Publishing your book is the climax of a long and often stressful experience. Unfortunately the happy days soon fade into more days of stress and despair. For many authors, book promotion feels like shouting into the void. You tweet, post on Instagram, maybe run a giveaway… and then you wait. But nothing happens.

If your book is non-fiction, especially targeted at professionals, LinkedIn is where the real opportunity lies. That’s where you’re going to reach the right people and increase your authority in the field. But how?

This isn’t a quick-hack guide. It’s a serious breakdown of what works on LinkedIn, how to position your book with credibility, and how to turn readers into advocates and leads.

Why LinkedIn deserves your attention as an author

InLinkedIn has quietly become one of the most powerful platforms for thought leadership. Unlike other social networks, it is built on intent. People show up to learn, grow, and connect around ideas. They are more open to new concepts, more willing to invest in themselves, and, indeed, more likely to buy books that offer value.

In the rest of this guide, we’ll tell you how to set up your LinkedIn to get more sales and how to create content about your book consistently. 

Position your profile like a landing page

Before you start posting about your book, your profile needs to tell the right story. 

Update your headline to include that you’re the author of your book. Not in a “humblebrag” way, but as a signal of authority. In your summary, give readers some context about why you wrote the book, who it’s for, and what kind of transformation it offers.

Your banner image is another great place to support your message. A high-quality visual with your book cover and a compelling line about its promise can do a lot of the heavy lifting as it’s one of the first things people will see when they see your LinkedIn profile.

Use the ‘Featured’ section to highlight your book in a visual, accessible way. This is where you pin a striking post, a short video, or a direct link to your website or Amazon listing.

Get ready for a big launch

Turn your network into your launch team

You don’t need a massive audience. What you need is a few dozen people who believe in your work and are willing to talk about it.

A launch in combination with thoughtful reviews and user-generated content will carry much further than a couple of isolated launch posts.

So before you have a big launch, reach out to peers, clients, collaborators, and early readers. Offer them a free copy. Ask for a short review or testimonial they can post on LinkedIn. Make it easy—send over a photo of the book, a sample caption, and maybe some hashtags. 

When someone else says “This book helped me rethink X,” it carries 10x the weight of your own promotion.

Capture attention today, build a list for tomorrow

Not everyone will buy your book immediately. That’s okay. What matters is staying in their world.

A simple, thoughtful way to do that is by offering a free lead magnet tied to your book. It could be a downloadable chapter, a bonus worksheet, a related checklist, or even access to a short video training. Something helpful. Something that gives a taste of what your book offers.

Direct people to a simple landing page where they can claim it by entering their email. No pressure. Just an easy next step for those who are interested.

Over time, that email list becomes a direct line to readers who want to hear from you. You can email them with extra insights, updates, some behind-the-scenes stories and discounts. It’s about staying connected and giving them new opportunities to buy at the right time.

Keep creating content about you and your book

Tell the story behind the book—then keep telling it

One of the most overlooked opportunities in book marketing is simply this: people are curious. They want to know why you wrote the book. What challenge drove you. What you learned in the process. What surprised you.

Instead of just promoting the finished product, take people behind the scenes. Share snippets of your journey—what kept you up at night during writing, what you cut from the final draft, how your thinking evolved. These stories humanise you and make the book feel like an organic extension of your expertise.

And let’s be honest, you love talking about that process too. 

Repurpose content from your book strategically

Think of your book as a mine. Inside, there are dozens of insights, frameworks, and examples waiting to be shaped into content.

Instead of simply linking to the book, break it down. One post might explore a case study from Chapter 2. Another might present a checklist based on Chapter 6. You could even create short videos where you elaborate on a key idea and explain how to apply it in real life.

These aren’t just “teasers”—they are stand-alone pieces of value. Done right, each post builds credibility and earns you followers who want more. When they’re ready, they’ll click that buy link.

Tip for Will users: if you have a public url with your manuscript, share it with Will and ask for ideas. Will can easily generate dozens of post ideas to repurpose the content from your book. Yes, he can write the posts too.

Use LinkedIn’s deeper tools to build authority

Most authors ignore LinkedIn articles and newsletters. That’s a mistake. These longform formats have staying power. They get indexed by search engines, they live on your profile forever, and they’re an ideal home for extended insights based on your book.

You might start a newsletter that explores the book’s topics one theme at a time. Or write a deep-dive article on a chapter that resonated most with readers. You could even just copy-paste your book into articles chapter by chapter. This isn’t “extra” work—it’s content you already created. Now it’s just in a new container.

Stay consistent and let momentum build

LinkedIn rewards consistency. One post every few weeks won’t do much. But showing up 2–3 times per week with thoughtful, relevant content can move mountains. You probably still won’t go viral with your posts but all the individual impressions add up. People will notice.

And remember: engagement is a two-way street. Reply to every comment. Find other posts to engage with. Join conversations. If you want to receive, you must also give. 

9 creative ways to keep your book in the spotlight

Once the launch week is behind you and you’ve shared a couple of updates, it gets more difficult to stay consistent. You soon forget to post about the book or you can’t find new ideas. It kills your momentum. Therefore it’s a good idea to resurface your book from time to time, even when your full focus has shifted back to your other business. With these 12 ideas you can keep showing up without spending lots of time on content creation.

1. Turn testimonials into posts

When someone shares how your book helped them—whether in a DM, email, or review—turn that into a story. Quote them directly (with permission), add context around what chapter or concept they applied, and include a CTA back to the book. It doesn’t even have to look great. Nothing is more credible than a sloppy printscreen.

2. Encourage user-generated content

Invite readers to post photos with your book or share their top takeaway in a LinkedIn post. Give them a simple prompt like “What did this book change for you?” and ask them to tag you so you can engage with the post and even reshare the content.

It’s a great idea to add such a call to action at the end of your book, but if it’s already published you can also reach out via email or launch a giveaway campaign for people who share their photo.

3. Run a challenge

Running a challenge is a nice way to keep promoting your book without making it too salesy.

It could be a 5-day mini challenge where people take one small action each day inspired by your book’s message. Keep it simple, doable, and engaging—something they can actually try, reflect on, or share.

Invite people to sign up (great for growing your email list), and deliver the challenge via short daily emails or posts. Each day builds trust, gives them a quick win, and brings your book to life.

At the end, you can naturally invite them to go deeper by grabbing the book. It’s no hard sell, just the next step in a journey they’ve already started with you.

4. Create a companion resource

If a challenge isn’t really your thing, you can always create other extra resources. Design a workbook, checklist, or cheat sheet that pairs with your book’s core ideas. You can use it as a lead magnet to get people on your email list. Or you could give it as a bonus to people who buy your book. 

5. Create a “quote of the week/month” series

A LinkedIn post doesn’t always have to be long and deep. Your book is probably also full of snackable insights. Use simple visuals or carousels to highlight these key quotes. If you want to, you can add a few lines of context to make them feel fresh and invite discussion.

6. Record short videos from key chapters

Video builds trust quickly. Take one idea from the book and explain it in a short video These videos don’t need to be polished. Just show up as your authentic self and talk about a key idea from your book. The great thing about these videos is that you can also share them on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. It’s four times the reach for the same amount of effort. 

7. Use your book to land speaking opportunities

Being an author gives you the opportunity to appear on webinars and podcast. It also opens the doors for keynotes and panel discussions. Every time you’re invited to one of those, it’s a new topic to post about on your LinkedIn. And every time you speak or post about it, is a new opportunity to sell your book to a new audience.

8. Celebrate content anniversaries

The one-year anniversary of your publication date is an obvious milestone to post about, but it doesn’t have to be the only one. How about your first 100 reviews? Or the release of an e-book? Or maybe someone translated it? Use every opportunity to celebrate your book and reshare your story with a fresh angle.

9. Watch for Amazon price drops

If your book is listed on Amazon, prices may occasionally drop without notice. Sometimes they go as low as $1. When it happens, seize the moment. Share a quick post to let your followers know. You’re doing them a huge favour by sharing the discount and it won’t make a huge difference to you. 

Key takeaways for authors ready to go all in on LinkedIn

Even though we insist on creating lots of content, promoting a book on LinkedIn isn’t about spamming your network or chasing likes. It’s about showing up with value and building trust over time.

• Optimise your profile to position your book as a credible asset.
• Share the journey, not just the result.
• Repurpose your book’s content into posts, videos, and articles.
• Activate your network to become your best advocates.
• Use lead magnets and challenges to stay in touch via email.