The buzz for your book doesn’t have to end when it’s reached the end of its time on the frontlist. Backlist titles—that is, books that have been published for long enough to no longer be considered a new release but are still purchasable—”are a treasure trove of knowledge, entertainment and inspiration that deserve to be discovered and enjoyed by new generations of readers.” Whether your book just transitioned to the backlist or has rested there comfortably for years, this final entry in our “How to Market Your Book” series teaches you how to keep your book on readers’ radars.
If you’ve been keeping up with the other posts in our “How to Market Your Book” series, Prepublication Preparation, Prelaunch Promotion, and Frontlist Promotion, then you’ve already developed the foundations for all your book-marketing endeavors: an author platform, an author network, your book’s metadata, and book promotional content, potentially including book awards. Now, it’s time to harness those tools to maintain your title’s popularity—and boost it to the next level.
Engaging With Your Network
“Engaging with your network” has appeared throughout all the entries in this series for a reason: consistent network engagement is crucial throughout all stages of your marketing endeavors. Your network is comprised of your book’s strongest supporters, whether they’ve followed your book’s journey from the start or joined its community of fans along the way. Not only does your network support your book directly by engaging with your social media posts, buying your book, and leaving reviews, but your network also supports your book in ways that may not be quiet as visible to you—such as recommending your book to others in their networks. Nurture your relationship with your network to keep that communication flowing.
You may also consider strategically expanding your network. If not part of your network already, book clubs offer a wonderful platform for getting your book into the hands of avid readers. “These tight-knit communities of literary enthusiasts can significantly boost your book’s visibility and sales” by encouraging community discussion about your book. For tips on finding the best book clubs for your book and crafting your book club pitch, check out IngramSpark’s Getting Your Book in Front of Book Clubs.
Keeping Track of Trends
One of the best strategies for creating new news for an old(er) title is connecting that title to current trends and events. For example, if your backlist innovative, contemporary Southern fiction title’s sales have been lagging but you notice a similar title categorized as New Southern Fiction has flown to the top of the bestseller lists, consider how you could frame new content promoting your book to showcase its alignment with the trending genre. Alternatively, the weeks leading up to the start of the school year could be the perfect time to launch a marketing campaign for your backlist monograph covering teaching strategies.
Keeping tabs on current trends and events may require consistent vigilance, but dedicating just a small portion of your time every few days—or weeks—can give you the leverage you need to bring your backlist book back into the limelight. “It’s hard to make a book a trend—but it’s much easier to contribute to a conversation when the moment is already happening.” Timeliness and industry awareness are key components of strategic marketing.
Updating Your Book Metadata
Just as industry trends change over time, so do search trends and categorization. While the core components of your book metadata—title, ISBN, and contributors—likely won’t need to be updated, consider periodically revising its more flexible components—description, reviews, subject codes, author bio(s), and keywords—to reflect modern trends, updates, and industry categories to boost your book’s online visibility. For tips on updating your backlist book’s metadata, check out Jenny Bullough’s How to Update Book Metadata to Improve Discoverability and Joshua Tallent’s Metadata That Sells: Practical Tactics for Better Book Visibility and Conversion on PubSpot, the Independent Book Publisher’s Association’s (IBPA) online publishing resource center.
Marketing your book may seem like an endless process, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult one. Consistent, strategic effort throughout your book’s lifecycle—from the first days of writing your manuscript to years after its publication—will help ensure your book receives the attention it deserves. Let us know your questions about book marketing in the comments, and keep up with our blog for more publishing industry tips and insights.
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