Jessica Russell's Blog, page 5
June 4, 2021
How do I Sell my Novel?
Good question. Thankfully there are a lot of ways to do it. Not surprisingly, getting it on the sites of major retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble is the first step. Unfortunately, however, that and that alone will yield little or no results unless you advertise. The reality is, you can actually sell as many books as you want to, depending on how deep your pockets are. This is the part that nobody wants to hear, even though they constantly asked the question. The way to sell your novel is to advertise it. Sometimes that procures the next question “where should I advertise?”
That’s a question with multiple answers, and once again, the answers depend on your budget. If your finances allow, definitely sink your money into Amazon and Facebook, but not necessarily in that order.
It may be different depending on the type of book you wrote, but I will tell you my personal experience: I put the most money into Amazon, with Facebook as a close second. Lo and behold, Facebook yielded more results than Amazon, and because I’m not an expert, I’m not sure why. So naturally, the next advertising blitz I did, I put more money into Facebook than Amazon. Watch the trends, and put the most money where you’re getting the most results.
You should always diversify, though, just in case one of your mainstay channels fails you sometime, you can count on the others to still get sales, but never stop advertising. This also goes for book signings. If you don’t advertise them, no one’s going to come. Sometimes, depending on the venue, the mood of the town, and even the weather, people don’t come anyway. However, if you don’t advertise, you are guaranteed a big fat zero. Choose your book signing events carefully, and don’t feel obligated to go to every one. I recently turned down one that I knew was going to be a flat failure, although I still wished everyone the best. But never feel guilty about saying no. It’s your time, it’s your money, and it’s your success! My next post will be about TARGETING your ads. Trust me, it will be interesting! Write on!
That’s a question with multiple answers, and once again, the answers depend on your budget. If your finances allow, definitely sink your money into Amazon and Facebook, but not necessarily in that order.
It may be different depending on the type of book you wrote, but I will tell you my personal experience: I put the most money into Amazon, with Facebook as a close second. Lo and behold, Facebook yielded more results than Amazon, and because I’m not an expert, I’m not sure why. So naturally, the next advertising blitz I did, I put more money into Facebook than Amazon. Watch the trends, and put the most money where you’re getting the most results.
You should always diversify, though, just in case one of your mainstay channels fails you sometime, you can count on the others to still get sales, but never stop advertising. This also goes for book signings. If you don’t advertise them, no one’s going to come. Sometimes, depending on the venue, the mood of the town, and even the weather, people don’t come anyway. However, if you don’t advertise, you are guaranteed a big fat zero. Choose your book signing events carefully, and don’t feel obligated to go to every one. I recently turned down one that I knew was going to be a flat failure, although I still wished everyone the best. But never feel guilty about saying no. It’s your time, it’s your money, and it’s your success! My next post will be about TARGETING your ads. Trust me, it will be interesting! Write on!
May 29, 2021
A Word About Planning Events
Book signings and other author events require a very strategic approach. Something brought this to my attention recently and I thought it would make a good topic for my next blog post. If you’re planning an event with other authors, you need a strategy. For example, I live in a small town about an hour from Myrtle Beach. Well, that sun and fun is stiff competition for anything that’s planned in the smaller communities. Therefore, I wouldn’t expect to draw a crowd from Myrtle Beach to come to a book signing here in town. Instead, I would work on advertising the event locally.
However, it’s not enough just to put it on a website. You also need to do flyers, sponsored Facebook ads and if possible, an ad in a local newspaper. Getting sponsors to draw people to the event is also a powerful tool when you’re trying to get a good turnout in a small town.
In addition to advertising properly, it’s also important to give considerable thought to the date and time you hold the event. Obviously, you want to avoid holidays, particularly summer holidays during which people are usually headed to the beach, the state park or the barbecue pit.
You also have to plan an appropriate size event for the area in which it will be held. Multiple author events can work, but you must be sure that the crowd you draw will be hefty enough to sustain the number of authors on the agenda. I enjoyed the multi-author book signing event at San Marco Books and More in Jacksonville Florida recently. It’s an established event that’s held every year and it has a significant following. However, if you were to pluck an event like that out of a large city like Jacksonville and thrust it into a tiny community, you would probably end up with more authors than customers. That’s the kiss of death.
Additionally, multiple author book signings need writers from various genres or they will fall flat. For example, if nine out of ten authors are sci-fi writers, that’s kind of like going to a fair where nine out of ten stands are selling funnel cake, but nobody’s selling hotdogs or pizza. How much funnel cake can you eat?
It seems simple at first glance, but book signing events require excellent planning in order to be successful. Every once in a while, you do everything right and an event still has a lackluster turnout, but when you dot every I and cross every T, your chances of having an occasion you can be proud of multiply substantially. Write on!
However, it’s not enough just to put it on a website. You also need to do flyers, sponsored Facebook ads and if possible, an ad in a local newspaper. Getting sponsors to draw people to the event is also a powerful tool when you’re trying to get a good turnout in a small town.
In addition to advertising properly, it’s also important to give considerable thought to the date and time you hold the event. Obviously, you want to avoid holidays, particularly summer holidays during which people are usually headed to the beach, the state park or the barbecue pit.
You also have to plan an appropriate size event for the area in which it will be held. Multiple author events can work, but you must be sure that the crowd you draw will be hefty enough to sustain the number of authors on the agenda. I enjoyed the multi-author book signing event at San Marco Books and More in Jacksonville Florida recently. It’s an established event that’s held every year and it has a significant following. However, if you were to pluck an event like that out of a large city like Jacksonville and thrust it into a tiny community, you would probably end up with more authors than customers. That’s the kiss of death.
Additionally, multiple author book signings need writers from various genres or they will fall flat. For example, if nine out of ten authors are sci-fi writers, that’s kind of like going to a fair where nine out of ten stands are selling funnel cake, but nobody’s selling hotdogs or pizza. How much funnel cake can you eat?
It seems simple at first glance, but book signing events require excellent planning in order to be successful. Every once in a while, you do everything right and an event still has a lackluster turnout, but when you dot every I and cross every T, your chances of having an occasion you can be proud of multiply substantially. Write on!
May 26, 2021
Low Book Sales? Examine These Three Things
If your book isn't doing well, don’t start second guessing the content. For new writers, whether or not you wrote something interesting and engaging will show up in the reviews. With regard to sales, however, it’s a little different. If you launched several advertising campaigns and your book is not selling, the things you need to rethink are the title, the cover and the write up before ANYTHING else. Those are the three things that sell a book once someone clicks through to your link.
Obviously, good reviews go a long way too, but if a book doesn’t catch the shopper’s attention, he or she probably won’t stick around long enough to read the reviews. Thankfully, it is not nearly as difficult as it used to be to change your book's write-up, title or even it’s cover. This is why you should consider getting an expert’s opinion on those three things if you find that sales aren’t happening, despite effective marketing.
Ask a pro if your title is catchy enough or if it is uninspiring. Get some advice about your cover from a professional artist as well. Boring covers do not sell books. A dull, bland cover subconsciously signals the brain that it’s a dull, bland book. (It’s also important to make sure the cover depicts what is actually in the book so readers don't get mad at you later.)
If possible, when it comes to the write-up, get the opinion of several different professionals to see if it pulls the reader in or if it sounds like 100 other write-ups. Just as books often become formulamatic in today’s modern world, so do write-ups.
Try to avoid overused phrases and clichés and search for unique ways to explain what’s happening in your novel. Of course, there could be many reasons for low sales, but the cover, the title, and the write-up are the three vital aspects that readers often base their purchase decisions on...whether they know it or not! Write on.
Obviously, good reviews go a long way too, but if a book doesn’t catch the shopper’s attention, he or she probably won’t stick around long enough to read the reviews. Thankfully, it is not nearly as difficult as it used to be to change your book's write-up, title or even it’s cover. This is why you should consider getting an expert’s opinion on those three things if you find that sales aren’t happening, despite effective marketing.
Ask a pro if your title is catchy enough or if it is uninspiring. Get some advice about your cover from a professional artist as well. Boring covers do not sell books. A dull, bland cover subconsciously signals the brain that it’s a dull, bland book. (It’s also important to make sure the cover depicts what is actually in the book so readers don't get mad at you later.)
If possible, when it comes to the write-up, get the opinion of several different professionals to see if it pulls the reader in or if it sounds like 100 other write-ups. Just as books often become formulamatic in today’s modern world, so do write-ups.
Try to avoid overused phrases and clichés and search for unique ways to explain what’s happening in your novel. Of course, there could be many reasons for low sales, but the cover, the title, and the write-up are the three vital aspects that readers often base their purchase decisions on...whether they know it or not! Write on.
May 24, 2021
Be Careful With Those Sagas
Here’s a simple tip for your debut novel. Even if you are planning to write 10 more books, it might be better to release your first one as a standalone novel. Not that you have to put “standalone novel” on the cover. It’s more about leaving “Book One of the XYZ Trilogy” OFF the cover. The reason is that a lot of people are hesitant to take a risk on a new author, and if the title of the book they’re considering looks like it might have loose ends that require them to read the next one in the series, they may shy away from buying it at all.
Even if you plan to wrap it up tightly and not force the person to go on to a part two of any kind, THEY might not know that. A lot of people don’t want to commit to a series until they decide whether or not they like the author, so in my humble opinion, it’s always better to bill your first book as a standalone and then surprise your audience with a sequel once you’ve targeted a small fan base.
Believe me, if they like the first one, they’ll buy the second one, but if you try to shove three or four at them all at once, they may be hesitant to make that kind of commitment. Sometimes less is more, and not letting the cat out of the bag early on is often the best way to end up selling an entire series! Write on!
Even if you plan to wrap it up tightly and not force the person to go on to a part two of any kind, THEY might not know that. A lot of people don’t want to commit to a series until they decide whether or not they like the author, so in my humble opinion, it’s always better to bill your first book as a standalone and then surprise your audience with a sequel once you’ve targeted a small fan base.
Believe me, if they like the first one, they’ll buy the second one, but if you try to shove three or four at them all at once, they may be hesitant to make that kind of commitment. Sometimes less is more, and not letting the cat out of the bag early on is often the best way to end up selling an entire series! Write on!
May 23, 2021
There Are No Secrets
Here is something I have touched on before, but I want to reiterate. It pains me when I see so many newly published authors falling for scams and gimmicks, so I will make this very short and not so sweet. I’ve been making a living as a writer for about 16 years so I was ready for the influx of spam once my book was published. Unfortunately, not everyone has experience and some people are just a bit too trusting overall. Here it is straight: there are no “secrets” to making your book a bestseller that you can “learn” from someone online because they are “passionate about helping other authors.” Don’t be naïve in this life. If there was some “best kept secret” about “how to make your book a bestseller on Amazon in 30 days,” NOBODY would be selling it on Facebook for $99.
PERIOD.
Therefore, NEVER give money to ANYONE unless it is for a legitimate add targeted to your demographic. And yes, advertising is expensive, but legitimate advertising is also effective and the other stuff, well, all I can say is use the money to go to a concert or dine out! At least that way you'll get something out of it. The end.
PERIOD.
Therefore, NEVER give money to ANYONE unless it is for a legitimate add targeted to your demographic. And yes, advertising is expensive, but legitimate advertising is also effective and the other stuff, well, all I can say is use the money to go to a concert or dine out! At least that way you'll get something out of it. The end.
May 20, 2021
You Mean You Weren't Mobbed at Your Book Signing?
That's about the size; where you put your eyes. I remember that rhyme. It's about perspective. They say perspective is everything. "They" are right. I had a less than stellar book signing today in Pennsylvania. If someone asked me how I would rate it, I'd probably say that it wasn't destined to be in my top ten. LOL. But...I sold some books. Ok, only seven. Ouch. Here's the important thing, though: seven people have my book today who didn't know I existed this morning. Hmm...That suddenly doesn't sound so bad now. It's just the ebb and flow, the ying and yang, the feast or famine that make up a writer's life.
Every so often an event doesn't blow you away. The people are kind of dull, the sales trickle in, you feel like your outfit and makeup just aren't hitting the mark, etc.. We've all been there. What to do? Well, if you're me...you sit there and think about San Marco. My most successful signing event to date. 26 books in the pouring rain. (The weather wheel did not spin in my favor that day.) Well, we all have a San Marco. We all have an event where we blew it out of the water. THAT'S what you concentrate on when you have a less than impressive signing. Think of your big one and remember that another one like that is on the way–just like another clunker is on the way. The good the bad and the ugly make up your gross sales, and does it really matter where they all came from, or is it the sum total of BOOKS SOLD (what a lovely phrase) that really matters?
Seven books. Hmmm, but what if I get three new reviews out of that? Was it totally worth it? 🥰 Yep. That's about the size; where you put your eyes. There really is no such thing as a bad event. Only a bad attitude. Write on!
Every so often an event doesn't blow you away. The people are kind of dull, the sales trickle in, you feel like your outfit and makeup just aren't hitting the mark, etc.. We've all been there. What to do? Well, if you're me...you sit there and think about San Marco. My most successful signing event to date. 26 books in the pouring rain. (The weather wheel did not spin in my favor that day.) Well, we all have a San Marco. We all have an event where we blew it out of the water. THAT'S what you concentrate on when you have a less than impressive signing. Think of your big one and remember that another one like that is on the way–just like another clunker is on the way. The good the bad and the ugly make up your gross sales, and does it really matter where they all came from, or is it the sum total of BOOKS SOLD (what a lovely phrase) that really matters?
Seven books. Hmmm, but what if I get three new reviews out of that? Was it totally worth it? 🥰 Yep. That's about the size; where you put your eyes. There really is no such thing as a bad event. Only a bad attitude. Write on!
May 19, 2021
And the Answer is… NO
Events. You don’t HAVE to go to all of them. That’s a common mistake newly published authors make. Of course, when you first launch a book, there’s the old cardinal rule “I must go where I’m invited.” For the most part, that’s very true. Especially at the beginning when you are VERY unknown, even in your own community. However, a shift will eventually come. You’ll feel it. You may not know what it is, but you will definitely feel it. And one day you’ll find yourself saying “do I really want to do THAT event?”
That’s a great sign. It means that your career is moving in the right direction because suddenly you find you have to pace yourself. Therefore, do not ever fall into the trap of thinking you have to attend every event you’re invited to. I recently crossed one off my list for a variety of reasons because it simply wasn’t right for me. It was a bad choice of dates for such an event, and it was primarily all one genre…which wasn’t mine. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the event. It just means the event wasn’t right for ME.
Once you start rolling, don’t be afraid to turn things down if you don’t think they’re good for you. This is particularly true if you don’t have an agent. Like me… I’m a one-woman show. I can’t afford to make mistakes. So if something feels wrong or I know that there’s some flaws in the organization of it or it's being held on a date that’s a deterrent rather than a draw, I’m probably going to pass it up. You should too. Don’t ever feel like you always have to “be nice.” You’re not being unkind to politely turn something down that will not do anything to further your career. Write on!
That’s a great sign. It means that your career is moving in the right direction because suddenly you find you have to pace yourself. Therefore, do not ever fall into the trap of thinking you have to attend every event you’re invited to. I recently crossed one off my list for a variety of reasons because it simply wasn’t right for me. It was a bad choice of dates for such an event, and it was primarily all one genre…which wasn’t mine. That doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the event. It just means the event wasn’t right for ME.
Once you start rolling, don’t be afraid to turn things down if you don’t think they’re good for you. This is particularly true if you don’t have an agent. Like me… I’m a one-woman show. I can’t afford to make mistakes. So if something feels wrong or I know that there’s some flaws in the organization of it or it's being held on a date that’s a deterrent rather than a draw, I’m probably going to pass it up. You should too. Don’t ever feel like you always have to “be nice.” You’re not being unkind to politely turn something down that will not do anything to further your career. Write on!
May 17, 2021
How do You Brand Yourself?
Maybe you think “brand” is a high and lofty word if you’re an unknown writer, but believe me, it’s never too early to build your brand. The pitfalls in that arena are too many to list, but the most frequent mistake I see rookie authors make is going over the top with every little thing. For example, there’s no need to add the word “author” to your twitter handle. Save that for your "About" page or your profile. But don't make your handle Juliathepublishedauthor (and don't all the Julias of the world get mad at me...I just picked a name at random.)
I mean, did you ever see a physician with a T-shirt that says “I’m a doctor”? It looks amateurish. It looks like you’re clamoring for attention. It even looks desperate, and the latter is something you NEVER want to do.
The same reason you don’t run around giving your books away for free in order to get reviews, you don’t have to continuously advertise that you’re an author. Let that be obvious in your posts, such as when you list your upcoming book signings and other events, and with your profile picture and the subjects you talk about. A pinned post to your Amazon link works too. But you don’t need to continuously verbalize “I’m an author, I’m an author.” Believe me, it has the opposite effect from what you think.
Another rookie mistake is going over the top with your display at book signings or other events. The loudest, busiest stand does NOT get the most attention. Ever. Go for simple, elegant lines, and understated accents. You want the focus on the book, not on everything else under the sun. People don’t come to book signing events to hand out blue ribbons for the most eccentric stand, they come to find books and meet authors. So that’s what their eyes want to see. The book and you; in that order.
Adding a lot of busy stuff to your table doesn’t attract people, it confuses them, and they move on to another table where they don’t have to process everything but a flea circus in order to figure out what it is you’re promoting. Remember the old saying “if you confuse them you lose them.” It’s true.
Don’t talk people to death either. If they came to a book signing event, they want to be there. So you don’t have to convince them that you wrote a great book and you certainly don't have to reiterate that you're an author. Let THEM ask the questions. Silence is far more intriguing than jibber jabber. A lot of times attendees want to know things that you would have never thought about and if you’re so busy talking about what YOU think is interesting, they’re going to go away dissatisfied because they didn’t get to ask the questions THEY wanted to ask.
Ultimately, if you think of yourself as a professional, instead of someone who’s desperate to build an audience, you automatically start saying and doing the right things. Just follow the old advice “less is more” and apply it to everything. It will be a huge step in the right direction.
I mean, did you ever see a physician with a T-shirt that says “I’m a doctor”? It looks amateurish. It looks like you’re clamoring for attention. It even looks desperate, and the latter is something you NEVER want to do.
The same reason you don’t run around giving your books away for free in order to get reviews, you don’t have to continuously advertise that you’re an author. Let that be obvious in your posts, such as when you list your upcoming book signings and other events, and with your profile picture and the subjects you talk about. A pinned post to your Amazon link works too. But you don’t need to continuously verbalize “I’m an author, I’m an author.” Believe me, it has the opposite effect from what you think.
Another rookie mistake is going over the top with your display at book signings or other events. The loudest, busiest stand does NOT get the most attention. Ever. Go for simple, elegant lines, and understated accents. You want the focus on the book, not on everything else under the sun. People don’t come to book signing events to hand out blue ribbons for the most eccentric stand, they come to find books and meet authors. So that’s what their eyes want to see. The book and you; in that order.
Adding a lot of busy stuff to your table doesn’t attract people, it confuses them, and they move on to another table where they don’t have to process everything but a flea circus in order to figure out what it is you’re promoting. Remember the old saying “if you confuse them you lose them.” It’s true.
Don’t talk people to death either. If they came to a book signing event, they want to be there. So you don’t have to convince them that you wrote a great book and you certainly don't have to reiterate that you're an author. Let THEM ask the questions. Silence is far more intriguing than jibber jabber. A lot of times attendees want to know things that you would have never thought about and if you’re so busy talking about what YOU think is interesting, they’re going to go away dissatisfied because they didn’t get to ask the questions THEY wanted to ask.
Ultimately, if you think of yourself as a professional, instead of someone who’s desperate to build an audience, you automatically start saying and doing the right things. Just follow the old advice “less is more” and apply it to everything. It will be a huge step in the right direction.
May 16, 2021
Genre Confusion
There’s nothing wrong with a scoop of ice cream if that’s what you want. But ordering a hot fudge sundae and scraping off the hot fudge because you prefer plain ice cream doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Just order the ice cream. You’re hoping I have a point. I do. As authors, we hear it all. And it usually comes in trends. Last month it was unsolicited advice. This month, genre confusion seems to be in the water.
Historical Fiction is a genre that was meant to give readers a way to enjoy a mystery, romance, whodunit, etc., against the backdrop of an era in which they don’t live so that they can learn facts about that time period. Today someone actually said “this book would be perfect without all that history in it.” No, they were not talking about my book, although I’m sure somebody, somewhere will eventually say that about mine as well. But anyway, the book the person was talking about would NOT have been perfect without “all that history in it” because it was (brace yourself) a HISTORICAL fiction book. In other words, the author “meant to do that.”
Obviously, not everyone is interested in history. And that’s okay. But if that’s the case, you kind of have to wonder why the person would choose that genre. If you just want to read a romance, there’s plenty of romance books out there that don’t give you any facts or information about the time period other than things you can figure out on your own. The same is true for mysteries or whodunits or anything else. You can buy those books if that’s what you prefer and I have done so many times myself. Historical fiction is my favorite, but I’ve read plenty of great books that just focus on the mystery or the romance, etc. etc. without any historical facts. But buying Historical Fiction and then complaining that it had history in it is something I just don’t get. Unless people simply don’t know what the term means anymore. That’s kind of sad if it’s the case.
There’s a genre out there for everyone, but 15 graphic sex scenes between Fabio and the woman he must tame does not become Historical Romance just because the author describes the woman’s gown. Similarly, a mystery doesn’t become Historical Suspense because eventually in the 29th scene they mention what year it is. I don’t get what people don’t understand about that. I guess that leads me back to where I started. Ice cream. By all means have a scoop of ice cream if that’s all you want. Or have the hot fudge sundae. But ordering the hot fudge sundae only to complain about the hot fudge is kind of silly. Isn’t it?
Historical Fiction is a genre that was meant to give readers a way to enjoy a mystery, romance, whodunit, etc., against the backdrop of an era in which they don’t live so that they can learn facts about that time period. Today someone actually said “this book would be perfect without all that history in it.” No, they were not talking about my book, although I’m sure somebody, somewhere will eventually say that about mine as well. But anyway, the book the person was talking about would NOT have been perfect without “all that history in it” because it was (brace yourself) a HISTORICAL fiction book. In other words, the author “meant to do that.”
Obviously, not everyone is interested in history. And that’s okay. But if that’s the case, you kind of have to wonder why the person would choose that genre. If you just want to read a romance, there’s plenty of romance books out there that don’t give you any facts or information about the time period other than things you can figure out on your own. The same is true for mysteries or whodunits or anything else. You can buy those books if that’s what you prefer and I have done so many times myself. Historical fiction is my favorite, but I’ve read plenty of great books that just focus on the mystery or the romance, etc. etc. without any historical facts. But buying Historical Fiction and then complaining that it had history in it is something I just don’t get. Unless people simply don’t know what the term means anymore. That’s kind of sad if it’s the case.
There’s a genre out there for everyone, but 15 graphic sex scenes between Fabio and the woman he must tame does not become Historical Romance just because the author describes the woman’s gown. Similarly, a mystery doesn’t become Historical Suspense because eventually in the 29th scene they mention what year it is. I don’t get what people don’t understand about that. I guess that leads me back to where I started. Ice cream. By all means have a scoop of ice cream if that’s all you want. Or have the hot fudge sundae. But ordering the hot fudge sundae only to complain about the hot fudge is kind of silly. Isn’t it?
May 13, 2021
Money, Money, Money...Always Funny
Marketing is very important for a book, especially if you are not yet known. However, many new writers make the mistake of jumping the gun with this issue and they lose all their marketing dollars in one fell swoop. They hurry up and launch a large-scale marketing campaign only to discover that they are getting a lot of clicks, but not a lot of sales. Otherwise known as the Kiss of Death.
This is usually an indicator that the book does not have enough reviews yet. I know many writers feel frustrated, because most people simply will not leave a review for a book, no matter how good they thought it was. That means it may take a while to get legitimate reviews. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about that. Just keep attending events, going to book signings whenever you’re invited, and pushing your book on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and anywhere else you have a social media account.
When you get approximately 20 reviews, and believe me they will come, that’s the time to start advertising in earnest.
This is because a minimum of 20 reviews takes away that feeling in the customers mind that he or she is a “guinea pig” for this new author. Once you hit the magic 50 reviews, you will start to rank higher on Amazon, but 20 at least gets you out of the gate, so to speak, and it is definitely the magic number for marketing. Therefore, once you have that many, you should immediately launch a marketing campaign and advertise as much as your budget will allow.
After that, the sales will come, and reviews will begin to take care of themselves (albeit slowly, so keep that in mind and have patience.) But never jump the gun and spend money on marketing before you have any reviews. It will just be money wasted, and nobody wants to do that! Write on!
This is usually an indicator that the book does not have enough reviews yet. I know many writers feel frustrated, because most people simply will not leave a review for a book, no matter how good they thought it was. That means it may take a while to get legitimate reviews. Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do about that. Just keep attending events, going to book signings whenever you’re invited, and pushing your book on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and anywhere else you have a social media account.
When you get approximately 20 reviews, and believe me they will come, that’s the time to start advertising in earnest.
This is because a minimum of 20 reviews takes away that feeling in the customers mind that he or she is a “guinea pig” for this new author. Once you hit the magic 50 reviews, you will start to rank higher on Amazon, but 20 at least gets you out of the gate, so to speak, and it is definitely the magic number for marketing. Therefore, once you have that many, you should immediately launch a marketing campaign and advertise as much as your budget will allow.
After that, the sales will come, and reviews will begin to take care of themselves (albeit slowly, so keep that in mind and have patience.) But never jump the gun and spend money on marketing before you have any reviews. It will just be money wasted, and nobody wants to do that! Write on!
