Fasten Your Seatbelt: What a Bus Ride Can Teach You About Book Marketing

I’m on a coach bus from Boston Logan to Cape Cod. The engine hums. The road stretches ahead. I look up and catch a small sign on the seat in front of me: Fasten Seatbelt.

I grin. Not because it’s wrong. Because it’s exactly what most nonfiction authors ignore. 

This sign isn’t about safety. It’s about staying the course. It’s a call to stop coasting and commit to the ride. 

Most authors hit publish and wait. They expect sales to show up, and they hope readers will appear. When nothing happens, they stall. 

You can’t afford to stall. Marketing takes movement. It takes grit. It takes a decision to stay seated and keep going, especially when the road gets rough.

This ride isn’t for dabblers. It’s for authors who refuse to watch their book fade into silence. It’s for those who show up, speak up, and keep moving, long after everyone else has quit.

Fasten your seatbelt. The real work starts now.

Publishing is the easy part. 

Anyone can click a button and call themselves an author.

The hard part? Showing up when the excitement fades. Staying visible when the inbox is empty. Speaking up when no one’s asking.

This is when most authors quit. They lose faith. They go quiet. They disappear before their book ever has a chance to matter.

But you’re still here. You wrote a book to move people. To shift something. To start conversations that matter.

So stop waiting. No one’s coming to rescue your sales.

Buckle up. The road may be rough, but if you’re serious about impact, this is where the journey really begins.

The Myth: Write it, and readers will find it.
The Reality: Marketing is what moves the book.

Readers don’t find books by accident. Visibility takes effort, choices, and a plan.

If you’re not willing to market, you’re not ready to lead.

Publishing a book is a milestone. But marketing it is about movement. The ripple effect. The way your words reach people who need them most.

So let’s talk about what it means to fasten your seatbelt and stay in this ride.

1. Expect a Bumpy Road

No launch is perfect. Some days, nothing moves. Events flop. Emails go unopened. That doesn’t mean you failed.

It means you’re on the right road.

Growth never comes from comfort. Stay in your seat. Don’t panic when the terrain shifts. Adjust your grip and keep going.

2. Stop Looking for a Driver

No one will save your sales. Not your publisher. Not your distributor. Not the “best time to post” chart.

This is your journey.

Get behind the wheel. Choose your route. Steer your message toward the people who need it most. Nobody cares about your book like you do. Act like it and elevate your passion.

3. Don’t Market Once. Market Always.

Marketing isn’t a one-time push. It’s a habit.

The authors who win don’t treat promotion like a launch checklist. They weave it into their message. 

They speak about it. They build offers around it. They keep talking when everyone else has gone quiet.

Momentum belongs to those who keep moving.

4. Use the Tools. Stop Collecting Them.

You don’t need another course, template, or fancy system.

Use what you already have.

Start with your email list. Pitch a podcast. Offer a bulk order. Speak at an event. Tools work when you use them, not when you hoard them.

5. Keep Your Eyes on the Road

Why did you write your book?

Solve a problem? Share your story? Build your business?

Hold onto that. When things get rough, don’t drift. Reconnect with your mission. Stay focused on your readers. Keep aiming toward the transformation your book promises.

6. Tune Out the Noise

There’s no shortage of advice. Social media wants you everywhere. Experts push the “one thing” that worked for them.

Ignore most of it.

Pick your lane. Know your market. Speak to the person who needs your message. 

Clarity wins. Confusion stalls. Make your marketing simple and strong.

7. You Wrote It for a Reason. Don’t Let It Fade.

You didn’t write your book to let it collect dust. You wrote it to spark something. To change someone’s life. Maybe even your own.

But that doesn’t happen if you quit too soon.

Fastening your seatbelt means staying in it for the long haul. It means knowing that real traction takes time. And, the people you’re meant to serve are still out there. 

So next time you see a “Fasten Seatbelt” sign, think of your book.

Think of your message. Think of your journey.

You don’t need a perfect road. You need a strong grip, a clear destination, and the guts to stay the course.

The authors who succeed?
They don’t wait.
They move.
They commit.
And, they enjoy the ride!