I just celebrated 15 years of writing back in December 2025 (my first novel, Corruptor, was released in 2010), and I’ve worked in publishing now for almost 23 years. I’ve learned quite a bit about this industry, and things pertaining to it that I wish I hadn’t. I’ve learned how every step of the process leads o the book coming into being, how the rejection process works, a hard vs. soft rejection, etc. But one thing that always seems to vex new authors is how to market. But… let you in on a little secret here. Do you know what the best marketing out there is?

You.

That’s right. You, the reader.

Why?

Word of mouth.

You see, readers love to tell other readers what they like (well, usually… I’ve seen some romantasy readers blush and mumble about the latest piece of work that they’ve read) and recommend books. Online forums such as Goodreads were established to do just that, but along the way that format (as with all online forums dedicated to something like this) was misused and abused. It’s one of the reasons why booktok and booktubers blew up in popularity.

Here were people, not anonymous, posting videos of books they love and enjoy. The popularity of certain books have exploded due to these people, and they’re just sharing what they love. As a reader myself, I will definitely tell people when I find a book I like/love and proceed to read everything else by the author. That’s just how I am. If I find a book or series I enjoy, all my reader friends are going to know about it as well.

My fellow readers were the reason I discovered Dungeon Crawler Carl, for example. I am not a big LitRPG reader (okay, I’m not the target audience at all) but thanks to multiple friends of mine, I decided to give it a whirl.

I’m sure Matt appreciates the sales, but what authors love more is when readers talk to one another about our books.

Word of mouth does more than any amount of advertising that can be spent on marketing. I mean, there are ways to game the system on places for advertising, but there’s a rule about how a potential customer has to see an ad seven time before the image sticks in their head. With how many people are using ad blockers and whatnot across social media, that number is probably higher. Meanwhile, the same site is charging you for running said ad and deciding in its mysterious (okay, not so mysterious, but bare with me here) algorithm on where the advert should go, to whom, how often, and during what hours. I’ve seen hundreds of ads on socials telling me that if I liked Harry Potter and Star Wars, then I will love so-and-so series by an author I’d never heard of before, and neither had any of my friends who are serious readers.

Meanwhile, another friend of mine recently recommended Ryan Cahill’s Of Blood and Fire. I bought it on their recommendation alone. Haven’t read it yet, but it’s seventh on my current TBR list. Word of mouth is powerful, and should be used often. How else are we going to find a new book to read from an author we haven’t read before that we can look forward to?

Meanwhile in a not-too-distant future…

To Tread Obsidian Shores is out everywhere books are sold. Are you ready to join the Bronze Legion yet?

The Protectorate of Mars Foreign Legion: A path to citizenship. A fresh start. Defending the Protectorate of Mars against all enemies, foreign and domestic.

HOPE

With itchy feet and a vagabond soul, all Blue ever wanted was to join the Survey Corps and explore the universe. But when she failed the entry exam, becoming a dropship pilot for the Legion was her last chance at achieving that dream. It was only supposed to be a stepping stone . . .

DUTY

All he ever wanted was a home. But when Tavi is driven from his world by murderous revolutionaries, he only has one chance to escape: the Legion. Searching for a new life, he soon discovers something even better—a family.

WELCOME TO THE LEGION