How’s That Marketing Going?
Wow, what a bad topic to blog about. So far, my marketing effort has stalled. At best, I sell one book a month. The few people who have purchased my book usually know me in person or online. The good news is that most of my readers like what they read. It’s nice that I made a few people smile.
My primary marketing plan is to get a few more reviews, bring out two additional books and then use the Amazon paid promotion services. I know this is an awful plan because the Amazon paid promotion services are ineffective. My secondary plan is to develop a grassroots effort of Facebook promotion and beg for reviews. So far this plan has had limited success.
Well, what did I expect? I expected Amazon, Kubo, Barns and Nobel to do a better job promoting new authors. In my mind, it is in their best interest to help new authors become great sellers. Yeah… Some wishful thinking going on in my head.
What else did I expect? Honestly, I expected to find the magic lamp of marketing. Go to website X, pay $50 and BAM! Instant book sales! Woo-hoo! Money in the bank! You cannot imagine how my surprise in not finding such a site.
Now, more than ever, if you have money, people are willing to take it. Why should book promoting be any different? I located many sites who were willing to take my money. However, the services they offered were laughable. Even worse, they could be detrimental as they blasted people with annoying spam. These sites offered no metric of success and no guarantees. The textbook definition of wasted money.
I sensed an opportunity and considered making a business that would promote self-published authors. However, I could not come up with a viable plan that made any sense. That business is still an option. I really need to put some time into thinking up a good business idea.
Every self-published author faces the same marketing wall. There are millions of old books and thousands of new books. Perhaps a hundred new books come out every day. These books all compete for a reader’s attention. Keep in mind that a reader also likes: eating, sleeping, social media, television, sports, movies, exercise, work, family, travel, and friends. Somehow, a self-published author has to break through that entire spectrum of options and convince a reader to “buy it now.”
For example, a reader could purchase The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy [A well establish book] for $2.99 or the reader could purchase Interviewing Immortality [An astounding book. Trust me, I wrote it.] by an unknown self-published author for $2.99.
If I take an objective approach, this is not a difficult decision. I know millions of people cherish The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy. It is a well-written classic that everybody should read. Why would I spend my hard-earned cash on a self-published nobody? Convincing myself to “go ahead. Take the leap. It’s only $2.99.” That’s all fine until I have to put in my credit card number. Hold on. $2.99 will buy me a six-pack of Diet Coke. Let’s think this through. Better go with the established author where I know I will get my money’s worth. “You have purchased The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy. Thank you for choosing Amazon.” Good choice.
Wow, what a depressing thought. Will I ever get the word out? Will I ever sell over two books a month? I believe in myself and I have gotten good feedback from the people who have read my book. This encourages me and I feel that I have a positive writing future ahead of me. Blah, blah, blah. Answer the question. Alright, alright. I have picked a difficult path to follow. It is very hard to self-promote a self-published book. Marketing is challenging for the experts and it is a skill that I have put little effort into developing.
Financial success in self-publishing is difficult for any author and my prospects are slim. What’s missing is a bubbly personality. I simply don’t have it. I also lack the advertising drive. Take the leap, spend the money and put up a billboard promoting your book. Yeah, I will get right on it…
I have never been one to give up and I still see the possibility of success. What’s needed is more effort in the area of engaging people and telling them about my work. This means broadening my presence. Right now, I’m not on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and all those other sites. If I expect any success, social media needs to be part of my core plan.
Here is an unpleasant thought. Pay a YouTuber to promote my book. Girrrrr. I don’t want to do that. Trust me, it will help. Lots of people promote works through YouTube. It’s fast and easy. Girrrrr. It should be clear to everybody that I am in the way of my own success. Now that is a depressing note to end this blog.
You’re the best -Bill
March 6, 2019
My primary marketing plan is to get a few more reviews, bring out two additional books and then use the Amazon paid promotion services. I know this is an awful plan because the Amazon paid promotion services are ineffective. My secondary plan is to develop a grassroots effort of Facebook promotion and beg for reviews. So far this plan has had limited success.
Well, what did I expect? I expected Amazon, Kubo, Barns and Nobel to do a better job promoting new authors. In my mind, it is in their best interest to help new authors become great sellers. Yeah… Some wishful thinking going on in my head.
What else did I expect? Honestly, I expected to find the magic lamp of marketing. Go to website X, pay $50 and BAM! Instant book sales! Woo-hoo! Money in the bank! You cannot imagine how my surprise in not finding such a site.
Now, more than ever, if you have money, people are willing to take it. Why should book promoting be any different? I located many sites who were willing to take my money. However, the services they offered were laughable. Even worse, they could be detrimental as they blasted people with annoying spam. These sites offered no metric of success and no guarantees. The textbook definition of wasted money.
I sensed an opportunity and considered making a business that would promote self-published authors. However, I could not come up with a viable plan that made any sense. That business is still an option. I really need to put some time into thinking up a good business idea.
Every self-published author faces the same marketing wall. There are millions of old books and thousands of new books. Perhaps a hundred new books come out every day. These books all compete for a reader’s attention. Keep in mind that a reader also likes: eating, sleeping, social media, television, sports, movies, exercise, work, family, travel, and friends. Somehow, a self-published author has to break through that entire spectrum of options and convince a reader to “buy it now.”
For example, a reader could purchase The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy [A well establish book] for $2.99 or the reader could purchase Interviewing Immortality [An astounding book. Trust me, I wrote it.] by an unknown self-published author for $2.99.
If I take an objective approach, this is not a difficult decision. I know millions of people cherish The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy. It is a well-written classic that everybody should read. Why would I spend my hard-earned cash on a self-published nobody? Convincing myself to “go ahead. Take the leap. It’s only $2.99.” That’s all fine until I have to put in my credit card number. Hold on. $2.99 will buy me a six-pack of Diet Coke. Let’s think this through. Better go with the established author where I know I will get my money’s worth. “You have purchased The Hitchhikers Guide to The Galaxy. Thank you for choosing Amazon.” Good choice.
Wow, what a depressing thought. Will I ever get the word out? Will I ever sell over two books a month? I believe in myself and I have gotten good feedback from the people who have read my book. This encourages me and I feel that I have a positive writing future ahead of me. Blah, blah, blah. Answer the question. Alright, alright. I have picked a difficult path to follow. It is very hard to self-promote a self-published book. Marketing is challenging for the experts and it is a skill that I have put little effort into developing.
Financial success in self-publishing is difficult for any author and my prospects are slim. What’s missing is a bubbly personality. I simply don’t have it. I also lack the advertising drive. Take the leap, spend the money and put up a billboard promoting your book. Yeah, I will get right on it…
I have never been one to give up and I still see the possibility of success. What’s needed is more effort in the area of engaging people and telling them about my work. This means broadening my presence. Right now, I’m not on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and all those other sites. If I expect any success, social media needs to be part of my core plan.
Here is an unpleasant thought. Pay a YouTuber to promote my book. Girrrrr. I don’t want to do that. Trust me, it will help. Lots of people promote works through YouTube. It’s fast and easy. Girrrrr. It should be clear to everybody that I am in the way of my own success. Now that is a depressing note to end this blog.
You’re the best -Bill
March 6, 2019
