The truth about traditional publishing, author platform building, and why your non-fiction book marketing plan starts with you

If you're a traditionally published author — or hoping to be — you've probably wondered: how much does a publisher actually do to market my book?

The answer might surprise you. And honestly, understanding it clearly is one of the most important things you can do for your book's success before, during, and after your launch.

I spent 15 years inside traditional publishing — at Chronicle Books, HarperCollins, Hardie Grant, and Scholastic. I sat in acquisition meetings, worked on hundreds of titles, and watched books get deals, launch, and celebrate — and then quietly disappear. The ones that disappeared almost always had the same thing in common: the author was waiting for the publisher to do the heavy lifting.

Let's talk about what's actually happening on the publisher's side, what that means for you, and what a real non-fiction book marketing plan actually looks like.

One of the most common questions I get from authors is - What will help me sell more books? So many people go all in on digital ads. Read on to see if these work and what you can actually do to build your author platform and sell books.

What exactly is book marketing? And how do you do it as an author? Book marketing is such a vague and encompassing concept. If you’re here reading this, you know that book marketing is part of being a published author.  if you’re like many authors I talk to, that phrase can feel... well, a bit vague and maybe even a little overwhelming. What does it really mean? And how on earth are you, the writer, supposed to become a marketing guru overnight?

Welcome to the start of this series on my blog, ON THE INSIDE. I have heard over and over again that the publishing industry can be so opaque, confusing and mysterious.  It doesn’t have to be this way! I created this blog series so that we can all hear from people on the inside of publishing. The goal of this is to get you the answers to the questions that you have. So if there is anyone you want me to interview, send me an email at stephanie@stephmoonco.com to let me know! 

I am delighted to introduce Dean Jones to you in the first On the Inside posts.  

Dean Jones is a librarian and host of The Well Seasoned Librarian.  I started following him when I was doing research for a cookbook client looking to be on more podcasts. On his show, he interviews so many amazing cookbook authors. One of my favorite episodes was with Sarah Ahn, author of Umma: A Korean Mom’s Kitchen Wisdom and 100 Family Recipes.  And then I was lucky enough to chat with Dean on his podcast. Here is my episode!