In our new “State of the Industry” blog series, we’re breaking down how the pandemic has transformed the publishing industry. By understanding how the industry has rapidly transformed in 2020 and 2021, writers and authors will be better prepared to navigate the new state of the industry in 2022.
Last month, we explored how the pandemic changed the way people buy books.
Now it’s time for the final question: How should authors be promoting their books in 2022? What does author promotion in 2022 look like?
Answer: Here are some savvy promotional steps you can take to take your promote your book and author brand in 2022:
1). Pay closer attention than ever to the news: locally, nationally, and internationally.
Regardless of where you get your news or what you think of the media, it has never been more important to be as informed as possible on current events. The events of 2020, and how they were reported–particularly pandemic news, the Black Lives Matter movement, and political / election events–heavily influenced both the type of books that publishers acquired, book sales, and the types of books publishers and booksellers will invest in in the future. Stay ahead of the curve, don’t race to catch up.
2). Let’s talk about what genre trends we’ll see.
Genre trends that will continue:
- Children’s education, as people continue to homeschool, or make decisions about homeschooling
- Race/diversity/antiracism: Nonfiction on antiracism will continue to sell well, if not AS strongly as in 2020. Fiction in all genres with themes of race, antiracism, diverse characters, representation, and justice will continue to grow.
- Commercial YA: This genre juggernaut is only going to keep getting bigger.
Genre trends that will emerge (predictions):
- How-to books on rethinking life and work post-pandemic: All over the world, people are rethinking their lives now that they have been severed from a sense of “normalcy.” The market is ripe for nonfiction that directly addresses how to create fulfilling, purposeful, previously-inconceivable ways of living in a mid-/post-pandemic world.
- Domestic how-tos on working from home: A work-from-home model is here to stay for many industries, and work life balancing is changing and will continue to change as a result.
- “Pandemic fiction” (or allegories for pandemic): Once pandemic-weariness has become a more distant memories, in a few years we predict we’ll see a spike in pandemic fiction, which can include everything from romance novels about love blossoming between partners in isolation/quarantine to dramas and thrillers with isolationist themes.
- Factional/political/polarization/radicalization dystopia: The world is still too tired and burnt out from living in an actual dystopia, so dystopian lit won’t make a huge resurgence straight away–but the social polarization that has occured won’t go unnoticed by publishers (or savvy authors).
- Sweet, fluffy, escapist, ANTIi-dystopian lit: Get ready for a FLUX of feel good escapist fiction. We’re all tired of talking about how terrible life is–so let’s not.
- Horror (especially YA horror): Good, intelligent horror is going through a renaissance in film and TV, and the literary world will have some catching up to do to meet demand
3). Seek to connect with readers as directly as possible. One way to do this is through targeted ads and outreach to boost your online exposure.
Online book sales are still dominating the market; remember that this means that most visible titles (celebrity names / endorsements, great SEO, big ad spend) will get seen. Think strategically about making your book stand out online
4). Get on TikTok if you’re a YA or romance author.
TikTok is one of the most powerful sales tools YA and romance authors can use. Other genres–but not all–may also find an audience on TikTok, but keep in mind that their primary book-buying base leans heavily towards romance and young adult fiction. (True crime, real-life mysteries, historial dress, how-tos, “lifehacks” and supernatural content can also find audiences on TikTok). Spend time on TikTok and become familiar with the app before using it to promote your author brand. Do not use it just to sell your books–commit to creating consistent, engaging, creative, and (most of all) authentic content that will help readers connect with you–a person, not a sales pitch.
5). Consider releasing audio media if you haven’t already done so.
Audio is booming. If you haven’t released an audiobook yet (available on Amazon/Audible, etc), do it. It’s also a great time to explore audio-only literature.
6). Be a visible champion to bookstores.
Supporting local bookstores was important before, and it’s super important now. Boost local stores on social media. Raise money and awareness for indie stores. Talk to your local store about their needs and how you can be a good partner to them. Not only will you be improving your community, any benefit you provide to local booksellers will be received with gratitude and goodwill, and could lead to future opportunities.
7). Understand that publishers and booksellers are examining how to reinvent the wheel right now. You can be a part of that reinvention.
Traditional publishing and book marketing methods aren’t working like they used to. There’s never been a better time for creative solutions, fresh approaches to writing and marketing, and experimentation. We’ll end this blog series on a New York Times quote from April 2021, which still holds true today:
“As fear for their industry turned to a stunned optimism last year, publishers started to rethink almost everything they had once taken for granted, from how to cultivate new literary talent to the ways that they market and sell books. Live literary events like book signings and author appearances have been replaced, as with so many things, by Zoom. BookExpo, the largest gathering of publishing professionals in the United States, which typically took place in May and drew thousands of booksellers, publishers, editors, agents, authors and librarians to the Javits Center in New York, has been canceled. The convention center is now being used as a mass vaccination site.
‘One of the most significant things that’s going to change is the re-evaluation of all that we do and how we do it,’ said Don Weisberg, the chief executive of Macmillan.”
Chelsea is a copywriter, editor, publicist, and content creator at Books Forward, an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers. Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.
