How to Write a Book Marketing Plan (With an Example)

Without a plan, marketing turns into a list of things you feel you should be doing. A written plan makes you choose: one reader, a few goals, a budget you can afford and the channels that suit you, so you spend your time where it counts. This guide walks through the eight parts of a plan, shows a complete example and ends with how to keep it up to date. If you’d rather hand some of it off, our book marketing packages cover a website, profiles and a launch, priced piece by piece.

What a book marketing plan is (and isn’t)

A book marketing plan is your decisions, written down: who the book is for, how you’ll reach them, with what time and money, and how you’ll know it’s working. It’s for you, so it can be short and plain.

It isn’t a list of every marketing idea you’ve heard of, and it isn’t a promise of sales. A good plan leaves many ideas out on purpose, so you can do a few things well and see what works.

The 8 parts of a book marketing plan

Write each part in a few lines. If a part takes more than half a page, it’s probably trying to do too much.

1. The book and how you’ll describe it

The title, genre, formats, release date and price. Add a one-line pitch and two or three comparable books or authors your readers already like. You’ll use the pitch and the comparisons everywhere, from your book description to the emails you send other authors.

2. Your reader

Describe one main reader in a sentence or two: who they are, what else they read and where they spend time. “Readers of cozy mysteries who read on Kindle and swap recommendations in online reader groups” is a plan you can act on. “Everyone who likes a good story” isn’t.

3. Goals you can control

Set three to five goals, each with a number and a date. Choose goals that depend on what you do, such as “send early copies to 40 readers in my genre by six weeks before launch” or “grow my newsletter to 300 subscribers by launch day.” Sales and rankings depend on readers, so track them, but don’t make them the plan’s only goals.

4. Budget: time and money

Write down how many hours a week you can give marketing, and how much money you can spend without needing it back. Then split the money between the essentials you haven’t paid for yet (for example, a website or a service that delivers early copies to readers) and optional promotion. Leave a small amount unspent, so you can repeat whatever works.

5. Channels

Pick two or three channels and say why each one fits your reader. Include at least one you own, such as a newsletter, and one you borrow, such as a reader community, social media or other authors’ newsletters (see owned and borrowed reach). Paid channels, such as a deals newsletter or ads, are optional. For more options at each stage, see these book marketing strategies. The channel picker below suggests a starting mix.

6. Timeline

Split the work into three phases: before launch, launch week, and after launch. Put the big tasks and their dates in the plan; for the week-by-week tasks around release, use our 8-week book launch checklist.

7. How you’ll measure it

Choose a few numbers you can actually see: newsletter subscribers, early copies sent and reviews posted, sales by store from your publishing dashboards, and clicks on any ads. Write down where each number comes from and when you’ll check it.

8. Review dates

Set a date each month to compare your numbers with your goals. Keep what’s working, drop what isn’t, and note the change in the plan. Reviewing monthly turns the plan into a working document rather than a one-time exercise.

Channel picker

Example: a book marketing plan for a debut cozy mystery

Here’s a complete plan for an invented author, Maya, launching the first book in a cozy mystery series. It fits on one page.

A few notes on Maya’s choices:

• Her goals are things she can do. She can’t decide how many people buy the book, but she can decide how many early copies she sends and how many authors she asks about swaps.
• She saves paid promotion for later. BookBub’s editors weigh reviews when they choose deals. A series also gives deal readers a second book to buy; see what BookBub requires.
• Her early readers come first. Inviting every early reader to leave an honest review, if they want to, fits Amazon’s rules, as long as the review isn’t a condition of the free copy and friends and family don’t post one; see how to get book reviews.

Example: a non-fiction plan

Non-fiction plans look different, because the reader comes with a problem and the author usually has a field to draw on. Here’s a shorter plan for another invented author, Daniel, a physical therapist writing about back pain for desk workers.

What a monthly review looks like

At each review date, write a few lines like these under the plan:

How to adapt the plan

• Non-fiction: your reader is defined by a problem, not a genre. Lean on your work and field: talks, podcasts, your clients and a newsletter on your subject.
• Children’s books: the buyer is a parent, teacher or librarian, not the child who reads it. Add schools, libraries and local events; see marketing a children’s book.
• A series: plan for the series, not one book. A first book on a deal can lead readers to the rest.
• A book that’s already out: skip the pre-launch phase. Start with your book page, reviews and one channel, then add a promotion.

Common planning mistakes

• Too many channels. Five half-used channels can reach fewer readers than two you keep up.
• Goals you can’t control. “Become a bestseller” isn’t a plan; “send 40 early copies by six weeks before launch” is.
• No reader. Every other part of the plan depends on knowing who it’s for.
• Spending before the basics. Ads and promotions send readers to your book page, so the page, description and reviews need to be ready first.
• Never looking at it again. A plan you don’t review is a wish list.

When to get help

If you’d rather focus on writing, we build the pieces of your plan in your name. Book marketing packages are $1,197 (Starter), $2,897 (Growth) and $4,245 (Authority), and every piece costs the same alone or in a package, from $199 for a press release. Our 8-week launch plan ($749) dates every task back from your launch day and includes early copies listed with a reader platform, pre-orders, newsletter swaps and 4 strategy calls. Ads optional, in your name: if you run ads, you pay each platform directly. We never promise sales, reviews or rankings.

Book marketing plan questions

How long should a book marketing plan be?

One or two pages is usually enough for a first book. A plan you’ll read every month is more useful than a long document you write once. If yours runs longer, cut ideas you aren’t going to do this year.

When should you write your marketing plan?

Before you set your launch date, and ideally while you’re editing the book. The plan decides how much time you need before launch, for example to build a newsletter or send early copies. You can still write one for a book that’s already out.

How much should you budget for book marketing?

There’s no right amount. Start with what you can spend without needing it back, cover the essentials you don’t have yet, then test one paid promotion and repeat it only if it pays for itself. You can start with time rather than money: a newsletter, early readers and other authors in your genre cost little.

Do you need a plan for a book that’s already published?

Yes, and it can be simpler. Skip the pre-launch phase, check your book page and reviews, pick one channel, and plan a promotion or a relaunch. Your next book is also a reason to plan again for the books already out.

Related reading

• What is an author platform? (and how to build one)
• How to launch a book: an 8-week book launch checklist
• What is BookBub, and is it worth it for authors?