How Can I Sell Books In An Election Year?

Our tips for selling books and engaging readers during the 2020 Election.

Whatever side you’re on, selling books this year will be tough. Why? Because people are busy reading about politics and watching TV in a way they do not at other times.

What can I do to weather low sales this year?

Go local. Where in your community would people buy your book despite the Election? If your book is about science fiction or fantasy, is there a games workshop near you, or a science group who would love to hear you talk about your book? Clubs and societies often have bookshops or gift shops where you might be able to sell a few copies. If your book is about your local area, many bookshops will stock it in any case.

Find Book Clubs. Look up local book clubs and offer your book to members. If they like it, they may tell their friends and family about it.

Advertise and Promote like crazy. In 2020, you’ll need to bolster your book for the storm of political books that will come in just before and after the Election. You can try our Amazon Promotions and Book Services starting from $29 to begin.

If I do see a decline in sales directly related to the big Election dates (Caucuses, Election Night)?

Find a political angle. Is your book set in Vermont, where Bernie Sanders is from? Perhaps it’s a thriller set in New York, near Trump Tower. Maybe you are lucky enough to have written a book about politics, in which case, it’s your year. Make the most of it and pepper it with the buzzwords you hear on the radio and news, and ride the wave.

Change your book description on Amazon. Once you have decided on your angle, rewrite your Book Description to fit in some political words.

Add new, temporary keywords. What keywords might help people find your book if they fancy a read with a connection to politics?

We can help with your rewrites with our Category and Keywords Assessment and Book Blurb Rewrite services.

Know this will pass. One day soon, we will have a new President. Or the same one… Pretty soon, everyone will go back to watching Oprah, looking at kittens, and browsing Amazon for something good to read. So be ready to sell books for Christmas 2020!

We’ll be writing about that nearer the time…