How to Promote Your Book Through Networking and Sharing

Author: Christabell Ndive

Publishing a book is a significant achievement – congratulations!

This is however just a milestone on the wider author journey, and the next chapter starts here, with promoting your book. It’s as vital to the publication process as anything else. 

It’s widely acknowledged that many authors shy away from self-promotion, preferring to focus on their research. But now isn’t the time for modesty! For your work to make a real difference, it needs to reach the widest possible audience. As the author and creator of your work, you are key to ensuring this happens. That’s why at Springer Nature we work together with our authors to help them spread the word.  

The publisher’s role

Of course, as a publisher Springer Nature plays a key role in sharing the news about your book too. We recognise that your work is important and needs to reach the right people, so we have our own marketing and promotional strategies to disseminate your findings.

When your book is published, it gets a promotional homepage with advice for you on what you can do to promote it. In the meantime, our in-house sales and marketing teams work on a variety of strategies for disseminating your book across the research community and beyond. For a brief overview of what we do to help promote your book, take a look at this introductory video:

“The publisher is a vital part of the book. So finding a versatile publisher like Springer is real luck for beginners.” 

-Dr S M Arafat, editor of Current Perspectives on Substance Use Disorders in South Asia 

The author’s role – get involved!

Promoting your book is a collaboration between author and publisher, so embrace the promotional opportunities presented along the way by your publisher. They will guide you so it’s not as daunting as it might seem.

As the author you clearly know your work better than anyone else and are the best advocate for your book. You’re best placed to leverage your professional networks and communities, and your voice will have the greatest impact out there in your field. So there’s a lot you can do which will build on the publisher’s efforts and attract an even wider readership.

“The different components came together nicely – making the latest knowledge available to physicians at the sharp end of the spear, gifting books to boost morale and showing support in person. We also gave several Ukrainian media interviews with the hospital director, holding up copies of the book for reporters to see.” 

-Dr Alex Valadka, editor of Traumatic Brain Injury, says sharing copies of his book with neurosurgery colleagues in Dnipro, eastern Ukraine, worked well.  

Getting your book out there - practical hints and tips

It’s true that promoting your book requires you to draw on a whole new set of skills, which can be challenging. So to help you get started, here’s some practical advice on networking and sharing to set you on the right path:

• Leverage social media, such as Facebook and LinkedIn;
• Utilise academic forums like ResearchGate; 
• Attend conferences; 
• Hold a book launch, perhaps at a conference in a relevant field;
• Write blog posts and articles highlighting the theme of your book or focusing on specific chapters;
• Create podcasts and webinars around your book’s content;
• Email your network with details of your book;
• Create an Amazon author page to showcase your work and biography;
• Seek reviews from amongst your peers and colleagues, and from journal editors in the field.

The sheer number of options might seem overwhelming, so it’s a good idea to focus on what suits you and your book best.

“I share them on social media like Facebook, X and ResearchGate, and amongst my research network through WhatsApp and Messenger. I propose symposia related to the book contents and promote the book details there, and coordinate the writing and publication of reviews with journal editors and my professional network. I also organise a book launch, inviting local and regional experts, and ensure a press release is published in the local media.”  

-Dr S M Yasir Arafat, promotes his books in a variety of ways.

Author-to-author advice

And don’t forget, there’s no better advice than your peers’ own experiences. You can get some great ideas for your own book by hearing what other people have done.

“I did a whole series of blog posts on different chapters from an edited book. I highlighted how the chapters could be used for readings in classes and for classroom discussion. I pushed these posts out on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn - I got some great responses and it’s a great way to get the word out about the depth of content of the book.” 

-Robert Brinkmann, author of Practical Sustainability, says time is a challenge but he uses his blog and social media a great deal.

And don’t hold back from using your contacts. Lori Poloni-Staudinger, editor of the Palgrave Handbook of Fashion and Politics sees this as a core element to promoting her book.

“Using networks works well. My position as dean of a large college at a large R1 affords exposure and resources.”

Check your book’s progress

Armed with this advice, you can forge a plan that suits your own book. As you work on promoting it, you can track the progress of its performance on Springer Nature Link. You’ll be able to see how many people are using and citing it as a result of your efforts.

Springer Nature are here to help

Remember, publishing and promoting your book is a collaborative process between author and publisher. Together we can ensure your research reaches the widest possible audience and makes the greatest impact. 

These are just some of the ways you can promote your book. There’s so much more that you can do too, so visit our hub for book authors for further resources and advice.