Is This Low Budget Book Promotion Effective? | Book Rescue

About this video

In this Book Rescue episode, Roberts tests low-budget promotion for Robert G. Cole, a young adult fantasy author who, as presented, wrote three novels on an old iPhone 6 while living with a seizure disorder, with no computer and, in Cole’s own words, $18 in the bank. Earlier episodes had fixed his keywords and categories, descriptions, covers, and author platform. This episode attacks credibility and reach. Roberts cites the Amazon Advertising Certification benchmark that a product is not retail ready without 15 reviews averaging at least three and a half stars, and Cole reports getting about nine reviews through GetBooksReviewed. Book Award Pro provides a package the company values on screen, including a free month of its Pro Plan, a year of Essentials, and professional award submissions, and Cole’s trilogy collection The War of the Beast is then recognized by the International Impact Book Awards. StoryOrigin founder Evan Gow gives a free first year of the Standard plan for reader magnets, review and beta copies, newsletter swaps, and group promos. Consultant Johnny Andrews adds mindset coaching and assigns Cole to compile a list of over 2,000 influencers, groups, and sites, arguing authors must build a legion who know, like, and trust them.

Key takeaways

• Treat reviews as a retail-readiness requirement: the episode cites 15 reviews at 3.5 stars or higher as Amazon Advertising’s benchmark, and uses a review service to build toward it
• Book awards are positioned as a marketing tool for credibility, not just prestige — a service can handle targeting and submissions if the author cannot
• StoryOrigin-style tools bundle reader magnets, review/beta copies, newsletter swaps, and group promos as a low-cost way to build a mailing list and cross-promote
• Without an ad budget, Andrews’s prescription is relationship marketing: build a large target list (here, over 2,000 contacts) and earn know-like-trust through community involvement
• A free reader-magnet book with a professional cover is used as the list-building offer at the centre of the promotion plan

Episode details: published March 2, 2022 · 12:15 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Business results and any income figures mentioned are Dale L. Roberts’s own claims, shared for education — they are not typical or guaranteed.

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