It forces me to do something I need to do more often — study what resonates with you here, then deliver more of it.

I start the two-part process with Google Analytics.

Identifying the top book marketing articles

First, I look at the traffic for all of my content, not just what I created for 2021. There are a few perennial favorites, including one article I wrote in 2012 that continues to rank at the top.

Then I narrow the list down to content created this year. Both exercises help me:

• Identify trends
• Uncover surprises (for example, I thought you’d be really interested in “Should you sell books from your website?” You weren’t.  )
• Guide what I write about in the following year

Here are the articles that interested you the most in 2021. I’m looking forward to delivering more information that helps in 2022.

1. 2021 literary calendar with 137 occasions for book lovers

This month-by-month list of occasions that celebrate all things books during the year we’re leaving behind made it easy to find opportunities you could work into your book marketing plans. It includes information on how to use the 137 special days and holidays for year-round book marketing. (And while this article ran at the end of 2020, the vast majority of traffic it attracted came in early 2021.) And, if you’re looking ahead to 2022, here’s the link to that calendar: https://buildbookbuzz.com/2022-literary-calendar/

2. Who are the best BookTubers?

“BookTube” refers to YouTube video bloggers who talk about books; the book lovers who create those videos are “BookTubers.” This article links to seven lists of the top BookTubers so you don’t have to spend hours and hours wading through searches to find the best and most popular options.

3. 11 free things you can do to buzz your book

If your goal is a high-quality book, you’re going to have to spend money on cover design, editing, and proofreading, for starters. But there are lots of effective tactics you can use to promote your book that cost nothing but time. Learn more about 11 of them in this article.

4. How to give readers a direct Amazon review link

Get more reader reviews by giving fans a link that goes directly to the “write a review” section of your book’s description page on Amazon. This demo video shows where to find that section and how to grab and use the corresponding link.

I’d like to do more of these types of “let me show you how to do that” videos, but struggle to come up with ideas for them. What can I show you how to do?

5. Amazon Verified Purchase reviews: Fact versus fiction

Some authors believe that if you didn’t purchase the book on Amazon so that it’s “verified,” you can’t review it. Others think that reviews that aren’t verified have no value and aren’t worth securing. They’re both wrong. Learn how it works in this article.

6. 3 things you need to stop doing on social media

You see people making mistakes on social media all the time, don’t you? In the early days, it was tweeting “buy my book” nonstop. Today, the faux pas are more sophisticated. Here are three that will put distance between you and your readers.

7. Use Amazon’s embed feature to preview your book anywhere

Guest blogger Walter Rhein introduces us to a little-known Amazon marketing tool that every author with an Amazon listing can use. The “here’s what it looks like” images he provides are especially helpful.

8. 3 book marketing tactics you can ignore

To help you find your focus, I’ve identified three popular tactics that aren’t going to work for most authors. There are exceptions, of course. But for most, you can ignore these activities when you see others using them.

9. 10 Amazon changes authors need to know about

In this guest column, book marketing consultant Rob Eagar outlines the 10 most important Amazon updates for authors. They involve Amazon Advertising, Author Central accounts, and self-publishing with KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).

10. Kindle Vella: Is it a good fit for you?

Kindle Vella is a new storytelling option from KDP that lets authors self-publish serialized stories, one short episode at a time. This article introduces the concept and links to detailed Kindle Vella summaries and specifics on other sites.

What’s your favorite article from this site this year? Is it on this list, or is it something else? Please tell us in a comment. 

Discovering the most searched for terms on Google during the past year gives you insights into trends and interests while a list of the year’s top news stories creates a flashback to what was considered newsworthy in the past 12 months.

As a blogger, I review my Google Analytics reports again at this time of the year to remind me of the posts that were most popular. It helps shape what I’ll write about in coming months.

“Best of 2013” on the Build Book Buzz blog

In keeping with that late December “best of” and “top” list-making tradition, here are the seven most popular Build Book Buzz blog posts in 2013 according to site traffic reports. Will any of them help you promote your book next year?

1. Promoting your book: 8 ways to pitch media outlets
2. 7 things you need to know about working with book publicists
3. Don’t make these 4 common author mistakes on LinkedIn
4. Do you Wattpad? 5 tips from a Wattpad writer
5. How to build a killer book publicity media list
6. 9 things you wish you knew before your first TV interview
7. How to get awesome book cover blurbs

What book publicity, book promotion, or book marketing topic would you like to see covered here in coming months? Please tell me in a comment.