Why I Wrote A Guide to Self Publishing and Marketing

This is going to be one of those posts that I talk about my successes in self publishing. I normally don't talk (very) publicly about my sales numbers and stuff. But, one of my goals is to help other authors and to help others, they must know that there is hope and possibility...with hard work and determination.

I am going to begin with a story.
It has been one year since I published The Birth of Jaiden. It took me years to write Jaiden because I have 5 children and we spent most of the time in the military so I was on my own with the kids a lot. When I published The Birth of Jaiden, I was in a hurry. I was excited that the time had finally come, but I learned a lot of lessons along the way.

I learned a lot about what to look for and what needs done regarding editing, I learned about covers and the self publishing industry. Note that I have been researching the publishing industry for ten years. Research is something I push on everyone...research the industry, research your topic, research the craft, research, research research. Got it.  Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. I realized that I had to make some of these mistakes that I made by publishing it because I didn't have the networking skills that I have now.

After I published The Birth of Jaiden, I went crazy with offline promotion. I had a huge launch party, I carried books in my car, I went to every business in town, flyers, bookmarks, business cards...I cover a lot of offline promotion in the guidebook too, but I realized that offline promotion is also as important as online.

I sold far more books offline than online. I sold over 250 print books within a couple months.

Now, the months passed on and I was lucky to sell a couple of books online. I gave away tons. I organized my own book tour, I promoted. Nothing.

Then I wrote The Vampire Hunter's Daughter series. TVHD is a series of shorts that make one story. A serial novel as some might call it. This one moved more than The Birth of Jaiden, but not what I would like. I was lucky to make 20 bucks on Amazon. Then, suddenly, in January. The Vampire Hunter's Daughter part 1 went free on Amazon. This helped a little, but I started some new promotional efforts that surged the sales. November 2011, I made 19 dollars, December I made 40 dollars, January, 93 dollars, Feb, 383 dollars, and March I made about 980 dollars. This is on Amazon alone, I got a nice little bit coming from Smashwords too. March's numbers equaled out to about 2500 books at $0.99. /Updating to note that more payment records came in for Smashwords came in and it was over 1000 dollars.

I hate posting these, because it always seems like bragging. But you have to know that there are so many tips and tricks that I have been working on over the months. Experimenting and finding out what works and what doesn't is a lot of what I've put into the guidebook. So, if you think I'm tacky, go right ahead. It took a lot for me to get the guts to tell you guys.

I wrote this guide to help authors who are going this road alone. But, these author must always remember that you aren't alone, there are thousands of others just like you trying to make it out there. If you network properly, you can build circles of friends who will help you through the thick and thin.

All in all, I'm still learning, I'm always experimenting with marketing and sales. I work my butt off to see what works and what doesn't. But, we need to remember that it begins with the writing. The writing is what we love, it is why we are who we are, so let's make the writing the very most important factor of the process of publishing and marketing.

Here are what some people have said about my guide book.

"If you make the informed decision to self-publish, learning the business end of publishing isn't easy. Jennifer Malone Wright offers advice and inexpensive ideas to market and promote your indie books based on her direct experience with the process. If you want to learn from someone who's been there, this book will get you started down that path." --Michelle Devon, Managing Editor, Twin Trinity Media, LLC

"To succeed at self-publishing you need a dream, that spark of imagination that sets you on the path of your writing adventure. Then you need the drive to get the book written, edited and out there. And lastly, you need the determination to make it a success. Jennifer Wright has all of these qualities topped with unbridled enthusiasm. She knows how to get it done!" --L.A. Freed, Independent Publisher, Lafingdog.com

"No one likes the process of self-promotion. It's uncomfortable and awkward. After all, didn't our mothers tell us not to brag? But with Jennifer Malone Wright's suggestions, marketing gets easier. Her innovative ideas and willingness to experiment with her own work have made her the go-to girl for social media advice and marketing your self-published book." --Luci Cosway, Romance and Erotica Author

"A must have for any writer wanting to break into the self-publishing world. Jam-packed with information, resources and the author's personal experience, this guide is an invaluable tool. I'm certain it will help you as much as it's helped me!" --Rose Shababy, Author

You can get this guide for $2.99 on Amazon and Smashwords right now, it's normally $5.99 OR you can check out my home page to see a way to get it for free.

If you do read this guidebook, please take a moment to leave a review on what you thought about it.