First an edit ... this was suppose to self post on Tuesday automatically. It didn't. Sorry for delay.
ON SALE: Only $.99. Three Steps: The Journeys of Ayrold. A fast paced Celtic novel about a young man searching for his past where reality and fantasy are opposite ends of the same stick. With just 3 steps, Harry Corsi moves from one reality to another and which is fantasy becomes a question when he is faced with elves, leprechauns, wizards, dwarfs and a dragon. Of course, not everything appears as it is - leprechauns are dwarfs, dwarfs are ogres and giants are leprechauns in this tale of who is who.
Welcome friends of the quill. In the 'olde' days, you'd place an ad like the above in the newspaper to help 'hawk' your book. I have discovered in the last few weeks a horrifying thing. Being a writer is not an easy job -- actually, the easiest part is writing the story or novel. The hard part? Marketing.
Exactly what does that mean? It means you have to really understand your genre and the competition and a whole lot more. Contrary to the popular belief -- if you write it, they will read -- they won't. That only works in movies with Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones.
So what is marketing? Is it Facebook? Twitter? Blogging?
Sure you can use those but there is more. You need to connect with your readers. Touch them, get in their faces and push your book down their throats because if you don't do it -- uh, nobody else is going to.
So now I'm going to ask you... what marketing strategy do you have in place? How do you get the word out about your book? How do you get sales?
Share your insight.
I'm listening.
Until next I blog...
Hi Bob. Thanks for following me on Twitter. Thought I'd stop by for a visit.
ReplyDeleteThe authors I've seen who are successful with their books are the ones who get out and interact. It isn't a matter of selling your book so much as letting people know who you are and telling them about what you've written in an informative, not "salesy," way.
Getting started with social networking is daunting because there are so many choices. One thing I would recommend, since you are just starting your Twitter account, is to join the next Platform Building Campaign. A lovely author named Rachael Harrie runs these campaigns every few months, and the next one is in February. Be prepared to spend some time on it, but it is fun, it will help you get more followers, and you'll meet a lot of other wonderful writers. Here's more info about it:
Rachaelharrie.blogspot.com/p/writers-platform-building-crusade.html
As for other ways of spreading the word, I recommend you check out the following resources:
* www.KindleBoards.com, particularly the Writer's Cafe.
* www.Goodreads.com: Set up an author account and identify the books you've written. Check out the groups and join conversations that interest you.
I wish you the best of luck with your marketing efforts. As Joe Konrath would say, it's not about what you have to sell, it's about what you have to offer.