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Shuhin
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Nov 25, 2012 05:41AM
In the past week I have published through Amazon Kindle and Smahswords and have also just finalised the paperback edition through Createspace. I found you have to detach yourself as a writer and become a project manager. I agree, it's scary but very fulfilling to see you work out there/
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Totally agree. Promoting can actually be more challenging than writing in the first place. There are times when I am just not sure what to do next.
Mod
It's the time it all takes I find to be the problem. And making a lot of noise doesn't come naturally to most writers. But if you don't then no-one will know you exist, so bit the bullet, guys!
Mod
You and me both, Susan. Have you tried changing the text and the per click amount?
I have put it on my to read list Susan, but I might not get to it until the new year now (sorry). Give me the amazon link and I shall go and like it and agree with the tags on it.I hate promoting too. Blowing my own trumpet is just not what I am built for. Rememeber, from little acorns mighty oaks grow.
Mod
http://www.amazon.com/Clausdrum-Life-...
Clausdrum will be free on Christmas and a few days afterwards so hold off until then to download :).
I'm also finding promoting difficult. Focusing on using facebook and twitter for now. Haven't been an avid user of either for a while, so just getting back into it
I think what makes it hard is that many of us write because we want to create a story, not because we're hoping to make money. The money is great and sure I'd like my novel to be the next "big thing", but if all I had in my eyes from the start were dollar signs, I either never would have written anything to begin with, or I would have churned out a story crafted entirely to match market trends that's basically just a digested copy of already successful works.Promoting is tough because you walk a very thin tightrope of getting your book in front of people versus spamming them, which is a surefire way to steer them away from you on principle. Look at Geico insurance. I don't care what their rates are - I wouldn't consider doing business with them just because they have a commercial in every single break, four mascots (WTF??), two billboards I see on my way to work every day, and they're taking up real estate in my mailbox all the time. It's a perfect example of too much advertising. Promoting yourself is a good thing, but if you overdo it, you start to look desperate and people get the idea that something must be wrong with your product or service.
I've heard some people say that one of the best ways to promote a book when you don't already have a reputation as an author is to get involved in the community. I read an interview with Amanda Hocking not that long ago where she said that she didn't really do a whole lot of traditional promoting in the beginning -- she was just well known in the online reading community and by the time she had a book available, a lot of people were interested to see what she had written.
There's no right answer, I'm sure. I'm trying to walk that tightrope by promoting everywhere it's allowed without browbeating people. I'm hoping there will be an upswing after the first quarter since my release date, but that depends a lot on reviews and word of mouth...so I have to hope the story is something people will enjoy. I'd like to think it is, but the readers have to be the judge of that :)
Mod
Clausdrum
Dark Deception
Whatever descriptions you write will hit some people and leave others cold, but both descriptions seem fine to me, Susan. They place a protagonist in jeopardy and then leave the reader to wonder how she will get out of it. Your sales will tell you if your description is doing the job.
Mod
Promoting is very difficult. I find it so time consuming! I'm running an ad on this site too (some views, no click so far), and I feel like I spent hours on sending emails to potential reviewers... I love your covers, Susan, they are very powerful!
Claude
Here might be a good place to post this, it is discouraging at times, but full of useful info: http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-...
Welcome. The comments on this article are worth a read too x
Promoting is a challenge, I'll agree. Taking it in stride and being patient about it I think are among the hardest parts. Got to walk that line between promoting and shoving it down people's throats. Can you keep us up to date on how your goodreads ad does for you, Claude? I was thinking about trying that, but I am really hesitant to put out any real money for advertising until I have tested the waters with all the free opportunities out there.Hmmm...what if we had a whole thread devoted to taking a look at one another's book descriptions and critiquing?
Victoria, that's a great article. Thanks for the link. One thing I'm struggling with is trying to get online reviews for my novel. just have to plug away I guess.
Hmmm...it was an informative article, but some of the things the author said make be a wee bit curious about his credibility on the topic. He seems to have endless gobs of money to throw at advertising, and he's got a lot of "well, I knew this guy so I got in that way" sort of convenient bits in there. The Apple bit was an amusing story though :)Reviews are the bread and butter Shuhin, I agree. Have you tried this group? It just started up, but I'm hoping it will be a good place to get some reviews in.
Mod
Also, Thanks Victoria for the article. I know I could use all the advise and help I can get with this.
I did start an ad on this site and I only paid $45 for it. Not too bad. At first I wasn't getting any clicks at all, which is what started me on asking for advise on the covers/descriptions. Once I changed the description to Dark Deception, I started maxing out on the amount of clicks each day. I have sold one so far but more people are adding it to their to-read lists. At least that's something, right? Not sure if I'll renew it or not right away since it really didn't increase 'sales' as of yet. I guess in time...
Thanks Scott, I'll take a look at the group.
Another blog I have found very useful is http://savvybookwriters.wordpress.com/ so I thought I would share it with you. It has articles on everything from agents to self pubbing to guest post writing on there. Again, it is worth looking at the comments section too, as they often open up another view on the topic :~)
Just started with self publishing, (But have been published before) so I took the conventional route of createspace and Kindle and Kindle select. The process wasn't that easy. When converting my word doc, both createspace and Kindle messed up a lot of the tabs. I had to manually redo most of them. But once it was done, the process was easy.
I enrolled in Kindle direct but did not lend a single book. It's over Feb 3rd then I'm moving to Nook and other ereaders.
I am always looking for tips to get my book out there. I love to write but I hate to promote!
William wrote: "Scary but sometimes the best option! I have used Lulu.com and Amazon Kindle. Any questions about using these or any other comments/suggestions about self-publishing?"
I have noticed one thing about many of the Kindle books I have downloaded: They desperately need proofreading and editing. I don't think ebook publishers care about either. It is up to the writer to get his/her books proofread and edited. I think a writer ought to care enough about his work to have it proofread and edited by someone (not do her own). No matter how many times a writer edits her own work, she is going to miss a lot. This is inevitable. At the very least, join a critique group like Critique Circle and run it past several folks before attempting to publish.
That is a good point Karen. I just got my ms back from the editor, it really stung to see all of that "red pen" over what I thought had been a perfectly polished piece, but it needs to be done. Sometimes you can't see for looking, you are just too close to it and read what you know should be there, not what is actually there. I am so glad I got others to read it through before publishing it, it would have been so awful if it had gone out in that state!
I reread my story so many times I was sick of it just to catch errors. It's hard because I'm not a professional proofreader. I think I got most of them. There was one book I read Brooklyn 1975 that could have been amazing but had so many easy to fix typos.
Lara wrote: "I reread my story so many times I was sick of it just to catch errors. It's hard because I'm not a professional proofreader. I think I got most of them. There was one book I read Brooklyn 1975 tha..."Hi Lara, I am about to self publish novel number 4. I have started to use friends to read my stuff as 'betta readers'. Their advice is impartial and so helpful, as for proof reading, I am right there with ya. Services are provided by others, but cost so much. I find if I do it all myself I miss things, so please find some betta readers, FB provided mine. I just asked you'd be surprised. :)
I'm doing something different for self promotion and it seems to be working. I created an Author Presentation where I speak in front of (any!) group. I have a 4-5 minute memorized speech where I talk about how I got into writing, who my influences and mentors were and how I got published. I then talk about the "symbols" and "lessons" I put in my writing, give a two sentence description of my book and read one chapter of said book where there's action involving the Underground Railroad, bounty hunters and escaping slaves. I bring quite a bit of research materials most people find interesting. Have a Q & A afterward. Can last from 25 minutes and up.At first, I had to find the groups, call and ask them if they'd like a guest speaker. I've put myself on lists/newsletters of the Extension Office/Libraries/Indiana Historical Society Speakers Bureau and others.
I'm now getting calls from people for my presentations. Every time I give a presentation, I sell books while I'm there and my ebooks sales go up.
I'm giving you the abridged version of what I do, but you have to put yourself in front of people. Believe me, my knees knocked for quite awhile before I got comfortable doing this.
It seems to work for me anyway. Hope you all find your own way of promoting. It's challenging.
Keshena,If you're passionate about your subject, genre, etc. you can't help but be interesting to listen to! Just decide what it is that makes you unique. You don't have to follow my formula per se, but if you notice, I don't even get into the "subject" of my writing til the end.
I realized early on most people found "writer's" interesting because most people can't (or don't think they can) do it.
Just as you might find interesting how an athlete became a great runner or how a single parent put themselves through college to became a doctor, others will enjoy listening to your "story."
I very much wanted to "give back" to other writers or "wanna be" writers because of those who selflessly helped me along the way. So, I also give Writer's Workshops, Publishing Workshops and am available to teach in classrooms if teachers ask me. I had to develop those from my own writing/publishing experiences, but I also gleaned info from other experts to formulate my workshops. (I'm teaching an 8th grade class how to write/do research on the internet next month.)
I'm no natural speaker. I had to overcome my fear of speaking in front of others. I got ideas of what to say from other writers. If you think it's something you'd seriously like to try, don't hesitate to contact me and I'll give more details.
Good Luck!
Keshena wrote: "Monica wrote: "Keshena,If you're passionate about your subject, genre, etc. you can't help but be interesting to listen to! Just decide what it is that makes you unique. You don't have to follow..."
I'd be happy to help!
If you have a presentation that talks about your journey into writing, any struggles you've overcome, how you got where you are today, what your passion's are, etc. you will have a presentation that anyone would find interesting. Your subject matter is secondary, but still very important. I think I mentioned what my presentation includes. 4-5 minute memorized talk, then I talk about the "lessons" and "symbolism" in my writing. Sometimes, if I'm talking to other writers/hope-to-be writers, I'll talk about how I write, (I write in layers) and how I do research. I skip those depending on my audience. That later info, is not memorized. I read from a binder.
You can contact Libraries as they are heavily into promoting reading to kids/young adults. Ask if there are any groups (especially ones in your target age group) that meet at the library and contact them about giving them a presentation.
Libraries often network. I was able to get my name put on the Allen County Library's newsletter that went out to dozens of smaller libraries, offering my presentation as well as my writer's workshop and publishing workshop. (You'll have to have a prepared written info sheet on yourself and your presentation for them to publish. They may also want a photo.)
Library's will also schedule/advertise you giving an Author Presentation and Book signing event. They love to promote local authors. You'll want to contact the newspapers yourself, as well, to see if they'll run an article on it.
Schools are another source. See if there are any teachers you can talk to that teach in your target age group. Ask them if you could do a presentation for his/her class.
Scour the newspapers for women's groups that meet regularly. They often love to have guest speakers, no matter the subject. I find a members name mentioned in that group in the paper and look that person up in the phone book and ask if they ever have guest speakers. Most jump at the opportunity.
Arts groups in your area may be interested as writing is considered an art.
You have to be shameless (in a good way!) about asking everyone you run into if they know of any groups/clubs that may be interested in a guest speaker. I've found lots of venues that way. Ladies at church, women I run into in the grocery store, you get the picture. You are the only one who's going to promote your book. It starts with promoting you.
Some of the groups I've spoken to have been: Friends of the Arts, Optimist's Club, Tri-Kappa (Retired), Several Home-makers Clubs, Several Libraries in neighboring counties, Adams County Heart Club, The Four President's Corners Historical Society, etc. I'm scheduled to speak at: a Men's Presidential Guild and a retired teachers association.
Now, I never thought men would be my target audience, but I've been pleasantly surprised at how many men like my book and are interested. Never count anyone out!
Now, when I go, I always make sure I have plenty of business cards with my info on the front (name,email, website) on the back of the card is the cover of my book. I'll pass them out/offer them. I also have pamphlets with my Author Presentation info on it and ask them to please take one as I'm always looking for venues. Most people are happy to pass your information along to someone else if they enjoyed your presentation.
If you're like me, you'll want to have something written down in front of you as you make these calls. If I don't, I end up sounding like a ditz. I've made myself a form to keep track of who I contact, what group it is, what I said and if they are interested, etc. Otherwise, I forget. You may want to do it differently.
However, whatever you do, write a good, interesting presentation! You are a writer. Hone it, practice it, and ask those you trust to listen to you and get their input. Make changes if necessary.
I practice my (4-5 minute speech) every day. When I'm in the shower, when I'm driving, when I exercise. I'm mortally scared I'm going to blank, so that's what I do.
It doesn't hurt to practice in front of trusted family/friends first to work out any kinks or jitters. You'll still have jitters, but if you've done it often enough in front of those who love you, you'll do just fine.
I hope this helps. Please let me know if you try this. I've been told I need to have a Marketing Workshop. I may consider that next!
Monica wrote: "I'm doing something different for self promotion and it seems to be working. I created an Author Presentation where I speak in front of (any!) group. I have a 4-5 minute memorized speech where I ta..."Wow, that's actually a brilliant idea and never truly thought about it. Sometimes...it's hard to be you're own advocate (when I'm always second guessing myself).
I'm 29 years old, I write and write and write, but my editor and support is my family etc. Is this the same for you?
Hopefully I'll conquer the 'not good enough writer' feeling and try something like you're speaking of. I do love writing and never see myself quitting, but to speak in front of a group about it. That's tough!
Dawn wrote: "Monica wrote: "I'm doing something different for self promotion and it seems to be working. I created an Author Presentation where I speak in front of (any!) group. I have a 4-5 minute memorized sp..."Hey Dawn,
I was in exactly the same place as you. I always assumed my writing was not as "up to par" as others. One of my mentors who I contacted when I began writing again (my high school Creative writing teacher) gave me two books that totally changed my outlook.
The books "Bird by Bird" by Ann Lamott, and "Page after Page" by Heather Sellers. See if your library has them and read them. After reading, "Bird by Bird" I realized "I AM a writer!" (Because I was doing all the things she said writer's do.) The second book is more the nuts and bolts of getting started writing, but it has good points.
And yes, it was my family, then later my teacher and later still, a retired N.Y. Editor who took me under her wings. I worked with her for two years, polishing my manuscript.
The Author Presentation, I came up with on my own. Through trial and error, I've found what seems to be working. I also ask others to help in areas I'm lacking. For example, my Aunt knows how to put pamphlets together and helped me make flyers etc. I'm so technically challenged, I don't know how to do that. Finding people to help you is important.
Hope it's given you something to consider. You could tweak this a thousand different ways to suit your unique talents.
This is my core belief: "I believe in Individualism. Find out what makes you unique and develop it. Don't run with the herd. Set yourself apart so you can stand out."
Monica wrote: "Dawn wrote: "Monica wrote: "I'm doing something different for self promotion and it seems to be working. I created an Author Presentation where I speak in front of (any!) group. I have a 4-5 minute..."Wow thanks for the encouragement and I will definitely look those books up.
Appreciate it a lot ~ Dawn
dawnhusted.weebly.com
Hi. My name is John Lee and I've recently self published my first book, Legend of the Black Knight, with Outskirts Press. It is available at Outskirts, in paperback and ebook, at Amazon, in paperback and kindle, and Barns and Noble in paperback and for nook. So anyway, I got it out there but as far as advertising and marketing...I'm very very clueless on what to do. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated. :)
Mod
I think there is a discussion on this site about marketing but I'm not sure if it has any activity. I'm still trying to figure out how to get my books out there as well. I hear a lot of people mention that reviews help so there is also a discussion to swap reviews. I'm not sure if that really helps or not but some people say it does.
I think the hardest thing is getting your book to the right people. Once its in the right hands, word of mouth can be a powerful advertiser.
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