have to spread the word about the special day you’ve created (publicity is a good option).

Once you’ve got your concept and date, get it listed in Chase’s Calendar of Events. The deadline for the next book is April 15.

If your holiday is quirky, contact the folks at Holiday Insights to get listed on their site.

5. Speaking

Speaking, which is particularly effective for promoting memoirs, has evolved to include more than standing in front of a group and sharing information they’re interested in hearing. Now it includes presenting at virtual (online) conferences and being interviewed on podcasts.

“Authors and public speaking: 5 reasons to be an author who speaks” will talk you into speaking to groups about your favorite topic.

6. Email marketing

Social media serves a purpose, but if the social networks you use disappeared tomorrow, what would you be left with?

Nothing.

But you own your email list. Even Mark Zuckerberg can’t take that away from you.

Build a fan base and get to know many of them better by creating an email newsletter that encourages recipients to share information with you. Get an overview of the process in “Building your author e-mail list,” then read, “What should I send to my author e-mail list?”

7. Book signings

This is a great tactic for extroverts, especially those who enjoy public speaking, because today’s book signings are about entertainment, not books.

Jane Sutter Brandt explains how she had a blockbuster event in “How to sell out at a book signing without being a celebrity.” Learn what popular young adult author Megan McCafferty does at her book signings to keep people engaged and entertained in “Best selling YA author Megan McCafferty adds unique signature feature to book signings.” Get how-to tips from “Your book signing event tool kit.”

Consider doing yours at a venue that’s related to your book’s topic instead of a bookstore, too.

8. Create an event with other authors

Do this locally at a library or at a function room at a book lover’s conference such as the Dayton Book Expo. Collectively, you can attract a large audience of people who enjoy reading the types of books you write.

9. Meet with a book club

You don’t need social media to find and connect with book clubs. You do need to write the type of book that clubs read, though, and you need to do a few other things, as well (including finding book clubs). Learn how it works in “Authors and book clubs.”

Pick the one option of all of these that appeals to you the most and learn how to do it well. You will see that you enjoy book promotion more — so you’ll probably do more of it. That, in turn, will lead to more success.

Take that, Twitter.

What do you do to promote your book that doesn’t involve social media?