Episode 309 - How to Get Your Book Seen and Sold with Claudine Wolk
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Claudine Wolk discusses HOW TO GET YOUR BOOK SEEN AND SOLD, including how authors can identify and reach their ideal readers, craft a clear message and compelling hook, and overcome the fear of self-promotion. Claudine shares practical, confidence-building strategies to help indie authors simplify book marketing, focus their time and budget, and get their books in front of the readers who will love them.
Claudine Wolk is a three-time published author, speaker, columnist, book marketing expert, and podcast host of GET YOUR BOOK SEEN AND SOLD. Her latest book with co-author Julie Murkette, “Get Your Book Seen and Sold,” is the go-to guide for aspiring authors to dive in to publishing and book marketing to successfully sell their books. She is a sucker for used books, lipstick, and her three kids and grandkids.
Episode Links
https://claudinewolk.substack.com/
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/get-your-book-seen-and-sold/id1619812976
Matty’s appearance on Get Your Book Seen and Sold Podcast: Help Is Here - How To Secure & Deliver A Great Podcast Interview https://claudinewolk.substack.com/p/help-is-here-how-to-secure-and-deliver
Referenced in intro:
https://storybundle.com/writing
Referenced in interview:
Episode 296 - Article Writing for Platform and Profit with Kerrie Flanagan
Summary
In this episode of The Indy Author Podcast, Matty Dalrymple talks with Claudine Wolk about how authors can get their books seen and sold, including practical book marketing strategies built around understanding message, audience, and hook. Claudine, a book marketing expert and co-author of Get Your Book Seen and Sold, shares insights to help authors—both new and experienced—build confidence and clarity in promoting their work.
AUDIENCE: WHO YOUR BOOK IS REALLY FOR
Claudine begins by emphasizing that understanding one’s audience is the foundation of book marketing. Many authors, she says, believe their book is “for everyone,” but that mindset makes it difficult to reach actual readers. Instead, authors need to ask who their ideal reader is and, more importantly, who will buy the book. “When we talk about audience and book readers,” she explains, “we’re really talking about book buyers.”
She encourages authors to have conversations with others—friends, colleagues, or fellow writers—to refine their understanding of their target audience. In her own experience, Claudine initially thought her first book, It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers, would appeal to pregnant women. But after talking with a marketing-savvy friend, she realized that expectant mothers often don’t want to read about the challenges of parenthood. Instead, the book resonated with new mothers in the early, chaotic months after giving birth—those who were ready for help and reassurance.
This shift in perspective led to a more effective marketing focus. Interestingly, she discovered another unexpected audience: people buying gifts for baby showers. Although pregnant women weren’t her primary readers, they often received the book as a humorous yet heartfelt present. Claudine uses this as an example of how authors should stay open to new audience segments that may emerge after publication.
Matty adds that the process of discovering an audience can be similar for fiction writers. Authors can tell someone about their story and listen to which authors or genres that person compares it to. “If people say, ‘That reminds me of James Patterson’ or ‘That reminds me of Margaret Atwood,’ that’s really important information to have,” she says. Whether those comparisons feel right or wrong, they can help clarify where the book fits in the marketplace.
Claudine notes that many authors resist this kind of analysis because they fear competition, but understanding comparable titles can actually help. “Use that knowledge to your advantage,” she says. Knowing which books are similar to yours shows where your book belongs on the shelf and who’s already buying in that space. Once an author learns how book marketing works, she explains, they only have to learn it once—after that, it’s just a matter of applying and adapting the principles.
VISUALIZING YOUR READER’S EXPERIENCE
Claudine and Matty discuss the power of picturing how and where readers will experience a book. Claudine suggests that imagining the environment—whether a beach, a coffee shop, or a hospital waiting room—can reveal insights about design, format, and promotion. Matty builds on that idea with examples: a calligraphy book might need to lie flat for easy reference, while a “beach read” might be best in a smaller paperback size. “Imagining not only the person who’s consuming it, but the environment they’re consuming it in, I think is very powerful,” she says.
By noting these ideas as they occur during the writing process, authors can collect valuable insights that will later inform their marketing plans. Claudine recommends keeping a notebook nearby to jot down potential audiences or promotional ideas as inspiration strikes.
MESSAGE: WHAT YOUR BOOK IS ABOUT
Once an author identifies their audience, the next step is to clarify their message. Claudine describes an exercise from her book in which authors fill a blank page with all the possible themes and messages in their work—fiction or nonfiction. These messages then become the building blocks for marketing materials such as the Amazon book description, keywords, press releases, award submissions, and podcast pitches.
She encourages authors to identify where those themes appear in the media and use that research to target relevant outlets. “If you have a theme in your book that’s being covered in a magazine or on a podcast, pitch them a story or offer yourself as a guest,” she says. By connecting their book’s themes to broader conversations, authors can generate meaningful visibility and credibility.
Claudine also stresses the importance of the elevator pitch—a brief, confident statement that describes the book in one sentence. She notes that many writers struggle when asked what their book is about, often rambling or overexplaining. “You need something that’s pithy and quick,” she advises. For example, her first book could be described simply as “a fun guide for the new mom,” while Get Your Book Seen and Sold is “a guide to help authors and publishers get started in book marketing.” Having this concise pitch ready helps authors communicate effectively in any setting, from conferences to casual conversations.
OVERCOMING THE RESISTANCE TO MARKETING
When Matty asks how to overcome resistance to marketing, Claudine identifies three common barriers. The first is discomfort with self-promotion. Many writers don’t want to “sell themselves.” Her response: “You’re not selling yourself—you’re providing something that people already want.”
The second reason is that marketing feels like an entirely different skillset. Writers often see it as a “business” task that conflicts with their creative work. Claudine encourages authors to view it as a learnable process. “Once you learn it, you’ve got it,” she says. “You’re going to be doing book marketing the whole time you’re an author.”
The third barrier is fear—specifically, the realization that promoting a book means people will actually read it. Claudine recalls her own anxiety before publishing her first book, which included honest stories about her husband. “I thought, ‘Oh God, the guy’s going to leave me,’” she admits with a laugh. But when she confessed her worry, he asked, “Does it make me look like a man’s man?” When she said yes, he replied, “Then I don’t care.”
She points out that this fear of exposure can affect any writer, especially those writing memoirs or personal stories. But it also signals an important turning point: the moment when an author accepts that their words will be out in the world. Matty agrees, saying that envisioning real readers engaging with your book is a powerful gut check. “If you’re really uncomfortable about that idea,” she says, “ask whether it’s because you’re nervous about how people will receive it—or because it’s not how you want to represent yourself.”
SHIFTING THE MINDSET
Claudine shares that when she speaks at conferences, she’s often surprised by how many writers want to learn about marketing. “It was standing room only,” she says of a recent event. Authors are beginning to understand that to “do right by their book,” they need to engage with the business side. She emphasizes that a marketing plan doesn’t need to be intimidating. “A marketing plan is simply a list of tasks that you do to get your book into your audience’s hands,” she explains.
Matty suggests reframing the idea entirely—perhaps calling it something like a “birth plan” for the book, rather than a “marketing plan.” Claudine agrees, noting that a book’s life continues long after launch. She cites author Jan Yager, who successfully reissued her book When Friendship Hurts years after its initial publication by updating the cover and tying it to current events. “It’s never too late,” Claudine says. “Most of the books I read have been in print for a long time.”
FOCUSING YOUR ENERGY
Claudine and Matty close by addressing the concern that book marketing takes too much time. Claudine emphasizes that authors should focus on where their audience truly is. She gives the example of a writer in the fantasy genre who skipped general book fairs and instead set up a booth at comic conventions—places where her ideal readers gathered. “She didn’t have to worry about TikTok or Facebook,” Claudine says. “She focused on where her audience was.”
This targeted approach can save time, money, and stress. Claudine advises authors to research where comparable books are selling and how other authors in their genre promote their work. Marketing efforts will be most effective when they’re audience-driven rather than trend-driven.
Finally, she reminds authors that their marketing doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. “You need a website,” she says, “but it doesn’t have to have every bell and whistle. It just has to include information about you, your book, and how people can contact you.”
Matty and Claudine agree that effective book marketing comes down to mindset and focus. By identifying their audience, clarifying their message, and crafting a strong hook, authors can market their books with confidence and purpose. As Claudine puts it, “You’ve provided something fabulous to the world that only you can create. It’s a joyful thing—so embrace it and own it.”