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Authors and writers are an incredibly diverse group, but there’s one thing that (almost) all of us have in common:

Authors hate marketing.

But what if there was one simple brain hack to refresh your motivation, reset your mindset, and give you a unique edge? To help you hate marketing less and maybe even… like it?

Where transforming your marketing begins

It starts at the end of a long day. You’re ready to pick up a new book and relax. You could ask a friend for a recommendation–except you did that last month, and the month before, and you’ve now read all your friends’ favorites.

You could pick up the latest hyped-up book from TikTok, but the last time you did that, it just wasn’t your cup of tea.

That new indie book has a gorgeous cover that put it right on your TBR, but the last time you read a book based on the cover, you were disappointed when the ending was just kind of… a mess.

You want to give a new author a chance, but you’ve been burned a few too many times.

What’s an adventurous reader to do?

Hopefully, they stumble across content made by an author who knows the deceptively simple secret:

Think like a reader.

Easier said than done, right? Don’t worry, I’ll break it down into some bite-sized pieces. We’ll dig deeper into how readers think, then jump into actionable steps you can start taking now.

How to get into your reader’s brain

A lot of us assume that people think in basically the same way we do. But this is a mistake that will kill your marketing! (For other mistakes killing your book marketing, keep an eye out for an upcoming article.)

You may know that your story is amazing, but…

Key Idea #1: Your reader doesn’t know you.

They aren’t your friend or your cheerleader. (Yet!) This can be a hard pill to swallow, but you have to be realistic to put together an effective marketings strategy.

They don’t know if they’re going to vibe with you or not. They don’t know if they’re going to fall in love with your characters, or if that mic drop ending is going to be living in their head rent free for the rest of their life.

And, realistically?

You don’t know if they’re going to love it either.

Not every book is for every reader.

So, you need to get specific. Just saying, “This book is great! Read it!” probably isn’t going to work out. (Of course, with luck, any hook might work once or twice. But if generic marketing was working for you, would you be here?)

You need to show your target reader WHY this book is for them.

Takeaway #1a: It’s not personal.

We pour so much love and effort into our books, it can be hard to accept that they’re not for everyone.

There’s that saying, “You can’t make everyone happy, you’re not ice cream.” Well, guess what? There are lots of people that don’t like ice cream either! If not even ice cream can make everyone happy, then of course your book can’t either.

The sooner you can get out of the mindset that your book is “for everyone” and into the mindset of the specific people your book is for, the better time you’ll have when marketing.

Ways to remind yourself your book isn’t for everyone without feeling like crap:

• Remember how many different kinds of people there are in the world. There are almost two hundred countries. The folks a decade older than you and a decade younger grew up in totally different environments. There are truck drivers and astrophysicists, bank tellers and electricians, career glass blowers and software programmers. So really, it’s no surprise that you’re not going to vibe with everyone!
• Remember how many different genres and sub-genres there are. Cozy murder mysteries. Middle grade high fantasy. Sci-fi omegaverse hucow. Dark historical horror romance. At any given point in time, thousands of people are going feral for a subgenre you’ve never heard of. Love your niche and lean into it!
• It kind of is personal but it has nothing to do with you. Maybe a reader skips your romance book because the main character is named Brian and that’s also the name of their ex. You could change his name to Todd, but that’s someone’s dad! A book might not be a fit for the most random of reasons, and you have to learn how to take that in stride and keep moving.

Takeaway #1b: Get specific

Here are some ideas to help you show your target readers specifically why they should read your books:

• Research your subgenres and get them right. While primary genre is usually determined by plot structure (fantasy, romance, horror, etc), sub-genre is determined by tone and other supporting elements.
• Share lists of key tropes and vibes. This is usually the hardest for new authors. Ask beta readers, author friends, and check reviews for ideas! Just make an earnest effort and keep iterating as you go.
• Make character introductions. Especially if your stories are character-driven, your characters can sell your book! Remember that your reader knows nothing about your characters. Don’t be afraid to list off their personality traits, backstories, key moments in the book, etc. Focus on things that will likely be relatable to your target readers.

Key Idea #2: Your reader is busy.

You know that frazzled feeling when you’ve been doing too many things and it’s hard to get your brain to focus on something for more than two seconds?

Your readers get that too!

They have kids who knock things over at the worst time, pets that jump on their keyboards, meetings they forgot about, random solicitors at their door, spam calls, and social media feeds full of content with a much faster payoff than sitting down to read a book.

Your reader is too busy to do a scavenger hunt for your book links.

Look at each of your marketing posts and think about what a reader would have to do to get to your book. The fewer clicks, the better! Your reader shouldn’t have to google a book title, click through three menus on your site, or sign up for your email newsletter and wait for the next message to get their hands on the buy link for your book.

Takeaway #2a: Make sure your covers and graphics are crisp and legible.

Sure, that cursive font looks pretty to you–but you already know what the words say! If your reader has to stop, slow down, and squint to figure out what your graphic says, they’re just not going to read it.

It can feel “boring”, but remember, your graphics have a job to do. Their number one job is to be easy to read quickly and at a small size.

It doesn’t matter how pretty they are if nobody can read them.

Ideally, your graphic should still be readable in a small thumbnail size like when attached to a Threads or Twitter post, or when shown in a gallery on Facebook. Yes, people can tap to make them bigger, but you can skip a whole step in getting that reader interested in your book by making sure your graphics and covers are legible at thumbnail size!

If unsure, show the graphic to a friend who hasn’t seen it before, ideally in person or while on a call. If they don’t immediately begin reading, if they have to pause at all, the graphic isn’t legible enough.

Takeaway #2b: Make sure your buy links are clear and easy to find.

This can be tricky because many social media sites specifically suppress links or phrases like “Link in Bio.” Some, like TikTok, don’t even let you provide clickable links until you reach a certain number of followers. So, the takeaways are broken into two sections below: How to make things easy, and how to work around social media sites.

How to make your book links easy to find:

• If profile links are available, use them! Instagram lets you provide up to 5 links now. Include your page of links, but also include direct links to your latest release, ARC sign-up form, or whatever you’re focused on right now! Even if that link is already in your page of links, it’s better to include it in both places.
• If pinned posts are available, use them! Pinned posts are standard on most social sites now. Be sure to your pinned posts are up-to-date. Make sure your posts are actionable: they should advertise a book to buy, a sign-up form to fill out, a newsletter to subscribe to, etc.
• If people ask about your book, be sure to include the buy link in the reply! Don’t expect them to google the title from the image you attached. You can keep a list of links open in your browser or saved in a note. Or, you can use a custom URL link shortener to make a URL that’s easy-to-remember so you can type it out, like bit.ly/my-book.

Social media workarounds:

• Instagram is known to suppress posts with phrases like “Link in Bio” as a way to push people towards paying for boosts for marketing posts. You can “scramble” the phrase by saying something like “Leenk in bye-oh,” or you can come up with a creative way of getting the point across. Most users know that links in bio are a thing, so I like to say something like, “You’ll find the summoning spell for this book in the usual place.”
• Instagram Highlights are invaluable for collecting links! When you make a story, you can go to the “sticker” section and add a buy link for your book. Make sure it’s nice and big on the story, then add that story to a highlight with all of your books. Using a trope graphic in these stories is a great way to give your reader at on of info and a buy link in the same place! If you’re lucky, they’ll browse your highlights when they pop over to your bio to follow. Take advantage of your highlights to land sales.
• Threads and Twitter are known to suppress posts that link to external websites because they want to keep people in-app. Usually it’s best to avoid including a book link in your initial post. Ideally, you’ll have the associated link easy-to-find in your pinned post or bio. When comments ask about the book, be sure to include the link when relevant!
• TikTok doesn’t allow you to include a clickable link in your bio until you reach a certain number of followers. Make sure you have at least one link that’s easy to type and remember so that motivated readers can easily type it into their browser. You can then format it in your bio like: PenName(dot)com

Key Idea #3: Your reader knows when you’re just trying to sell something.

Even when you’re at a store to shop, it doesn’t feel good to have a sales person hounding you trying to get their commission. Buyers with open pockets may quickly close them up if things feel too pushy.

Likewise, your readers can feel it when you’re overly focused on selling. They can tell when the only thing you see is dollar signs.

Unfortunately, author shyness can also accidentally leave this impression. If someone asks for recs and you just drop a buy link and a graphic because you feel awkward talking about your books, readers may still feel like you’re only there to sell to them.

Takeaway #3a: Post about more than just marketing

Here are some tips for making sure your feed isn’t a turnoff to potential readers:

• Make sure you also pitch some freebies, like character art in your free newsletter, ARCs (Advance Review Copies), etc.
• Share WIPs and behind the scenes, whatever you’re comfortable with. Readers love peeking behind the curtain!
• Hype up your peers. On Instagram and TikTok, you can repost content by others! Get familiar with the other players in your genre, and share their stuff when it makes sense. Do it because a rising tide raises all boats, not because you expect it in return.
• Consider commenting on current events in the industry. Be careful here. If you can’t speak respectfully, it’s better to stay quiet. This doesn’t mean you have to be super stiff and corporate–just be sure you aren’t tearing down other authors or readers.
• Don’t be afraid to “get political.” Reading is inherently political. Stay away from ad hominem attacks, but it’s okay–and important–to, for example, share that racism and queerphobia make you mad! And if racism and queerphobia don’t make you mad? Really not sure how you got here, but I can guarantee Demon Cat Press books aren’t for you.

Takeaway #3: Quality over quantity

Posting more links doesn’t equal more sales! Especially if your posts come across as too sales-y, readers may skim over them or mute you.

I see a lot of this hit-and-run marketing in posts where readers ask for recommendations–and my eyes glaze right over them. If you add something meaningful to the conversation, readers are a lot more likely to start reading your reply. And if they start reading, they’ll probably get to the part where you pitch your book!

How to foster genuine connections in reader request threads:

• Slow down. Read their whole post. I see so many authors throwing in recs that don’t fit what the reader asked for at all! That’s the fastest way to make it clear that you don’t really care about that individual reader as a person.
• Be conversational. Imagine you’re talking to a friend. Be relaxed and casual (but still professional–never tear down other authors or reader groups).
• Nix the “If you don’t mind a self rec…” If they mind, they’ll start saying “No self recs.” If they didn’t say that, don’t waste the word count or their time! Your username probably matches your pen name, so it’s not like you’re hiding that you’re the author. You can also find a way to imply that you’re the author, such as talking about why you included a specific element.
• Make the connection for the reader. Explain why the book fits what they’re looking for. This sounds so simple but is so key! If they asked for anxiety rep, don’t make them read your whole graphic to confirm that the book has anxiety rep! Say something like, “This request makes me so glad I included anxiety rep in [Book Title] because I was really hoping it would resonate with readers. [Character] faces [specific challenge related to anxiety].”

Recap

How to get into your reader’s brain…

Key Idea: Your reader doesn’t know you.

• It’s not personal. The sooner you can get it out of your head that your book is “for everyone” and focus on who it is for, the more successful you’ll be!
• Get specific: share the details from your book that will resonate with your target readers.

Key Idea: Your reader is busy.

• Make sure your covers and graphics are crisp and legible. It doesn’t matter how pretty it is if nobody can read it!
• Make sure your buy links are clear and easy to find. Sometimes social media sites make this harder than it should be, so be sure you’re using workarounds!

Key Idea: Your reader knows when you’re just trying to sell something.

• Post about more than just marketing. You can share a bit of your personality while remaining professional. Hype your peers, and share thoughtful takes on current events in the industry. (But never tear down other authors or readers.)
• Quality over quantity. Building connections is much better in the long run than pasting your buy link on a hundred rec posts. Show your readers how your book fits the prompt–don’t expect them to do that work for you. They won’t!

Remember, new readers aren’t your friends and they aren’t your cheerleaders. Yet! If you make it as easy as possible for them to see if your books are a fit for them, they’re more likely to take a chance on you. And if you focus on building quality connections over quantity, you’ll end up with dedicated fans who share your books with other readers.

When you think like a reader, marketing is no longer shouting into the void.

Marketing becomes a process of building genuine connections with the type of people who love your vibe. And if they love your vibe, chances are they’ll love your book too!