So why do I say I want to scream? Well it's just that sometimes there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything. Actually it's not sometimes, it's every day. And I'm weary. Very weary. This last year has been a non-stop roller-coaster of emotions, and hard work. I've released countless books, written more, reviewed several, blogged to excess, twittered myself to death, and I wish I could do something about my marketing.
It's still not good enough. I'm still not good enough. I want to outsource it, and I've even tried, but so many people out there who say they can market are merely reprobates and con-artists. Am I being harsh and unfair? I don't think so. I'm not a young and gullible person. I am a mature and well-seasoned business executive. I have worked hard to get to where I am today. And yet...
Wow, that was a nice little rant and I should feel a little better for it. I just wish it actually changed something. But it doesn't. My marketing techniques and efforts have still been found wanting. I need to take a new direction, but I don't know exactly what. Maybe if I have a complete break this Memorial Weekend, I'll look at things differently on Tuesday. I hope so. Because next week I've got another new book to plan and so the non-stop Indie Author process continues...
Paul, are you members of any Indie Author groups on Facebook? There's lots of them. They can help you find better places to market. For example, if you're part of KDP Select you can use sites like ENT and Pixel of Ink (with plenty of advance notice - three weeks to a month) for their free listings. Both or either will get you plenty of attention for your free days.
ReplyDeleteI've already done the KDP Select thing. Was a complete waste of time. It cost me more sales than I made
ReplyDeleteAlso, unfortunately, my problem is time... With a full-time job, trying to write and everything else I don't get two hours a day to do the marketing side.... Just saying!
ReplyDeleteIt's not you, Paul. The market is fluid and in a constant state of flux. No single author can keep up, just like no so-called marketing guru can guarantee success.
ReplyDeleteMost authors who become bestsellers are not due to slick marketing campaigns, nor did it happen overnight. Readers and demand drive it, and that frustrates the big boys also, since there is no predicting the market. All we can do is keep plugging away as best we can.
Right on, Shawn. Write good books. Build a quality catalog. Then trust that the market will catch up to you at some point.
DeleteIf this doesn't happen by book #4, might be time to take a critical look at the work itself -- never an easy thing to do. Find an objective, qualified editor to review them -- "yes-men" will not advance your cause.
And then be ready to bleed. :-)
Paul--I hear you. I know EXACTLY what you're going through because I went through the same process with my first novel, 'Day of Revenge'. It sure doesn't feel very good to put in numerous hours of hard work and get next to nothing in return in terms of sales.
ReplyDeleteBut I do encourage you to keep plugging on. Have you queried any independent traditional publishers?
I've done the same ranting and raving, then went right back to work, still looking for that magic combination. I've discovered that the magic is in me; its in my determination and perspective. The reality is - I write because I love to write and I have joy when others enjoy what I've written. This is most important and I will keep writing. Sure I would love to have a best seller but that's not the most important goal. In all that I'm doing here, I have found friends and continue to learn more of my craft every day. Time then is not wasted. A foundation is being set and reinforced. Keep going from here. You don't know what lies around the next bend in this journey but it is important to find the joy as you travel. Enjoy what does bring you closer to your goals as you work on this. You bring joy to us all John with your writing efforts, at least you have for me and I thank you. That's my two cents, or is it a quarter now? ;-)
ReplyDeleteI think the market is utterly oversaturated right now, due in no small part to all the freebies through KDP Select the past several months. KDP Select bastardized the market for a while, throwing "market rules" out the window.
ReplyDeleteNow that the effectiveness of those free days to build immediate paid sales has vanished, perhaps more authors will opt out of giving away their heart and soul. I hope so.
At any rate, I think the market correction -- getting back to economic basics -- is going to take several months, at least. Ultimately, those offering a quality catalog of products for a fair price will prevail.
Consumers demand value (Value = Quality:Price), and they're getting increasingly frustrated with low quality books, even if they're free. So write good books, first and foremost.
Brand-building is a slow, dreadful grind. Unless you have tens of thousands of dollars for broad-based advertising, there's simply no way to shortcut that process. Frustrating, but that's the reality.
Agree with Lane. It's hard to tell with the market who's READING. Keep on dude!
ReplyDeleteIt might help (a little, at least) if someone like me who clicks through to your blog on a phone has an easy link to buy your books! I went to your mobile profile and still didn't see links.
ReplyDeleteOn the mobile version of the blog there's an option at the top to show different pages. 'Bookstore' and 'Author Website' take you to places where you can purchase my books. I hope this helps. Unfortunately there's not as much freedom to change the formatting on the mobile version.
DeleteI know exactly what you mean. I don't enjoy marketing - and am rubbish at it. Result - some people buy my book (and, from reviews and private feedback), most don't even know they are there. But I can't scream and shout about it every minute of the day - there's another book to write, and family to enjoy, books to read ... I do my feeble best with the marketing thing, and then just get in with enjoying life. It's too short to beat myself up about a bit of marketing.
ReplyDeleteWell ... I have two words to the "girl" with 1 book who "knows exactly how you feel" but doesn't bother to look at your catalog of work. .. but I'll keep those two words to myself.
ReplyDeleteBeen pondering the plight of books and reading, the dying paper publishing industry and the loss of genius editors (who learn and work with an author not just charge per word), real professional book marketing, and publishers in general.
IMO Most writers and many artist are not sales people and if they are,... then, like you mention, marketing is a full time job.
It's the going solo, in a crowd, doing a job that used to be done by at least 3 people, while earning a survival doing something that takes up creative time and mind, that's scream worthy. Sorry, not trying to make light. I guess I should.
Thank you for your kind words... Have a wonderful holiday!
DeleteIt's a profit maker for Amazon and other direct publishers, in addition to the countless editors and marketers wanting a bit of the author pie. The marketing aspect is compounded by the bias against self-published books. There are layers of reviewers, and unfortunately for self-published books, the reviews don't usually come from the top. Why the prejudice? Because most authors don't take the time or invest in the sound advice of editors (or the editors are not that good).
ReplyDeleteI totally get it Paul. I've been doing this for over 2 years now, and I'm mentally exhausted. *sigh* It would be nice if I could at least make a living off of it and quit my day job. It'd be even better if I were making enough to hire someone to do all the noisy stuff like marketing.
ReplyDeleteJust remember to squeeze as much enjoyment out of the writing as you can still manage. :) You'll get through it.
From Susan Ricci~ This is the blog of an exhausted author/blogger/family man/marketer/newpaper editor/~ Need I go on? We're all there and with you, John! And wishing you the best. I notice this is a year old post and that it doesn't get any easier, I guess if it did, everyone would be doing this crazy career called How to be An Author in Three Easy Steps. XO
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