Prior to 2021, all of my books had been published by small press publishers. Once my books had been released, admittedly, I hadn’t spent any money on advertising; instead I promoted my books at live events, with maybe a token post or two on my website and social media. For my traditionally published books (A Model Archaeologist and Chemotherapy for the Soul) I attended spoken word events, literary festivals and book signings. Likewise, for my debut novel (Gods of Avalon Road) I sold the majority of copies at book launch events in stores such as Waterstones, or through library events.
Once I set up my own imprint in 2021 and launched my first book under my Leilanie Stewart Author brand (The Buddha’s Bone), expenses were high as I had to incur start-up costs; as you would for any business. My costs versus royalties for that left me in an eye-watering deficit; there were a few things that I did two years ago that I wouldn’t repeat, and some that have proved to be worth the money. I’d like to share with you the things that didn’t work for me in the hope that you won’t be out of pocket (by several thousand pounds – yikes!) like I was. Here is what older, wiser, more savvy publisher, Leilanie Stewart, will not repeat again going forward from 2023 onwards:
Make sure to set an advertising budget:
This is easier said than done, but try to have an idea of how much you would spend per publication that would give you adequate returns. Between 2021 and 2022, I didn’t set any budget and booked paid ads on Bargain Booksy (£22 for a 1 day promotion sent out to six figure newsletter subscribers) and The Fussy Librarian (£25 for a 1 day promotion sent to six figure newsletter subscribers) for my eBooks every month or so, alongside paying for Ingram ipage advertising for my hardcovers and running an ad placement in Myslexia magazine for my paperbacks. Whilst I saw sales peaks on Amazon for some of those ads, it wasn’t enough to justify the costs; I have effectively stopped booking paid promotions. Here is what I spent on ads:
Bargain Booksy = £144.67 costs versus £6.52 eBook royalties (net loss £138.15 ÷ 7 copies sold = £19.73 advertising per copy)
The Fussy Librarian= £25.38 costs versus £0.93 eBook royalties ( net loss £24.45 ÷ 3 copies sold = £8.15 advertising per copy)
Myslexia magazine listing = £115 advertising costs versus no significant paperback sales afterwards (net loss £115!)
Ingramspark ipage listing = £124.38 advertising costs versus £22.98 hardcover royalties (net loss £101.40 ÷ 11 copies sold = £9.20 advertising per copy)
Amazon sponsored ads = £164.24 pay per clicks versus £23.54 royalties (net loss £140.70 ÷ 23 copies sold = £6.11 advertising per copy)
Total spent on advertising in 2021-2022 = £573.67. I can feel the charred holes in my pockets smoldering away as I write this… Ouch!
Worth it? I suppose it depends on what you want to get out of it. For me, it’s not about maximising the amount of money back for what I paid in ads, as face it, royalties are so low anyway. It’s about reaching the highest amount of new readers for what I spent in ads, and if possible, being able to keep those readers for subsequent books. For that reason, Amazon sponsored ads is the best value for money – and this is the only advertising I’m continuing to pay for in 2023.
Are paid competitions worth it?
Entering novel competitions is a calculated risk, but in my opinion, a worthwhile effort in terms of gaining exposure and publicity for your book. Here is what I spent money on in 2022 and my thoughts on whether this was a wise investment of money, or one I would repeat:
Rubery Book Award = £44 to enter one submission (The Buddha’s Bone). No win therefore net loss = £44.
The Bath Novel Award = £29 to enter one submission (The Buddha’s Bone). No win therefore net loss = £29.
Chill with a Book Awards = FREE to enter (The Blue Man). Wins include Premier Readers’ Award and Book of the Month for February. Trackable sales as a result of exposure = 3 eBooks.
Total spent on competitions in 2022 = £73
Worth it? Chill with a Book certainly was, as not only did I find myself in great company as joint winner of Book of the Month alongside USA Today best-selling author, Kathryn Gauci, but the publicity helped drive sales. The Bath Novel Award is reasonably priced that I may consider entering again this year, depending on what genre the judges seem to prefer. I may pass on the Rubery Prize this year as £44 is an expensive enough gamble that didn’t pay off last year, though that’s not to put others off. All of these three Awards are prestigious and reputable in my opinion, so it depends on how much money you have to spare. Personally, my piggybank is rather empty these days.
What will I be spending my marketing budget on this year?
In a word: publicity. I have been experimenting with making Instagram, TikTok and Facebook reels, which seems to attract more attention, and hence gain more exposure, than simple posts or even pictures. I have noticed a slight increase in sales or KU reads on days when I post videos, however short. I have also noticed through comments on social media that some viewers have said things like, “Oh, I’ve heard of this book/seen this book” etc. This definitely sounds promising as some form of proof that my reels are getting noticed. Early days yet, but I’m tinkering with this as a marketing tool, though I have much to learn.
Whatever method you use to market your books, make sure to think about what is best for your brand in terms of giving the best returns for your money, and always remember to set a budget. This advice is as much for me as it is for anyone out there who may need to hear it.
Leilanie Stewart 