The Introvert’s Guide to Book Marketing
EPISODE NINETY EIGHT
If the idea of marketing your book makes you want to crawl under your desk (because showing up online, doing videos, or constantly “engaging” just feels exhausting) you’re going to breathe a sigh of relief.
In this episode, I’m pulling back the curtain on how introverted authors can market their books without draining their energy or faking an extroverted persona.
You'll walk away from this episode:
Feeling relieved that there’s nothing wrong with you (just the advice you’ve been given).
Clear on how to build real connections with readers, without showing your face or being “on” all the time.
Empowered to use your strengths as a writer to grow your platform in a way that feels natural.
Equipped with simple, low-pressure strategies that actually work for you.
Confident that yes, you can sell books and stay true to who you are.
This isn’t about learning more. It’s about unlearning what doesn’t work and finally feeling good about how you show up. If you’ve ever whispered, “I hate marketing,” this one’s for you.
Links
Transcript
If you're an author who cringes at the thought of marketing yourself, who feels drained after being "on" on social media, or who genuinely loves writing but hates the self-promotion part - this video is specifically for you.
I'm Jenn Hanson-dePaula, and I'm a marketing expert with over 25 years of experience. And I want to talk to you about something I hear all the time from introverted authors: "I know I need to market my book, but everything about marketing feels exhausting and inauthentic."
Here's what I'm going to share with you today: why most book marketing advice is designed for extroverts and doesn't work for you, the specific strategies that let you market your book without draining your energy, and how you can create compelling content without ever showing your face if that's not comfortable for you.
Because here's the truth: you can absolutely sell books as an introvert. You just need to do it your way, not the way everyone else tells you to do it.
Let me describe what probably happens when you see marketing advice for authors.
Someone tells you that you need to be on TikTok making videos. You need to go live on Instagram. You need to be engaging in comments and DMs constantly. You need to be networking at author events. You need to have this big, outgoing online personality.
And for you, every single one of those things sounds exhausting. Not just uncomfortable - actually energy-draining.
So you either force yourself to do it and end up burned out after a week, or you just... don't do it. And then you feel guilty because you "should" be marketing your book, but you can't bring yourself to show up in the way everyone says you're supposed to.
Here's what you need to understand: there's no one right way to market your book. The strategies that work for some authors might completely drain your energy and feel inauthentic to who you are.
You recharge in quiet. You prefer depth over breadth. You'd rather have one meaningful conversation than ten superficial ones. And the thought of dancing on TikTok or doing daily Instagram Stories makes you want to hide under your desk.
The problem isn't you. The problem is that you're trying to follow marketing strategies that go against your natural energy and personality.
What you need is a marketing approach that works with your energy, not against it - one that actually sells books without requiring you to become someone you're not.
Before I dive into what that looks like, I want to offer you something that'll help. I've created a free Book Marketing Blueprint that shows you a powerful marketing framework that is adaptable and works with your strengths - not against them. You can get your free copy in the notes for this episode.
Okay, so here's the first strategy: use your strength as a writer to market your book through writing.
If you're more comfortable expressing yourself through written words than on video, lean into what you're already good at.
This means things like writing blog or Substack posts that connect to the themes in your book. If you wrote a mystery novel, write about the craft of creating suspense. If you wrote a self-help book about boundaries, write articles about specific boundary challenges people face.
It means building an email newsletter where you can have deeper conversations with your readers at your own pace. Your readers get to know you through your words, not through you being "on" all the time.
It means engaging thoughtfully in online spaces through comments and written posts rather than videos and live streams. You can contribute valuable insights in author groups, on social media, or in online communities - all through writing.
Here's why this works: your readers are reading your book, which means they already connect with you through written words. You don't need to be a performer on camera. You need to be a good writer, which you already are.
One of my clients named Cassie wrote a beautiful literary fiction novel but felt anxious about making videos or going to book events. So we built her entire marketing strategy around writing.
She started a Substack and wrote weekly articles where she shared thoughtful essays about writing, creativity, and the themes in her book. She engaged in online writing communities and wrote guest articles for other literary blogs.
Within six months, she built an email list of over 800 engaged readers. Her book consistently sells and not from videos or events, but from connecting with readers through the thing she does best: writing.
The second strategy is creating social media content without ever having to be on camera. And yes, this is absolutely possible and can be just as effective as video content.
A lot of authors tell me, "I know I need to be on Instagram or TikTok, but I hate being on camera." Here's what you need to know: you don't have to show your face to create compelling content.
There are so many ways to create visual content that doesn't require you to be on camera. Let me walk you through some options.
One easy way to create visual content is using B-roll footage. This means background video that creates atmosphere while you share your message through text overlays or voiceover. This can be video footage that you can personally create, or stock video. If you wrote a cozy mystery, show footage of coffee shops, rainy days, books on shelves - all while sharing quotes from your book or insights about your writing process.
If you want to try using stock video, there are amazing royalty-free options on sites like Pexels, Pixabay, Canva and Unsplash. You can find beautiful footage that matches the mood of your book and use it as the background for your content.
Another good option is creating graphics-based content. Tools like Canva make it easy to create beautiful quote graphics, carousel posts with tips or insights, or text-based videos that don't require you to be on camera at all.
You can also record some videos that just show your hands or your workspace instead of your face. Film yourself writing, flipping through your book, or creating something related to your work. This creates a personal connection without requiring you to be on camera.
And one last option for creating content without having to be on camera is to use simple animations or slideshows with text. Again, Canva has great options for creating videos from animated text graphics with music or recording your own narration using your voice.
Remember: platforms like Instagram and TikTok don't require video of you - they just require engaging visual content.
Here's what's powerful about this: your content can still feel personal and authentic without you being visible. You're sharing your voice, your insights, your book - just not your face.
I worked with an author - I'll call him James - who wrote suspenseful thriller novels but absolutely hated being on camera. We built his entire Instagram presence using atmospheric B-roll footage, dramatic stock videos, and text overlays with quotes from his books and insights about writing suspense.
His content feels moody, engaging, and perfectly aligned with his brand as a thriller writer. His audience continues to grow and he consistently sells books, all without ever showing his face once.
The third strategy is batching your content and marketing activities so you're not constantly in "marketing mode."
One of the biggest energy drains is feeling like you have to be "on" all the time. You post something, then you feel like you need to immediately engage with comments, respond to messages, check your analytics - it's exhausting.
Instead, batch everything. Set aside specific blocks of time to create content, then schedule it out. You might spend two hours one day creating a month's worth of social media posts, then schedule them all using a free tool like Meta Business Suite or Later.
Do the same with email newsletters - write several at once when you're in the writing zone, then schedule them to send out weekly or biweekly.
Set specific times to engage with your audience - maybe 15 minutes in the morning and 15 minutes in the evening - rather than feeling like you need to be constantly available.
This approach lets you control when you're in "marketing mode" versus when you're in "writing mode" or "recharging mode." You're not constantly context-switching between creating and promoting, which is incredibly draining for introverts.
The key is to create systems that work with your energy, not against it.
And the fourth strategy: focus on building deep connections with a smaller audience rather than trying to reach as many people as possible.
You don't need to build a following of 100,000 people. What you need is a small, engaged group of readers who genuinely love your work and tell other people about it.
This means prioritizing quality over quantity. I would rather you have 500 email subscribers who actually read your emails and buy your books than 5,000 social media followers who scroll past your posts.
It’s all about building relationships through one-on-one conversations when you have the energy, rather than trying to engage with hundreds of people superficially. Because you want to focus on meaningful connections rather than trying to be everywhere for everyone, I highly recommend choosing maybe one or two platforms where you know your ideal readers are.
If you've been feeling like marketing isn't for you, here's what I want you to do.
First, grab that free Book Marketing Blueprint I mentioned before. You can get your copy in the notes for this episode.
Second, get my Book Marketing Starter Kit. This walks you through building a complete marketing strategy that aligns with your personality and strengths - not someone else's. It includes guidance on choosing the right platforms for you, creating content that feels authentic, and building an audience in a way that doesn't drain your energy.
It includes examples for fiction, non-fiction, memoir, and children's books, plus templates and frameworks that make the whole process easier.
For just $67, you get a marketing system that works for you and your personality, not against you. You can get your copy in the notes for this episode.
The most important thing to remember is this: you don't need to become someone else to market your book successfully. You just need to market your book in a way that honors your energy and your strengths.
Some of the most successful authors I work with market their books in quiet, sustainable ways. They're not the loudest voices on social media. They're not doing viral TikTok dances. They're not exhausting themselves trying to be someone they're not.
They're building sustainable marketing strategies that work with their natural energy and personality. And they're selling books consistently because their marketing feels authentic and manageable.
You don't need to change who you are to market your book. You just need to do it your way.
Stop trying to follow marketing advice that drains your energy. Start building a strategy that actually works for you.
I'll see you next week.