Research reports on readership in Poland have not been optimistic for years. One consolation is that in 2021, the percentage of people who have read at least one book will rise from 39 to 42. Publishers and authors of books wonder every day how to sell more copies among a society that simply reads little. One modern (and quite effective) way to promote not only reading, but also specific titles is… influencers. 

From this article you will learn everything you need to know about influencer marketing in Poland for the publishing industry. What are the types of book influencers and who belongs to them? Who are the Bookstagrammers? Where to look for influencers besides social media? What to expect from them and how to pay them? We answer!

Table of Contents:

  1. Which Polish influencers are worth collaborating with? 
  2. List of popular Polish book influencers
    • Bloggers 
    • YouTubers & podcasters
    • Bookstagrammers
    • Professionals
    • Niche influencers
    • Others
  3. The most popular ways to promote books
  4. Methods of settling accounts with influencers 

Which Polish influencers are worth collaborating with? 

Although the word “influencer” itself evokes rather negative associations in Poles, it is worth being aware that there is no one influencer for all. There are YouTube channels, Facebook and Instagram profiles, podcasts, websites and even blogs (yes, the good old blogs), which every day attract thousands of viewers willing to learn more about books and discover new titles. 

When looking for people to work with, it’s worth considering not only their reach, but also the type of literature influencers ‘specialise’ in. The most popular genres of books in Poland are sensational and criminal literature, popular literature, biographies and historical books. This does not mean, however, that other genres (such as children’s or business books) do not have their admirers. What’s more, sometimes it can be beneficial to work with a “general” influencer, i.e. an influencer who doesn’t deal with books on a daily basis. It all depends on the publisher’s budget, the genre of the book, and its target audience. 

Don’t worry – we have a ready-made list of the most popular Polish influencers you should know when starting influencer marketing activities for the publishing industry. 

List of popular Polish book influencers

Bloggers

  • Gypsy Girl Recenzuje
  • Literacki GPS
  • Halamanowa
  • Magiczny świat książki
  • Domi Czyta
  • Bardziej lubię książki niż ludzi
  • Księgarka na regale
  • Na regale u Marty Mrowiec
  • Matka Książkoholiczka
  • Literackie skarby świata całego
  • Nie oceniam po okładkach

YouTubers and podcasters

  • Zaksiążkowane
  • Book Reviews by Anita
  • Ośle uszy
  • Bom ebook
  • Doktor Book
  • Bestsellerki
  • Literaccy
Zaksiążkowane, which is one of the biggest YouTube channels dedicated to books

Bookstagrammers

  • Uwaga Czytam
  • zaczytana.querida
  • _my_world_book_
  • NIEnaczytana
  • pannafox
  • pannaannapl
  • Literackie_serce
Bookstagramer zaczytana.querida’s feed 
Source: https://www.instagram.com/zaczytana.querida/

Professionals (journalists and literary critics)

  • Lady Margot
  • Subiektywnie o książkach
  • Alfabet Wojtusika 
  • Świat Czytników 
  • Smak Książki
  • Krytycznym okiem
  • Kurzojady
  • Bernadetta Darska
  • Okoń w sieci
  • CzytamRecenzuje.pl
  • Rozmawiam, bo lubię
  • Subiektywnie o książkach
  • Wielki Buk
  • Zdaniem Szota
Margaret Tinc, aka Lady Margot on Instagram
Source: https://www.instagram.com/ladymargotpl
/

Niche book influencers (on a single topic)

  • Bajkochłonka
  • W naszej bajce
  • Aktywne czytanie
  • Slavic Book
  • Rude Recenzuje
Aktywneczytanie.pl on Instagram – a blog about children’s books
Source: https://www.instagram.com/ksiazki_aktywneczytanie/

Others

  • Krytycy akademiccy
  • Edukatorzy i eksperci
  • Profesjonalni mówcy
  • Znani ludzie biznesu
  • Inni sprzedający się autorzy
  • Popularne osoby (np. dziennikarze telewizyjni, aktorzy)
  • Podcasterzy i YouTuberzy (np. zajmujący się tematyką true crime)

The most popular ways to promote books

Before you start advertising, it is worth considering when the best time to launch a campaign is. In our experience, as a Polish advertising agency, the earlier the better. There is no point in waiting until the book is published. The influencer community needs to know about it even before it hits the shelves of a bookstore. Ideally, interest in a book should be generated while it is still being published – or even while it is still being written (just look at the careers of George R.R. Marin or J.K. Rowling). 

The most important part of influencer marketing for the publishing industry (apart from choosing the right person to cooperate with) and drawing up a promotional calendar is, of course, the entire advertising campaign. Here, the less templated the more effective. However, there are a few traditional ways of promoting books in cooperation with influencers that always work in Poland. Let’s briefly discuss each of them:

  1. A classic review

Depending on which platform the influencer is on, it could be in text or video form. Ideally, such a review should appear just before the book launch.

  1. Basing the material on the content of the book

This type of promotion is great for YouTube channels or podcasts related to true crime topics, as well as science.

  1. Exclusive extracts from the content of the book

A phenomenal way to advertise business or popular science books.  

  1. Mention on social media

A short post on Instagram or a mention in Stories will be a cheap and quite effective way to inform an influencer’s audience about a new book launch.

Mention of upcoming book in Insta Stories Uwaga Czytam
Source: https://www.instagram.com/uwaga.czytam/ 
  1. Video dedicated to a particular author or saga

A great way to collaborate with a YouTuber. However, it is usually the most expensive (although the price depends on the reach of the influencer in question).

  1. Competitions with prizes and giveaways

One of the most popular ways to inform an influencer’s audience about the release of a new title.

Book giveaway on the Books Reviews by Anita channel
  1. Discount codes

It’s a good idea if you want data on the actual sales an influencer has allowed you to generate.

  1. Interview with the author (on his/her YouTube channel, blog or podcast)

This method works well for highly read authors, especially those working in business, psychology and popular science, or books by famous people, such as biographies. 

Billing methods with influencers 

The publishing industry is blessed with much smaller budgets than, for example, the cosmetics or automotive industries. However, this does not mean that book influencers in Poland only accept remuneration in the form of books. 

Some of the most popular ways of billing influencers include:

  • Barter settlement

The usual barter payment here is simply the product being reviewed, or in this case, the book. Often publishers send influencers several copies of one title so that they can organise a giveaway for their audience. However, this billing method usually only applies to micro-influencers or gives limited possibilities for the advertising method (e.g. the influencer can only agree to show the book in Stories). 

  • Cash payment

Traditional settlement in the form of a monetary rate specified by the influencer is becoming increasingly popular – although these amounts are still not as high as in other industries. They also apply mainly to those with the largest reach.

  • Affiliate marketing 

In this case, the influencer receives a unique link to a website (e.g. Amazon) where their audience can purchase the title. When someone buys a book through the influencer’s link, the influencer receives a small amount of money (without charging the person who made the purchase). This model of promotion often takes place without the intermediation of a publisher and can be undertaken even by a person who does not have any reach in social media. This is because their remuneration depends on the number of copies sold from a given link. 

Are you looking for a Polish marketing agency that knows the publishing market in Poland inside out? Do you want to start cooperating with specialists with experience in influencer marketing? Contact our experts – they will be happy to discuss your needs and prepare a promotional strategy from A to Z!