If you’re familiar with Reedsy, you won’t be surprised to know that I think How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market by Reedsy co-founder Ricardo Fayet is an excellent book.

It’s not thorough – it doesn’t address many book marketing tactics that are effective – but it doesn’t need to cover all options to offer value.

Fayet’s book focuses primarily on how to understand how Amazon works, then use that knowledge to sell on that platform using email, pricing promotions, and advertising.

It also goes in-depth into how to leverage Apple Books, Google Play, and Kobo. Since most books are purchased on Amazon, though, he spends more time explaining what you need to succeed there.

Who will find this book helpful?

There’s no question that this is a valuable resource for any author who wants to sell books.

While it repeats some of what you might have read on this site already – the importance of writing a great book with a genre-specific cover and knowing as much as possible about your target audience, for example – it also goes into great detail about Amazon algorithms and lists.

We all need to understand as much as possible about how Amazon works.

Still, as I moved through the book, I realized that the ideal reader for this particular book is what I might call a “career author.” Fayet is writing for someone who has the potential to support themselves through book sales.

It doesn’t matter if that doesn’t describe you, though. How to Market a Book is still important to your work as an author, especially with regards to understanding Amazon better.

Note, too, that it skews toward series fiction writers since that’s the best way to become a full-time author. He notes that nonfiction authors can also write series, but his examples tend to be from fiction.

My favorite gems

As Fayet notes in Chapter 1, book marketing is all about getting discovered. It’s not about chasing down readers, it’s about how readers find your book. Everything in Section I, “Mindset and Marketing Fundamentals,” is a must-read for all authors, but I especially appreciated his thinking on “the silent majority” in Chapter 4. These are the people who don’t leave reviews, but could recommend your book to friends.

I discovered a new-to-me concept – book “universes” – in Chapter 7. Fayet describes this as “series of series” – creating a new series that’s related to another series you’ve finished writing. Think TV series spin-offs – for example, NCIS followed by NCIS L.A. and NCIS New Orleans, or all of the Law & Order programs.

Chapter 8 explains read-through rate for series books and explains how to calculate it. Again, if you don’t write series, this isn’t useful. But if you do, you need to understand this.

I especially appreciated Section IV, Amazon Marketing, where Fayet went into great detail on Amazon’s lists and algorithms. How much do you know about Popularity Lists and how they work? You’ll learn even more in Chapter 17.

You’ll get good basics on e-mail marketing in the section on mailing lists. If that’s something you want to get better at, though, read my review of the excellent Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert. (Then buy that book.)

There’s an incredible amount of information on advertising in Section VIII because this book focuses on paid marketing tactics.

Finally, one of my favorite gems in Chapter 50 on audiobook marketing details how to get an audio clip from your book to share on your website. If you’ve got books available in audio format, you’ll appreciate this chapter.

As is often the case, there was a chapter or two that could have had more substance, including the one on editorial reviews. Still, How to Market a Book includes enough links to tools that will improve your marketing to make up for that.

Five stars

Read this book, which you can download on Amazon for free. It will get you on the right track, especially on Amazon.

And let’s face it: No matter how you feel about Amazon, you can’t avoid it if you want to sell books.

I highly recommend reading it, whether yours is a stand-alone book you want discovered or you’re a series writer who plans to make a living from royalties.

Have you read this book? What did you think about it? Tell us in a comment.

I met today’s guest blogger, Ricardo Fayet, in a Facebook group where he impressed me with his contributions. He’s a co-founder of Reedsy, an online marketplace that lets authors directly access the wealth of editing and design talent that has started leaving major publishers over the past few years. A technology and startup enthusiast, Fayet likes to imagine how small players will build the future of publishing. He also blogs about book marketing and conducts weekly author interviews on the Reedsy blog.

Authors and editors: Collaborate for discoverability

By Ricardo Fayet

Discoverability — aka, reaching readers — isn’t just about finding them; it’s about producing work that stands out from the crowded content market and inspires readers to leave a review or recommend your book. Working with a professional freelance developmental editor increases your chances of making just such an impression.

Think of your manuscript as a ship on the vast ocean of digital content, and think of great editing as a lighthouse: a beacon shining a light on craft and conventions, and consequently increasing your discoverability by ensuring your manuscript reaches or exceeds the highest standards.

What a good content editor can do for your book

The explosion of self-publishing has made room for top-quality editors — even some from big publishing companies — to work independently and directly with authors. These “content,” “developmental,” or “structural” editors are helping fiction and nonfiction authors successfully self-publish and/or polish their work for querying agents. They focus on big-picture story elements like plot development, characterization, continuity, and product-market fit; because this work is far more in-depth than straightforward proofreading, choosing the right editor is critical.

Look for a content editor with specialized knowledge of your book’s genre and target market. More importantly, choose someone who pairs intrinsic talent and experience with a communication style you like and understand. You and your editor should share a common vision for what your work can become and how you can grow into that vision as an author.

Tips for finding the right editor

So how do you find this dream editor who will help turn your rough draft into a well-crafted novel without squelching your personal style and voice? How do you differentiate the professional you need from the many non-professional glorified beta-readers who lack the aforementioned skills, experience and finesse?

• Don’t follow ads or “discounts.” Since “real” editors aren’t as concerned with discoverability as authors, they frequently don’t advertise heavily, yet often get book projects far in advance. They also never publicly offer discounts.
• Recommendations or curated marketplaces are the way to go. The latter can be particularly helpful as they offer authors an inside track to discover, query, and hire freelance editors and other book industry professionals. At Reedsy, for example, authors can compare samples and quotes from up to five freelancers. Because you are dealing with busy professionals, it’s important that you ensure you make a good first impression and provide enough details to receive comprehensive proposals.
• Communicate openly and honestly with potential editors from the get-go. Ask for a face-to-face Skype call with the most likely candidates before making a decision. Everyone benefits when an author finds her perfect-fit editor, and communication is a huge part of what makes a good match.

Nurture the relationship

It took best-selling author Joanna Penn six years and several editors to finally find one she was comfortable with. Though that’s a somewhat extreme scenario, it illustrates how critical the author-editor relationship is, and how fruitful the right collaboration can become.

So once you find your perfect editor, how do you keep him?

• First and foremost, understand that professionals get compensated at professional rates.
• Next, respect your editor’s time by booking in advance when possible.
• Finally, thank your editor in your acknowledgments and don’t hesitate to spread the word about your great experience. When you contribute to your editor’s discoverability, you’re letting the world know how much the collaboration has improved your own.

How did you find your book editor? Are you happy with your choice? Please tell us in a comment.