5 Reasons Why It’s So Hard to Sell Books (But Don’t Get Discouraged)
When somebody famous or high-profile comes out with a book that doesn’t perform strongly right out of the gate, I am reminded of a harsh reality: selling books is tough—even for the well-connected. Years ago, it often only took a single PR stunt like going on a syndicated popular TV show to vault a book into the bestselling stratosphere. But that’s no longer the case.
Here are the 5 biggest reasons why selling books feels like climbing a mountain:
Too many books: Thousands of books are published daily; about 2.5 million new book titles are published each year in the U.S., which includes both traditional and independently published works. That’s a lot of competition among books alone.
Other competition vying for your attention, mental energy, time, and money: Books are up against a lot of other options for entertainment and information—movies and TV, streaming services, social media, podcasts, blogs, vlogs, apps, and video games. Smartphones make it too easy to squander time scrolling endlessly or watching something rather than reading a book, even if it’s in digital form.
Barriers to valuable advertising: Effective promotional campaigns through social media, email, podcasts, networking, and pitching traditional media cost time, money, sweat equity, expertise, and other resources like useful connections that a lot of authors lack. Unless an author already has a substantial platform with a built-in audience and fanbase, it can be challenging to have so-called earned media, which is free public exposure through word of mouth, customer reviews, social media mentions, or media coverage resulting from your book. It’s harder to get discovered if you’re a first-time, unknown author.
Trends and Timing: Books are at the mercy of trends, popularity contests, and the news cycle. Good luck getting high-profile media coverage on the week of publication when there’s something serious going on that’s grabbing all the attention (e.g., natural disaster, plane crash, election, declaration of war). Genres can have waves of popularity too; by the time your memoir comes out, and which took years to write, memoirs might be trending down as readers gravitate toward self-help, for instance.
Algorithms: Online platforms rely on algorithms to surface books to readers, and cracking these systems requires specific knowledge and consistent effort.
The good news: Selling books is doable with the right strategy, persistence, and consistency. Focus on your specific target audience and tailor your marketing to their interests. Building a platform is an ongoing endeavor no matter where or when you start. Keep your online presence going to connect directly with readers (whichever outlet you choose to use—favorite social media platform, a blog, and/or email newsletter). Partner with other authors, bloggers, or influencers to expand your reach. And never forget that selling books is an endurance sport, not a sprint.
Photo credit: César Viteri on Unsplash