Many authors fail at finding the perfect time to market their upcoming novels and when they start, they find that the time for a bigger impact is long gone. Some experts say that an author should start with the pre-release marketing a good three years before the actual release of the novel, but this is a big commitment that most authors don’t have time for. Most authors have their own websites and social media platforms, but a majority of them don’t use them to their full potential.

Although starting years before the actual publication of the novel maybe a little too much for some authors, there are certain marketing ideas that authors can utilize to hype their upcoming novels and make a bigger impact.

Share What is Happening Behind the Scenes

No one knows better than an author the hard work and sleepless nights involved in writing a novel. Authors go through a wide range of problems, hurdles, and emotions that make the novel-writing process even harder. So why not use that for your marketing? Document your journey by regularly posting updates on your blog or your social media. Share if you are writing, updating or taking a breather from it to get your perspective right.

Share What You Have Written

Share what you have written so far in the forms of excerpts. These are little nuggets and gems that will give readers a taste of what to expect from you when the novel actually releases. Countless readers would actually go to the author’s website and read some excerpts before buying the novel. The excerpt can be as long as a chapter or it can be a small paragraph; just having something on your blog can be a great way to interest readers.

Share Your Characters

Another great way to market your novel is by sharing the characters of your story with your audience. If you know a good illustrator, you can have them make a sketch of the character and share it with the details about the character. Share who they are, what they are doing in the story and why they are important. This is a great way to utilize your social media platforms and build up the hype there, especially if your genre of choice is Young Adult.

Final Bits!

Once the cover of the novel has been designed and finalized, make sure to use that to its full potential. Use the cover reveal on your blogs and social media platform. If your novel is complete and you have shared your ARCs with some readers, don’t be afraid to share those with readers as well. Post them online on your blog and on every online retail platform you are using to sell your novel. A real reader’s perspective is always appreciated by other readers as they look for those when they are buying a novel from a new author. Reviews are much-needed if you want to increase the sales of your novel or if you want to market your novel in a better way before its actual release. Last but not least; try to engage with your audience as much as possible. You can easily take an hour or so out of your day and reply to comments and answer questions by the reader. Appreciate them and make them know that you are present and are listening.