Okay, so I’m published. I can actually say I’m a writer, a published author. Amazing. The fact is, this is just the beginning of learning what the world of publishing is all about. Whether you choose the Independent route or traditional publisher route, it will mean marketing yourself BIG TIME.
Yes, you have to market yourself. Get yourself out there. Is this a no brainer? I didn’t have a clue. UNTIL NOW!
Here is a list of things that I have done, and learned from others – just in case it helps you to focus your own marketing strategy:
Marketing
I’m told by my daughter to be human. Be real. I thought I was being human and real? She’s right though, people want to know a little about you and how you tick. Hopefully you will glean a little about me in the next few paragraphs.
I don’t want to pay anyone to promote my book – this was the hardest thing of all, choosing not to have a professional do the work. However, I have listened to the Wild Rose Press authors, of which there are many, and it there is a view that finding the right person or platform is key, and can be costly. I need to earn before I spend. People may think you have to speculate before you accumulate. That’s not my motto.
Am I going to sell a million books – that would amazing, but not necessarily with promotion gurus, it seems from the information shared.
I use Twitter – Instagram – blog – facebook – friends and family – facebook author – a wide range of fb author groups – some of them are okay, some I’ve found to be vile to some authors and as a result have removed myself from them.
Getting out there – face to face has been difficult because of Covid. Though in honesty, I’m a bit shy and marketing really isn’t what I thought I was signing up for in such a big way.
Covid has reduced opportunities. However, I have managed, a signing at a coffee shop, and more recently I was invited to speak on a Zoom for writers, and then onto two radio programmes. From there I was invited to join a book fair, which was a celebration of 5 years of Indy publishing with the Silver Crow – local to myself.
This was good. I now need to publicise this on their facebook to market their product because we need to support one another. Well I do. In my world, I help someone, and they might help me. So far this has proved true.
I have also noticed, and I mean this sincerely, that if you happen to be beautiful and put your face onto any page you will get noticed. Big time and of course this is advantageous in the world of marketing. Unfortunately, I am polar opposite to beautiful. Hence the little caricature of woman with beret. Though I have put a few photos out there signing a book, and to be fair, I found surprisingly, that was the most interest I had.
Well, this is me done for today. I have to get the house up. The shopping done and myself ready for the world.
Looking forward to anything you can add to this blog. Simply you share, I share, we all get to learn from one another. Take care.