I just finished reading the last page of my book. What am I going to do next? Honestly? I’m going on TikTok to look at what other people thought about this book. Now that the high of the book is going away, I want my next read. I’m googling what I should read next and looking for books similar to the one I just finished. And now I keep seeing Reddit recommendations show up again and again.

Why does this matter to you as an author? Your readers are already searching for their next book, and Google is putting Reddit recommendations right in front of them. A lot of the time, readers find their next book because someone else vouches for it. You need to join the conversation to help shape it and potentially reach new readers. The catch is that Reddit has really tricky rules to follow, and if you post the wrong way, you can get removed. So, let’s go over how to promote your book on Reddit without getting banned.

What is a Subreddit? How Does the Reddit Community Work?

Reddit is a bit different from other social platforms. It’s all user-generated content where people are in specific communities for all sorts of topics, or what they call a subreddit. There’s a subreddit for just about anything you can think of, which makes Reddit’s users very broad. Most users are anonymous, which brings out honest conversations. It’s great for getting real, true feedback. On the flip side, it means users are going to be more critical, and promoting on Reddit can be extremely challenging.

To make the most of Reddit for your book promo, here are some terms you need to understand:

1. Subreddit: A subreddit is a forum within Reddit dedicated to a specific topic. It starts with r/ followed by the topic name. Ex. r/Printing
2. Upvote/Downvote: Users on the platform can upvote or downvote posts and comments. Upvotes are approval, and downvotes are disapproval. These can affect the poster’s visibility and score
3. Karma: Karma are points earned from upvotes on posts and comments. There are two types of karma: post karma and comment karma.
4. Flair: Flair is a tag added to your posts or profiles for extra context. Some author subreddits require specific flair, like author self-promo, before they’ll let you post about your own book. Always check the sidebar of a subreddit to read the rules before you can assume you can post at all.
5. Sticky Post: A sticky post is a post pinned to the top of a subreddit to keep it super visible. A lot of people use this for extra context on any specific restrictions or rules they have.
6. Mods (Moderators): Mods are users who manage and enforce the subreddit’s rules.
7. Shadowban: A shadow ban is a type of ban where users’ posts and comments are hidden without the user knowing.

Within each subreddit, you can sometimes find special rules. You’ll find them in the right column of each subreddit.

You need to understand each subreddit’s rules and etiquette. They have to be followed so that you can avoid being banned or getting your post removed.

 

What are Reddit’s Self-Promotion Rules?

Reddit runs on a 90/10 rule. About 90% of what you post and comment on should have nothing to do with your book or business. The other 10% can point back to your work. It’s not a strict formula that mods will sit and calculate, but if someone checks your profile to see your post history and it’s nothing but links back to your own book or website, you can look like a spammer. Reddit has built its platform on authenticity, and users don’t want it ruined by ads and self-promo they see everywhere else.

Your history should show you answering questions, recommending other people’s books, providing actual insights into writing or anything that you might be an industry leader in. That will make you look normal and not desperate.

Which Subreddits Let Authors Promote Their Books?

Start with general book subreddits, like r/books, r/booksuggestions, r/bookclub and r/findareddit. These are great starting points and will help you find other subreddits to join. From there, go specific, like r/pubtips, which is built for authors working through exactly what you’re doing right now. Every genre has its own subreddit. For example, r/fantasy runs a sticky self-promo thread every week. r/romancebooks is full of readers actively looking for new books and r/scifi is the same way.

Almost none of them will let you just post a link whenever you want. Each one has its own cadence in posting. The rules can change if the mods change so, always check a subreddit’s sidebar or wiki before you post.

Something to keep in mind, is that the bigger the subreddit, doesn’t mean the better it’s going to be. Obviously, a subreddit with a few million members can sound like great exposure, but if there’s a bunch of posts happening, it’s easy for yours to turn into background noise. Smaller, tighter subreddits where people are actively engaging on new posts are going to do a lot better for you versus a massive subreddit where it can get missed pretty easily.

Do a mini audit of some of the posts and comments on all of the threads, just so you can pay attention to what type of content in that subreddit is getting the most attention and upvotes. Don’t stop at book subreddits either, just because of the 90/10 rule. If your book is about, say, for example, competitive swimming, r/swimming is something you could potentially join and have insights on or learn information for your books. People who care about your subject aren’t necessarily always going to hang out in book communities.

How Do You Build Trust in a Subreddit Before You Post?

Success on Reddit isn’t just about posting. You need to be involved. That is the number one thing that will make or break your success on Reddit. Commenting on others’ posts and jumping into discussions are going to help you build relationships in the subreddit and show that you’re there to contribute not just promote. A subreddit is exactly like a community. In a community if you want to feel like you’re part of the community, you also have to get out, help, and contribute to make that community the best it can be. Relevant comments can boost your visibility and subtly promote your book without the hard sell, and it builds up your karma. A higher karma score ups your credibility and will make it more likely that your content is going to be well received. It also just makes your profile look more trustworthy overall. Here are some tips:

• Pick a username tied to your author identity, like r/ogray author.
• Put a link to your book or website in your profile
• Post in the weekly/monthly self-promo thread early. You don’t want your post to be buried.
• Say you’re an author only when it’s relevant to the conversation. For example, “I’m an author, so I’m a little biased, but here’s how I handle this” Being a neutral bystander when you have backed experience isn’t going to help you.
• Just be yourself, because tone matters. We’re getting to a spot where we can all pick out marketing language pretty quickly, so if your comment sounds like it’s an ad, it’s going to get bogged down in downvotes.
• Dedicate time to being on the platform. Your best posts are going to be where you contribute to the conversation and aren’t creating it.
• The title of any post is just the cover of a book. This will tell someone if they want to read more. Try to either create a curiosity gap or just something that’s genuinely intriguing.

How to Run Reddit Ads for Your Book

Organic posting is the best thing on Reddit, but it’s going to take time. If you want to speed things up, Reddit ads let you target specific subreddits or broader interest groups directly. Setting one up is simple: you just need to pick your audience, set a budget, and choose a format. Here are the different types of Reddit ads you can use:

• Recommended Image Size: 1200 x 628 pixels (aspect ratio 1.91:1)
• Video Ads
  • Landscape Video:
    • Recommended: 1200 x 675 pixels (16:9 aspect ratio)
  • Portrait Video:
    • Recommended: 720 x 1280 pixels (9:16 aspect ratio)
  • Square Video:
    • Recommended: 1080 x 1080 pixels (1:1 aspect ratio)
  • File Type: MP4 or MOV
  • Max File Size: 1GB
  • Duration: 3 to 140 seconds
• Carousel Ads
  • Image Size per Card: 1200 x 628 pixels (aspect ratio 1.91:1)
  • Number of Cards: 2 to 6
  • File Type: JPG or PNG
• Text Ads
  • These ads don’t require images, but you can add an optional thumbnail with a recommended size of 1200 x 628 pixels.

See what performs well before throwing a bunch of money. Depending on your subreddit choice and how well your ad matches who you’re targeting, the results can vary. Treat your first Reddit ad campaign as a test.

FAQ- Reddit Book Promotion

Is it against Reddit’s rules to promote your own book?
Not outright. Reddit allows self-promotion as long as it stays a small part of your overall activity. The problem isn’t mentioning your book, it’s making that the only reason you’re on the platform.

How often can you self-promote on Reddit without getting banned?
The widely followed benchmark is the 90/10 rule: nine genuine, non-promotional posts or comments for every one that points to your book. Individual subreddits can set their own, stricter limits on top of that, so always check the sidebar rules before you post.

What happens if a subreddit bans you for self-promotion?
You lose posting privileges in that specific community, and it usually shows up on your account history, which can make other subreddits more cautious about you. Repeated violations across multiple subreddits raise the risk of a sitewide suspension, so it’s worth treating each subreddit’s rules as final rather than testing how much you can get away with.

How much karma do you need before you can promote your book?
There’s no official number, but most authors who succeed at this spend two to four weeks being genuinely active first, commenting, answering questions, upvoting, before they ever mention their book. Moderators often check your post history before approving anything promotional, so a thin or brand-new profile is a red flag on its own.

Is it okay to mention your book in your Reddit bio?
Yes. Your bio is one of the safest places to link your book, since nobody has to see it unless they click through to your profile on their own. It’s a much lower-risk way to let curious readers find your work than posting a link directly in a subreddit.

Can you promote your book on r/books?
No. r/books is a general book-discussion community, and it has a strict no-self-promotion policy, sales links get removed fast, and repeat attempts can get your account banned. It’s a good place to be a reader, not a seller. If you want to mention your own book, look for a subreddit that specifically allows it instead.

Do you need mod permission before posting about your book?
In some genre and community subreddits, yes. Several have a rule requiring authors to message the moderators first and get approval before posting an announcement, even in subs where author promotion is otherwise welcome. Posting without asking first is a fast way to get banned, so check the sidebar or wiki for a “contact mods” or “author spotlight” rule before you post.

What is an author AMA, and is it worth doing on Reddit?
An AMA, short for “Ask Me Anything,” is a live Q&A where you answer reader questions directly in the comments. Some book subreddits run official AMA programs for authors, and they can be a strong way to build real visibility, but most require your account to be in good standing first. A banned or flagged account usually means the AMA gets cancelled before it happens, so this only works once you’ve built some trust already.

Lets Get Your Book Out There!

Once you’ve mastered the Reddit platform, making it a key part of your marketing strategy. Just remember to be authentic. Printing Center USA has you covered on all your printed marketing materials to complement your digital marketing efforts.

Here’s how to order:

1. Choose your size, paper, binding, and quantity, using our instant quoting tool
2. Upload your print-ready file (or use PrintingCenterUSA’s free online design tool or free downloadable templates to build your design)
3. Check out and approve your free PDF proof
4. Print! Standard turnaround is 3-4 business days from proof approval

Have questions? PrintingCenterUSA’s customer service team is available at 800-995-1555 from 7am-6pm MST Monday-Friday.

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