Ila Golden's Blog - Posts Tagged "ambition"
More than just an Indie Author
With the start of my free book promotion for Hyena Boy, I've spent a lot of today thinking about the different roles I have to play as an independent author. When you publish through POD sites like Lulu and KDP there are no guarantees. These sites are platforms, vehicles for getting your work out there. They offer services to aid in your journey from unknown author to author who sells books, but there's no lower limit on how few books you can sell, if any. If you want to make sure you are a success then you can't just wear the hat of an author, you have to be your own publicist, you have to create and market your own brand. You're the one responsible for making sure those tools at your disposal are utilised in the right way, and that means understanding how they benefit you.
An unknown author with an unheard of book sells no copies with hope alone. You have to tell people you exist, that your book or books exist. You have to make them notice you. That means taking risks and chances, or spending money you may never earn back. But all you need is that first wave of momentum to start people talking about your book. To start people looking for your book. To start people reading your book and reviewing your book and talking about your book and looking for your book and finding your book and reading your book and reviewing your book.
Once the cycle starts... once the momentum is going, and keeps going, you know you've finally figured it out. But until it does you keep trying everything. You have to start that cycle in order to sell your books. The cycle won't start by itself. You have to know when to take chances. And keep taking chances, until finally you win.
So maybe this time the momentum has started, but that doesn't mean I've won yet. I will keep going until I get it right. I will keep going, because I'm determined to get it right. I will keep going.
An unknown author with an unheard of book sells no copies with hope alone. You have to tell people you exist, that your book or books exist. You have to make them notice you. That means taking risks and chances, or spending money you may never earn back. But all you need is that first wave of momentum to start people talking about your book. To start people looking for your book. To start people reading your book and reviewing your book and talking about your book and looking for your book and finding your book and reading your book and reviewing your book.
Once the cycle starts... once the momentum is going, and keeps going, you know you've finally figured it out. But until it does you keep trying everything. You have to start that cycle in order to sell your books. The cycle won't start by itself. You have to know when to take chances. And keep taking chances, until finally you win.
So maybe this time the momentum has started, but that doesn't mean I've won yet. I will keep going until I get it right. I will keep going, because I'm determined to get it right. I will keep going.
