3 Unconventional Ways to Market Your Book Using Only the Cover

Today Savannah Cordova from Reedsy is giving us some very helpful tips on marketing. Thank you, Savannah, and welcome!

Your book cover is more than just a pretty picture; it’s also your best chance at grabbing readers’ attention. But with new books being published every day, how can you use your cover to really stand out from the crowd?

I have a few thoughts on this topic… but before we get into specifics, we have to start with a solid foundation. That foundation being, of course, a strong book cover design to begin with! If your cover is low-quality or confusing — that is, if it doesn’t indicate the right genre, or appeal to the right audience — then no amount of marketing, no matter how inventive, can help you.

So that’s my one crucial pre-marketing tip: get an impeccable cover design. There are plenty of resources out there, whether you decide to design the cover yourself or work with a professional cover designer. That said, once you’ve acquired this all-important feature (and of course, written a great book to go with it), you might be wondering how you can take advantage of your cover to market your book.

That’s where this article comes in. Below, I’ll share three unconventional ways to use your cover to create buzz, attract readers, and help your book stand out. No fancy marketing skills required — just a little creativity and the right approach!

1. Showcase your cover in unexpected places

The first method I recommend is showcasing your book’s cover in various public places. Instead of just posting the design on your website or social media, take it out into the world. This might sound unorthodox, but a bit of old-fashioned viral marketing can work wonders!

A few ideas: print your cover on postcards, stickers, or mini-posters, then put them up and photograph them in spots like cafés, bookstores, bus stop benches… the possibilities are endless. (Needless to say, if you’re able, you should also leave them where you photographed them for some more free promotion. See if you can get a local permit to do so!)

Once you’ve got your photos, share them online using a unique hashtag. This will make it easier for people to find your book, and if enough people end up talking about it, you might even see it start trending online! While doing all this will take some time and effort, you’ll be giving your book some real-world exposure and engaging your audience in a tangible way — without breaking the bank.

Pro tip: To go the extra mile, encourage your family, friends, and followers to share their own photos of your cover in random places, creating a fun (and interactive!) campaign.

2. Create a puzzle or riddle

Another cool way to market your book, especially if it was professionally designed, is to highlight an interesting feature of its cover — like a symbol or hidden detail — then challenge your audience to find it, or figure it out.

For example, you could post an image of your cover on social media and ask your followers: "Can you spot all the six hidden symbols on this cover?" or “What do you think the yellow sword symbolizes?” While this won’t work for all book covers, you might be surprised to realize just how relevant it is to you; unless your cover is an absolute minimalist design, there’s bound to be a little piece of it you can share to spark curiosity.

This will prompt people to take a closer look at your cover and, ultimately, your actual book. To keep the conversation going, I’d also suggest encouraging potential readers to share their answers or thoughts in your posts’ comments sections.

Pro tip: Make the challenge more enticing by offering a small reward, such as a free ebook or signed copy, for the first 10 people who can solve it.

3. Tease with a cover reveal

The social media cover reveal is, of course, a classic marketing technique. But what I’m suggesting here is actually a twist on the “typical” reveal: instead of showing your whole cover all at once, you could share small snippets over time. Start with close-up shots of certain details, for example, or just different sections of the cover, leaving your audience guessing what the various things mean.

To take it a step further, you could even try posting a blurred-out or partially cropped version of your cover and asking your followers to guess what the full cover might look like. By doing this, you’ll generate anticipation, start conversations, and make your followers even more excited for the full cover reveal.

Pro tip: Add drama to the buildup by featuring a countdown somewhere, like on your blog or in an Instagram Story. This will encourage your followers to check back regularly and make the reveal even more impactful when the time finally comes.

Remember, your book cover is by far your most powerful marketing tool — and with a little creativity, it can also be the most fun! Whether you’ve written a children’s book, a gripping thriller, or a heartwarming romance, these methods can help generate tons of buzz and attract more readers than you ever imagined. Now, get out there and make your cover work for you.

 

Savannah Cordova is a writer with Reedsy, a platform that connects authors with the best publishing resources and industry professionals to help them publish their books. In her spare time, Savannah enjoys reading contemporary fiction, writing short stories, and analyzing literature into the ground.