When you finally finish writing your book, you might think that the biggest hurdle is behind you. While that’s true to an extent, there are many important pieces for launching a book that come after the writing and publishing phases, and one of the most important is promotion. 

There’s a good reason that no two authors’ strategies look exactly alike when it comes to book marketing: No two books are exactly the same! Every author comes to the table with a different skill set, existing network/platform, and budget. That said, there are certainly a few frequent mistakes and missteps every author should try to avoid when getting their book out into the world.

To increase your chances of success, watch out for these common pitfalls: 

Mistake #1: Running down the clock

Your publication date — the date that your book is officially released and available for readers to purchase — may seem eons away when you’re still entrenched in editing, design, and proofreading. Trust us: it will sneak up faster than you think!

Not allowing enough lead time to build buzz around your book’s launch is one of the biggest mistakes an author can make since many promotional initiatives require lead time on the front end. Let’s take endorsements, for example. Strong endorsements from reputable authors or peers can be an invaluable asset for leading new readers your way. To give you the strongest chance of success, though, you should be reaching out to request endorsements at least 3–5 months before your publication date. Similarly, if media outreach is part of your marketing strategy, or if you have plans to work with a publicist, it’s always ideal to allow some runway to build momentum.

Mistake #2: Underestimating the power of the author platform

For authors marketing their book these days, it’s impossible to avoid the phrase “author platform.”

An author platform consists of the various elements of an author’s brand, from your social media presence and email list to your past experience, network, and beyond. The author platform has become an increasingly important barrier to entry for all authors whether they publish independently or traditionally — even literary agents will tell you that it’s extraordinarily difficult to sell a book to a publisher without an existing author platform and robust marketing plan in place.

While everybody likes to believe in the concept of the “sleeper hit,” the reality is that most bestselling authors who seem to pop up out of nowhere have put in a ton of work on the backend that you’ll never see — often many years of work — building up their author platform. This platform can include the network of personal and professional contacts they’ve taken the time to develop/with whom they’ve fostered connections, organically grown social media followings, a well-read blog, an established website, and more.

There truly is no shortcut to success here, and the author platform is arguably the most important asset new authors can cultivate.

Mistake #3: Spreading yourself too thin

There are so many components to a successful book marketing strategy and many of them even start early on in the production phase (like good cover design). Be realistic about how much you can take on independently to avoid spreading yourself too thin.

If you’re not a fantastic graphic designer who can create a compelling book cover or an engaging author website, seriously consider bringing on a team to support you as needed. This goes for all aspects of your launch plan, including ongoing social media management, email marketing, paid advertising, blog creation and upkeep, etc. Be realistic about your skill sets, time commitments, and budget. Then make a plan that incorporates initiatives you can undertake independently and identifies those you want to consider outsourcing.

Mistake #4: Making it all about you

In this digital-forward day and age, social media and email marketing are likely to be critical aspects of your book promotion strategy. When it comes to these digital marketing initiatives, it can be easy to fall prey to the “me me me” fallacy. In other words, whatever you do, don’t spam your followers with nothing but “buy my book” posts or messages.

Instead, take the time to build out a strategy that offers your followers or subscribers value. If you’re a numbers person, think in terms of the 80/20 rule. Roughly 80% of your content should provide value (such as professional tips or insights, reviews of other books, giveaways, recommendations, etc.) and 20% should be promotional or centered around you and your book. This way, when it comes time to finally make the ask, your following is much more likely to be loyal, engaged, and willing to buy what you have to sell.

Mistake #5: Feeding into criticism

Nobody wants to hear this, but… bad reviews and criticism happen to the best of ’em. No author is above it. There’s no doubt that it hurts big time to be on the receiving end of not-so-great feedback. You may feel like you’ve been punched in the gut and you may feel a real urgency to respond in some way to defend your work.

But listen when we say… DON’T.

By all means, take the time that you need to grieve, shout to the heavens, or do whatever you need to let your emotions out and recenter yourself. But do resist the temptation to respond. Reviewers are entitled to their opinions and it’s almost never productive to engage after negative feedback in a case like this. In fact, it can end up doing real damage to your author brand.

In the meantime, rest assured that bestselling authors have received (and continue to receive) plenty of bad book reviews including the likes of Salinger, Fitzgerald, Atwood, and Martin. If you need a laugh, though, you can read some harsh (and hilarious) reviews of literary classics here.

It can also be much too easy to dwell on or feel consumed by negative feedback while ignoring the positive. Make sure to focus on and celebrate the positive attention your work receives, too.

If you’re able to steer clear of these five common mistakes when publicizing your book, you’ll be well positioned for maximum success when it’s time to launch your book into the world. 

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Kellie Rendina is a Senior Business Development Associate at Smith Publicity, the most prolific book marketing agency in the publishing industry, with thousands of books promoted since 1997. From first-time, self-published authors to New York Times bestsellers, Smith Publicity promotes every genre, and has secured media coverage for authors and books with every top media outlet in the U.S. And Canada. Contact Smith Publicity at info@smithpublicity.com.