Days 1–7 · Check readiness
Clarify the reader, review editorial needs, audit the cover and description, and choose one meaningful goal.
Book marketing & author services
Give readers a reason to choose your book.
You have something worth sharing. Bring it to life with stronger writing, distinctive book design and a thoughtful path to the right readers.
Tell us where your book stands. We’ll help identify a suitable next step and scope.
Find your book’s next move
Start with the stage you’re in.
Open your stage for three useful priorities. No email required.
I have an idea or unfinished manuscript
- Define the reader and the promise of the book.
- Build a structure before polishing individual sentences.
- Choose a manageable writing or editorial milestone.
My manuscript is ready to publish
- Check which level of editing the text still needs.
- Align cover, description and genre expectations.
- Prepare and preview the files for each format.
My book is published and needs readers
- Check the cover and description before buying more reach.
- Make it easy for interested readers to stay connected.
- Test one relevant discovery channel and measure buyer behavior.
See the work
From the first sentence to the first impression.
Explore original BMT demonstrations. Each example shows a decision that helps a reader understand, feel or do something.
01 / Writing sample
Make the reader want the next sentence.
An opening needs more than information. A concrete detail and an unanswered question give the reader somewhere to go.
For this coastal-fiction example, we replaced a summary of someone’s feelings with a moment the reader can experience.
Starting draft
Mara returned to the village after a long time away. She felt nervous about her father’s house and everything that had happened.
Developed opening
The orchard gate still caught on the same stone. Mara lifted it with her knee, as her father had taught her, and saw a light burning in the house he had left empty.
02 / Editing comparison
Keep the voice. Find the thread.
Before
I wanted to leave, but I thought about the letter, which was still in my coat, and I had not opened it because I was worried about what it might say, so I stayed.
After
I reached for the door. The unopened letter crackled inside my coat. I let go of the handle.
This line-editing demonstration turns an explained decision into action and sound. A real edit would also consider the surrounding chapter, genre and author’s voice. Compare editing services →
03 / Proofreading comparison
Let the story hold the attention.
Proofreading catches remaining surface errors after the text and layout are settled. It is a different job from reshaping the story.
Before
The authors note was ready, its the final page in the book.
After
The author’s note was ready; it’s the final page in the book.
Possessive apostrophe, sentence punctuation and a contraction corrected. Original demonstration text.
04 / Cover concepts
Different books. Different promises.
A coastal novel invites you in. A thriller creates tension. Practical nonfiction makes a useful promise. Typography, imagery and composition should speak the same language.
Now look at them small.
At thumbnail size, the title, contrast and genre signal still need to work. A print edition also needs a correctly sized full-wrap cover, not simply a larger ebook image.
What professional cover design adds →05 / Retailer presentation example
Turn a premise into an invitation.
A description should help the right reader recognize the book. Start with character, situation and stakes rather than a list of themes.
See the positioning decisions
Reader: people drawn to atmospheric coastal fiction and family secrets. Search language to research: coastal family mystery and homecoming fiction. Confirm the manuscript fit and current retailer categories before choosing metadata. Avoid unrelated terms, competitor names and ranking promises.
Book-description concept
One homecoming.
One light that shouldn’t be on.
Mara expects an empty house. Instead, a letter in her father’s handwriting sends her back through a village that remembers more than it admits. As the tide uncovers an old path, she must decide which family story she is willing to keep.
A reader-facing layout example, not an actual retailer listing.
06 / Trailer storyboard & launch creative
Build curiosity, one beat at a time.
00–03 seconds · The hookThe house was supposed
to be empty.Orchard gate, sea wind, a single light.
to be empty.Orchard gate, sea wind, a single light.
03–07 seconds · The questionHer father’s letter
said otherwise.A letter opens. A path appears at low tide.
said otherwise.A letter opens. A path appears at low tide.
07–10 seconds · The invitationThe Orchard
at Low TideRead the opening chapter.
at Low TideRead the opening chapter.
A short trailer can introduce atmosphere and a reason to look closer. This is a storyboard, with a sound-off message built into every frame. A final production would include agreed footage, audio rights, captions and format-specific exports.
07 / Author website example
A home for the story beyond the store.
Help a visitor discover the book, read a sample and find the appropriate next step. An author website can also provide a place for permission-based reader updates and media enquiries.
Explore a responsive reading-room concept below. The sample opens right here, without submitting personal information.
Explore more BMT website concepts →The Orchard · Reading roomBook / Sample
Some stories wait
for the tide.
A homecoming. A family secret. An orchard by the sea.
Read an opening sample ↓Open the reading sample
The orchard gate still caught on the same stone. Mara lifted it with her knee, as her father had taught her, and saw a light burning in the house he had left empty.
How books find readers
Discovery is a journey,
not a single launch day.
Give each next step a job. Then learn where interested readers continue, pause or leave.
- 01Position
Who is the reader, and what will they feel or learn?
- 02Prepare
Writing, editing, design and files fit the book.
- 03Present
Cover, description, formats and price work together.
- 04Launch
Creative gives people a reason to look closer.
- 05Discover
Choose suitable communities, newsletters, publicity or ads.
- 06Connect
Invite genuine reviews and permission-based reader updates.
- 07Learn
Review visits, purchases and costs, then adjust.
Original BMT framework, informed by reader-journey thinking. Paid reach, publicity, retailer selection and sales are not guaranteed.
A practical 30-day planning example
Give the next month a purpose.
Days 8–14 · Prepare the invitation
Prepare the store-page copy, sample, author page and a small set of launch visuals. Check links and permissions. Planning ads for launch? Start with one focused $99 campaign setup.
Days 15–21 · Reach the right people
Share useful material in permitted communities; consider relevant newsletters, podcasts or BookBub options. Request honest reviews without incentives.
Days 22–30 · Learn and continue
Compare relevant visits, reader actions, sales and costs. Keep what earns genuine interest and improve one weak step.
A planning illustration, not a promised production schedule. The right sequence depends on the book’s readiness and agreed work.
What author marketing research teaches us
Better questions.
More thoughtful choices.
Think like the next reader.
David Gaughran’s Strangers to Superfans centers marketing on the reader journey. A useful question for your cover, description and sample: what does this reader need before taking the next step?
Explore the reader-journey book →Build a way to reconnect.
Written Word Media’s 2026 reader survey highlights email discovery among its audience. It surveyed 3,589 engaged readers, many interested in free or discounted digital books. That audience is useful context, not a representative sample of all readers.
Read the survey and limitations →Test the invitation.
BookBub’s Miquel Reina case describes successive tests of audience targeting and imagery during publisher-backed price promotions. The useful lesson is to isolate a change and learn from it, rather than treat another author’s results as your forecast.
See the attributed external example →Services matched to the book
Choose the help
that moves you forward.
01
Writing & manuscript development
Shape an idea, outline or draft around a clear reader and purpose.
02
Editing & proofreading
Choose structural, sentence-level or final-detail work to fit the manuscript.
04
KDP & retailer presentation
Prepare files, descriptions and the agreed publishing steps. Amazon KDP account and upload access are free.
06
Trailers, launch assets & social
Give a book a distinctive visual introduction across agreed formats.
Bestseller Bundle
From an idea toward a finished book.
$4,999Promotional service price through December 31, 2026. Includes up to 50,000 words of book writing within the agreed scope, editing and proofreading, a professional cover and 3D mockup, ebook/print formatting, KDP assistance, eligible A+ Content, Author Central, biography, a one-page author website and agreed launch assets.
The package name does not promise bestseller status. It does not include unlimited marketing or a three-month publicity campaign. Optional third-party expenses and requested additions are explained before agreement.
Check My Bundle FitA focused next step
Already have the manuscript?
$399Done-with-you KDP publishing assistance. Get help with the agreed publishing tasks for your book, with file readiness, formats and support set out in your written scope. Amazon’s publishing platform is free; this fee is for professional assistance. Writing, editing, cover design and advertising are separate services.
Other creative and marketing work is quoted against an agreed scope. You can ask about one part of the process without buying a full package.
Get My Book PlanWhy Be My Tech
Your ambition.
A clearer path forward.
You should be able to see the thinking before choosing the work.
Explore original examples, discuss the reader you want to reach and choose support for the stage you’re in. We bring writing, book presentation and digital creative into the same conversation, with deliverables and ownership set out in your written scope.
Get My Book PlanQuestions authors ask
Make the next decision
with confidence.
How much does professional book marketing cost?
It depends on the work, the book’s readiness and the audience. A strategy, a cover, a website and an ongoing campaign are different scopes. BMT quotes custom marketing work individually. Advertising spend and third-party expenses are identified separately before agreement.
Can I market a self-published book?
Yes. Start with a clear reader, a suitable cover and description, clean files and a way to follow up with interested readers who opt in. Self-publishing does not make every promotional channel appropriate for every book.
Should marketing begin before publication?
Reader positioning and presentation decisions can start early. Promotion should match readiness: a book still undergoing major revision may need editorial work before a public launch date.
What helps a new author find their first readers?
A clear genre promise, an appealing sample and relevant places to share it are useful starting points. Choose communities that permit participation, use truthful descriptions and invite honest feedback. A large follower count is not a prerequisite.
Is a book trailer worth creating?
A trailer is useful when it gives the right audience a reason to investigate the book and has a real distribution plan. Start with the hook, destination and budget. It will not compensate for an unclear cover or description, and views alone do not establish sales.
Do I need an author website?
A retailer page sells a title within that retailer. An author website can connect a series, samples, media information and permission-based reader updates in a space you control. A simple page may be enough to start.
How should a new author approach Amazon advertising?
Check book readiness and the store page first. Understand royalties, available budget, targeting and how you will assess actual purchases against costs. Use bounded tests. BMT does not promise a profitable ad campaign or require ads before discussing other options.
Can my book grow without a large social following?
There are other routes, including reader newsletters, relevant communities, search, recommendations and appropriate retailer promotions. Their suitability depends on genre, catalogue, offer and available effort. None guarantees growth.
How should editing, design and marketing be prioritized?
Resolve major manuscript problems before final proofreading and file preparation. Develop the reader promise and presentation alongside the book. Make sure the destination is ready before paying to send more people to it.
What makes a book more shareable?
A clear emotional or practical idea, memorable presentation and a useful sample make the book easier to explain. Give readers something specific to discuss. Virality and review counts cannot be promised or bought.
What do you need for a custom quote?
Your genre, book stage, approximate length, publication status, desired help, timing and budget range are useful. Include the current book or author-page link if available. The enquiry starts a scope conversation; it does not purchase a bespoke plan or commit you to a package.
Research and further reading
The following external sources inform the educational discussion. They are not BMT clients, sponsors or endorsements.
- Joanna Penn, How to Market a Book: short-term promotion and a longer-term author platform.
- Jane Friedman, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition: the business context for a sustainable writing career.
- 2026 mid-year author survey: 582 self-selected authors; associations are not causal proof.
- 2025 indie author survey: 1,346 worldwide respondents, skewing toward published, prolific authors.
- BookBub’s Kitty Graham case: a vendor-reported example of retailer-specific promotion, not a BMT performance claim.
- Amazon KDP paperback preparation: separate interior and cover-file requirements.
- BMT’s reader-discovery guide and book-marketing guide.
Let’s talk about your book
Find the strongest
next step.
Tell us where the project stands, what you hope to make possible and which part needs help.
We’ll review your enquiry and discuss an appropriate scope. You don’t need to have every answer before you start.
Get My Book Plan