April 2, 2025
Providing physical book copies, free of charge, to readers as a self-published author can seem counterproductive since one of the big priorities of getting your book printed is to make sales. But offering up physical book copies is a great way to help you secure the most critical marketing tool: authentic book reviews.
Whether your reader is a well-versed book reviewer, a book influencer, or simply a reader who found your book through an intentional marketing channel, the real reviews these readers provide are a huge win for an author. They go a long way in helping you market your book. Harnessing the power of book reviews with a strategic marketing plan can help you increase your book’s visibility, encourage engagement with readers, and ultimately build your book sales.
The first step in a strong marketing plan is understanding how critical authentic reviews are to create excitement around your book. While digital marketing is important in getting your book into readers’ hands, providing physical book copies is undeniably beneficial for a handful of reasons.
Putting physical book copies into a new or potential reader’s hands may sound simple, but ensuring that the right early readers have a physical book copies helps increase the odds that they will also provide you with that critical authentic review. There are five fool-proof ways to get physical book copies out there to help you snag those important reviews to help you grow your audience, reach the right readers, and create sales of your book.
One of the easiest ways to get a physical book copies into new hands is to contact your local library. Ask a librarian if they are accepting book donations – and they usually are – and schedule a time to bring a copy or two of your book by.
If you have a media kit to drop off with the books to introduce your book to the library staff, bring that along or send it electronically ahead of time to build excitement and awareness and answer questions about it and your brand as an author. Since libraries attract a wide variety of readers, having your book accessible on the shelves broadens its reach instantly. In addition, having your book on a library shelf instantly adds credibility to your book, putting it alongside thousands of well-known and loved titles.
Putting physical book copies in a local library is also a great way to build your name in the community. Word of mouth is an invaluable asset, and when your book is read, featured, or promoted within the library system, you can expect increased awareness and potential new reviews that can, in turn, boost your book’s popularity.
Reach out to influencers to offer them early physical book copies in exchange for an authentic book review. Research which influencers will best represent your target reader with their niche, and make sure to follow them on their platforms before attempting to connect with one. Once you have identified an influencer you know would be a good fit for your book, reach out directly to them, but make it clear that you want their honest opinion in the book review, including both positive or potentially unfavorable ones, so your request will be appreciated and considered.
An influencer on Instagram, the book side of TikTok (Book Tok) or YouTube might receive dozens of such requests, but their massive reach to potential readers can make the request worth an effort. Always reach out to them first, including a blurb about the book and a brief explanation of why you think they will love your book, before sending off a physical copy. This also allows you to develop a rapport with them and gives you a chance to connect with them on a personal level before they give you public feedback on your book in the form of an online review.
And influencers often have huge followings that may include many of your target readers, along with other book lovers, who might consider giving your book genre a try with the encouragement of one of their favorite influencers. The possibility of tapping into a wide range of readers makes leveraging the support of social media influencers an excellent way to market using a physical book.
Another great way to use physical book copies to promote your new title is to look for appropriate places to leave your book to be discovered by potential readers. This relaxed approach to reaching readers where they already are can increase your local engagement and may help drum up other author opportunities like speaking engagements or book talks.
For books you plan to leave in these locations, consider adding a sticker or loose paper that includes a brief note about the book and a QR code link to your author website or your Goodreads page where the reader can leave a book review before passing the book on to a new reader. Some popular locations to consider are:
Everyone loves to have an author-signed copy of a book, so use this natural response to help you increase excitement about your book. When you restock books at your retail outlet or send off books from your online store, sign your name to the inside front cover as a surprise to the book buyer.
Your signature is a way to personalize the book and make the reader feel a small connection to you as the author. We all love to feel like we are privy to The Next Big Thing, so having a signed copy of your book will remind them that they may very well be holding the signature of a soon-to-be best-selling author.
The power of social media is undeniable, with millions of users accessing the different platforms every day. Tap into this vast wealth of potential readers by using your social media to host fun giveaways to your fans. You can hype up your promotion on different platforms, funneling all of your communication through each simultaneously, or direct traffic from multiple platforms onto the one hosting the giveaway.
Telling your YouTube and TikTok followers to “check out my Instagram for more details and to enter our giveaway” is a great way to grow your followers on that platform as well as potentially gain new ones who have yet to connect with you on Instagram, too. Authors can also use their social media handles to provide a direct link to their author website where the entry into the giveaway is located, doubling up on using social media and giving potential readers a glimpse at your website where they can do everything from learning about you, reading snippets of your books, or even joining your mailing list.
Marketing your work by using physical book copies is a winning strategy once you have your printed book in your hands. Publishing Xpress can help you quickly turn your finished manuscript into a gorgeous book that is ready for your readers to enjoy.
Ordering just the number of copies you need to start promoting your new book is easy with Publishing Xpress’s digital printing process. Snagging those initial reviews will be a snap with your marketing strategy in place, and your readers will be excited to get their hands on a copy of your book before you know it!
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