I Published My NaNo-Novel: How to Create and Adjust Your Marketing Plan as a Self-Published Author

During our “Now What?” Months, we’re talking to Wrimos who’ve self-published their NaNoWriMo projects and asking them about the steps they took to make it happen. Today, Manuel Ruiz , author of the upcoming Lobo Coronado and the Legacy of the Wolf , shares what he’s learned on the rocky road to self-publishing:

I self-published my first novel a little more than a year ago, and my second novel will be out in a few weeks. Prior to that first release, I spent significant time via writing groups and organizations and reading everything I could get my hands on how to self-publish. The two most important things that seemed to be universal (and incur the most cost) were: 

1. Find an editor
2. Get a great cover.

My manuscript was already edited so I researched and found a cover designer. Once that was ready, I thought about how I was going to get the word out. 

I spent a little time studying and quickly discovered having only one book in middle grade fantasy limited my options (at least, that was my conclusion at the time). I used social media, primarily Facebook, to announce the launch. I also had a website, did a free Kindle giveaway, and even made a good luck voodoo doll I tried to rain money on. I had a good initial reaction to my novel and was soon contacted by Facebook friends who helped arrange a book talk/signing and set me up with a booth at a city festival. The signing was a success, and during the festival, I was interviewed on the radio and a regional television show which led to additional sales and school/event bookings.

I know that I was extremely fortunate to get this kind of exposure without a better marketing plan. I never liked asking friends to buy popcorn for school fundraisers and now I had to start hitting people up to buy my book? Ugh. I didn’t even want to use the voodoo doll for that, but I knew I had to take a different approach for the next book.

“The key thing is to keep learning and adjusting. Every writer wants to sell a gazillion books, but it takes time and research to see what works best.”

I spent more time researching and found generous resources in the Indie community such as Chris Fox, Sean Platt, Johnny B. Truant, and others. I used their advice and information to experiment with word sprints and complete my first NaNoWriMo in 2016, where I wrote over 52K words in 14 days. I also learned about targeting audiences through ads and websites and strategies for books that are free vs. on sale.

For my upcoming book, I am going to use a limited $0.99 sale and give away free short stories related to my first book to entice readers to sign up for my website and leave reviews. Why? Ads, announcement sites, and giveaways are all great marketing tools; however, building an e-mail list of readers who love what you write is the key to future success. The more you have to offer, the more subscribers you’ll have. I now have a short-term and long-term strategy that will change and grow as dictated by the number of books I publish, the market, the genre, and experimentation.

The success of my strategies for my second book have yet to be determined, but the key thing is to keep learning and adjusting. Every writer wants to sell a gazillion books, but it takes time and research to see what works best. 

I’m a writer and I have stories to tell, and so do you. Just tell your stories. You will need an editor, a great cover, and a marketing plan eventually, but none of that can happen until you have a finished product. Get that first draft done–you have plenty of time to make it better until the day you are ready to publish. You can’t fix what doesn’t exist.

Wishing everyone the best!

Manuel Ruiz is a life-long Texan, born in the town of Alice and raised in nearby Robstown, the birthplace of Texas Hold ’Em. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Math/Computer Science from Texas A&M University - Kingsville. Manuel currently lives in Round Rock where he balances his time around his family, his IT job, his PlayStation and giving the characters in his head something interesting to do. Visit his website at  www.manuelruiz3.com , find him on Facebook , or check out his Twitter @ruizman .  Learn more about his first book,  The Dead Club , or his latest book, Lobo Coronado and the Legacy of the Wolf .