Getting started and staying on top of your book marketing as a self-publisher can be overwhelming, to say the least.
As a self-publisher, you might have just spent the last full year or more actually writing your book—and now you have to embark on marketing it to its target audience wherever they are around the world?
Oh boy.
Fortunately, in 2020, there are more book marketing tools and software than ever to help you successfully market your book and ensure it’s discovered, reviewed, recommended, and bought by its target audience.
To make things easier on you, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 top book marketing tools and software that we could find online. We also decided to provide a short description of what each tool offers and does best, as well as whether or not they provide free or paid pricing plans (and of course, the exact cost of those paid plans, if they do offer them).
Without any further ado, let’s dive in!
1. Storiad
Storiad is the #1 book marketing platform for self-publishers. Their one-of-a-kind platform includes more than six powerful features that allow you to easily organize your books in digital form (which you can pull from Amazon in one click), create and share unique digital media kits for each of your books, plan your own book marketing campaign with their Marketing Plan Wizard, access a book publicity contact database with over 33,000 emails for book publicists and reviewers, use a messaging feature to directly reach out to saved contact lists from the book publicity contact database, host live video events to help promote your book to your target audience, manage your digital book marketing campaign’s budget and finances (including calculators for estimating your book’s total worth and profit from book royalties).
In addition to all of Storiad’s core features, they also provide a social networking component that allows you to connect with other authors, an entire LMS (learning management system) that teaches you the basics of book marketing, and 24/7 customer support from their team.
Prices: Forever Free, $35/mo (with a 7-day free trial)
2. Bublish
Bublish is a publishing platform with built-in marketing, branding, and discoverability features. Bublish is most widely known for its “Book Bubbles”, which allow authors to create and share a digital, interactive bubble that features an excerpt of your book, a small author bio, links to purchase your book, and social sharing buttons. In addition to Book Bubbles, Bublish offers an eBook Creator that allows you to write your book online, as well as their own book consulting services for both authors and businesses looking to publish books.
Prices: Free Plan, $9.99/mo (or $99/year)
3. BookBuzzr
BookBuzzr is a suite of book marketing tools for self-publishers, based in India. Their suite offers self-publishers their own authors and book websites, a custom email signature, an Amazon Sales Rank Alert tool, and several widgets for sharing your book on other websites and social.
Prices: $10/mo, $30/mo, $60/mo (with a 14-day free trial)
4. PublishWide
PublishWide is a book sales and expense report software for self-publishers. Their software allows you to view your daily book sales and ad expenses across multiple marketplaces, all in one dashboard. By giving authors a clearer view of book performance data, they allow them to understand book profitability and waste less time, money, and effort while boosting book sales.
Prices: PublishWide is current in Beta (testing mode)
5. KDROI
KDROI is the “ultimate Kindle book promotion tool”. Their tool allows authors to create, schedule, and submit a Kindle book promotion to over 32 websites at once—without ever leaving Amazon.
Prices: $97/lifetime
6. PublishDrive
PublishDrive is the self-publishing platform for indie success. Their platform allows self-publishers to convert their manuscript into an eBook, distribute to online stories and global digital libraries, boost sales with promotions, view real-time analytics, and easily split royalties between co-authors.
Prices: Free, $2.99/title/mo, $99/mo (and more)
7. PublisherRocket
PublisherRocket is a self-publishing software that helps authors find Kindle keywords. Their software gives you real data behind what Amazon book buyers are typing into Amazon search, as well as which unique and niche book categories you can list your book in to help you boost sales.
Prices: $97/lifetime (includes 30-day money-back guarantee)
8. BookBaby
BookBaby is an online self-publishing, book printing, and distribution service. Their services include professional editing, design services, book printing, print on demand, eBook conversion, eBook distribution, book marketing, and more.
Prices: BookBaby uses a unique quoting tool to calculate pricing
9. Lulu
Lulu is an online self-publishing book and eBook company. They enable authors to create and print their books, sell those books directly through Lulu’s store (or Shopify), and also offer expansive marketing services (author website setup, publicity, promotions, digital marketing, and more).
Prices: Call Lulu and discuss with one of their services consultants for pricing info
10. Reedsy
Reedsy is an online marketplace for finding the perfect editor, designer, or marketer for your book. Using Reedsy, you can browse freelancer profiles for your needs, request quotes, compare offers, and then collaborate online with whoever you ultimately choose to work with.
Prices: Free to use (pricing is decided upon working with freelancers)
What’s Your Go-To Book Marketing Tool?
Book marketing tools for self-publishers come with all different features and prices. The best tools are able to combine and provide several powerful features on one platform, with transparent and affordable pricing for authors.
Of course, there’s a good chance there are more book marketing tools out there than included on this list (and new ones coming about each and every day as technology continues to be introduced to the publishing world).
Have a book marketing tool you love that isn’t mentioned in this list? Feel free to comment below and tell us what you’re using and why you love it!