Introduction
Hey authors,
Here is a hot take: college is mostly just reading books.
That said, you don’t need a degree in marketing to turn your books into bestsellers. Simply pick up a couple of books from this list of marketing books that we have compiled, and you will be well on your way to taking your book sales to another level.
From social media strategy to book launches and branding, these books cover a wide range of topics that are essential for any author looking to effectively promote their work.
Now, grab a cup of coffee, get comfortable, and get ready to dive into some of the best marketing advice out there.
You’ll be amazed at the insights and actionable strategies you’ll discover!
Marketing Book For Authors
These books are written with authors in mind. This is where you will find information and strategies that are most relevant to your author’s journey.
APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur-How to Publish a Book
By Guy Kawasaki & Shawn Welch
APE is 300 pages of step-by-step, tactical advice and practical inspiration. If you want a hype-filled, get-rich-quick book, you should look elsewhere. On the other hand, if you want a comprehensive and realistic guide to self-publishing, APE is the answer.
Write. Publish. Repeat.
By Sean M. Platt & Johnny Truant
This book explains how to create stories your readers will love and will want to return to again and again. It details expert methods for enhancing creativity, building worlds, characters, and plots, understanding your market (right down to your ideal reader), using the best tools possible to capture your draft, and explains proven best practices for editing.
Newsletter Ninja: How to Become an Author Mailing List Expert
By Tammi Labrecque
Newsletter Ninja is a comprehensive resource designed to teach you how to build and maintain a strongly engaged email list—one full of actual fans willing to pay for the books you write, rather than free-seekers who will forget your name and never open your emails.
Reader Magnets: Build Your Author Platform and Sell more Books on Kindle
By Nick Stephenson
You need to attract the right readers to your work. You need to convert “curious visitors” into fans. And you need to turn “fans” into “buyers”. You can do all this with Reader Magnets. Reader Magnets are what bring readers to YOU. They’re an irresistible force that draw readers in – the promise of getting great value content and building a valuable connection.
Mastering Amazon Ads: An Author’s Guide
By Brian D. Meeks
Whether you’re an Indie author self-publishing for the first time or an experienced author working on your book marketing skills, this book will help you build an advertising and marketing plan that will find readers and end up selling lots of books.
Book Marketing is Dead
By Derek Murphy
This book will help you to…
- Avoid the common mistakes that kill book sales
- Set up an author platform quickly that will triple your results
- Use Social Media (like an expert) without being annoying
- Advertise for maximum impact (at the lowest cost)
- Make powerful friends online who can move thousands of books
Become a Successful Indie Author: Work Toward Your Writing Dream
By Craig Martelle
Clocking in at over 50,000 words, this guide has something for every budding author as well as those who have already published, but for whom success remains elusive. In this business there is only one hard and fast rule – you must find readers willing to pay for your stories.
Strangers To Superfans: A Marketing Guide to the Reader Journey (Let’s Get Publishing Book 2)
By David Gaughran
From the author of Let’s Get Digital and Amazon Decoded, this book will change how you think about marketing. Strangers to Superfans puts you in the shoes of your Ideal Readers, and forces you to view your marketing from their perspective.
How to Make a Living as a Writer
By James Scott Bell
With the rise of ebooks and indie publishing there are now more opportunities than ever for writers to generate substantial income from their work. And there is still a traditional publishing industry that needs new talent to keep growing. In How to Make a Living as a Writer, you’ll learn the secrets of writing for profit and increasing your chances of making a living wage from your work.
Marketing Book For Marketers
These books are written with marketers or soon-to-be marketers in mind. While they are not tailored to authors, they still pack valuable insights and ideas that will help authors become more well-rounded.
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition
By Robert B. Cialdini
In this highly acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Dr. Robert B. Cialdini—the seminal expert in the field of influence and persuasion—explains the psychology of why people say yes and how to apply these principles ethically in business and everyday situations.
Show Your Work
By Austin Kleon
Show Your Work! is about why generosity trumps genius. It’s about getting findable, about using the network instead of wasting time “networking.” It’s not self-promotion, it’s self-discovery—let others into your process, then let them steal from you. Filled with illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Show Your Work! offers ten transformative rules for being open, generous, brave, productive.
Crushing It
By Gary Vaynerchuk
In his 2009 international bestseller Crush It, Gary insisted that a vibrant personal brand was crucial to entrepreneurial success, In Crushing It!, Gary explains why that’s even more true today, offering his unique perspective on what has changed and what principles remain timeless.
Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us
By Seth Godinz
With his signature wit and storytelling flair, Godin presents the three steps to building a tribe: the desire to change things, the ability to connect a tribe, and the willingness to lead. Tribes will make you think—really think—about the opportunities to mobilize an audience that are already at your fingertips. It’s not easy, but it’s easier than you think.
How to Write Copy That Sells: The Step-By-Step System For More Sales, to More Customers, More Often
By Ray Edwards
This book is for everyone who needs to write copy that sells—including copywriters, freelancers, and entrepreneurs. Writing copy that sells without seeming “salesy” can be tough, but is an essential skill.
Perennial Seller: The Art of Making and Marketing Work That Lasts
By Seth Godin
By reaching out only to those individuals who have signaled an interest in learning more about a product, Permission Marketing enables companies to develop long-term relationships with customers, create trust, build brand awareness — and greatly improve the chances of making a sale.
Conclusion
Before you start reading, we just want to leave you with a powerful tip on reading nonfiction books:
“You don’t have to read every single page. It’s ok to jump around. It’s better to get the main point first and then explore the why and the how.” – Team Dango
