Five things publishers don’t tell you about marketing
16 August 2026
Over the last five years of my author career I’ve learned so much about publishing that I didn’t have a clue about beforehand. To pass on this knowledge I’m going to write a series of ‘things publishers don’t tell you’ starting with something I used to think was a nice to have but now I know is essential. Marketing.
It’s marketing that turns a book into a best-selling book. If people haven’t heard of your novel then they aren’t going to go out and buy it. Marketing is paid for promotion to put your book in the hands of its target audience. It can be offline, such as ad campaigns and sending out proof copies, or online in the form of digital advertising and creating a buzz on social media. What is your publisher’s marketing plan?
The amount your publisher had paid for your book in the form of an advance usually dictates the amount they’ll spend on marketing it. If a publisher has paid out a huge advance they will want to do their best to recoup their investment. Money talks.
A big advance, however, doesn’t necessarily equal huge book sales. There’s no guaranteed formula to turn a book into this season’s ‘must read’. Sometimes hugely-hyped titles don’t hit the zeitgeist.
Your sales figures matter. Your book had a decent marketing budget but didn’t sell very well? Publishers may drop authors whose sales figures they regard as disappointing. This is the case even if the publisher spent practically nothing on marketing the author’s books, which would have reduced its chances of selling well.
Having a large amount of followers on social media can help you get a book deal but what matters most is the quality of your writing. If you are time-strapped it’s best to do one or two social platforms of your choice well to marketing yourself and spend the rest of your time writing the best book possible.
Is there a subject you’d like me to cover in The Scribbling Pen? Let me know by filling in the contact form on this website.