Why Your Book Isn't Selling and How to Fix It

EPISODE NINETY NINE

You're posting consistently, showing up on social media, doing "all the things"... but your book still isn't selling. Here's why: you're missing the marketing foundation that every successful author has. In this video, I'm breaking down the 3 essential pieces you need BEFORE you post another thing, and showing you exactly how to build them so your marketing actually converts to book sales.

Links

Book Marketing Blueprint FREE download

NEW RESOURCE: The 90-Day Book Sales System

Transcript

If you're posting on social media, showing up consistently, and still not seeing book sales, here's the honest to goodness truth: You’re not actually bad at marketing. Your book isn't the problem. So what is wrong? You don’t have your marketing foundation set up correctly.

I'm Jenn Hanson-dePaula, and I've been helping authors market their books for nearly 20 years. And what I'm about to share with you is going to shift how you think about book marketing completely.

Because if you've been wondering why your book isn't selling even though you're doing "all the things," this video is going to show you exactly what's missing.

And if you want to get a jumpstart, be sure to download my free Book Marketing Blueprint. It will show you exactly what is missing in your marketing and how you can easily fix it. 

Let me paint a picture. You've published a great book. You're proud of it. You've gotten great feedback from the people who've read it. You know it's valuable.

And you're doing what you've been told to do. You're posting on social media. You're trying the trending posts. You're engaging in comments. You're doing all the things the experts say you're supposed to do.

But the sales aren't coming.

Maybe you get a sale here and there. Maybe a friend buys a copy. Maybe you sold a few during your launch and then... nothing.

And you're starting to wonder: Is my book not good enough? Am I missing something? Why is everyone else's book selling and mine isn't?

Here's what I want you to know: Your book is good. The problem isn't the quality of your writing. The problem is that you're trying to build a house without laying the foundation first.

And that's exactly what we're going to fix today.

Here's something that nobody talks about: The reason your book isn't selling has nothing to do with how often you're posting. It has everything to do with WHAT you're posting and WHO you're talking to.

Most authors skip the foundation work and jump straight into posting. They think, "I just need to be on Instagram" or "I just need to post more consistently" and the sales will come.

But that's like trying to build a house by starting with the roof. It doesn't work.

Before you can create content that connects, before you can grow an audience that actually buys your book, you need three things in place:

First, you need to know exactly WHO you're talking to. Not "people who like books." Not "readers in your genre." I mean you need to get so specific about your ideal reader that you can picture them sitting across from you at a coffee shop.

Second, you need a magnetic message. Not just "I wrote a book about XYZ." You need clear message pillars that run through everything you post so people immediately understand what your book is about and why they should care.

And third, you need a strategic visibility plan. Not "just be on social media." You need to know where your readers actually are, both online AND offline, and show up there intentionally.

These three things are your foundation. And when you skip them, you end up spinning your wheels, posting content that doesn't land, talking to an audience that isn't actually your ideal reader, and wondering why nobody's buying.

But when you get these three things right? That’s when you see the changes you’re looking for.

Let me show you exactly what I mean.

I want to tell you about an author I worked with, I'll call her Sarah. Sarah was very frustrated. She'd been posting on Instagram for six months. Daily. She was trying all the trending Reels. She was showing up in Stories. She was engaging with other accounts.

But her book sales? Maybe one or two per month. On a good month.

She said to me, "Jenn, I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I'm posting every single day. I'm doing everything people tell me to do. Why isn't my book selling?"

So I asked her a simple question: "Who is your ideal reader?"

She said, "Well, anyone who likes contemporary women's fiction."

And I said, "That's not specific enough. Tell me about one specific person who would love your book."

She couldn't answer. Because she'd never done that foundational work.

So that's where we started - we dug into the foundation work.

First, we got crystal clear on her ONE ideal reader. Not a demographic. Not "women 25-45." We created a real person. Her name was Emily. She's 38, works in marketing, loves stories about women finding themselves after life transitions, watches Virgin River, reads Emily Henry, and discovers new books on Instagram and through book club recommendations.

With all of that clarity, Sarah knew exactly who she was talking to. She could picture Emily. She knew what Emily struggled with, what she wanted, what would make her stop scrolling to read her posts.

Next, we developed Sarah's message pillars. Three core themes that ran through her book: second chances, the courage to start over, and the power of female friendship.

Every single post Sarah created from that point forward tied back to one of those three themes. Her content stopped feeling random and started feeling intentional.

And then we figured out Sarah's strategic visibility plan. We looked at where Emily—her ideal reader—actually spent time. Yes, Instagram was one place. But also? Book clubs. Indie bookstores. Podcasts about women's fiction.

So instead of spending all her time creating daily Instagram content, Sarah started reaching out to local book clubs, pitching herself to podcasts, and building relationships with indie bookstore owners in her area.

Here's what happened in the next 90 days:

Sarah's Instagram followers actually grew slower than before, but the people who followed her were the RIGHT people. They were engaged. They asked questions. They actually cared about her book.

She got into 8 book clubs through intentional outreach.

She was a guest on 4 podcasts.

She did 2 events at local bookstores.

Her email list went from basically zero to over 100 subscribers - all ideal readers.

And her book sales? They went from sporadic to consistent. She was selling 25-30 books per month, every month.

But here's the most important part: Sarah wasn't working harder. She was working smarter. She had a foundation. She knew who she was talking to. She had a clear message. And she was strategically visible in the places where her readers actually were.

That's what the foundation does.

So let's break down these three foundation pieces so you can start applying them to your own book marketing.

Foundation Piece #1: Crystal-Clear Ideal Reader

You cannot create content that connects if you don't know exactly who you're talking to.

And I don't mean a vague demographic. I mean a real person.

Here's the difference:

Generic ideal reader: "Women who like romance novels"

Specific ideal reader: "Women in their early 30s who love slow-burn second-chance romance with small-town settings, authentic emotional stakes, and heroines who don't need saving. They read Lucy Score and watch Virgin River. They discover books on BookTok and through book club recommendations."

See the difference? With the specific ideal reader, you know exactly what to post. You know what resonates. You know where to show up.

With the generic one, you're guessing. And guessing doesn't sell books.

When you get this specific, something magical happens: Your content becomes a magnet for the right people. You're speaking directly to the people who will actually love your book.

Foundation Piece #2: Your Magnetic Message

Your message is what makes people stop scrolling and think, "This is for me."

Most authors make their message about themselves: "I'm an author and I wrote a book about XXZ."

But your message needs to be about your reader and what they'll get from your book.

For fiction, your message should communicate the emotional experience your book provides. Not "I wrote a romance novel." Instead: "I write second-chance romance for readers who want hope, healing, and the kind of love that feels earned."

For nonfiction, your message should communicate the transformation you provide. Not "I wrote a productivity book." Instead: "I help overwhelmed working moms reclaim 10 hours a week without sacrificing the things that matter most."

See how those messages immediately tell the reader what's in it for them?

This is what makes you memorable. This is what makes you different from every other author in your genre. And this is what runs through everything you post.

Foundation Piece #3: Strategic Visibility

Here's where most authors get it wrong: They think visibility means "be on every social media platform."

But visibility isn't about being everywhere. It's about being strategic.

Strategic visibility means showing up where your readers actually are - both online AND offline.

Maybe your readers are on Instagram. Great. But are they also in book clubs? Do they listen to podcasts? Do they go to library events? Do they shop at indie bookstores?

The most successful authors I work with don't just build visibility on social media. They build visibility where their readers will actually show up. 

And here's what's powerful about this: When you're showing up strategically instead of scrambling to be everywhere, your marketing becomes sustainable. You're not burning yourself out trying to post on five platforms every day. You're focused on the places where your effort actually converts to book sales. 

If you’re thinking, “Jenn, that’s great but I don’t know where my readers are online.” Start with where YOU enjoy showing up. If you enjoy a particular outlet the greater chance is that you will be consistent in actually showing up and participating.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking.

"Jenn, I don't have time to figure all this out. I just need to start selling books now."

I hear you. But here's what I want you to know: You're spending time right now posting content that isn't working. You're putting in effort every single day and not seeing results.

What I'm suggesting is that you invest a few hours upfront to build your foundation - and then every post you create, every piece of content you make, actually works. You'll spend less time on marketing and see better results because you'll be working from a solid foundation instead of guessing.

The other thing I hear is: "But other authors just post and it works for them!"

Here's what you need to know: You're seeing their highlight reel. You're seeing them now, after they've built their foundation. Most successful authors spent time getting clear on their ideal reader and their message, you just didn't see that part. You're seeing the result, not the work that came before.

Don't compare your beginning to someone else's middle.

So here's what I want you to do.

If you're realizing right now that you've been skipping the foundation, if you don't have a crystal-clear ideal reader, your message feels scattered, and you need the complete system to actually start selling books, that's exactly what the 90-Day Book Sales System gives you.

The 90-Day Book Sales System walks you through building your entire marketing foundation AND gives you everything you need to turn that foundation into consistent book sales.

In just 1-2 hours of setup, you'll identify your ideal reader, craft your magnetic message, and bank 90 days of strategic content so you never have to wonder what to post again.

But it doesn't stop there. You'll also build your email marketing system, create your sales strategy with 15 ready-to-use sales posts, and get a complete 90-day roadmap showing you exactly what to do week by week.

This isn't just theory. It's the complete system - templates, calendars, step-by-step guidance, and everything you need to go from "I'm posting randomly and not selling" to "I have a system that works."

You can get the 90-Day Book Sales System right now at the link in the description below and in my show-notes. Everything you need to build your foundation and start selling books consistently is inside.

Your book isn't the problem. 

The problem is that you've been trying to build without a foundation. And now you know exactly how to fix that.

Get the 90-Day Book Sales System. Build your foundation, bank your content, and create the complete system that turns your marketing into consistent book sales.

The link is in the description below and in the show notes. I'll see you in the next episode.