TikTok is for more than just the latest dance craze or viral challenge. There’s a community for almost everything people are interested in, and this is especially true for book lovers. #BookTok is a large, thriving community. Even brick-and-mortar stores often have a section devoted to books recommended on #BookTok. It’s the perfect place to promote your self-published book.

The excitement and sense of accomplishment from publishing your book and seeing it for sale in retail stores and online is fantastic. It’s even more exciting to see the money come in. But if those sales are slowing, or even if they remain steady, it might be time to look beyond your current horizons and into selling in international markets.

The market for books in the U.S. is huge, but the 2023 global book market was valued at $132.4 billion. For authors and publishers willing to invest, selling their books globally can pay off substantially in terms of greater impact, revenue, and career opportunities. Don't limit your book’s potential by just staying in your comfort zone.

In a previous post, we discussed the many reasons why you should sell your book globally and how Global Connect makes it easy to get into international markets. The next question you’re probably asking yourself is how to go about promoting your book in those markets. Here, we'll share some things to consider when stepping into the international scene.

Self-publishing with IngramSpark gets you access to one of the largest wholesale book distributors in the world, which means thousands of retailers and libraries can easily order your book. However, these places are concentrated in English-speaking countries or where English is often learned as a second language. With the Global Connect Program (GCP), you can achieve a truly global reach that will get your book in the hands of people who otherwise might never hear of it. 

Updated February 10, 2025

Through IngramSpark's extensive distribution channels, your title has the potential to reach audiences around the world. For optimized global discoverability of your title regardless of the content language, use these metadata guidelines and suggestions. All content must follow our Catalog Integrity Guidelines. 

You may not have even considered creating author merchandise as a promotional tool, as merchandising is still a relatively new concept in the world of self-publishing. However, think about the power of merchandise in promoting all of your favorite brands, tv shows, or movies. Per Indie Wire, Star Wars retains its 2012 Guinness World Record title as history’s most successful film merchandising franchise. It amassed an unfathomable $32 billion from lucrative merchandise.

So you’ve self-published your book, and it’s available to order online, in bookstores, and even libraries. It’s a fantastic feeling to see your hard work pay off, but if the sales aren’t coming in as quickly as you hoped, it's time to look at other places to sell your book. Schools offer a variety of opportunities, including volume sales, if you have the cash flow and patience to make it past the initial hurdle.

If you want to write something truly unique that will also serve to grow your brand as an author consider writing a memoir. No one has the same story as you or will be able to tell it in your style. Your fans want to get to know you, and you can go much deeper in a memoir than in blog articles or social media posts. As an independent author, your brand is you. 

Dickinson, Frost, Angelou, Hughes, Whitman . . . the names alone conjure up a rush of "the feels." These names inspire. They are worthy of remembrance, but that's not enough. National Poetry Month is a call to not only remember these inspirational artists, but also to think about and share how their work and the art form it embodies has endured to influence millions of lives. Poetry extends across cultures and generations and you have a role to play in that.

Choosing Thema Subject and Qualifier Codes are a powerful way to make your book more discoverable in the Global Market. More super-charged than BISAC Subject Codes, Themas were designed to help your book find both its broad, and very specific, audience around the world.