What Continuous Improvement Looks Like in Practice for Book Marketing
100 shifts that compound into bigger results
What Is Continuous Improvement?
Continuous Improvement (kaizen in Japanese manufacturing philosophy) is a business concept focused on making small, incremental changes consistently over time rather than pursuing dramatic, one-time transformations.
It rests on these core principles:
Small changes compound. Many tiny improvements add up to significant results.
Improvement is an ongoing process, not a one-time fix. It’s a habit and a practice that doesn’t end; you can always find ways to improve.
Data matters and guides. Measure results, keep what works, discard what doesn’t.
It’s for everyone in your ecosystem. The idea is that improvements can come from anywhere, which is better than top-down mandates.
Process matters and leads. Focus on creating and tweaking systems and workflows, not just outcomes.
Employ iterative testing. Try something small, evaluate, adjust, repeat.
For Author Businesses
In the formal business philosophy, Continuous Improvement overrides ideal strategy because markets change, platforms evolve, and what works today may not work tomorrow. Constant small adjustments keep you adaptable, robust, and on an ever-upward track. Systems, testing, and ongoing upgrades can also tamp down rumination, overwork, lack of focus, and other ways a business can spin you, your plans, and your mind out of control.
Don’t think, for example, in terms of crafting a perfect marketing plan and the best presentation ever before implementing. Instead, test one small change, effort, concept (a newsletter template, a re-ordering of your event, a holiday sales approach), measure results, keep it if it works, try another small change (email subject line, new Amazon keywords, a different sponsorship angle), and gradually build a more effective, ongoing, sustainable marketing system through accumulated improvements.
Here are 100 examples of small, incremental shifts you can make—or riff on as you will—across ten key areas that can impact author businesses.
Mindset
Just do it. Have a bias towards action.
Expect good things from your fellow humans, i.e., many “yesses.” (Not all, but some!)
Project the feeling/vibe you want, e.g., act confident before you feel confident.
Set clear intentions before taking each marketing action. Know what you want and what you’re aiming for.
Courage beats confidence. Done beats perfect.
Small consistent actions compound over time.
You’re the authority on what works for your business.
Failure or humdrum results are data for a business purpose, not a verdict on your worth.
Move beyond “one right way” thinking—your way is valid if it produces results and it suits you.
Celebrate small wins, they build momentum for bigger ones.
Email
Keep emails short: concise is better than comprehensive.
Customize every email.
Lead with the benefit to the recipient, not your need.
Ask directly for what you want in the first paragraph.
Subject lines matter, so make them specific and compelling.
Proofread three times—not just for typos, but also phrasing, intent, etc.
Follow up three times if no response. Persistence isn’t pestering.
Reply within 24 hours when someone responds.
Update your email signature with your latest book/offering/award/post.
End with one clear next step, not multiple options.
Outreach & Relationships
When in need of more business, more options, more connections, follow the proven outreach formula below.
Keep track of outreach habits, hacks, scripts, etc. that work for you and your book.
Think in terms of the favors economy. Sometimes you give, sometimes you take, but focus on giving and paying it forward.
Learn how to collect and work with no’s.
Become conflict savvy and your life and business will dramatically improve.
Find new ways to nurture and build relationships by asking for help.
Take your sales conversations to the next level with curiosity and open inquiry.
Incorporate the concept of enrollment into your outreach thinking.
Reach out to one new person a week just because you want to know them.
Understand how to use presence to your advantage.
Media Outreach
Find and reach out to specific journalists, do not use general contact inboxes.
Read/watch what journalists actually cover (and their angles) before pitching.
Try to keep pitches to 150 words max—short and punchy.
Answer these four questions: Who, What, When, Why would they cover you?
Follow up three times if no response. Weekly or biweekly is fine.
Track all contacts and pitches in a simple spreadsheet.
Do the heavy lifting for journalists; make it easy for them to say yes.
Focus on ten media contacts at a time, not one hundred.
Add personality to pitches—avoid flat, mechanistic language.
Share and overshare your press everywhere once you get it.
Website
Find fresh ways to update yournhomepage monthly.
Have a dedicated page for each book that includes testimonials, top press coverage, buying links.
Add/update testimonials as they come in. Keep the best/most interesting. Consider putting them in slideshow mode.
Have a dedicated events page (and keep it current) with upcoming events, photos from past events (esp. include ones with big crowds, engaged audiences, and you looking amazing), and info on your availability and program options.
Have a page dedicated to media outreach: Make your media kit easily downloadable; link to past appearances; suggest topics for interviews; add media-specific contact info.
Replace author photos when they no longer look current; add recent event and speaking photos (“action shots”).
Make email signup prominent on every page with clear benefit of doing so mentioned.
Add at least one new upgrade, offer, resource, or article monthly—give visitors and search engines reasons to take note.
Test your contact and subscribe forms quarterly to make sure they work as expected.
Test your site on mobile every time you update it; most visitors arrive by phone.
Amazon
Rewrite your book description every 6 months, measure what copy leads to most sales.
Choose all ten categories strategically—not just the obvious ones. Also, see above: Test and compare.
Use all seven keyword slots with specific search terms readers use. Same: Test and compare.
Also test different price points. Track, then use, what sells best.
Update your Author Central page with recent photos and bio.
Request a review from every reader who emails you praise, every friend who tells you how much they enjoyed your book.
Enable the “Look Inside” feature. Many readers need to sample before buying and sampling paves the way to a purchase.
Link all series books clearly: Make the next purchase obvious. If you find Amazon directions confusing, there are YouTube videos that show you how.
Add A+ content if available. These enhanced pages increase sales.
Check your listing, page rank, visitbility monthly, etc. Amazon is perpetually tweaking or outright re-directing their algorithms.
Store Sales
See the list of stores below to expand your grasp of where it’s possible to sell books.
Visit stores monthly to check stock, update staff, drop off supplies, sign books, suggest events or other partnerships.
Propose themed displays or local author showcases.
Offer to do signings or mini-events, pop-ups, gift-wrapping stations, karoake nights, poetry slams.
Learn staff names during visits and use them going forward.
Bring shelf talkers, bookmarks, branded tote bags, business cards, etc. that make hand-selling easier.
Buy at least a little something while you’re there; this can solidfy you in their memory. (Think greeting cards, books you’ve been meaning to read, gifts, etc.)
Share store news and events on your social media—make them look good.
Offer inexpensive advertising to stores in your email newsletter.
Send people to the brick-and-mortar stores that carry your titles. Ask them to mention to whoever’s working that you sent them.
Volume Sales
Create a standard discount schedule. Having one anchors buyer expectations in advance, professionalizes the experience; and normalizes the concept.
Brainstorm ten categories of buyers that could use your book in quantity.
Research real buyers in each of your ten categories. Work from spreadsheets.
Focus your outreach formula (above) on these buyers and buying possibilities!
Always negotiate—practice with every opportunity, large or small.
Ask what matters to the buyer and build your pitch around that.
Suggest variations when your standard offer doesn’t quite fit a potential customer’s needs.
Follow up on volume inquiries within 24 hours. Time is of the essence.
Track every volume pitch in your spreadsheet—patterns emerge over time.
Start tiny (2-3 books at a time at bookfair…proof of concept!), then small (10-20 copies for book clubs or small events) to build confidence and get the hang of it before pursuing larger deals.
Events
Arrive at least 15 minutes early—time to meet staff, adjust the space, and converse with attendees.
Bring thank-you bags for attendees; even simple ones create goodwill.
Collect email addresses at every event, do not succumb to inertia and build your list continuously.
Always have a sales table and a good-looking one at that. Include freebies people can take (postcards, bookmarks, candy) and sell all your books and perhaps merch and other people’s books as well.
Take photos with attendees and share them within 24 hours.
Follow up with organizers within 24 hours. Thank them and offer to return (as in a year or as a backup in the event of a cancellation).
Integrate at least one interactive element per event. Audience participation and involvement goes further than passive listening.
Stay until the last person leaves—late conversations often become opportunities.
Propose events to at least five new venues quarterly. Don’t wait to be invited.
Track which event types convert to sales and which pay the most. Repeat what works best.
Partnerships & Sponsorships
Identify ten businesses whose customers match your readers, thus starting your prospect list.
Test one affiliate link in your next newsletter (measure clicks and conversions).
Offer referral fees to professionals you trust. Make it easy for them to send you clients.
Pitch one sponsor for your next book printing; $500–$2,000 grants exist.
Add tasteful ads or coupons in back matter from aligned businesses.
Propose booth partnership at conferences; have others sell/promote your books at their booth or distribute materials of compatible organizations at your booth (for a fee).
Explore ad revenue sharing on platforms where you already create content.
Pre-sell bulk copies to aligned businesses as promotional giveaways.
Track every partnership conversation. Patterns of what resonates with sponsors will themselves.
Start small with one $100–$500 partnership be as a test case fore pursuing larger sponsorships.
Tell Us in the Comments
Which 3–5 improvements from this list are you testing first? And which category needs the most attention in your author business right now?
Test Creative Event Strategies at Our Next Power Hour
Continuous improvement requires testing new approaches—and creative events and partnerships are often untapped opportunities for authors. Join us April 16 for our free Beyond the Margins Power Hour featuring David Jay Collins, an indie author who’s built his own experience-driven marketing playbook through testing, iteration, and strategic partnerships. David has six novels spanning LGBTQ+ fiction, horror, and romance over 50—and he’s mastered the art of creating events and partnerships that get noticed without relying on traditional book marketing. In this 60-minute session, bring your events and partnership questions, learn David’s proven strategies, and benefit from community brainstorming. All authors welcome. Register here for April 16, 1:00-2:00 PM CDT.