Recently, I met a gentleman who has retired from working in the pharmaceutical industry. His role was to do the marketing for the companies that produce certain medicines and medicinal products. Still active even within retirement, he shared the two major tips all marketers need to pay attention to. They apply also to writers trying to promote their work.
The two tips are: Reach and Frequency.
Reach. We all know the power of social media. Even if we don’t always like the posts we see, the social media giants have created a monopoly within their platforms. By using a variety of digital social media, we can reach far more people with our message than with one speaking event.
When done well, posts about our books can reach new readers. Blog posts that link with social media platforms have a better chance of being read. Reviews can be reposted and promoted, reaching the global audience and giving credibility to our work.
Speaking events are certainly one way of reaching an audience. We need to think several months, even years ahead to plan such events. Most organizations have already put together their programs for this fall. It’s time now to consider where to speak in 2027.
The one ‘reach’ that writers often forget is their personal email list. We know the value of the email newsletter list and the emails subscribed to for our blogs. But the personal list includes family and friends. Some writers seem embarrassed to let these folks know what they are writing and how to purchase their books.
Last October, I published my coming-of-age novel, Seeking the Land of Grace. Because the book’s setting takes place in my home state, I thought about my family — especially the extended family of cousins who remember how we grew up and understand the farm life. So I sent a friendly email to the family and was pleasantly surprised to hear from a number of them who bought my book and even wrote reviews.
So do not forget about reach. And continue to reach out to find new audiences for your work.
Frequency. The key to successful marketing is consistency. Doing some form of marketing every day, or at least several times a week. If we post on social media about our upcoming book and only mention it once — we are missing out on a host of possible customers.
Sally Jones may see it on Wednesday, but Harry Johnson won’t because he was sick that day. If you want Harry to buy your book, you need to post about it on Friday or the next week. And the next. And the next.
Frequent marketing which becomes consistent in its tone and its message is what people remember. We all need to be reminded over and over about special sales, about events, about the important content of our work. The more consistent and frequent the message, the easier it will be for people to remember.
Currently, we are seeing multiple commercials about voting opportunities. Why? Because we are in an election cycle. Already, I have seen some of the same commercials multiple times, and I don’t even watch that much TV. But these reminders spur me to do my own research on the candidates and policies that interest me. When I step toward that voting machine, I will be ready to make my choices. The frequency and consistency of each candidate’s message will be clear.
If you’re wondering why your books aren’t selling, ask yourself about the frequency of your marketing. Consider the reach. Utilize your personal email list. And be consistent.
These tips do work. My friend from the pharmaceutical industry knows it, and so do I. Test it out for yourself.
©2026 RJ Thesman – All Rights Reserved
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My cousins liked the book. What about you? Seeking the Land of Grace.