There isn’t one surefire way to promote a book.
As a debut author, I’ve researched the many opportunities for book exposure, and they are as
varied and far-reaching as authors themselves. Some writers swear by social media and spend
hours each day online pushing their latest novels. Others eschew such tactics, convinced that
bombarding virtual friends with book and author photos, giveaway blitzes, and shared reviews
does little more than annoy their followers.
In-person events can be exhausting, trekking to every bookstore and library within a 50-mile
radius of home to dig up anyone willing to shine a spotlight on your work. And then the process
must be repeated in other areas. Free time and morale dwindles for new authors who try to
convince bookstore veterans and seasoned librarians to spend their time and effort on untested
books in order to make recommendations.
Giving away books in the hope that readers will provide the reviews they’ve promised on sites
like Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble usually results in about two-percent of readers
complying. Give away 100 books and you’ll get two reviews. Not a quick and easy method for
sharing your story with the reading public—especially if the reviews aren’t good ones.
This is a dilemma every writer from the midlist on down must grapple with. How do we get the
word out and convince others to take a chance on us? I have found that something I’ll call The
Investor Strategy has worked the best for me. First, let me explain what this is.
When I got married, a wise person suggested I put expendable cash in the stock market. We had
very little money to part with, but I was assured it didn’t matter. Even a dollar a day would yield
substantial gains when paired with the magic of time and compound interest.
And it did.
Once our little nest egg grew, our newly acquired financial advisor recommended diversifying
our assets. As most of us know, this involves choosing both stocks and bonds, and investing
money in tried-and-true companies as well as risk-taking enterprises. When it came to spreading
the word about my debut novel, I’d have to use the same strategy. I’d split my assets (my
devotion to the craft, willingness to talk with anyone about writing and books, and the ability to
be flexible with those willing to help me) with the innate detriments I’d have to consider (limited
promotion time for a full-time author and less-than-boundless cash to devote to promotion and
marketing).
This mathematical equation was oddly comforting—and strange. Letters, not numbers, had
always been my true love, my North Star, guiding me to a career of excitement and fulfillment as
a magazine editor, a freelance writer, and now, a novelist. But, unlike the sentences in my twisty
suspense thrillers, the formula I’ve created for promoting my books is no mystery. Here, the six
things I’ve done to get the word out about my debut novel, I KNOW SHE WAS THERE:
1. I engaged with other authors and social media influencers to build relationships over our
shared love of reading, writing, and books. This means showing up for projects they are
excited about, not just pushing your own writing on them. If an Instagram book
influencer posts a question about the writing process, answer it. And ask them things
you’d like to know about their book projects.
2. I hired a virtual book tour company to tease the cover and share the story with
influencers. Be warned, every participant may not enjoy your book. I was fortunate—the
influencers who chose to read I KNOW SHE WAS THERE all loved it. I made new
friends through this process, which has been such fun. Many have become trusted allies
as I slog through the writing, marketing, and promotion trenches.
3. I never said no to any opportunity to get my book in front of others. I always grant
requests for guest blog posts (no matter how busy I am), podcast appearances (regardless
of how small their reach may be), and in-person events. Besides promoting at bookstores
and libraries, I have set up my author table at a bakery, pub, and women’s clothing store.
All requested my time and effort—and all events helped push my book forward.
4. I attended writing conferences all over the country. Shortly after my book released, I
decided to take it on the road. I signed up for six writers’ conferences in six different
cities over a six-month period—with stops between cities! The book tour started in
Bethesda, MD (Malice Domestic conference); swung through Raleigh, NC, for a fantastic
book club event; meandered up to Mechanicsburg, PA, for a bookstore-sponsored meet
and greet; then onto SleuthFest in St. Petersburgh, FL, followed by ThrillerFest in NYC;
Killer Nashville (of course, in Nashville); and Bouchercon in New Orleans, LA. For
those like me who saved their pennies for these events, it’s the best possible way to
network with other writers and meet readers seeking books in your genre. The exposure
was invaluable. One way I made it more “affordable” was to meet up with family
members along the way and turn free time into mini vacations.
5. I entered book-award contests in addition to the ones my publisher submitted my work to.
It’s usually around a hundred bucks to submit to each contest but if you win, the exposure
is priceless. I submitted to the (arguably) most prestigious international independent book
award competition: the IPPY. And I won the gold medal in the best Suspense/Thriller
category. I also sent my book to Killer Nashville’s Silver Falchion competition and
snagged Judges Top Pick recognition. Readers are swayed by award-winning novels.
6. I wrote another book. Readers turn into fans of authors they like. If they loved your first
novel, they’ll be eager to read your next one. Don’t disappoint them! I just signed the
contract for my next psychological suspense novel which will release next September.
Jennifer Sadera’s debut, I Know She Was There, is the 2025 IPPY gold medal winner in the suspense/thriller category, and a 2025 Judges’ Top Pick in the Killer Nashille Silver Falchion competition. Her writing journey began at book publisher NAL with stops at national women’s magazines, Woman’s World, Redbook, and Beauty Digest before transitioning to freelance writing and, eventually, authoring suspense novels. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers, Mystery Wriers of America, and Sisters in Crime. Her writing has earned her multiple awards at Atlanta Writers Conferences and a fellowship at the Martha’s Vineyard Institute of Creative Writing. In her free time, Jennifer tries (unsuccessfully) to deter deer from her garden, eats too much chocolate, spoils her grown children’s dogs, and cuddles with her brand-new granddaughter. Her latest novel, Maybe You Lied, is slated for release in September 2026.
Residents of the post upstate New York neighborhood of Deer Crossing enjoy all the amenities wealth provides. From drive-up dog-grooming to monthly Botox parties, these lucky suburbanites have everything they could ever want–and one thing they don’t: Caroline Case, who wheels her infant along their streets each night with just one goal…to spy on anyone too careless or too foolish to close their window blinds.
But Caroline should be careful what she sees when she shouldn’t be looking…
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Website: Jennifersadera.com Facebook Instagram X Goodreads