WRITERS WITH WRINKLES  •  SEASON 5, EPISODE 16

Stop Making Videos Nobody Watches — Here's How Authors Actually Sell Books

If you've ever spent hours crafting the perfect Instagram reel, posted it to near-silence, and wondered what you're doing wrong — this episode is for you. In Season 5, Episode 16 of Writers With Wrinkles, Beth McMullen and Lisa Schmidt cut through the noise of book marketing advice to get back to the one thing that has always moved books: people telling other people.

Nearly half of all readers — 47 to 48% — choose their next book based on a personal recommendation. Not an algorithm. Not a sponsored post. Someone they trust saying, "You have to read this." That number beats every platform, every social media tool, and every AI discovery feature combined. So why are so many authors still pouring their energy into content that isn't working?

Beth and Lisa have three practical, low-cost strategies to get that word-of-mouth engine started.

1. Build a Street Team

A street team is a small group of trusted readers — 20 to 30 people — who receive an advance copy of your book in exchange for spreading the word. They don't all have to be writers. They just have to be readers who are already in your corner.

The key is being specific about what you're asking them to do. Don't just hand them the book and hope for the best. Give them a short list — three clear actions: post on social media, tell five friends, leave a review. Make it easy, and they'll do it. One voice multiplied by 25 people, each reaching 10 more, is exponential amplification built entirely on relationships you've already made.

And the best part? No camera required.

2. Engage Bookstagrammers & BookTok — Before You Need Them

Lisa tried the cold outreach approach with her last book — finding Bookstagrammers she liked and asking if they'd review it. Some posted, some didn't. It felt like throwing things at a wall.

What works better: start months before your launch. Find creators who read in your genre, engage genuinely with their content, comment, share, and become a real presence in their community. By the time you make the ask, they already know who you are — and they want to help.

The same principle applies to fellow authors. Be generous with your support — share their books, leave reviews, cheer them on. And then don't be afraid to ask directly when your launch comes. People don't return favors they don't know you're waiting on.

3. Show Up at Book Festivals

Beth once drove to a book festival in the middle of nowhere in Northern California — and sold every book she brought within two hours. Foot traffic, real conversations, and readers who walked away and told their friends. That's word of mouth happening in real time.

Book festivals are more plentiful than most authors realize, and most are free to apply for as an author participant. Having a new or upcoming release significantly improves your chances of acceptance, so apply before your launch date. You don't need to fly anywhere — there are likely festivals within driving distance that draw serious book lovers who genuinely don't care whether you're with a Big Five publisher or going indie.

The Bottom Line

None of these strategies require a big budget, a ring light, or a social media following. They require time, genuine relationships, and the willingness to ask. If you've been spending eight hours a week on content that isn't moving the needle, it might be time to redirect that energy into the things that actually do.

Have a marketing strategy that's worked for you? Beth and Lisa want to hear it — and may feature it in a future episode.

📩 Reach them at beth@writerswithwrinkles.net or lisa@writerswithwrinkles.net or find them on Facebook in The Waiting Room.

🎙️ Next episode: Literary agent Ann Rose joins Beth and Lisa to talk about what makes a submission stand out — and what to avoid when querying.