You finally finished your book, edited and all. I mean really finished: have a stunning cover and, with pride, you hold the copy in your hands. Now what? How to get it out and spread the word?
Writers who have a traditional publisher needn't read further.
For us Indie authors, so called self-pub'd authors, here the real struggle begins.Marketing is the key-word that you should have learned along the way to publication.
FB is a good start, get your book on Goodreads is advisable from day one. With my first book I didn't know that.
Another author wrote the other day she was hosting a launch party in some cafe/pub/maybe bookstore and offered finger-food and a glass of wine. That sounded lovely but doesn't seem to be a viable option for me. FB launch parties were fashionable for a while. If I only had attended one, I would have a clearer picture in my head!
Wondering what else to do I send press releases to the local papers and TV and radio stations who featured me before about my other publications. As luck would have it, one of my FB friends is launching her new book on the same day. I had picked 16 June or Bloomsday because of its Irish affiliation. It's not exactly a holiday in Ireland but great fun for those who know about it and dress up for the occasion to retrace Leopold Bloom's steps in Dublin. (The protagonist of Ulysses by James Joyce. For further info, especially which pubs are involved, see Wikipedia.) Not that I have aspirations even to be mentioned in connection with him; nor did I read the whole book. On my last trip to Dublin, I happened to run into revelers and it was fun.
My FB friend mentions to send her a mediakit if I want her to get involved.
How did I make it through several books without one? Putting all other chores and obligations aside, I looked for guidelines for a mediakit and got help again from FB fellow writers.
The incredible KS Brooks offers a solution by sending me a link to her fantastic website Indies Unlimited and the answer to my question how to put such a kit together. Check it out if you haven't done so yet: Indies Unlimited.
With this power tool at the ready, I can approach fellow writers and bloggers and ask for help. So together we do a blog tour.
My friend, however, is only starting on the launch date, whereas I decided to create some build-up to the launch date. Also, she offers her book for free on Kindle for a number of days. There is an old German saying: You only make money on the things you don't give away for free. I tried that before and it was not convincing to me. There were 1300+ downloads of my book for free and only 1, yes one!, sale after that for the longest time.
24 hours later, I'm exhausted but I have gotten almost every date between now and the 16th covered thanks to some marvelous people I met on various writers sites, in particular MasterKoda. And among them is yet another lady who launches her book that day! All of that is so exciting! I'm intensely grateful for the help I got all around.
Watch this space and everything that goes on on FB! If you have tips for me, please leave a comment or email them to me.
Available on Amazon: Kindle for $2.99
Paperback $12.80 after Bloomsday-- link to follow!
Thanks for the shout-out! :)
ReplyDeleteVery nice. I agree. There are some awesome people. Indies Unlimited is high on my list. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteInteresting post. In reality, most publishers these days rely on their authors to do most of the promotional work (unless you're J. K. Rowling or Dan Brown), so your advice will be helpful to all writers.
ReplyDeleteThis is great information, Siggy. Perfect, infact.
ReplyDeleteMy marketing kit has most these points.
I put my website on my sheet because there most items will be covered such as cover images, and descriptions of all books even though I'm focusing on one.