You reap what you sow... or do you?
As self-published and Indie authors, we've all heard the same advice over and over again. Find your voice, identify your target audience, build your brand, create your platform, use traditional and social networking tools to promote your work. Be patient, be persistent, and it will pay off. Eventually...
But as we all know, the grim reality is that promoting our work is expensive, frustrating and time consuming. Inevitably, we all end up asking ourselves the same question: is it worthwhile, or a waste of time?
Truth be told, it's a question that didn't concern me when my book was released in August, 2012. After all, I had a full time job... a stressful, demanding, full time job. I had my hands full just trying to survive. At the time, I also kept telling myself that I wrote "Truth" to help people, not to make money.
By last April, I realized I couldn't help anyone if no one knew about the book. So I joined goodreads.com and created my author page. I also re-established my presence on LinkedIn.com and created an all-star profile there.
Well, one thing led to another, and I've now got an Amazon author page, a Google+ page and I'm on Twitter. I draw the line at joining Facebook (but that's another topic for another blog).
I've learned a lot along the way. I've discovered all sorts of cool ways to promote "Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey," and I've had a blast doing it. More importantly, I've met some incredibly talented, creative, and generous people, and made some really good friends.
So for me, the sometimes tedious, sometimes frustrating and seemingly never-ending task of book promotion has definitely paid off in many ways. Now if I could just find a way to make some money...
Until next time, "That's life..."
But as we all know, the grim reality is that promoting our work is expensive, frustrating and time consuming. Inevitably, we all end up asking ourselves the same question: is it worthwhile, or a waste of time?
Truth be told, it's a question that didn't concern me when my book was released in August, 2012. After all, I had a full time job... a stressful, demanding, full time job. I had my hands full just trying to survive. At the time, I also kept telling myself that I wrote "Truth" to help people, not to make money.
By last April, I realized I couldn't help anyone if no one knew about the book. So I joined goodreads.com and created my author page. I also re-established my presence on LinkedIn.com and created an all-star profile there.
Well, one thing led to another, and I've now got an Amazon author page, a Google+ page and I'm on Twitter. I draw the line at joining Facebook (but that's another topic for another blog).
I've learned a lot along the way. I've discovered all sorts of cool ways to promote "Truth Be Told: Adam Becomes Audrey," and I've had a blast doing it. More importantly, I've met some incredibly talented, creative, and generous people, and made some really good friends.
So for me, the sometimes tedious, sometimes frustrating and seemingly never-ending task of book promotion has definitely paid off in many ways. Now if I could just find a way to make some money...
Until next time, "That's life..."
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Interesting comments. Thanks for the feedback.
I know figuring out this piece of the puzzle really helped me.
That's life...
All you may -- or may not -- want to know about my adventures as an author and other stuff.
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But I think it's also important to realize that some activities I engage in are marketing--such as: engaging in social networking. Whereas others are sales, doing book readings, etc. Marketing will get my name out there to many people but it will sale very few books. Sales will sell more books but it will get my name out to fewer people. Marketing is not sales--sales isn't marketing.