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If you ever have a marketing and PR question, feel free to email me – am@getredpr.com – or drop a comment in the Writer Unboxed Facebook Group and tag me @Ann-Marie Nieves. I’ll do my best to answer in future posts. This question was posed by Leslie Budewitz last week and it’s a great one. Let’s unpack.
Can you talk about promoting backlist books? I’ve got one continuing cozy mystery series and two relatively recent standalones (2021 and 22), and a series that ended in 2021. I’m planning a 10th birthday celebration for the 1st in that series in August, but it’s hard to know how to promote it without confusing readers or distracting attention from the ongoing series and standalones.
Leslie, wishing you an early book birthday! I’d like to start planning this birthday party with three themes to consider: Marketing, PR, and Advertising.
Marketing
- Make sure your website clearly has your various series listed. Put a special banner to highlight the first in each series.
- If you have an author newsletter, create a dedicated blast with gorgeous graphics celebrating your book birthday. Offer your readers the first two chapters for free.
- Those graphics created for your newsletter, recycle those for social media. Additionally, create a graphic that lists every book in that series. Be sure when you post that you’re prefacing why you’re currently discussing a book that’s been out for some time.
- Now would be the time to engage your street team (if you have one) to talk about this series in Facebook groups and other social media platforms.
- This might not be possible for all authors, but consider updating your back matter on the books outside of your series to point to those series reads.
- Paid possibilities: a Little Free Library Tour, a Book/Blog Tour, a dedicated #bookstagram campaign. There are several great women-owned businesses out there that conduct these buzz-building campaigns.
- Discount your book – another tactic that might not be possible for all authors. If you do discount that book, apply for a BookBub deal.
- Offer some giveaways to various reader-base Facebook groups or schedule group takeovers. Be sure to read the rules of Facebook groups before posting. If you’re unsure, inquire with the administrators.
- You can setup/purchase a Goodreads giveaway.
PR
PR is significantly harder for a backlist book. Think about these questions?
- Does your book have a unique angle that could fit in with the news of today?
- Does your book birthday fall under another monthly observance or celebration that you can lean into?
- Consider roundup topics, could you pitch the media a story angle like: Top Five Cozy Culinary Series to Carry You Through Sweater Weather.
- Do you the author have something that’s newsworthy to share?
Advertising
- Obviously budget dependent, you can consistently run ads for the first book in your series. Some options include Goodreads, Facebook/Instagram, Amazon, BookBub, Book Riot, and Shelf Awareness. If you’re going the advertising route – don’t go into this blindly – hire a professional. And don’t expect overnight results.
- If you do discount your book, with or without a BookBub deal, it’s definitely a great time to amplify that sale with digital ads.
One thing I should mention, with a big book birthday, especially the book that starts a series, it’s good to do a check-in on:
- Metadata. Ex. Could your description use an attention-grabbing headline?
- Covers. Does your cover look a bit like grandma’s curtains? With a series, this is a big undertaking.
- Story. Does it work for today’s reader?
Got a tip about promoting backlist books? Share in the comments below. I’m all ears.