What is social proof? (and how you can use it to sell more books!)

How did you last decide to pick up a book? Did you skim the reviews on Goodreads? Were you convinced by a quote from your favourite author gracing the cover? Or maybe it caught your eye because it was placed front and centre on a bookshop’s “Staff Picks” shelf.

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, you’ve engaged in “social proof”. Once we understand the psychology behind this marketplace phenomenon, we can leverage it to our advantage. Read on for everything you need to know.

What is “social proof”?

Social proof is a behavioural cue that people unconsciously look for when they’re assessing how to act in a given situation. It means that we study the choices being made around us to inform our own choices. When we see someone we trust doing something or refraining from doing something, it helps us better understand what we should do next.

This isn’t always a positive thing, as we can see from the many ludicrous and dangerous trends on TikTok. But, it can be used in a positive way to connect with readers. They’ll see that other people are engaging with our work, which will make them feel like they should engage with it themselves.

There are a few ways which authors can use to create this sense of engagement and encourage readers to pick up their books. We’ll look at those below.

Three types of social proof

To better understand how social proof works, let’s examine the three broad ways it can manifest in book marketing.

The wisdom of the many

This type of social proof is a form of popular validation. When people see a crowd paying attention to something, they’ll become interested in it too. For readers, this wisdom comes in the form of reviews, social media, and viral trends.

The endorsement of the expert

Sometimes we don’t need a whole crowd to show us the way forward; sometimes the word of a perceived expert or influencer is enough. This means recommendations from celebrity influencers, famous authors, or someone with their finger on the pulse of contemporary literature.

Bragging rights

Bragging rights come from what we perceive to be quantifiable success. This includes things like literary awards and covers that say “Sunday Times Bestseller”. Readers understand this to mean that a book has “proven itself” somehow.

How to get social proof for your book

Ready to give readers the proof they need? Here are a few practical ways to obtain social proof and generate more book sales.

Distribute ARCs

ARCs, or Advanced Reader Copies, are by far the best way to get presale reviews for your book. This means creating an early mockup of your book — either in print or in digital form — and sending it out to generate some buzz before your book even hits the shelves.

Readers can access these advance copies through sites like The Niche Reader and NetGalley, or sometimes by reaching out to the publisher. Then, they leave a (hopefully positive) review on places like Amazon and Goodreads.

Reach out to your heroes

If you’ve written a book, chances are you like to read. Which authors inspired you? Which authors write in the same style that you do? If you can get one of them to read it and offer you a few words of praise, you might be able to stick “‘This book kept me up all night!’—Fabulous Writer” on your cover. Then, readers who love the same author you do will see their name and think, this must be good.

This is why it’s so helpful to read widely in your genre. You’ll know which authors to reach out to that your target readers will value and trust.

Enter writing contests

Writing contests are one of the best ways to create quantifiable proof that you know what you’re doing. You don’t even have to win — landing a place on the shortlist or longlist of a prestigious contest is still something worth celebrating.

Pro tip: Many short story contests also accept novel excerpts, provided they can be enjoyed as standalone stories. There are also contests that specifically look for first chapters of a work in progress.

For some ideas of where to start, check out this list of contests for historical fiction writers, and this one for SFF writers!

Hold giveaways

Giveaways are another great way to get those pre-release reviews, and to generate some excitement — because who doesn’t love to win free stuff?

You can hold giveaways through Goodreads or through your own author mailing list, if you use one. This gets people talking about you and engaging with your brand.

Cross promote

Cross promotion is a fantastic and vastly underutilised way to reach new readers and prove that you have an expert seal of approval. This means connecting to other businesses with a mission that’s compatible with the theme of your story.

For example, if your book is about a librarian who solves mysteries, you could partner with an organisation that supports libraries. If your book is about a knight in a mediaeval romance, you could partner with a re-enactment society or a school for swordplay.

Then, once you’ve chosen a brand that you think is a good fit, you can arrange live events (more on that below); invite a member of the business for a panel chat (which you can then share to social media); or, if the business is a charity, donate a percentage of your book sales in a given period. These partnerships will make your work feel more authentic and validated to your readers.

Host live events

Live events have two benefits: they get readers there in person, and they get readers to share photos and videos online later.

Readings and book signings are great, but sometimes it helps to get creative. If your story is about two rival booksellers who fall in love, try a “Find Love In a Bookshop” speed-dating event. If your book is about a rising pastry chef, hold a cooking workshop and teach readers the recipes your protagonist prepares in your book. People live for this kind of stuff.

Go get that stamp of approval and GET THOSE BOOK SALES!!!