Book marketing strategy for authors

A Marketing Plan That Sells Books — Built Around Your Genre, Budget, and Goals.

Most authors try every marketing tactic they read about and see results from none — because tactics without strategy produce noise, not sales. We build a complete, prioritised book marketing plan specific to your genre, your budget, your platform presence, and your publishing timeline — identifying which channels to focus on first, what to spend, what to measure, and what to ignore so you stop guessing and start selling.

  • Channel priority map — ranked list of the 3–5 channels that will move the needle for your specific book
  • 90-day action plan — week-by-week tasks across Amazon, social, email, PR, and ads
  • Budget allocation — where to spend, how much, and what ROI to expect from each channel
  • Delivered in 5 days — a complete written plan ready to execute immediately
★★★★★4.9 / 5 from 870+ verified author reviews

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Tell us about your book, budget, and goals — we'll build your marketing plan and deliver it in 5 days

100% confidential. NDA on request. Reply within 1 business day.

Doing everything and selling nothing — because tactics without strategy is just expensive noise.

Most authors market their books by doing what other authors say worked for them — without considering whether their genre, budget, or platform presence makes those tactics relevant. A thriller author's Instagram strategy does not transfer to business non-fiction. A memoir's PR approach does not transfer to a children's book. Marketing that works is genre-specific, budget-realistic, and prioritised.

Marketing without a strategy

  • Spreading budget across 7 channels — getting no traction on any of them
  • Using tactics from another genre — thriller strategies applied to a self-help book
  • No priority order — everything feels urgent and nothing gets done properly
  • No budget allocation — spending $500 on ads that return $80 and $0 on things that would work
  • No metrics — no way to know what is working and what to stop doing
  • No post-launch plan — launch week sales never convert into sustained monthly sales

With a Hawthorne marketing strategy

  • 3–5 priority channels identified — the only ones worth your time and budget for your specific book
  • Genre-specific strategy — what works for your book type, not what worked for a different genre
  • 90-day action plan with weekly tasks — clear priorities so you know what to do each week
  • Budget allocated by channel — specific spend recommendations with expected ROI for each
  • Success metrics defined — you know exactly what to measure and what good results look like
  • 30-day follow-up check-in included — to review performance and adjust priorities if needed
530+Marketing strategies delivered
4.2xAvg sales increase in first 90 days
5Day delivery
5Channels: Amazon, social, email, PR & ads

Every Marketing Channel — Prioritised, Planned,
and Budgeted for Your Book.

A complete book marketing strategy covers every channel and every decision — here is what we research, prioritise, and plan in your strategy document.

Channel priority mapping

Every available marketing channel evaluated for your genre and platform presence — then ranked by expected ROI so you know which 3–5 to focus on first and which ones to ignore or defer until the basics are working.

Amazon optimisation brief

Amazon listing audit and optimisation brief — title, subtitle, description, categories, keywords, and A+ content all reviewed and specific copy recommendations made to improve conversion from search to sale.

Social media plan

Platform-specific social media plan for the 1–2 platforms that matter most for your genre and audience — content pillars identified, posting cadence recommended, and sample post formats provided to make execution straightforward.

Email marketing strategy

Email list growth plan and campaign structure — welcome sequence, launch sequence, and nurture strategy outlined for the 3 highest-value email touchpoints for selling books to an existing audience or building one from scratch.

PR outreach plan

PR strategy covering media targets, podcast pitch approach, and review outreach — identifying the specific publications, shows, and outlets that reach your exact reader demographic, with pitch angle recommendations for each.

Amazon Ads brief

Amazon Ads brief covering campaign type recommendation (Sponsored Products vs Sponsored Brands), keyword targeting approach, and target ACoS — giving you a clear starting point if you plan to run your own ads or brief an ad manager.

Launch timeline

Pre-launch, launch week, and post-launch activities mapped week by week — covering ARC distribution, review outreach, social scheduling, email deployment, and paid promotion timing so everything fires in the right order.

Content calendar

90-day content calendar with daily post and task schedule across your priority channels — specific content themes, posting times, and content types mapped to each day so execution requires decision-making, not planning.

Budget allocation

Total marketing budget split across channels — specific dollar recommendations for each channel with the logic behind the allocation, expected return benchmarks, and a minimum and optimal spend range for each tactic.

From brief to complete marketing plan in 5 days.

A five-step process — intake, research, plan build, review, delivery — that turns your genre and budget into an actionable marketing strategy.

01

Book & Budget Intake

You complete a brief covering your genre, audience, publishing platform, current platform presence, total marketing budget, and your primary goal — whether that is launch week sales, long-term ranking, or list building.

02

Channel Research

We research which channels work for your genre — analysing comparable titles, reader platform preferences, ad cost benchmarks, and PR opportunities specific to your book type before building any strategy document.

03

Plan Build

Full marketing strategy document built — channel priority map, 90-day action plan with weekly tasks, budget allocation, success metrics, launch checklist, and any channel-specific briefs included in your package.

04

Review & Alignment

Plan delivered for review — you ask questions or flag anything that needs adjustment for your specific situation, and we refine until every recommendation is actionable and realistic for your budget and timeline.

05

Execute & Follow-Up

You execute the plan. At 60 days post-delivery, a follow-up check-in reviews what is working, what the data says to adjust, and whether the channel priority order needs to be updated based on your actual results.

Book Marketing Strategy
Strategy results

530+ marketing plans delivered. 4.2x average sales increase in the first 90 days.

The authors who sell consistently are not the ones doing the most marketing — they are the ones doing the right marketing for their genre and their book. Our strategies are built on data: what works for thriller differs from what works for business non-fiction, which differs from what works for memoir. Every plan is channel-specific, budget-realistic, and prioritised so you know exactly what to do first — and what to ignore entirely.

  • Channel priority map — focus on what moves the needle for your genre
  • 90-day action plan broken into weekly tasks
  • Budget allocation with expected ROI per channel
  • Delivered in 5 days, ready to execute immediately
Get my marketing plan →

Our Book Marketing Strategy Packages

Strategy Session

A 90-minute strategy call covering your channels, budget, and priorities — with a written action list and 30-day priorities delivered within 24 hours of the call.

$349one-time
  • 90-min strategy call
  • Channel, budget & priority review
  • Written action list with 30-day priorities
  • Delivered within 24 hours
  • Genre-specific channel recommendations
Most Popular
Marketing Plan

Full written marketing strategy — channel priority map, 90-day action plan, budget allocation, success metrics, and launch checklist — delivered in 5 days.

$699one-time
  • Full written marketing strategy
  • Channel priority map
  • 90-day action plan
  • Budget allocation & success metrics
  • Launch checklist
  • Delivered in 5 days
Full Campaign Blueprint

Everything in Marketing Plan plus 90-day content calendar, ad creative briefs for Amazon and Facebook, email campaign templates, and a 60-day post-launch check-in call.

$1,299one-time
  • Everything in Marketing Plan
  • 90-day content calendar (daily posts/tasks)
  • Ad creative briefs — Amazon & Facebook
  • Email campaign templates (3 sequences)
  • 60-day post-launch check-in call

What every book marketing strategy is guaranteed.

These commitments apply to every marketing plan we deliver.

Genre-Specific Strategy

Every strategy built around your specific genre — what works for thriller, business non-fiction, memoir, and children's books differs significantly. We don't apply the same plan to every book.

Budget-Realistic Plan

Every recommendation fits within the budget you state — we don't suggest tactics that require ten times your stated spend. If your budget is $500, every recommendation fits within $500.

5-Day Delivery

Full written marketing strategy delivered within 5 business days of receiving your intake brief. If we miss this for any reason within our control, we refund 10% of the project fee automatically.

All Channels Covered

Amazon, social media, email, PR, and paid ads all evaluated and addressed — even if only 3 are recommended as priority, every channel is assessed and the reason for deprioritising is explained.

Written Action Plan

All strategy delivered in a written document — not a verbal session you have to remember. Every recommendation documented with the reasoning so you can execute, revisit, and brief others from it.

30-Day Follow-Up

30-day check-in included in every package — review what is working, adjust priorities based on early data, and identify any tactics that need to change before the 90-day window closes.

Trusted by business leaders, entrepreneurs & executives

From first-time authors to seasoned CEOs — our clients use their books to build authority, attract clients, and leave a lasting legacy.

I've been running my consulting firm for 14 years and always knew a book would elevate my positioning. Hawthorne made it real. The ghostwriter they matched me with understood my industry from day one. The final manuscript reads exactly like me — sharp, direct, and full of the frameworks I use with clients. Closed two six-figure engagements before the official launch.

MT
Marcus T.
Mar 2026
★★★★★

I came in with a half-finished manuscript and no clear direction. The developmental editing process was transformative — they helped me restructure the entire argument without losing my voice. The book is now the anchor of my thought leadership strategy and has been picked up by three business podcasts. Worth every dollar.

SK
Sarah K.
Jan 2026
★★★★★

Hawthorne handled my business memoir from outline to Amazon launch. The project manager kept everything on schedule and the ghostwriter captured 20 years of entrepreneurial lessons in a way that is genuinely engaging. It's already ranking in two categories on KDP and my speaking inquiries have tripled since launch.

DR
Daniel R.
Feb 2026
★★★★★

As a business coach, credibility is everything. Publishing my book with Hawthorne gave me a tangible asset I can put in front of every prospective client. The team handled the cover, interior layout, ISBN, and KDP submission flawlessly. I didn't have to touch a single technical detail. Professional from start to finish.

JW
Jennifer W.
Dec 2025
★★★★★

My executive team had been suggesting I write a strategy book for years. Hawthorne turned that idea into a polished, published reality in under five months. The ghostwriter conducted thorough interviews, the editor tightened every chapter, and the cover design looked better than books I've seen from major publishers.

RA
Robert A.
Nov 2025
★★★★★

I used Hawthorne's book marketing and Amazon Ads service post-launch. The team built a proper campaign strategy, ran the ads, and optimised the metadata. Within six weeks we hit bestseller status in two categories. The visibility it created for my startup brand was unlike anything I'd achieved through traditional PR.

MC
Michael C.
Oct 2025
★★★★★
Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to the questions authors ask most about this service.

A completed Book Marketing Playbook — a 20–30 page document covering: your reader profile and where they discover books, your competitive positioning, a 12-month content and promotion calendar, email marketing plan, Amazon Ads strategy, social media platform recommendations, launch sequence, and a list of the 10 highest-priority actions to take in the first 90 days.

It is late for a full pre-launch build, but not too late for a meaningful launch. We can build an accelerated playbook focused on the launch window and post-launch momentum. The earlier you start, the more leverage you have — but a strategy at any stage beats no strategy.

No. Many of the highest-ROI tactics — email marketing, ARC reviews, Amazon category optimisation, podcast guest appearances, and SEO — are low-cost. Amazon Ads require a budget but can be started at $10–$15 per day. We build a strategy that matches your actual budget and time availability.

Building an email list before your launch. An email list of even 500 engaged subscribers can drive enough concentrated launch-day sales to earn a bestseller tag, generate initial reviews, and trigger Amazon's recommendation algorithm. Everything else amplifies — the list is the foundation.

Books are discovery products — most purchases happen because a reader stumbled on the book in a search, recommendation, or editorial context, not because they were actively looking for it. This means discoverability (Amazon SEO, categories, keywords, and Kindle Unlimited) is as important as promotion. A good book marketing strategy addresses both.

A 3-minute strategy call is the fastest way to find the right path. No obligation. NDA on request.

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