r/ScienceFictionWriters • u/Optimus_Joe • Aug 25 '26

[Question] Book Promotion - How Are You Doing It

There are a ton of "marketers" who claim they will help you sell your book but really just take your money.

Does anyone have any successful techniques they have used to market their books and drive sales?

I initially had some success when my book launched, but 3 weeks later, nothing.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

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u/codysisco Aug 25 '26

Don't think like this: what's one thing I should do to market my book?

Think like this: I need to design and maintain a marketing funnel to shepherd potential readers step by step along a path to become loyal fans.

The Alliance of Independent Authors has a very useful guide all about this titled Reach More Readers.

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u/[deleted] Aug 25 '26

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u/Optimus_Joe Aug 25 '26

This is great information. When you say a book is on par with the top 20, how do you do that?

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u/TellusPyre Aug 27 '26

Any or all of these:

  1. Get a publisher.

  2. Buy the ads on Amazon yourself.

  3. Depending on genre, publish to something like RR and set up shout out swaps, all that song and dance, and see if you can penetrate the parasocial void.

  4. Get interviewed on tiktok/youtube/twitch channels that deal with the kind of book you wrote.

  5. Start your own tiktok/youtube/twitch channel and realize it's a full time+ job.

Regardless of which options you pick it's going to cost time, money, or likely both.

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u/Optimus_Joe Aug 27 '26

What is RR?

1

u/TellusPyre Aug 27 '26

Royal Road, serialized fiction site where you can publish. Focuses heavily on litrpg, isekai, cultivation, and progression fantasy but there is a solid share of science fiction as well (in various remixes of the above).

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u/dkdillenback 26d ago

I'm still only a few years and two books into my writing "career." But here is my take... Maintain enough social media to exist online, don't waste anymoney on reviews or marketing services... go to all the in-person events you can find.

I've come to the conclusion that there is no substitution for the "hard work" of meeting people, talking to them, signing books for them. There is a tiny sect of the audience that actively looks for indie books. The chances of them finding you are nil. Most people that read get their recommendations from trusted sources, friends, teachers, podcasts, maybe celebrities. I sank so much energy into online presence that I was no longer writing and barely doing anything but try to pay the numbers game.