First-time authors may think of marketing as a binary, but nothing could be further from the truth. In today’s post, I’ll describe the five levels of author marketing. (Note that my course The Author Flywheel: How to Intelligently and Affordably Market Your Book and a classic bit by the comedian Larry Miller inspired this lengthy post.)

Level 0: Marketing, Schmarketing

Audience

A common approach for authors whose sole goal involves publishing their books. In some cases, these people naïvely think that the qualilty of their writing or timeliness of their topics will make their texts sell themselves. Save for a few outliers, they couldn’t be more wrong. Because of the author’s lack of effort, I’m labeling this Level 0, not Level 1.

Pre-Launch Activities

• None.

Post-Launch Activities

• Mentioning the book to a few friends.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Zero. No shocker here.

Level 1: Starter Marketing

Audience

Typical for authors who lack considerable financial resources, time, and desire to promote their books. Still, they understand the import of marketing. They want to do something because it’s better than doing nothing. Also, newbies working with traditional publishers might go this route because they expect the former to actually promote their books.

Pre-Launch Activities

• Very little. These folks erroneously believe that marketing takes place after their book releases. To be fair, it’s a common mistake.
• Building a website if the author currently lacks one.

Post-Launch Activities

• Mentioning the book on social media or in person to friends and family.
• Encouraging others to spread the word.
• Appearing on a few podcasts that lack much reach.
• Announcing the book on the website and newsletter.
• Independently prending a few complimentary copies to journalists in a desperate attempt to land placement.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Minimal: $500 to $2,000.

Level 2: Modest Independent Marketing

Audience

Common among experienced authors who understand:

• The exceedingly crowded nature of the non-fiction book landscape.
• Their publishers will do very little to promote their books.

These scribes know they’ll have to exert some effort to move copies and accrue many of the benefits that inspired them to write their books in the first place.

Pre-Launch Activities

• Improving the author’s existing website with regular blog posts.
• Regularly mentioning the book on social media or in person to friends and family.
• Prominent website and newsletter placement.
• Minimal outreach to podcasters and other influencers.
• Independently reaching out to a few podcasters to appear on their shows. (Pro tip: Get yourself a proper tracker for media appearances.)

Post-Launch Activities

• Ongoing social-media activities.
• Holding book contests and giveaways.
• Timely announcements on the author’s website and newsletter.
• Limited podcasts, interviews, and book excerpts.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Medium: $2,000 to $5,000.

Level 3: Professional-Assisted Marketing

Audience

Established author with a reasonable platform who wants to make a spash is willing to pony up considerable funds to that end. I took this approach with The Nine.

Pre-Launch Activities

• Contracting a professional photographer to shoot headshots if the author currently lacks them.
• Placing the book prominently on the author’s website and newsletter.
• Routine blogging.
• Hiring a mid-tier PR firm for three months to spread the word.
• Using the firm to send advance review copies (ARCs) to influential media thypes.
• Being active on social media to promote the book yourself. That is, you’re not employing a team of folks to do this for you.
• Extensive mentions on blog, newsletters, and social media six months before the book’s publication date.
• Purchasing a Kirkus review.
• Creating a decent book trailer.
• Issuing a press release.
• Establishing a book-launch team to spread the word, sometimes consisting of beta readers.

Post-Launch Activities

• Using the PR firm to send dozens complimentary copies for media members and influential bloggers and podcasters.
• Writing guest posts and doing interviews for media outlets based on what the PR firm lines up.
• Hosting a free webinar or two.
• Launching a NetGalley campaign.
• Starting a regular podcast to promote the book. For Reimagining Collaboration, I launched Conversations About Collaboration.
• Allocating a modest budget to run Amazon or LinkedIn ads. (Yes, this technically counts as advertising, but I’ll lump it in here.)
• Going on a small or local book tour, typically in the author’s home town on a nearby city.
• Mobilizing the book-launch team. Few do this better than Dorie Clark.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Significant: $10,000 to $20,000.

Level 4: Beaucoup Bucks Marketing

Audience

The required investment limits is substantial. As such, it’s limited to affluent individuals who are hell-bent on making a splash with their new texts. I would imagine that fewer than 0.01 percent of all non-fiction authors spend this much money promoting their new texts.

Pre-Launch Activities

• Creating a dedicated website and Substack for the book.
• Extensive promoting the book on the author’s existing blog, newsletters, social media a year or more before book’s publication date.
• Contracting a professional photographer to shoot headshots if the author currently lacks them.
• Hiring a blue-chip PR firm for six months or more.
• Purchasing a Kirkus review.
• ARCs galore.
• Creating a highly stylized and professional book trailer.
• Issuing a press release.
• Establishing a book-launch team to spread the word.

Post-Launch Activities

• Placement in airport bookstores.
• Arranging a national or international book tour.
• Giving free TED, TEDx, or SXSW talks.
• Hosting a free webinar or even a series.
• Writing guest posts for A-list media outlets and doing interviews based on what the PR firm lines up. (In reality, these authors may only approve posts their team writes for them.)
• Allocating a significant budget for Amazon or LinkedIn ads.
• Employing a team of folks to actively promote the book on social media.
• Launching a NetGalley campaign.
• Arranging for ample complimentary copies of the book for media members and influential bloggers and podcasters.
• Only appearing on A-list media outlets and podcasts. That is, frequently declining opportunities that Level-3 authors typically would die for.
• Mobilizing the book launch team.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Enormous: $25,000 to $100,000. In some cases, we’re talking about far more.

It’s Galley Time: Types of Issues Authors Can Expect to Encounter

Taking a Step Back

This preceding taxonomy isn’t comprehensive, and its levels aren’t mutually exclusive. It’s not hard to envision hybrid scenarios: a pinch of Level 2, a dash of Level 3. Regardless of the path you take, though, it helps to know your options: the marketing cost and commitment involved in properly promoting your book before you start writing it.

Next up, the sheer number of marketing tasks may overwhelm you. You’re not alone. They’re among the hundreds of things you’ll have to do to conceptualize, research, write, and promote your book. To this end, writing a book is a monumental personal and professional decision. Take it lightly at your own peril.

Better to know than not know the costs involved before you start writing your book.

Finally, did you notice anything missing from each level? Any support from traditional publishers. Sure, W. W. Norton & Company and Penguin Random House will get behind books from Michael Lewis, Malcolm Gladwell, and other A-listers. For our purposes, though, think of those folks as a different species.

What You Need to Know

If you want to effectively market your book and you lack a massive author platform, you’ll need to do it yourself or pay people to help you.