Fear and self doubt

[Jason]

Hello,
I’m about to launch the second novel in a book series I am writing. I am currently considering a number of options as to how to create an interest in what I am doing. However there are pros and cons to what I am doing in preparation of my next book release. As with all indie authors I have doubt about what I am actually doing. My last book sold roughly 800 copies. However I also say to myself that I have started something, so I have to see it through, no matter how doubtful I become. Below are a few pros and cons to launching my second book. Have I covered all my bases or could I do more to generate interest.

Pros:
1. I’ll be doing the rounds on Goodreads a few weeks ahead reminding everyone when the book will be available.
2. I will be using Facebook, Twitter, Linked in, Google+, Pinterest, and Twitpics to publicise the next book release.
3. I am starting a series of blogs giving people information what my book series is about.
4. I will be contacting different media organisations about my book release.
5. I will be having a book launch event across all my social networking events.

Cons;
1. If I put myself about on Goodreads too much I might be accused of spamming.
2. Social media doesn’t always work. Facebook ads are a waste of money because your advertisement isn’t distributed evenly amongst your friends and followers.
3. A blog is a good idea, but the question is, who will read it. (I am new to blogging)
4. Despite sending out dozens if not hundreds of press releases I’m lucky if I get one reply.

I’m sure there are some of you out there who have been through a similar experience, any advice would be greatly received.
Thank you.
Jason Chapman

[K.J.]

Jason,

I am launching my first novel in September. I know how nerve wracking it is, but if you are someone who has to write, you should definitely continue. Especially since your first novel did so well.

Make sure to try to do promotional sites. Bookbub, Bknights on Fiverr, Freebooksy, bargain booksy... These can be the best tools for success. Usually way more effective than bloggingand social media.

Hope this helps :)

[Jim]

K.J. wrote: "Jason,

I am launching my first novel in September. I know how nerve wracking it is, but if you are someone who has to write, you should definitely continue. Especially since your first novel did s..."

Jason,

Have you thought of possibly giving the traditonal option a try?

The only expense associated with sending a query letter to mainline publishers is the price of envelopes and stamps.

There are books and literary magazines available commercially and at your local public library that provide lists of mainline publishers who have the experience and resources to help you achieve your goal and other lists of those who claim to be able to help, but actually don't. Many books provide a step-by-step guide through the search and follow-up options and procedures.

All of the above-mentioned sources recommend that you avoid using the internet as a search tool. Current data reveals that 97% of authors' submissions are rejected. Some do not take rejection well and seek revenge by utilizing websites and blogs to smear the reputations of publishers who had the audacity to reject their masterpiece. Most such claims are gross exaggerations or lies based upon emotion or hearsay.

Your letter will receive either a polite negative response or a request for a copy of the manuscript. Either way, you are no worse off than before. If the publisher's acquisition team feels your work has commercial potential and the publisher offers you a contract, you may be well on the way to realizing your dream. Just remember to have your attorney examine any contract before signing.

Follow your instinct. Whatever you decide, I'm sure it will be the right decision.

[Jason]

Thanks K.J,
I have written to many commercial publishers in the past and have a stack of rejection letters in the attic. I've never considered going online and complaining or smearing publishers. People who do that are those who think its easy to get on in publishing and all you have to do is write a book. I understand that mainstream publishers probably have thousands of letters each year from hopeful authors, many of who have written a decent book.

The world of publishing is changing rapidly. Once upon a time all you needed was a good idea for a book and a publisher would commission you to write it. Then you needed sample chapters. Nowadays you need a finished manuscript plus most publishers will say; ‘great you’ve written a book, is there any chance that you can write ten books.’
Book series are all the range these days. Although they have always been around for quite some time, book series like Harry Potter and Twilight have set a new benchmark.

When I wrote my first novel The Angel Committee I originally wrote it as a stand-alone novel. But when I did a complete rewrite I knew it had to be more than one book. Someone said to me on another post that selling 800 books is a success story to a first time indie author. Hopefully with the release of The Angel Conspiracy in September I will make more of a splash. When I have a book trilogy under my belt, then I might try to get some attention from a commercial publisher. Perhaps writing a trilogy of books may convince one of them to give me a chance.

I wish you all the very best of luck with your first novel K.J when I read posts like yours it does inspire me to try harder. Sometimes it does feel that I am hitting a brick wall, but onwards and upwards I must go.
Many thanks
Jason Chapman

[K.J.]

Not a problem. I experienced the same thing. I got a lot of good feedback from my novel, but when it came to actually submitting it to agents, I recieved a stack of rejection letters. There's a point when you just have to take things into your own hands.

Yes, 800 sales for having only one book out is pretty good, especially since the key to succeeding in self-publishing is the number of titles. Your sales should increase by your third book

Have you considered joing the writers cafe on kboards? Its a forum where a lot of indie authors congregate and talk about self-publishing, giving their advice and sharing their success stories. I've met more than one person who is making 10k a month on self-publishing alone. Of course, there is always luck involved, and genre matters too. But if you got a good story, and your dedicated, its definitely possible to succeed.

For me, I have to write.... A life without writing seems just empty to me. Since I have to write, I might as well try to be successful at it along the way. Thats my logic, at least :)

[Jason]

Wow 10k is a lot of money. However, its easy to become blinded by the want for financial gain. For any indie author writing the first novel is very much a trial by fire. Writing the second one is even harder work. I will be releasing the third next year, and that’s only the first in several trilogies I am planning, set over a seventy year period.
As for me I have an uphill struggle. My genre UFO/Conspiracy is a very hard genre to push. Mainstream publishers steer clear of stuff like that. However when you consider how popular shows like the X Files were and films like independence Day and Men in Black I feel that the genre is worth pushing.
I am going to start visiting the kindle boards. I need to move beyond Facebook because that path is hopeless. Only a small number of people see what I post. Facebook’s attitude is ‘If we don’t make any money then why should you.’
I am also going to try and try to bag some radio interviews to get the word out about my work, targeting the US and UK. If I stick to my guns I know that I stand a chance of being able to give up the day job one day.

Its all about keeping the faith.

[Derek]

After I wrote my first book I thought maybe that would be it, but the itch would not go away. If that is what you have then I wouldn't worry too much about huge marketing strategies. Word of mouth is the best selling tool there is and the more good books you have the better it works. I think the various social media techniquest you have mentioned as well as some posts on Goodreads will help get the intial word out after that a good book will increase sales organically.

[Terrence]

I'm in the middle of my first and my second won't be far off. I very much recommend Publicity Hound, and suggest that you look them up, if you haven't already. They send out a newsletter twice a week, and there are plenty of cheap suggestions there, and a range of prices for things you can pay for. I paid fifty bucks for one last week that had some excellent suggestions for how I'll use the social media to do the publicity for my second.

[Jason]

Thanks for this Terrance I'll look them up.

[Alice]

Congrats on your sales Jason! I'd say you are doing something right. From what I've gleaned the big money doesn't start until the 5th book, unless you're writing romance. That stuff just flies off the shelves.

I've heard that discounting the first book for the 2nd's release works well. Or a free novella in that world.

Do you have a website? If not a blog will work. That's what I use. It has a page for each of my books. You need a web presence. I clicked on your name and didn't see your book or a link to a website. That helps discoverability. And definitely load your book into GR.

[Kate]

In terms of social media, I'm learning that facebook book groups are huge. Find reading groups in your genre. You can talk to readers face to face (errr more or less) and also get word of your book out to people who want to read it.

[Bob]

Terrence wrote: "I'm in the middle of my first and my second won't be far off. I very much recommend Publicity Hound, and suggest that you look them up, if you haven't already. They send out a newsletter twice a ..."

This really sounds like good advice. Thanks

[Jason]

Thanks for the comments guys. First of all I do have a blog:
http://angelcommittee.blogspot.co.uk/...

The trouble is with the blog is trying to get people to visit your blog. Facebook isn’t brilliant sometime you can post information and are lucky if you reach two people.
There are a lot of books groups on facebook and some of them have tens of thousands of followers. But again whenever you post something only a tiny amount see your post. It’s like I sad in the past, Facebook’s point of view is: ‘If we’re not making any money, why should you?’

I did have a radio interview the other night, however I thought it was a bit of a disaster, I babbled through most of it. I do have a chance to redeem myself next week because I have another one which is going out to 26,000+ listeners. I have come up with a plan and will approach the interview with an angle. The radio show host actually wants me to write a schedule for the interview so I can stick to topics which I am knowledgeable in.
I plan to plug the book all the way through while trying to sound as interesting as possible. Hopefully I should pick up a few readers. I also want to bag a station with more listeners. I have been on tunein the radio social networking site and have picked out a few, but its hard going.

Over the next few weeks I will be adding to my blog, articles and other things which will hopefully raise the profile of my first book. I do own a domain name but its finding time to design a website.

I will also be releasing press releases and other material in the hope that I will be able to snag a mainstream newspaper or magazine. Facebook, Twitter, Twitpics, Linkinedin, Google+, Pinterest, Goodreads, Kindleboards and other social media will be lit up like a Christmas tree in the coming weeks. But I will do it in a way that won’t annoy too many people. It’s very easy to get banned from these social networking sites.

I know this this is only my second book, but this is a book series that will keep on going. I have already written a spin off short story series and as I write more I imagine new storylines. The second and third books should give me enough scope to open up a huge franchise. I can go back in time or stay on my present course. The wonderful thing about history is it is limitless.

Ambitious plans I know, but at the end of the day, I’m not going anywhere and I have nothing to lose. And as I progress I learn more and more about marketing techniques and how to put yourself about.

Onwards and upwards.