The French book market exceeds 4.3 billion euros. Contrary to popular belief, young people are still reading. However, their reading habits are evolving fast. Self-publishing, digital formats, and communities on TikTok or Instagram are reshaping the industry at a rapid pace.
In this context, promoting a book requires more immersive approaches.
The goal of a book promotion campaign is to spark interaction well before the release, maintain interest through the launch, and extend visibility afterward. Playful campaigns, participatory formats, and community-driven storytelling all offer powerful ways to stand out and captivate readers.
Here are some concrete ideas to effectively promote a book through engaging and interactive strategies.
Promoting a book: the marketing challenges of the cultural sector
The book industry is evolving, and marketing campaigns must adapt to readers’ new habits. Today, promoting a book means becoming visible well before its release and building a direct relationship with future readers.
Moreover, the author’s visibility has become a key driver, especially for debut works or self-published authors. Growing a community of engaged readers—through newsletters or social media—helps sustain book sales over time.
TikTok and YouTube are now essential. The #Booktok phenomenon has a major impact on young audiences: 47 % of readers aged 15 to 24 have discovered a book thanks to social media.
The genres most affected by this need for interactivity include young adult fiction, children’s literature, comics and manga, as well as self-help books. They all share a highly connected audience, eager for novelty, interaction (with authors and fellow readers), and immersive content.
To capture their attention, both publishers and authors need to launch creative, interactive campaigns designed to foster engagement.
4 strategies to effectively promote your book
Promoting a book is no longer limited to its release in bookstores. Today, in an increasingly saturated market, it’s essential to build anticipation, craft a strong universe and engage readers from the writing stage. Interactive and innovative strategies now make it possible to expand visibility and strengthen readers’ connection to a work or an author.
1. Using gamification to promote a book
Marketing games provide a playful entry point into a book’s universe. For instance, a themed Quiz or personality test can capture attention and offer a first immersive experience with the story or its characters. Instant Win contests, offering an immediate and appealing reward (such as a free book or a meeting with the author), boost engagement and encourage sharing.
For example, Flammarion used an Open Quiz to gather reading preferences from its audience, offering personalized recommendations in return.
Additionally, the publisher launched a Memory game featuring book covers to showcase the variety of its catalog and give away books. This approach generated more interactions and enriched their database, allowing for better-targeted campaigns.
2. A multichannel promotion to raise awareness of your book
To maximize reach, marketing campaigns can leverage multiple channels: social media, the author’s or publisher’s website, newsletters, and physical bookstores. Each touchpoint reinforces the book’s visibility and encourages discovery.
An effective strategy also includes post-campaign engagement. Following up with readers a few weeks after purchase can help to:
- gather immediate feedback,
- send cross-recommendations,
-
tease the next installment or a new release.
Additionally, author Christelle Dabos, known for La Passe-Miroir, maintains a strong connection with her community on Instagram. She shares her writing process, responds to readers, and communicates about her news. This ongoing work on social media directly benefits Gallimard Jeunesse, which can leverage this loyal community during book launches. A consistent presence across all channels helps extend the impact of a literary promotion campaign and sustain book sales over time.
Turning a book launch into an event
Creating an event around a book launch strengthens the marketing impact of a promotion campaign. Literary fairs, book signings, in-store or festival appearances are all opportunities to connect with readers and the media.
Authors like Marie Vareille and Amélie Nothomb cultivate this closeness, maintaining a strong presence at literary events, in the media, and on social media. Both leverage their communities to amplify each release.
Our tips for a successful event-based strategy in the cultural sector:
- First, focus on both local and national events to reach a wider audience and build genuine proximity with readers;
- Next, involve booksellers or libraries ahead of an event or release to give the book additional visibility
Co-creation to promote your book
Involving readers from the writing stage significantly strengthens their engagement. Some authors invite their community to choose a title, vote on a cover, or suggest a character’s name, often through interactive polls. Author Carène Ponte, for example, regularly shares behind-the-scenes insights into her novels and seeks feedback from her readers on Instagram, creating a genuine connection.
This co-creation approach helps build a loyal, invested audience ready to promote the book’s release. It is also an effective way to test ideas and inform a broader book promotion strategy.
Frequently asked questions about book promotion
How can you promote a self-published book?
Building an online presence is essential for successfully promoting a self-published book: author website, social media, and newsletter. Focusing on reader communities, such as Bookstagram or BookTok, helps generate organic recommendations. Interactive campaigns, like quizzes and contests, also make it easier to collect contacts and can help boost sales.
What are some originals ideas to promote a novel?
Creating a personality quiz based on the characters, organizing a contest with signed books as prizes, or launching a mini-series showing behind-the-scenes of the writing process are interactive formats that engage novel readers. Co-creation, such as choosing a cover or a hero’s name, also helps build reader loyalty from the writing stage.
How can you use contests to sell a book?
Marketing games (spin the wheel, raffles, memory games, etc.) easily capture readers’ attention. They drive traffic to a website or product page from social media, while also collecting valuable data to better segment audiences and boost conversions.
What marketing strategy should you use for a book launch?
To promote a new book, it is effective to combine events, social media campaigns, newsletters, and interactive actions in-store or online. Creating a story around the book—author storytelling, immersion in the book’s universe, or behind-the-scenes of the creative process—helps engage readers and build a lasting relationship with the audience.
Energizing a book launch involves interactive strategies that build connections with readers and strengthen long-term engagement. By focusing on playful and personalized campaigns, you can better capture your audience’s attention. Explore SocialShaker’s interactive tools to create custom campaigns, foster community loyalty, and promote your books across all channels.
