The advice to use social media to sell more books is common, but what is often missing is the advice on how to do it. Simply opening accounts, making posts, and hoping the algorithm blesses us rarely results in sales. Instead, it often leads to even more posting with little to show for it, and engagement still remains flat. It can feel like shouting into the void while everyone else seems to be succeeding with ease. The truth is, there may not be anything wrong with your books. You might simply be talking about them the wrong way.

In today’s blog, Ginger offers some of that missing guidance by showing how to stop pushing your book at readers and instead pull them toward you by speaking to what they value. When you understand your ideal reader and aim to give them what they want, you spark curiosity rather than beg for attention. So if you are tired of posts that go nowhere and social media feels overwhelming or unrewarding, this article can help you start building real connections that lead to real sales.

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As a self-published author, you’ve probably been told about the importance of leveraging social media thousands of times, but that’s normally as far as the advice goes. We start Twitter accounts (oh, wait, it’s called X now), and Facebook pages, and make TikToks and Reels, but getting likes and followers is difficult enough, let alone selling copies of our books.

There’s this huge amount of pressure to have a presence on social media, but very little guidance about what we should be doing there. For a lot of us, this results in shouldering a huge amount of added creative workload without seeing much return for it, and that can be pretty disheartening. But perhaps the problem isn’t your books, but how you’re talking about them.

Without any other guidance, most self-published authors (myself included) approach marketing on social media with the same mindset: “I need to tell people about my book.” 

But I think this creates a fundamental disconnect. As authors, we’re focused so much on what we want (to sell copies of our books, of course) that we forget readers are asking themselves an entirely different question: “What’s in this for me?”

It’s one of the first things we get taught in the advertising business, but most self-published authors don’t have the benefit of a background in advertising. That’s why, this week, I wanted to focus on how the solution to selling books isn’t just to “work harder” (thank God!) It’s to totally flip your approach to talking about your books.

The Elevator Pitch Problem

I’ve written about the so-called “elevator pitch” numerous times before. It’s a little pre-prepared speech you’ve memorized just in case you wind up sharing an elevator with a famous publisher or movie producer. In an ideal scenario, that perfectly crafted 30-second summary of your book is enough to convince them to hand you a publishing contract, or offer you a movie deal. 

But here’s the truth: most elevator pitches fail. This isn’t just because we don’t get the opportunity to share an elevator with famous movie producers all that often. It’s also because we have a tendency to describe what our book is about from our perspective, instead of talking about what somebody will get from reading it.

Consider one of the most iconic book-to-movie adaptations of recent times: Eat Pray Love. 

A 2006 memoir by Elizabeth Gilbert, the full title of the book is: “Eat Pray Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.” It’s the tale of a woman who abandoned her pedestrian suburban life and marriage to spend a year traveling the world, and everything she learned about herself while doing so. They made it into a movie in 2010 starring Julia Roberts.

At first glance, that book title sounds poetic. It might even be accurate. But what does it actually tell a potential reader? What problem does it solve for them? What experience will they have? The language is focused entirely on the author’s journey, not the reader’s needs.

Now, obviously the book sold well enough to warrant a movie adaptation—but when Hollywood came calling, they brought with them a red editing pen. The first thing to go was that tagline. The movie replaced it with: “Let Yourself Go.”

It was a genius move. Suddenly, we’re not talking about a book (or a movie) anymore. We’re talking about a feeling, an experience that countless people have faced. Anyone who has felt trapped by routine, stifled by others’ expectations, or hungry for something more will immediately connect with the idea of “letting go” and finding freedom from all the boring, suburban bunk that stifles them.

It’s an incredibly powerful shift in the conversation, and one of the reasons why the movie went on to become Julia Robert’s biggest box office success for a decade, and held its own despite releasing at the same time as The Expendables (which ironically starred Julia’s brother, Eric.)

The movie made over $200 million at the box office, and demonstrated how powerful it can be when you stop talking about yourself, and start talking about your audience.

Understanding Your Reader Avatar

So, you got the first step, talking about your audience instead of talking about yourself. But before you can do that, you actually need to know who your audience is! 

A lot of self-published authors fool themselves by claiming their book is for “everybody” but we all know that’s not true. Books, perhaps more than any other product, succeed when they speak to a very specific niche of readers. The good news is that you don’t need to do a huge amount of market research or analysis before you determine who that audience is. Once again, follow the protocols established by successful advertising firms and agencies. Don’t try to speak to demographics. Instead, identify real people with real struggles and speak directly to them.

What does that mean exactly? Well, ask yourself who you’re writing your book for—and if you say “I’m writing it for myself” then that’s an entirely valid answer. You’re a person, too!

Create a detailed picture of your ideal reader, a single individual. Give them a name. Imagine their life circumstances. What keeps them up at night? What are they searching for? What would make them stop scrolling and pay attention? 

Imagine sitting down opposite them and reading them your book. How would they react? What might you change about the way you’ve written things to make more of an impact with that specific person? When I write my romance novels, for example, I think of the real readers who’ve emailed me with feedback about my books. I imagine telling them the story over a cup of coffee (or a beer) and tailoring my storytelling toward them.

For example, instead of thinking “women aged 35-55,” imagine Nancy, a woman in her late 40s who’s been through motherhood, maybe divorced once or twice, and is now searching for purpose since her identity isn’t solely defined by her role as a wife and mother any longer. She’s asking herself, “Is this all there is?” I’m trying to tell her a story that reveals: “No, there’s still a whole world of adventure and romance out there for you to experience.”

So when you post on social media, write posts targeted directly to Nancy (or whoever your own real or imagined ideal reader is.) Don’t write for “readers” or “book lovers” or “fans of the genre.” Write for that one specific person whose life your book will impact.

In advertising and marketing, these people are called “avatars.” Profiles of them are created by marketing professionals and then shared with copywriters and graphic designers so that they can understand “who” they’re talking to. Use the same technique with your own social media posts and you’ll start to make real connections.

The Four Reasons People Buy Books

I’ve written before about why people actually purchase books. Embracing this understanding will transform your social media strategy. Instead of just posting things for the sake of it, make sure you filter your content by reminding yourself that people only buy books for one (or more) of four primary motivations:

1. A compelling hook – Something about the premise grabs them immediately
2. Problem-solving – The book addresses a specific need or question they have
3. Social proof – Everyone’s reading it, it won the Pulitzer, or Oprah recommended it
4. Relationship with the author – This is the most powerful reason!

Think about Stephen King. The author of 65 novels and novellas and over 200 short stories, he’s become such a household name that he could release a book with a blank cover showing only his name, and millions of readers (myself included) would still buy it. Why? Because we already have a relationship with him. We trust King to deliver a certain reading experience and he’s very rarely let us down.

As a self-published author, building that kind of relationship with potential readers is your most valuable asset. Once someone feels connected to you as a person, they’re exponentially more likely to buy your book, and your next book, and the one after that.

For many self-published authors, this can seem kind of intimidating—or downright impossible. I write under a female penname, for example, so it’s difficult for readers to make a connection with an author who “doesn’t exist.” Yet, fans of my books have still built a relationship with me through my writing, and the more books I publish, the more of them they buy. So, you have to understand that everything you put out there serves to build your presence online as an author.

But if you write and publish under your own name, the impact of this is amplified. Look at wildly successful author Jack Carr, for example. He posts constantly and his followers on Instagram absolutely adore him for it. Whenever he publishes a new book, it flies off the bookshelves.

And obviously part of that is because people want to read the next adventure story he writes, but there’s more to it than that. Many of us buy his books because we want to support Jack, support who he is and what he does, and “buy into” what he represents.

You should focus your social media efforts similarly, so that buying your book becomes less about the book, and more about supporting you as an author. It’s why I often sign off my YouTube videos with: “If you like what I do and want to buy me a pint, consider buying one of my books instead.”

Marketing Without Selling

This approach can change everything. It can make it so the most effective marketing you do doesn’t even feel like marketing at all. The next step from that is to connect with potential readers on shared interests and passions. That way, instead of constantly pushing your book, you can share and connect with readers over the elements that make up your book’s world.

Are you writing about real locations? Make short videos about those places. Share the history, the atmosphere, why you chose them. People who have connections to those locations will engage. People who find them interesting will engage. And suddenly, you’ve created a thread that leads back to your work.

One of my favorite paranormal romance authors is Morgan Brice, for example, and while I might not be the target demographic for her books, I’ve come to love them because many of them feature real life locations and events that I’m interested in. I live in New Jersey and love ghost stories, so of course I’m going to be fascinated by a story of hers set in the mythical Christian Admiral hotel that once stood on the shores of Cape May.

Likewise, I love cowboys, intrigue, and the Old West. That’s why her Sharps & Springfield series captured my imagination. On social media, she frequently talks about being inspired by shows like Supernatural and The Wild, Wild West and because I love those shows too, it means I know I’m going to “get” her stories.

So follow her example and embrace your inspiration! Do your books explore specific themes or include historical nuggets? Talk about those. Share what you learned during your research. Discuss the questions your characters grapple with. Present the dilemmas they face without spoiling how they resolve them.

The key is to stop thinking “I need to post about my book” and start thinking “I need to share the ideas, places, questions, and experiences that my book explores.”

The key to all this is providing value to your readers without expecting anything in return. That way, buying your book becomes something readers can do to reward you for the experience of simply being you.

Leverage Your Natural Creativity

One of the biggest traps authors fall into is creating elaborate marketing plans that drain their energy and executive function. You’ve been told you need to post on TikTok five times daily, create YouTube videos weekly, maintain Instagram aesthetics, run Facebook ads, write blog posts, send newsletters, and more. That sounds like a hell of a lot of work!

More than that, it’s unsustainable, especially for ADHD authors who have limited executive function points to spend each day (cough, cough, I speak from personal experience.)

Stop beating yourself up about it! Instead, focus on what you already do naturally. If you like posting photos with captions, head to Instagram. If you like short, pithy comments, hang out on X. If you love making quick, quirky videos, focus on TikTok. Focus on what you’d do even if you weren’t being pressured to do it. That stops making it feel like work.

And what you can do to amplify what you do naturally is to take that same content and repurpose it across platforms. Your TikTok videos, for example, can also go up as YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and on Facebook. One piece of content can be leveraged across multiple platforms with minimal additional effort. Just a little bit of process and organization can amplify your social media presence exponentially.

Likewise, if you love writing, pour your energy into Substack or your newsletter. If you’re a researcher who gets excited about deep dives, share that research. If you’re naturally chatty and love conversations, start a podcast or do more guest appearances.

The point is to create from your natural strengths, not to force yourself into marketing molds that feel exhausting or inauthentic. Stop trying to do what you don’t want to do and leverage that time, energy, and focus into creating what you love.

The Power of Imperfection

Here’s something counterintuitive I learned the hard way: Your struggles and failures are more valuable for marketing than your successes.

It’s something I learned while talking to my 87-year-old father about his life. He wanted to talk about his successes and achievements, of which there were plenty.

But the stories of his that resonated the most were his failures. The time he failed his exams and spent a year driving to Pakistan instead of starting a job in London. The time he quit his ambition to move to New Zealand and married my mother in Africa instead. His detours and “failures” were more valuable to me as stories because it made me realize that my own screwups and missteps didn’t invalidate my efforts or successes.

Readers don’t connect with perfect people who have all the answers. They connect with real people who’ve been through difficult times, made mistakes, learned from them, and came out the other side with wisdom to share.

If everything in your life had gone according to plan, you wouldn’t have the experiences that make your story worth telling! Again I speak from experience. One of the most incredible experiences of my life was going to India, and that would have never happened if everything in my life had gone according to plan. Your messy journey—the wrong turns, the failures, the times you had to rebuild—that’s what makes you relatable and trustworthy.

So, don’t hide your imperfections. Share them. Talk about the lessons you learned the hard way. Discuss the resources that helped you through difficult times. Be the messed-up friend who’s doing really well now. That way, when people read your posts, it’s like having coffee with someone who reassures them they’re not alone.

Building Routine Around Executive Function

We often joke about authors behind ADHD, but like most jokes, it’s based in reality. I’m not qualified to diagnose you, and I’m not saying you’re ADHD—but if you’re reading this article with 24 other browser tabs open, it’s a possibility. 

And this is important to recognize. I’ve often argued that ADHD isn’t a dysfunction, it’s just a different way your brain is programmed. If you can recognize and account for the way your brain works, you can leverage a “weakness” into a superpower.

For example, for many authors, especially those with ADHD, the challenge isn’t creativity—it’s consistency. Every morning we wake up with a certain number of “executive function points” to spend and we have to manage these to be effective. This is where routine becomes essential, not restrictive.

Look at Steve Jobs, for example, who always wore the same outfit. When he woke up in the morning, he didn’t have to waste executive function points on deciding what to wear for the day. Instead, he preserved them for thinking of ways to solve problems and grow his business. You need to do the same! 

Establishing routines is key. When you get up, what you eat, what you wear… everything. Think of routine as a way to preserve your executive function points for the work that matters most. When you have established systems for the repetitive tasks, you don’t have to spend mental energy figuring them out each time.

Likewise, create a list of your core marketing messages: the themes, questions, and ideas central to your work. Your “elevator pitch” is a great example. Rehearse it by repeating your pitch until it becomes second nature. This way, you don’t need to “think” about how to explain what your book is about every time anybody asks you. This doesn’t mean being robotic; it means having a foundation you can build from without starting from scratch every time.

It’s like my whole philosophy toward helping self-published authors. I have an “elevator pitch” for the value I offer. I believe that anybody has the potential to be a successful self-published author. They just need to learn the craft of writing and follow the process for successful self-publishing. 

But that doesn’t mean routine has to become restrictive. Follow guidelines instead of rules. When you make a video or write a post, for example, work from bullet points rather than scripts. This preserves the natural, authentic feel of creation while still giving you structure to prevent freezing up or rambling.

I’ve written before about how any successful enterprise requires process, leverage, and distribution. This is the process part. Embrace it!

Listen to Your Intuition

Here’s another secret to managing ADHD that many self-published authors are grateful to learn about: It shouldn’t feel like work!

Pay attention to what feels good versus what feels like drudgery. If a marketing tactic makes you think, “Ugh, I have to type all this into my phone,” that’s your intuition telling you it’s not the right approach for you.

Find solutions that make you think, “Yes, that works. I can do that.” If it’s not a “hell yes,” it’s probably not worth your limited energy.

The universe—or your subconscious, or your intuition, whatever framework works for you—often sends signals about what’s right. When everything feels blocked and difficult, maybe you’re forcing the wrong approach. When things flow smoothly, pay attention to what’s working.

Your Glorious Purpose

By the countless blog posts I’ve written referencing them, you should know that I’m a big fan of Marvel movies and I recently quoted The Avengers to a talented self-published author I was working with. 

When Loki arrives to take over the Earth, he warns Nick Fury that he is “burdened with glorious purpose.” As an author, you are burdened with exactly the same thing.

(I mean purpose, not taking over the planet.)

You didn’t write your book just to have written a book. You wrote it because you have something to share like lessons learned, experiences that shaped you, or insights that could help others.

Your marketing should reflect that deeper purpose. Instead of “buy my book,” think “let me share what I’ve learned with people who need to hear it.” Your book is simply one vehicle for that sharing.

So stop trying to just sell your book on social media and start building authentic connections with the people whose lives your work will impact. Share your stories, ask meaningful questions, create content that provides value independent of whether someone buys your book or not.

When you do this consistently and authentically, something remarkable happens. People start to know you, trust you, and feel connected to you. And when that connection exists, they’ll want to support you by reading your work.

As I mentioned above, my most effective marketing tagline is: “If you like what I do and want to buy me a pint, buy a copy of one of my books instead.”

That’s not marketing. That’s building community around shared experiences and values. And that’s something worth doing, whether you sell one book or one million.

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