All your hard work has paid off, and it’s finally launch day! Your book is out, and the buzz is building. Sales are strong, and things seem to be going great, but as months pass, the momentum starts to fade, and so do your sales. Don’t let your success fizzle out.
The truth is, book marketing doesn’t stop after launch. To keep your book selling, you need a strategy that keeps it visible and attracts new readers over time. Enter long tail marketing: the approach that will keep your book sales moving, giving you a reliable stream of income well beyond the launch.
The calm after the storm: Keeping your book sales alive
With a typical book launch, we all know how it goes. It’s the same old song and dance, where a surge of sales happens around the release date, followed by a gradual drop-off. But if you want to keep the sales rolling in and stay on readers’ radars, you’ve got to think beyond those first few weeks. That post-launch phase is where the real work begins, and how you approach your marketing after the hype dies down can make or break your book’s long-term success.
What is long-tail marketing?
Long-tail marketing is all about playing the long game. Instead of just banking on those high-demand products (or new releases in this case), you’re also reaching out to niche audiences over time. When it comes to your book, the launch is just the start.
The real staying power comes from how well you keep pushing it to different groups of readers long after the initial buzz fades. With a solid long-tail marketing strategy, even if your book doesn’t hit the bestseller list right out of the gate, it still has plenty of time to find its audience.
Adopting the technique: strategies for long tail book marketing
Let your readers do the heavy lifting: How reviews drive sales
Word-of-mouth doesn’t stop when your book hits the shelves.You need reviews, endorsements, and testimonials to keep your book on people’s radar.
Readers trust other readers, and a steady flow of positive reviews can bring in new buyers who might’ve missed your book when it first dropped. Encouraging happy readers to leave reviews on platforms like Goodreads and Amazon is a powerful way to build credibility and keep your book relevant. For those of you who are more social media savvy, you might even want to get onto #BookTok on TikTok where books released years ago have seen newfound success with entirely new audiences.
Smart discounts, steady sales: Using discounts to drive demand
Who can say no to a sale? One of the best long tail marketing tricks is running price promos. Dropping your book’s price for a limited time—especially through platforms like BookBub—can create a buzz and bring in readers who weren’t willing to pay full price. These promotions lower the barrier for potential buyers and help you tap into new audiences, giving your book the extra push it needs to stay in circulation.
Experiment with Ads: Keep your book in the spotlight
After launch, targeted Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads can keep your book in front of the right readers. Taking advantage of Facebook and Amazon will allow you to zero in on specific demographics, so even if your book isn’t trending, a well-placed ad can still reach the right audience (which is what really matters!)
Playing around with different ad copy, book covers, and targeting options lets you fine-tune your approach and figure out what works best to keep your book visible. Keep your mind open to new ways of marketing your book, something totally unexpected might be just what you need!
From the Vault: Using your backlist
If you have older books in your catalog, use them to your advantage! Your backlist can help drive sales for your new releases and vice versa. You’ve already got the goods, all you need is to make the sale.
Try bundling your older books with your latest one or offering discounts on past titles. When readers find one book they love, they’re likely to check out the rest of your work, which means more sales across the board.
Keep the momentum fresh with new content
It does not matter how long your book has been out. If you know it has value and you keep promoting it well, you can keep it on readers’ minds.
Blog posts, podcast interviews, and social media shoutouts can help introduce your book to new audiences. Public speaking gigs tied to your book’s theme can also lead to more sales—people love buying a book after hearing the author in person. Keeping your book relevant is all about you still being genuinely excited to talk about and share your book, while engaging with your audiences.
The story doesn’t end here: Keep sales rolling
The book launch is just the beginning. By using long-tail marketing, you can keep your book reaching readers long after the initial hype fades. Whether it’s leveraging reviews, experimenting with ads, or keeping your content fresh, the key is to stay visible and keep engaging with new audiences. This is how you turn that one-time launch into long-term success.
Get in touch
If you want to learn how to fine-tune your post-book launch marketing, reach out to us through the links on our website.
Hop on a call with Leesa Ellis, our Self-publishing Expert and she’ll show you the best way to personalize your book launch!
