COVID-19’s impact on most industries is stunning. On the book publishing side, publishers have furloughed or laid off staff. Printers have struggled to print and ship books according to pre-COVID timelines. Authors who rely on in-person promotion had to re-think their book marketing strategies.

And yet, as an author, you’ve kept moving forward, haven’t you?

I have, too. This past year, I’ve published dozens of book marketing articles designed to help you rise above the chaos and confusion so you continue to sell books.

Which Build Book Buzz articles made the most difference for you? Here are your favorite book marketing articles according to blog traffic reports.

1. 2020 literary calendar with 122 occasions for book fans

This month-by-month list of occasions that celebrate all things books during the year we’re leaving behind makes it easy to find opportunities you can work into your book marketing plans. It includes information on how to use the 122 special days and holidays for year-round book marketing.

2. Book cover re-designs: A pro offers 7 before and after examples

This guest post by cover designer Alexander von Ness explains the thought process behind makeovers of seven fiction and nonfiction book covers. Each example includes the original cover and Alexander’s redesigned version, along with a link to a more detailed examination on his site.

3. “I wish I had known that before I self-published.” 25 authors share what they’ve learned

I asked self-published authors, “What do you know now about self-publishing that you wish you had known when you started?” This article showcases their responses on everything from where to learn what you need to know to whether you should publish on Amazon exclusively and the importance of a book marketing plan.

4. TikTok demographics for authors

TikTok was the fastest growing social network in 2019. This 2020 article digs into the video platform’s demographics so you can see if it’s a good fit for your target readers.

5. 3 Amazon secrets every author needs to know

In this guest post, book marketer Rob Eagar explains how to use Amazon’s power to your advantage. He presents three little-known Amazon secrets that can make a big difference, including how to use the platform to build your author email list.

6. The shy author’s guide to book promotion

While some authors embrace book marketing and promotion with enthusiasm, many just wish it would go away. In this article, I detail five “I can’t do this” obstacles I see the most from shy authors. It includes ideas for getting around them.

7. 2021 literary calendar with 137 occasions for book lovers

This December update to the popular 2020 list published last January takes things up a notch with more holidays and a “download and save this calendar” option designed to make it even more useful.

8. Trade book reviews: Behind the scenes with a professional reviewer

Rose Fox, director of BookLife Reviews, Publishers Weekly‘s paid review service for indie authors, explains trade reviews (also known as media and literary reviews) and how to get them. She walks us through exactly what happens on the publication review side. She also explains why getting a book reviewed can take a lot longer than you’d think.

9. How to get awesome book cover blurbs

Many self-published authors refer to their book description as a blurb, but the publishing industry uses that word for pre-publication endorsements and testimonials. This article addresses who to approach for endorsements and presents nine steps for snagging blurbs your mother would be proud of.

10. 4 steps to new book marketing habits

This article breaks down the habit-making recommendations of B.J. Fogg, author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything. It’s a must-read if you’re serious about improving your life by replacing habits that don’t work for you anymore with those that will do the job.

I was happy to see that three of the top 10 book marketing articles here were written by guest bloggers.

It’s a reminder that guest blogging in reverse — bringing top authorities and experts to your site instead of going to theirs — helps provide your readers with useful content that matters to them.

Help me create content that will hit the top 10 list next year! Please add a comment telling me what you’d like to learn more about in 2021.

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month, it’s Blogging Bistro’s 2021 Content Calendar Template.

People use content calendars to plan their blog posts and social media posts in advance. They help you become more thoughtful and organized, with the end result being a more consistent and strategic social media presence.

I love this particular calendar because it’s a Word document, not a PDF file, so you can type in it. You can even change the theme colors to reflect your author branding.

It’s the perfect companion to my popular 2021 Literary Calendar (and be sure to download the PDF version of that, too, here). Laura Christianson, the calendar’s creator, even linked to that list and pre-loaded the calendar with some of its writerly occasions.

I’ve downloaded the 2021 Content Calendar Template and have started adding the literary holidays that I’d like to promote in coming months. Give it a try yourself.

3 Amazon secrets every author needs to know

By Rob Eagar

Amazon is more than a website. It’s become the most powerful book-selling machine ever invented. Consider these mind-blowing statistics:

• Amazon sells nearly 50 percent of all print books in the U.S.
• Amazon sells more than 70 percent of all e-books in the U.S.
• Amazon is the largest sales account for almost every publisher in the U.S.

If these facts don’t get your attention, allow me to make things very clear:

Amazon sells more books than anyone else.

If you want to sell more books, then you must

learn how to sell books on Amazon.

You may not be able to control Amazon’s dominance over the publishing industry. But, it’s possible to use Amazon’s power to your advantage if you use these three little-known secrets.

Secret 1: Amazon will help identify how to find your target audience.

Authors constantly wonder who their readers are. Unfortunately, Amazon doesn’t share customer contact information, so you never know who actually buys your books.

However, there is a secret way to identify your target audience.

Go to your book’s detail page on Amazon and look at the section called “Customers Also Bought…” This information reveals titles and authors that are similar to you and your book.

How is this data helpful? It explains where to direct your advertising efforts on Amazon, Facebook, and BookBub.

For instance, if you see “Author X” frequently displayed on your “Customers Also Bought” list, then you should advertise to people who like Author X.

Why? Because Amazon verified that people who like Author X also like your books. This information can help save a lot of time and money determining the best way to maximize your advertising budget.

Secret 2: You can grow your author email list using Amazon’s huge audience.

Amazon attracts more book readers than any other resource on the planet. Did you know you can convert those readers into email subscribers for free?

It’s possible when you use Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) service to set up a permanently free e-book that drives readers to your author email list. I call this free resource a “Bait Book,” because it serves as appealing “bait” that attracts new readers to you.

Here’s how it works:

• Create an e-book using KDP and offer it as a perma-free Kindle download.
• Add a special offer inside the book for more free content that gives readers a link to a landing page (a single-purpose web page) where you make the offer and collect emails.
• When they go to that landing page, they can join your email list to access the bonus content.

Once you set up your Bait Book, it will run nonstop on Amazon’s website to help build your email list while you write your next book.

The best part is that you can create everything for free. Plus, you can purchase inexpensive Amazon ads to help promote your Bait Book and make sure the right type of reader sees it.

Secret 3: You can change your book’s marketing copy at any time for free.

Language is the power of the book sale.

If your book’s marketing description looks bland on Amazon’s website, your sales will be stunted. But, if your marketing copy sizzles, your sales can skyrocket. It’s imperative, then, to make your book appear as enticing as possible to shoppers on Amazon.

While many authors believe that description is locked into place forever, they’re wrong.

Whether you’re a traditionally-published author who is disappointed with the marketing text your publisher used or you self-published with a company that set up your page, you have more control than you think.

Using this third secret, you can make important changes to your book’s marketing copy when you want to change your description or you receive a new endorsement, win an industry award, or hit a bestseller list.

Here’s that third secret: Amazon offers a hidden “back door” into its website that lets authors update their book’s marketing text whenever they desire.

All you have to do is set up a free Author Central Account. Once you’ve done that, you gain full control over your marketing text, editorial reviews, and author bio. This puts the power in your hands to make sure shoppers see the best version of your book on Amazon.

Want to learn more about selling more books on Amazon?

I hope you will take advantage of these three secrets to sell more books on Amazon. There are several other ways to increase your sales at the world’s largest retailer, too.

Please join Build Book Buzz’s Sandra Beckwith and me to learn more in a free webinar on Wednesday, May 6, 2020 at 2 pm ET (calculate for your time zone). This one-hour event will feature additional instruction, an opportunity to ask questions, and an inside look at my popular online training program, “Mastering Amazon for Authors.”

We’ll also offer a special money-saving discount code that’s exclusive to webinar attendees, and Sandra tells me she has a surprise in store, too.

Don’t miss this exclusive Amazon event. Register here today: https://www.startawildfire.com/webinar-registration

What do you want to learn about selling books on Amazon? Tell us in a comment! 

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month it’s the free Amazon training webinar described above.

Join us on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, at 2 p.m. ET (calculate for your time zone) to learn:

• The difference between a good and bad Amazon book page
• Why self-publishing a book with Amazon makes sense
• The benefits of using Amazon ads to promote a book

Can’t attend live? Not a problem! We’ll send the replay link to everyone who registers.

Grab your spot now so you don’t miss out! Just click on this link: https://www.startawildfire.com/webinar-registration