How to Market a Book (When You're Already Exhausted)
First of all: trust your instincts.
When you follow them — even the faintest whisper — you're staying true to who you are. That alone will help you market your book, even when you’re exhausted.
Even if those instincts feel foggy, cluttered, or distant, they won’t lead you astray. Sure, they might point you toward ideas that turn out to be “not quite right.” That’s okay. There’s no such thing as failure if you learn something from it. Those detours? They're part of the process too.
So how do you do it?
How do you market a book — your book — when your brain wants to hide under the blankets and not come out until everything feels easier?
When every single thing you’re “supposed” to do looks like Mount Olympus or, I don’t know, the top shelf of your kitchen cabinets?
I’m not here to tell you it’ll be easy.
I’m here to tell you to take a step.
A small one, a weird one, a purple one that farts every time you move. Whatever shape or sound it makes — it counts, as long as you are okay with it.
Step 1: Know what you’re working toward
Before you start doing anything, ask yourself:
What do I want to achieve?
And more importantly, Do I have the energy for that goal right now?
Be honest. It’s okay to aim high and not be able to reach it — yet.
That day will come. But it won't come faster if you push too hard when you're already drained.
So let’s say your goal is:
X amount of KU pages read
50 new ebook sales
A few more people know your book exists
Cool. That’s your goal. That’s your mountain. Let’s build you a stairway.
Step 2: Figure out who your reader feels like
Not demographics. Not age ranges or income brackets.
Vibe.
Who are they?
Not your neighbors. Not your friends or your cousin who never reads but “loved your book.”
Look into your reader. Not heavy research — vibe research.
Google around
Ask your reader friends
Ask an AI
Lurk in your genre's Facebook or Discord groups
What do they like?
Genre: romance, fantasy, dark romance, cozy mystery, etc.
Do they love tea or coffee?
Are they into cozy vibes or chaos energy?
Do they post annotated books with tabs, or vibe screenshots with soft lighting?
This helps you know where to find them — and how to talk to them.
Tip: If you’re not sure, ask another author in your genre.
Or ask me — I’m happy to help, or point you toward tools that can.
Step 3: Show your vibe
Once you know who you’re talking to, it’s time to share your book’s mood — the feeling it gives, the world it invites readers into.
Start small:
Use Canva
Match your cover’s colors
Create a simple image or teaser
Or just post your cover — honestly, that’s enough
You don’t need to overdo it.
A good visual just says, “This is what this story feels like.”
And if visuals aren’t your thing? That’s fine. You can keep it minimal. Or hire a designer if that’s within reach. Either way — simple is always okay.
Even just your cover with a written caption works beautifully.
It doesn’t need to sparkle. It doesn’t need a shirtless guy (though hey, I’m not against a sexy guy — that’s just me).
What it does need? To fit:
Fit your writing
Fit your book’s tone
Fit you
A teaser doesn’t need to be elaborate.
It can be three sentences that made you light up when you wrote them. That’s more than enough.
Stick with consistency:
If one teaser is purple, keep the others in that same palette.
Don’t go from purple to green to bright orange — unless chaos is your brand.
Visual consistency helps readers recognize it’s all from the same book — the same emotional experience.
And yes, if your story gets spicy, your teasers can reflect that. Just make sure the tone stays consistent. Whether soft and slow or fast and filthy, let it all feel like it belongs together.
Step 4: Let people know the book exists
One of my favorite low-pressure ways to do this is through newsletter swaps — especially if you're not in the headspace to cold message people or shout about your book all over social media.
You’ll need a newsletter of your own, yes — but don’t panic.
It doesn’t have to be a weekly thing.
Once a month is fine.
Once every two months is fine.
Even “when you feel like it” is fine.
The key? Share something you actually want to share.
Not just “My cat farted” (though honestly, I’d probably read that), but something that connects, reflects, or offers a little piece of you or your book.
And no — it doesn’t have to be personal.
You don’t need to share your life if you don’t want to.
Share what feels right. Share what you’re proud of.
That’s what counts.
Platforms like BookFunnel and others (I forgot the name of one, sorry — blame my tired brain) have swap directories where you can join group promos by genre. That means your book gets in front of the right readers without the pressure of personal outreach.
Less stress. Less awkwardness. More visibility.
If you're just starting out, tools like MailerLite and Mailchimp are beginner-friendly options to build your list and set up basic newsletters. And once you have a list — even a small one — you can start participating in swaps that help grow your reach.
Step 5: You don’t have to do everything at once
Marketing isn’t a fixed agenda full of must-do tasks.
It’s flexible. It changes. It grows with you.
You can go slow.
You can pause.
You can skip the things that make you feel like crawling under the bed.
You can come back to it when you’re ready.
That’s the beauty of it. You get to decide when and how.
Final step: Filter the advice
There’s so much advice online. Enough to drown in.
Some of it will be useful.
Some of it will make you feel sick to your stomach.
So ask yourself:
“Is this advice good for me?”
Not in general. For you, right now.
If it feels light, energizing, or quietly right — do it.
If it feels heavy, overwhelming, or like a giant NO in your chest — let it go.
Seriously. Say no.
Step back. Give it the finger if you need to.
You’re allowed.
Try what might work. If it doesn’t? Stop.
Try something else. Learn. Move forward.
There is no one way.
There’s your way.
And if you're feeling lost, I can help you get started.
That’s what my Starting Steps Plan is for — a breath, a direction, a first step in the fog.