There has always been constant chatter about promoting a book versus promoting the author. Here is my take on when you should promote a book and in what cases creating an author platform works.

Promote the BOOK : If your book is Non-Fiction or academic and is focused on the subject matter. Promoting the credentials of the author also helps add credibility here. The reason is, your book has a defined target audience. For example: We have a published a book titled, “Essentials of Surface Mount Technology by Young Bong Kang.” Here, the content in the book is the most important selling point. So, focus more on promoting the book and the contents inside the book to people who share a similar interest. Also, let potential readers know what qualifies you as the author to write this. This can be done by adding a crisp author bio positioning you as a subject matter expert.

Promote the AUTHOR: If your book is a work of fiction, whether it is romance, murder mystery, or any other category; positioning the author as a source of good content always works. No one goes inside a store thinking they will buy a new book on Indian mythology. People want to read the books of authors they know and have heard of. You might have heard of stories of books by popular authors flying off the shelves from day one. How you can achieve this star status warrants a separate post.

So what are you going to promote, the author or the book, and how? Please feel free to add your thoughts to this conversation in the comments section below.