Your Book Marketing Doesn’t Need More Tactics. It Needs a Strategy.
5 takeaways from my conversation with Jenn T. Grace about what’s really working in author marketing
What if the problem with your book marketing isn’t a lack of things to do?
What if you’re doing too many things without knowing why you’re doing them?
That was one of the big themes in my recent Let’s Talk Book Marketing conversation with Jenn T. Grace, founder of Publisher Purpose, nine-time author, and the creator of the State of Author Marketing 2026 survey.
Jenn and I spend a lot of time talking with nonfiction authors, and we see the same problem again and again.
Authors are busy.
They’re posting. Pitching podcasts. Sending emails. Trying Amazon ads. Going to events. Thinking about speaking. Starting newsletters. Looking for reviews.
But activity isn’t the same as strategy.
Here are five ideas from our conversation worth thinking about.
1. Decide what you want your book to do
Before choosing a marketing tactic, ask a much bigger question.
What role do you want your book to play?
Do you want to sell copies?
Build authority?
Land speaking engagements?
Attract consulting or coaching clients?
Open doors into corporations or associations?
Create opportunities for training, workshops, or other products?
Your answer changes everything.
A strategy designed to sell individual books looks very different from one designed to turn your book into a door opener.
You don’t need to do everything.
You need to do the things that support the outcome you want.
2. Choose marketing you’re willing to keep doing
Jenn made an important point during our conversation.
Your interests matter.
If you hate live events, forcing yourself onto live video every week probably isn’t going to become a sustainable strategy.
If you love podcast conversations, pursue podcasts where your ideal readers are listening.
If you come alive when you teach, workshops and training might be a better fit than trying to become a keynote speaker.
There’s no prize for choosing a marketing tactic you dread.
Look for the intersection between what moves you toward your goals and what you’re willing to keep doing.
That’s where momentum becomes much easier.
3. Stop expecting the book to do all the work
Authors often tell me:
“I was on three podcasts and I didn’t sell any books.”
But selling a handful of books isn’t always the point.
Your book can build awareness.
It can establish credibility.
It can start conversations.
It can introduce you to people you would never have reached without it.
It can lead to speaking, training, consulting, partnerships, bulk sales, and opportunities you haven’t even imagined yet.
Think beyond the $20 book.
Sometimes the real value of the book is the $20,000 opportunity it helps open.
4. Relationships beat transactions
One of the most important stories I shared with Jenn involved the company that eventually bought 500,000 copies of one of my books.
That sale didn’t come from a cold pitch.
The relationship developed over almost two years.
It started with a conversation. Then came training opportunities. We stayed connected. The relationship grew.
Eventually, the company saw how the book could support its own business objectives.
The bulk sale was the result.
Not the starting point.
Too many authors approach marketing as:
How can I sell this person my book?
A better question is:
How can I build a relationship with someone who already serves the people my book can help?
That changes the conversation.
5. Don’t forget the part most authors neglect — nurture
Jenn introduced her ASPEN Method during our conversation:
Assess. Strategy. Plan. Execute. Nurture.
Most authors spend their energy on the middle.
They make plans.
They launch campaigns.
They send pitches.
They execute.
Then they move on.
Jenn believes the place where things often fall apart is the final step.
Nurture.
Someone joins your email list.
A podcast host interviews you.
A company expresses interest.
You meet someone at a conference.
What happens next?
Relationships rarely become opportunities after one interaction.
Stay in touch.
Be useful.
Continue the conversation.
Create reasons to reconnect.
The opportunity might come weeks, months, or even years later.
Mine did.
Start by assessing
Jenn ended our conversation with advice I think every author should hear.
If your book is already out and you’re wondering what you should do next, don’t immediately add another marketing tactic.
First, look at what you’ve already done.
What worked?
What didn’t?
What did you enjoy?
Where did you see movement?
Which activities brought you energy rather than draining it?
Look for the combination of results and enthusiasm.
Then build from there.
Because successful book marketing isn’t about doing more.
It’s about knowing why you’re doing what you’re doing.
And then giving the right things enough time to work.
Jenn is also gathering data for her State of Author Marketing 2026 survey. Her goal is to hear from 500 authors about what they’re trying, what’s working, and where their marketing is falling short.
Even taking the survey can help you spot gaps in your own marketing.
Please take Jenn’s State of Author Marketing 2026 survey here.
And if you missed our conversation, watch the replay above.
Which of these five areas needs the most attention in your book marketing right now?
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