Marketing your book is not about your book

Nobody cares about your book.

And that’s the best news you’ll ever hear.

Most authors think success is about pushing their book as hard as possible. But the ones who actually win? They know their book is just one piece of something bigger—their brand, expertise, and the movement they create around their ideas.

I had a client—brilliant, well-spoken, deeply passionate about his message—but completely paralyzed by fear.

"What if I post and no one likes it?" "What if I reach out and get ignored?" "What if my book just… disappears?"

We had to flip that mindset on its head.

Because guess what? Nobody caring is not a death sentence—it’s an opportunity.

It means you’re starting from zero. And that means you get to build something that actually matters.

Build a space where people want to gather

Your book is a key, not the whole house. It opens the door, but what’s inside?

• Have you built a space where people want to gather?

• Is there a reason for them to stick around after they’ve read the last page?

• Or are you just throwing a book into the void and hoping someone catches it?

This is where most authors stall out.

They get stuck watching metrics instead of watching momentum. They obsess over vanity numbers instead of real connections.

But the authors who win?

They choose one thing—just one—and go all in.

Pick a platform and get loud

I started a Substack a few weeks ago. I am trying the platform to see if I like it and if it's a good place where I can share my expertise with writers. No expectations. Just curiosity.

You could do the same. Or start a LinkedIn newsletter. Or launch a podcast. But pick one. And commit.

Because here’s my truth.

If you post on LinkedIn for three months, publish a weekly newsletter, or consistently pitch yourself for podcasts, you will become impossible to ignore.

Still not sure where to start? Try this

Use LinkedIn’s search bar (seriously, just use it).

Most authors have never even typed “mental health clinic” or “event planner” or “corporate wellness director” into LinkedIn.

They wonder why no one is booking them for speaking gigs, but they’ve never even looked for the exact people who could hire them.

Try this:

• Search for decision-makers in your industry.

• Read their content, engage with their posts.

• Send a thoughtful DM—no pitch, just value.

It’s free. It takes five minutes. And it works.

Stop hoarding content—repurpose it

Your website should not be a graveyard of forgotten blog posts from 2021.

I copy-paste my LinkedIn posts straight into my website blog. Done.

• It keeps my site fresh.

• It builds SEO.

• It makes my content mine instead of just living on a platform I don’t control.

If you don’t have time for this, what do you have time for?

Because if your book is sitting in silence, and your website is gathering dust, how will anyone ever find you?

Launch your own stage—or commit to the one you already have

Not everyone should start a podcast. Not everyone needs to launch a newsletter or a YouTube channel.

But some of you already have a platform—you’re just not using it consistently.

• You have a newsletter, but you send an issue every few months instead of every week.

• You have a YouTube channel, but you haven’t posted in weeks.

• You got invited onto a podcast, but you didn’t leverage it into more opportunities.

The problem isn’t that you need to launch something new—it’s that you haven’t committed to the thing you already started.

And that’s where people like me come in.

Look, I have a coach for my work. I believe in helping, coaching, and even doing some of the work for others because I know firsthand. It's why I offer marketing services under Rising Authors.

I know this pain very well.

Getting the process going takes time.

Some of us need our hands held until we fully understand it, gain momentum, and push forward. And that’s okay.

The key is not starting ten new things. The key is choosing one and doing it exceptionally well.

When you show up with a clear idea, over and over again, people will start associating you with that idea.

And that is what gets you booked, sold, and remembered.

Proof that showing up works: Ali Raymer’s journey

My friend and client Ali Raymer is the perfect example of what happens when you stop overthinking and just start showing up.

When we first started working together, she had a travel agency and a wealth of knowledge—but she wasn’t using LinkedIn at all. She wasn’t sure where to start, how to position herself, or how to use it to attract the right clients.

So we went all in.

We revamped her website and LinkedIn profile—giving her clarity, direction, and a platform that actually represented the level of expertise she brings to the travel industry.

And then?

She committed to posting. She shared what she knew. She stopped worrying about whether people would care and just put herself out there.

Within weeks, she secured her first business client from LinkedIn. And then another. And another.

She talks all about this in our podcast episode together, sharing the mindset shifts, the fears, and what actually worked to start seeing results. It's a great episode full of insights.

Now? She’s building an audience, leveraging her expertise, and helping other travel agents level up.

Her book will come later, but right now, she’s doing exactly what most authors miss—building the foundation first.

The book isn’t what made her successful. The way she showed up, positioned herself, and took action is what did.

The garden grows where you water it

Imagine a garden.

At first, it’s just soil. Empty. Waiting.

You plant a few seeds.

You show up every day, water them, pull the weeds, make sure they get plenty of sunlight. Some days, it feels like nothing is happening.

But then—one morning—there’s a sprout.

A conversation that wasn’t happening before.

An opportunity that came out of nowhere.

A connection that leads to something bigger than you imagined.

Most authors quit before the sprout. They stare at the soil, frustrated, wondering why nothing is growing.

They stop watering, they walk away to go look at other people's gardens and admire them and talk about them and want to walk through them.

Sadly, they forget all about their rich soil and what they could be doing...

Authorpreneurs are the types that keep showing up! They get the garden growing and glowing.

Rich. Thriving. Full of life.

Ali watered her garden. She showed up. She planted the right seeds.

Your book is just one seed. The way you show up—on LinkedIn, in newsletters, on podcasts, in conversations—is the tending.

If you’re ready to stop staring at the soil and start growing, let’s talk. Message me.

Practice gratitude and patience, my friend. Smile and be nice to people!

Hussein