Should I hire a book marketer or learn to do it myself? Understanding when to outsource vs. DIY marketing

Martin Signer answers:

Whether to hire a book marketer or do it yourself depends on three factors:

1. Your budget
2. Your available time
3. Your willingness to learn marketing skills

For most authors, the best answer is not "all DIY" or "fully outsourced"—it's a combination.

When DIY Marketing Makes Sense

Consider doing it yourself if:

• You're publishing your first book.
• Your marketing budget is limited.
• You enjoy creating content and engaging with readers.
• You want to understand what works before paying someone else.
• You're still validating your audience and messaging.

Activities that many authors can learn reasonably quickly include:

• Building an email list
• Managing social media accounts
• Reaching out to reviewers
• Running basic newsletter promotions
• Creating author website content
• Networking with readers and influencers

Advantages of DIY

• Lower cost
• Direct connection with readers
• Better understanding of your audience
• Skills that remain valuable for future books

Disadvantages of DIY

• Time-intensive
• Steep learning curve
• Easy to waste money on ineffective tactics
• Marketing may take attention away from writing

When Hiring a Book Marketer Makes Sense

Hiring can be worthwhile if:

• You have a clear budget.
• Your time is more valuable spent writing.
• You already have multiple books and want to scale sales.
• You need expertise in advertising, publicity, or launch strategy.
• You've tried marketing yourself but aren't getting results.

A professional marketer can help with:

• Launch planning
• Advertising campaigns
• Media outreach
• Audience targeting
• Sales funnel optimization
• Email marketing strategy
• Analytics and performance tracking

Advantages of Hiring

• Faster execution
• Specialized expertise
• Access to industry contacts
• Potentially better return on ad spend

Disadvantages of Hiring

• Can be expensive
• Quality varies widely
• No marketer can guarantee book sales
• You still need to participate in promotion

Good Reasons Not to Hire Yet

You may want to postpone hiring if:

• You haven't identified your target readers.
• You don't have an author platform yet.
• You have only one book and minimal sales history.
• You're hoping a marketer will "make the book go viral."

Marketing professionals amplify existing strengths; they rarely create demand from nothing.

What to Outsource First

If budget is limited, consider outsourcing only specialized tasks:

This approach lets you maintain your reader relationships while paying for expertise where it provides the most leverage.

Questions to Ask Before Hiring

Before signing with a marketer, ask:

• What genres do you specialize in?
• Can you provide case studies or references?
• What specific services are included?
• How will success be measured?
• What results should I realistically expect?
• What tasks remain my responsibility?
• What advertising budget is recommended?
• How often will I receive reports?

Be cautious of anyone promising bestseller status, guaranteed sales, or viral exposure.

A Simple Decision Framework

DIY first if:

• Budget is under a few thousand dollars.
• This is your first book.
• You have time to learn.

Hire selectively if:

• You have some budget and want help with specialized tasks.

Hire more extensively if:

• You have a growing catalog, proven demand, and limited time.

For most first-time or early-career authors, learning the fundamentals yourself before outsourcing tends to produce better long-term results because you'll be able to evaluate marketing providers intelligently and understand which activities actually drive book sales.