How I market & release books
What's worked for me
In my last newsletter, I shared that I have my book release schedule mapped out well in advance. I follow a simple book marketing plan that actually works, and more importantly, fits within my schedule and energy. I don’t chase every new platform or marketing trend. I’ve found a rhythm that feels sustainable and aligned.
A lovely reader asked to hear more, so here we go!
First, a quick disclaimer: I publish my books through my own imprint, under both my real name and a secret pen name. 😉 Because I self-publish, I’m in full control of how I market and release my books. If you’re traditionally or hybrid published, your marketing responsibilities might look different, and some of what I share here may not apply directly to your experience.
Second, what I recommend for clients is often different from what I do for my own books. Every author has a unique set of goals, a unique readership, and a unique publishing path. Many of my clients are traditionally published, so the strategies aren’t always the same. Just because I do the things listed below doesn’t mean I’d necessarily recommend them for you. Everything I’m sharing here is based on my personal experience.
There’s so much I could say about marketing and releasing books. It could fill a book of its own! But I’ll focus on the main things that have helped me most.
I write and publish books under my name, specifically YA/new adult paranormal romance. I currently have five books in this series including a trilogy of full-length novels, plus two novellas—one prequel to the trilogy and another that connects back to the core books.
My business model for these titles is the “series model.” The goal is to hook readers with one book, ideally the first in the series, and make the majority of income through read-through (readers continuing on with the rest of the books). I’m also enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, so most of my marketing efforts focus there.
Over time, I’ve tested all kinds of marketing strategies. I measure success based on two key factors:
Is it generating book sales and turning a profit?
Does this fit with the kind of lifestyle I want to lead?
Here’s what’s currently working for me:
Right now, I’m focused on marketing over writing new books for this series. I released a novella this year and plan another for the fall, but I reached a point where I needed to pause and really focus on selling the books I’ve already written. This is the shift from “new release mode” to “backlist promotion.” It’s important.
My ARC team is everything. My advanced readers are amazing. They help spread the word and fuel excitement around releases. I started finding these readers by using services like NetGalley, which brought in some awesome people, but also many that weren’t a great fit. Over time, I curated my own ARC team using an application process and promoting that through email and Instagram.
I use a very simple pre-release strategy. I don’t do a million bells and whistles. I announce the book, tease a few fun pieces along the way (like the cover, blurb, or opening lines), and lean heavily on my email list and ARC team for momentum. Keeping it low-lift helps me stay consistent.
My focus is primarily on ebook sales. Since my books are in Kindle Unlimited, that’s where the bulk of my attention goes. The margins are strong, and the KU audience is made up of my ideal readers. I don’t prioritize print sales right now, though I’ve experimented with it in the past (see next bullet!).
I’ve had great success selling signed paperbacks directly. For a while, I offered signed copies with cute swag, and readers loved it. As a self-published author, the margins on print books are typically very slim, but when you sell direct, that margin can widen significantly. That said, the logistics (packaging, shipping, daily post office runs) eventually didn’t align with the lifestyle I wanted. I’ll bring this back someday because I genuinely enjoy it, but for now, I’ve hit pause.
Amazon ads are my go-to. I run ads to the first book in my series, and that has worked well for me. I’ve tested ads for the novellas, but those didn’t convert as well. I’ve also tried Meta ads, but they weren’t profitable in my case. This took a lot of trial and error, testing and tweaking.
I don’t use much social media. Instagram is the only platform I still use for these books, and even that is pretty minimal right now.
I also write books under a new pen name. These are spicy genre novellas that follow a series model. In this series, each story is a standalone, meaning you can jump in anywhere without reading them all in order. I don’t publicly share my pen name for privacy reasons, so if that’s a dealbreaker for you, feel free to stop reading here!
Here are a few things about my pen name:
This is actually my second pen name. The first one was a total bust. I completely botched the marketing. The cover didn’t match the genre. The blurb was confusing. I attracted the wrong readers. I barely sold 500 copies. So I pulled the plug.
Before launching this new pen name, I went deep. I studied the genre obsessively. I looked at what readers were devouring, what tropes were trending, and how the bestsellers were being positioned. I paid attention to what readers wanted, not just what I felt like writing.
That prep paid off. I’ve had over 10,000 orders so far across the first two books (6,000 on the first, 4,000 on the second), which tells me the positioning and marketing are working. Right now, I prioritize ebook sales exclusively. In the future, I plan to reinvest some profits into expanding formats, including printed box sets and audiobooks, but I’m not there yet.
I built an ARC team specifically for this series, and their support has been incredible. Their word-of-mouth is GOLD.
I do regular newsletter swaps and promos with other authors in my genre. These have been especially effective to attract my target readers!
I can’t run Amazon ads for this series due to genre restrictions (IYKYK), but I’ll likely test Meta ads once the first series is complete.
I use social media more actively for this pen name, especially Instagram and TikTok. So far, I haven’t seen huge traction from it, but it’s still early, and I’m continuing to experiment. Plus, it feels fun to create content in this genre!
Across all of my books, here’s the big takeaway: I market based on what feels aligned and what actually works. I test, I tweak, I learn. I stay in my own lane. And I don’t do everything. I focus on the things that work for my books, my audience, and the kind of life I want to lead.
Hope this peek behind the scenes helped! If you’re launching, relaunching, or feeling stuck on how to market your own work, there’s no “right” path to getting your books into the hands of readers who’ll love them. Keep trying, testing, tweaking, and most of all… keep going! ♡
xo.
Melissa
Want more people to discover your work? The Bestseller Energy Publicity Kit is a 40+ page guide filled with pitch templates, media strategies, and visibility tools to help you promote your book, business, or project.
Pay what you wish and grab your copy here.