The secret to smart self-publishing isn’t just writing. It’s positioning. Here’s how to make your book visible, credible, and irresistible — before you ever write another word.
Why Positioning Comes First
When I was Creative Director at Oxford University Press, I sat in on countless “new book” meetings. Picture the room: editorial, marketing, sales, and design all gathered around a long table. We weren’t there to polish sentences. We were strategizing about where each book belonged in the publishing ecosystem so we could sell it effectively.
Was this title a trade paperback or an academic monograph? A $16.99 memoir or a $29.95 hardcover? Was it competing with Malcolm Gladwell, or destined for the self-help shelf?
Only once those questions were answered did my real work begin. As the Creative Director, I wasn’t in charge of just making things pretty. I was translating strategy into visible form — the cover, the layout, the trim size, the text sizes, and legibility. Every detail was a signal, telling readers, booksellers, and librarians alike: this book belongs to you, on this shelf, at this price, for this audience.
That process is what publishers call positioning, and it’s just as critical for self-publishers as it is for traditional publishers. Without it, you risk creating a book that is not discoverable and doesn’t resonate with its intended audience.
What Is Positioning, Really?
Positioning is the foundation of a book’s identity. It’s not a tagline or a gimmick. It’s the clear, deliberate choice about how your book will be understood in the marketplace.
- Who is this book for?
- What shelf does it belong on—literary fiction, business strategy, or self-help?
- How should it be priced—like a gift book, a workbook, or a trade paperback?
- What comparable titles already exist, and where does yours fit among them?
- How will it be discoverable to your audience?
It’s tempting to skip this step, especially if you’re deep in the weeds of writing. But positioning is the quiet force that makes your book discoverable. It’s how your ideal reader looks at your cover, reads your description, and thinks: Ah, this is for me.
Want to dive deeper? Check out:
The Four Questions Framework
Since leaving Oxford University Press, I’ve been the Principal of Studiolo Secondari, working with both publishers and self-published authors to develop books from concept to market. In that work, I noticed how often authors struggled to make sense of their own positioning. They have the passion and the manuscript, but not a clear framework to guide decisions about audience, format, or market fit. To make the process less overwhelming, I developed a framework built around four essential questions. Each one clarifies a piece of the puzzle, so that by the time you finish, you know not just what you’re writing—but why, who it’s for, and how it should live in the world.
- Why are you writing this book?
Your why sets the compass. Are you writing to generate speaking gigs, to drive leads for your business, to capture family history, or to reach bestseller status?
For example:
- A legacy memoir may call for hardcover authority and premium production
- A business playbook might be better suited to a crisp paperback with bulk-order pricing
Knowing your definition of success shapes every other decision, from production to marketing.
2. Who else is out there like it?
Publishers never release books into a vacuum, and neither should you. Spend an afternoon researching online, in a library, or in your local bookstore, studying 5-10 comparable titles.
Notice:
- Title and subtitle formulas ("The ____ Guide to ____")
- Page counts and price points
- BISAC categories and keywords
- Look and feel, how are these titles signaling their audience?
This isn’t about copying—it’s about locating your book in a real-world context. Readers (and algorithms) rely on patterns. If your book fits the pattern, it becomes discoverable.
Want to dive deeper? Check out:
3. Who is the reader—really?
Too often, authors describe their audience as "everyone who loves romance" or "women aged 25-65." That's too broad.
Instead, think of your reader as a real person:
- What problem are they trying to solve?
- What do they type into Google at 11 p.m.?
- Where do they browse for books? On TikTok, in an airport shop, at an academic conference?
The clearer the picture you have of your audience, the more precisely your book can speak to them in their language. That specificity is what drives discoverability.
Want to dive deeper? Check out:
-
- 4 Pillars of Successful Book Marketing (defining target readers)
- How to Promote a Book on Social Media: 13 Tips for Indie Authors
4. How Will You Deliver the Promise?
Your production choices—format, design, pricing—need to support your positioning.
- A $35 workbook must be durable and designed for heavy use
- A $14.99 romance novel needs and enticing, genre-savvy cover and be available as an ebook
- An illustrated children's book may require a square trim size, a durable paper-on-board binding, and vibrant color printing
Every element should reinforce the signal: this book is in the right place, speaks with authenticity, and delivers and experience that rewards the reader's trust.
Want to dive deeper? Check out:
Why Positioning Protects Your Investment
Writing, editing, designing, printing — self-publishing is an investment. Without positioning, you risk producing a book that’s beautiful but invisible. With positioning, every dollar works harder.
Consider two authors:
- Author A writes a 500-page family saga, prints it as a hardcover, and prices it at $39.99. The book is well-written, but it sits awkwardly between literary fiction and memoir. Sales stall.
- Author B writes the same story, but positions it as a literary memoir, trims it to 280 pages, designs a cover that fits the genre, and prices it at $18.99. The book finds its audience, earns reviews, and creates momentum.
The difference isn't quality. It's positioning.
Want to dive deeper? Check out:
-
- Essential Tools and Services for Self-Published Authors may work when discussing promotional investments like metadata services or Ingram's own offerings
Thinking Like a Publisher Empowers Authors
As Creative Director executing Oxford’s seasonal catalogs, my job wasn’t to win design awards. It was to translate strategy into form—to make sure every element signaled this is the right book for this reader, in this context, at this moment.
That’s what positioning does. It transforms a manuscript from a private passion project into a public invitation. It helps the right readers recognize themselves in your book and choose it with confidence.
For self-publishing authors, that means stepping into the publisher’s role as well as the writer’s. It may feel daunting, but it’s also empowering: you have the ability to shape not just the story you’re telling, but also the way it connects with its audience.
So before you type Chapter One, pause. Think like a publisher. Position your book. You’ll find that the writing flows with more purpose — and the publishing journey feels less like a gamble and more like a plan.
Here’s a quick exercise to see where you are in your positioning journey:
Fill in this sentence and pin it above your desk:
"My book is perfect for [specific reader] who loves [a theme, topic, or story experience], and it belongs on the [genre/category] self alongside [comparable titles]."
If you can't complete that sentence yet, you're not ready to write.
But now you do know exactly where to begin!
Remember: smart publishers don't guess. They position.
Need help? This free guide to book positioning walks you through the exact questions smart publishers ask before they greenlight a book.
.png)
