What I Believe #IWSG #BookMarketing
Hola, Insecure Writers Support Group! Nice to see you. Once again, thank you Mr. Alex J. Cavanaugh for bringing us all together to help each other through the ups & downs of this writing adventure. My insecurity, or rather challenge, this month is going to sound rather strange, particularly considering that I have a new release next month. What I'm struggling with right now is to not market my book. That's right, I said not.
After five years of observation and direct experience, I've come to beleive that once a book is written and out there, there's very little an author can do to sell her own book. I've seen authors work their bums off, implementig really, really good marketing strategies with little to no sustained impact on sales. I've seen other authors do hardly anything at all and meet with great success.
I believe sustainability of sales depends on a perfect storm of appealing cover/blurb/premise, the right timing, compelling story, and magic. All of those things work together to conjure the one thing that will bring about sustainable sales: word of mouth. An author can shout incessantly from the top of a mountain made of Rafflecopters, promo pics, book trailers & Instagram followers, but unless readers start talking about her book on their own, it ain't gonna sell.
I find this conclusion both frustrating and freeing. Frustrating because dammit, there's nothing I can do. Freeing because hey, I don't have to do anything! Well, maybe not nothing. We do have to make at least a small effort to let people know the book is out there in the hopes that they'll pick it up, read it, love it, and talk, talk, talk about it. What I'm trying to do is stick to a simple promo plan and not panic and shift into pointless promo overdrive - because as strong as my conviction is, I have to constantly resist the urge to shout from the top of that mountain.
All that being said...come on now, you didn't expect me to go cold turkey, didjya? But I swear, this giveaway is part of my simple, basic plan. If you have any interest at all in a sassy Chic-lit/Love story please click away below and do what the Rafflecopter tells you. Thanks!
How do you keep from going into promo overdrive?
Comments
Sure we have to do something but it really doesn't mean we have to kill ourselves. Things will happen with that extra bit of luck and by having those elements of the perfect storm ;)
"I believe sustainability of sales depends on a perfect storm of appealing cover/blurb/premise, the right timing, compelling story, and magic."
Agreed. I would also add author brand and number of pubs/writing experience. Sure there are a few authors who have awesome sales for debut novels, but that is so rare.
But I think you can market the novel without being over the top or burning yourself out. I want people to hear about Vibby!
Radio and TV interviews and speaking engagements allow authors to connect better to an audience than online promo and giveaways. Authors need to focus more on learning to put themselves out there in what are often uncomfortable out-of-the-comfort-zone situations. When we put ourselves in the lives of the potential buyers I think they become more receptive to buying our products.
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
BRRRRRR. I arrived back in Chicago yesterday. I am NOT HAPPY... LOL. So much is happening and I am still in limbo... Hopefully I'll have some good news later today. I found an awesome condo in Tampa and put in an offer. I've lost out on THREE other awesome places and I just hope this is it....
CONGRATS on you newest release! Such fun! I'll remember it when my book FINALLY COMES OUT... WHENEVER that is!!!! Lol.
Let's catch up soon...
Good to know I can relax after that.
My marketing opinion is kinda like yours: advertising in the blogs to authors isn't the target audience. Its great for getting reviews, but not necessarily sales. Need to market to the places that readers follow. Amazon reviews, Good Reads, anywhere the average reader frequents. Of course, those places also open up the book to negative reviews, but at least it is getting read.
Good Luck and much success with your new book.
Cute promo pic! You got my attention. =)
Well said! I totally agree, too! And, yes, it's frustrating to not know what, exactly will work -- other than writing the next book, of course! It's the only thing that people say measurably sells more books.
Good luck promoing, either way!
And even books/movies with national exposure? I don't drop money on them until a friend I trust gives me the green light.