Here’s the uncomfortable truth every writer learns sooner or later: masterpieces don’t sell themselves. If they did, a slim little novel about a lovesick bootlegger would’ve flown off shelves in 1925. Instead, The Great Gatsby stumbled, muttered something about the American Dream, and went to lie down. It took a cunning act of distribution – hundreds of thousands of Armed Services Editions in soldiers’ pockets – to turn that quiet book into a cultural siren. Then came classroom adoption, cover refreshes, film tie-ins – a long, stubborn campaign. Not a miracle. A plan. And yes, a reminder that persistent, practical promotion can resurrect even the most brilliant wallflower. If a classic of American literature had a slow start, that bodes well for every author.
Ways to Become a Bestseller
Book Clubs = Word of Mouth
Start with reviews – the digital era’s word-of-mouth. A wave of honest, plentiful reviews doesn’t just stroke the ego; it greases the algorithm. Look at Where the Crawdads Sing. It wasn’t born a juggernaut. It grew because book clubs and readers talked – publicly, repeatedly. Reviews fed more discovery, which fed more reviews. Think of each review as a lighthouse ping: “Over here, this one’s worth docking for.” Encourage them. Ask politely. Provide an easy link. Offer early copies. No groveling required – just the courtesy of making it simple for readers to share what they felt.
The book got into Reese Witherspoon’s book club, which is the gold standard, and not immediately attainable by most authors, but book clubs in general can significantly increase word of mouth for a book, and are possible for any author.
If You’re the Author or Publisher:
Start Local
Public Libraries: Many libraries run book clubs. Contact the programming librarian to suggest your book for their reading schedule.
Independent Bookstores: Bookstores often host in-house clubs. Offer to provide discussion copies, do an author Q&A, or sign books.
Offer a Discussion Kit
Make it easy for book clubs to pick your book by including:
- A discussion guide (questions, author insights, themes)
- A short author bio and background
- Book club discounts or a free copy for the host
- You can distribute this as a downloadable PDF on your website or via BookClubs.com, Goodreads, or social media.
Leverage Online Book Clubs
- Submit your book to Bookclubs.com.
- Join Goodreads groups that match your genre and engage authentically (don’t just self-promote).
- Look into Facebook or Reddit reading communities (e.g., r/bookclub).
- Offer to Attend (Virtually or In Person): Book clubs love author interactions. Offering a free virtual visit via Zoom (even for 15 minutes) is a strong incentive for them to choose your book.
- Partner with Influencers or Bookstagrammers: find book club hosts or bookish influencers on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube who regularly recommend reads to their followers. Provide them an early copy or exclusive Q&A.
Pricing Isn’t Cheap
Then there’s price and platform tact – no, not “race to the bottom,” but “strategic on-ramp.” The Martian began as a scrappy $0.99 experiment and a serial on the author’s site. That price wasn’t self-sabotage; it was a lever to move the immovable: reader attention. A thoughtful discount window can trigger recommendation engines, coax cautious readers, and let curiosity outrun friction. Couple that with a well-timed audiobook or paperback release and you’re suddenly building staircases, not walls:
Pricing can have a huge impact on how well a book sells — both in attracting readers and in maximizing profits. It’s a mix of psychology, positioning, and strategy. Here’s how you can use pricing to your advantage:
Understand What You’re Really Pricing
You’re not just pricing pages — you’re adding to:
- Perceived value (how professional and appealing your book looks)
- Genre expectations (romance vs. nonfiction vs. fantasy have very different price norms)
- Reader risk (a low price lowers the barrier to try a new author)
Know the Market Benchmarks
Typical ebook and print price ranges:
Indie Authors
Ebook: $2.99–$6.99
Paperback: $9.99–$16.99
Hardcover: $19.99–$29.99
Traditional Publishers
Ebook: $9.99–$14.99
Paperback: $9.99–$16.99
Hardcover: $25.99–$35.99
Of course, one of the main values of self-publishing is the ability to do this yourself, and traditional publishers – even smaller independent presses – don’t like to offer books at a discount, except during rare promotions.
Conventions are Conventional
Targeting matters too – knowing which party your book actually wants to attend. Dune didn’t become a perennial because it squinted at the mainstream and said, “Pick me.” It fraternized with its people: genre conventions, fan communities, indie booksellers who hand-sell like matchmakers. Use keywords and categories the way cartographers use compasses. Plant your flag where your book’s tribe already gathers, whether that’s space opera diehards, cozy-mystery aficionados, or romantasy TikTokers who can move mountains with a weekend post.
Getting a table at a genre convention (like a sci-fi, fantasy, romance, or horror con) can be a great way to meet readers, sell books, and network with other creators — but the process takes some planning:
Research the Right Conventions
Start by identifying conventions that match your genre and audience:
- Major cons: Comic-Con, Dragon Con, Worldcon, Romance Writers of America, ThrillerFest.
- Regional cons: Local fantasy, horror, or indie author events often have more affordable tables.
- Book-focused cons: BookExpo, Readers Take Denver, 20Books Vegas, etc.
Check their websites for an Exhibitors or Artist Alley section — that’s where you’ll find table information.
Understand Costs
Typical price ranges:
- Small local con: $50–$200
- Mid-size regional con: $200–$600
- Large national con: $800–$2000+
Direct community engagement is the unglamorous superpower – less fireworks, more campfire. The Martian again: the author tinkered in public, talked to readers, iterated. That intimacy minted evangelists. You don’t need to be loud; you need to be present. Host AMA sessions, answer comments, share behind-the-scenes scraps. Readers aren’t customers; they’re co-conspirators. Treat them that way and they’ll carry your banner farther than any ad spend.
Book Covers Don’t Have To Be Permanent
Again, this is mostly available to self-publishers, as they have the option to immediately update a cover (and should seize the opportunity), but rebranding has worked for traditional books as well. Life of Pi learned the magic of a striking repackage – new cover, new mood, new conversation. If your cover whispers when the shelf demands a shout, revise it. Test thumbnails (most readers meet your cover at the size of a postage stamp). Make the promise visual: genre cues, tone, one bold focal point. The difference between “nice” and “need it” is often one decisive redesign.
Here’s why updating or redesigning your cover can make a big difference
Covers Are The #1 Marketing Signal
Readers absolutely judge books by their covers — and they do it in seconds. Your cover tells them:
- The genre (romance, thriller, fantasy…)
- The tone (lighthearted, dark, literary)
- The professional quality (self-published vs. polished, traditional-level design)
If your cover doesn’t instantly communicate what kind of book it is, you’ll lose clicks and sales — even if your story is superlative. Sometimes the problem isn’t visibility — it’s misalignment. If your cover doesn’t match genre expectations (say, your thriller looks like a romance), you’ll attract the wrong readers, who may not enjoy it — leading to poor reviews or low conversion.
A redesign can fix that by matching the visual language your target readers expect.
Trends Change Over Time
Design trends evolve quickly. For example:
- Romance moved from photo covers to illustrated designs.
- Fantasy shifted toward bold typography and minimalist symbols.
- Nonfiction now favors clean, modern layouts.
An older design can make your book look dated or out of step with current tastes — even if it’s only a few years old. A fresh cover can signal that your book is current and relevant again, which leads to…
A New Cover = A New Launch Opportunity
Changing your cover gives you a legitimate reason to:
- Announce a “new edition” or “special re-release”
- Run a price promo or ad campaign
- Re-engage your mailing list or social followers
This kind of “soft relaunch” often boosts sales without needing to rewrite a single word.
Proven Sales Impact
Many indie and small-press authors report a 20–200% increase in sales after a successful cover redesign — especially when the old design didn’t match genre norms or felt amateurish.
You should change your cover if the first edition was rushed to print, sales have plateaued, and you’ve already optimized the blurb and price, the genre or audience for your book has shifted, or you’re relaunching or rebranding your author name or series..
It’s Too Much Work!
If all this sounds like a lot, that’s the way it is. Publishing is not a gentle river; it’s a frozen lake you learn to skate by falling a dozen times and standing up thirteen. But observe the pattern across these breakout stories: nothing was instantaneous, and nothing was accidental. Reviews were nurtured. Prices were tuned. Genres were targeted with precision. Covers were sharpened. Communities were tended. Languages were added. Platforms were played like instruments, not slot machines. And over months and years, a murmur became a chorus.
So the call is simple: keep moving. Refresh what isn’t working. Feed the channels that are. Treat every release, repackage, and reformat as another chance to reintroduce your book to the world. The great ones are not just written; they are campaigned for as long as it takes.
“Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.” — Mark Twain
