INDIE LIFE: Overwhelmed by Marketing and Promotion? I am! (and what to do about it)

INDIE LIFE
by Elle Strauss

You've written a great book, polished it up, got a cool cover.

Now what?

How do you get your baby into the hands of all those zillions of people dying to read it? They can't read something they've never heard about, right? How do you get your book in front of your readers?

I wish I had an easy answer. If you've been in the self-publishing world for any length of time (for me, it's been 1 year and 9 months, an eternity in self-publishing years), you'll know that the rules keep CHANGING. And I mean fast.

What worked last month  doesn't seem to work this month. Just when you think you have a handle on the "how to's" of promotion, it changes. It's enough to drive an indie author mad.

For instance last year I price matched Clockwise free. I let Pixel of Ink know, they picked it up right away, and voila, major sales push on the other Clockwise series books that lasted for months. Great! I thought. I'll I have to do is put the first book free, let POI know, and I'm rockin' it.

Except, it's not that easy to get picked up by POI anymore. In fact, it's quite hard. And you can't buy spots. It's a total crap shoot, now, and you can't count on it.

Also, at that time the Amazon monkeys tallied a free sale with the same weight as a paid sale. They've since changed it to 10 free downloads = one sale, which means it takes far more free downloads to get the same high speed traction as it did a year ago.

Like I said, change.

So, you put your ear to the wind. What is everyone else doing now. The clamor gets loud, quick.

Twitter, Facebook pages, google+, tumbler, pinterest, newsletters, giveaways, blog tours, street teams, paid advertising, teasers, picture teasers,  reviews, reviews, reviews! You must do it ALL!

Join me as I hide under my covers.

Okay, I'm going to give some practical advice.

1. Breathe
2. Give yourself plenty of time. There's a lot of pressure for indie-authors to produce and publish fast.
3. Realize that each book you write is different, and the publishing scene at the time of each release will be different.
4. Understand that some things take time, like building a twitter/facebook following and a newsletter list.
5. Don't panic.
6. Take a step back and make a list of things you feel you could/should do for the title in question and make a marketing/promo list. It will probably be different from the last book you promoted and different from the next one.
7. Work the list.
8. Take another breath and write the next book.

What kinds of things can be on your promo list?

Well, something that gets the word out, right?

1. Find early readers who will leave a review. Sometimes you might want to hire out, ie: a blog tour service, and other times you will want to take the time to contact book reviewers yourself. A good way to find book reviewers is to join a blog hop. Kathy at I Am a Reader, hosts a lot. If you want to hire a blog tour service, Giselle at Xpresso Tours, does a great job at organizing tours and cover reveals at reasonable prices. Reviews are especially important on Amazon.

2. Paid advertising. Lots of authors have had good results with Bookbub (though I've heard it's getting harder to book a spot) and Kindle Nation Daily/BookGodzilla. 
These kind of paid sites can be on the pricey side, plus you usually have to qualify with a certain rating and number of reviews.

A cheaper option is to pay for promotion on Facebook. You don't reach the same kind of numbers, but for the price (5-20.00), it's good exposure.

3. Let your followers know. As long as you mix your tweets, facebook posts, etc, up with other news, it's okay to tell people you have a new book for sale. They are following you (as an author) for a reason, right? Being part of a writing group really helps with this. When you post for each other, your reach grows exponentially. If you can't find one to join, then start one yourself!(link to Galley Cat)

4. Contests. An easy way to start is to offer a book on Goodreads (make sure you list your books there, even if you don't offer a contest). For the price of postage, you are getting word out about your book to a lot of potential new fans. This option is only available for books in print.

Use rafflecopter to offer prizes that will entice potential fans to follow you on twitter, facebook, etc, and sign up for a newsletter. Don't have a newsletter? I recommend Mail Chimp. It's pretty user friendly and free until you reach 2000 sign ups.

Those are the basics.

For more advanced advice on getting your book noticed, I recommend LET'S GET VISIBLE, by David Gaughran.

NEWSFLASH:
INdieReCon Marketing Mania is on right now! IndieReCon brings you a mini-marketing know-how blitz! Featuring articles and workshops from CJ Lyons, Georgia McBride, KP Simmons and Penny Sansevieri. Check it out!





How about you? Have you tried something that really worked for you? Please, do tell!

Elle Strauss writes fun, lower YA fiction (time-travel and fantasy). She's married with four children and divides her time between British Columbia, Canada, and Dresden, Germany. She also writes upper YA (historical and science fiction) as LEE Strauss. To find out more about Elle and her books check out her facebook page, and follow her on twitter. To find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com .

Check out other Indie Life posts on the list below.

Starting out Indie

(photo source)

I get emails from a few friends who were like me, querying for years with a lot of bites from agents, but no contract. They see my books hit the best seller lists and stellar reviews on Amazon and want to know "How does self-publishing work?"

I can't say that I recommend self-publishing for everyone, but the longer I've gone Indie, the more I don't know if I could ever go back. But after a year of doing this gig, there are some definite things I wish I knew when I started.

1.) Your book needs an editor. You may have awesome grammar skills and have had eight critique partners read your masterpiece, but another set of eyes that is attached to it never hurts. An editor doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, you can pay anything from $100-$1000 depending on the editor and if you need a lot of editing or just some proofreading.

2.) A kick butt cover can sell your books. When looking for covers for my next New Adult book, I thought of doing it on my own, but I don't have the eye that the professionals do.  I hired the awesomesauce Steven Novak for my alien series and I'm using Mae I Design for my New Adult (since she has the market cornered on "panty dropping" covers). A cover can cost you anything from $50-$1500, depending if you also want to do print and if you are using custom photography, etc.

3.) Paying for a blog tour is worth every penny. I did do my own blog tour for How to Date an Alien and My Paper Heart, the problem? I didn't know that many bloggers who would take the book on, some didn't post on the day they were supposed to, etc. I finally decided to use blog tour organizer for my last alien book and she brought me thirty people that hadn't read my books who were interested in participating. It opened my book up to a new audience and now I can have those contacts for future book reviewing. There are many blog tours out there and you can go for as little as $30 for a few stops or even up to $300 for massive like multiple month tours with multiple stops.

4.)  Learn to format properly or find someone to format it. I learned to format my first ebooks and the paperback process took me almost a whole day to figure out. There are services that will do it reasonably, but you have to figure out what software is available and if you just can't get the right formatting to upload your word doc or epub file, then maybe it's time to hire someone. These can costs anywhere from a bout $20-$50.

5.) Stop reading reviews. It's tempting and there will be some that will gush for your books, but the ones that hate it will bring you to tears for no reason. I remember reading one for My Paper Heart that attacked me as an author and said they literally wanted to slap me. I wanted to cry, wanted to respond to the reviewer, but I held back, because nothing good ever comes from responding to a reviewer that writes something negative (as we've seen the stories).

6.) You wont be an overnight success. Yes, there are some Indie authors that do make those tremendous overnight successes, but then there are those that have a slow build up and rock it (M. Leighon had 14 books out before she made the NY Times best seller list). If your books don't sell, don't give up, just keep writing and keep on trucking.
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Magan Vernon is a Young Adult and New Adult writer who lives with her family in the insurance capital of the world. She is in a very serious, fake relationship with Adam Lambert and constantly asks her husband to wear guyliner. He still refuses. She also believes her husband is secretly an alien, disguised as a southern gentleman. You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com Or check out her awesome book covers and purchase her books at all online retailers including Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Self-pubbing: Not a fad diet

About five years ago now, after years of the college lifestyle hit my waist line, I decided that yo-yo dieting was enough and I had to do something to change.  I joined Weight Watchers, lost almost 50 lbs and felt better than ever, but of course the weight eventually came back on after having a kid and my love of french fries.

I tried to go back and do Weight Watchers again, tried every diet in the book and none of them worked. Why? Because it's not about doing a fad diet it's about a lifestyle change.

The same thing can be said for self-pubbing. People look at the careers of authors like Amanda Hocking or Hugh Howey and think that is their fast track for getting their book out there and become a billionare. I'm here to say that like a fad diet, self-pubbing success doesn't always happen over night and it's more about changing your attitude then just putting something up on Amazon.

Not all diets/books are created equal.

So your friend self-pubbed her book and now makes 10K a month from writing? Why can't you? Well, there is a possiblity that you can, but more than likely it's not going to happen overnight. Your friend might be Amanda Hocking that hit it big when self-pubbing started and for some reason your little book about aliens just isn't getting an audience. Does it mean you give up on your self-pubbing diet? Now on to exhibit two...

You have to be in it for the long haul

Sure, there are people that you see their success and you think "Man they did that in no time!" But then did you look at the big picture? Did that person spend three years building their platform before they published? Sure, some people will get success right away and then you see amazing authors like M. Leighton that have fourtneen books published and it was their fourteenth book that got them on the NY Times best seller list. Patience is the key.

Shortcuts don't help you

Think you can just go a few days with eating salads and the weight wont come back when you eat normal? Wrong. It's the same with self-pubbing. You want to get the book out quickly and start making money so you scimp on editing, having your critique partners look at it, but still think it's fine. Then the reviews role in complaining about typos, you get returns galore and wonder why all your "weight" came back.

Jealousy doesn't help you

I whine all the time when someone bounces back from having a baby and looks like a model, but does it help me feel any better? No. Don't compare yourself to anyone because all that is going to get you is dissapointment. Sure she may have sold more books than you, but maybe look at what she's done to market her books. If you do the same thing and it doesn't work, remember that not all fad diets are created equal. I did some paid advertising that other Indelibles did. They had a multitude of sales, I think I got one or two.

Sweat is just weakness leaving the body.

I saw this in a Nike ad. Throughout my weight loss time I spent a lot of time crying and a lot of time sweating. There were weeks that I lost two pounds and weeks that I'd gained two pounds. The key is to not give up. The same goes for self-pubbing. There will be days you sell absolutely nothing, heck, with the first six months of How to Date an Alien being on sale, I barely sold a book a day. I cried a lot, put a lot of effort in to marketing, and still nothing. I cried a lot, A LOT, but then I realized that I had to pick myself up and keep pushing. I put out the second alien book and then put out My Paper Heart. I'm not making 10K in sales a month, but I'm doing well enough that I think I can get that new MacBook Pro I've been eyeing and possibly get the bigger car I really want in a few months.

In conclusion

Some people will get published and do well and some wont. But if you want to do well in self-publishing you have to remember, it's not a fad diet, you have to be in it for the long haul to see results.

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Magan Vernon started her writing career by writing fan fiction about olympic athletes. Now she writes young adult and New Adult including the international best selling MY ALIEN ROMANCE series and MY PAPER HEART. When not writing she tackles insurance claims, a curious toddler, and a husband who is not an olympic athlete but sometimes she pretends he is.

You can find her online at www.maganvernon.com
www.thepunchingbagfightsback.blogspot.com

or support here and pick up a book on Amazon (she promises that none of them are about fad diets, but do include prailines)

The Only Reader that Matters is the One Reading Your Book

I download and read a zillion independently published books. Okay, maybe not a zillion, because I'm an interminably slow reader (*curse you slow reading ability!*), but I've been noticing a seriously disturbing behavior among some indie authors.

And that's the, "I can always upload a new version" mentality.

It's like the author slaps up the shiny new draft of a story, hoping to start making money on it right away, even though they know ~ they know ~ there are mistakes in the manuscript. Meanwhile, they'll edit the story and then upload a new-and-improved version. Maybe they'll even do that five or six (or more!) times before they have finally made the story "good" (read: publishable).

I find this extremely disturbing.

To me, that's like saying those first readers aren't important. Like they're expendable ~ which is exactly how they're being treated because that author didn't bother to give them their best work. Sure, they took the reader's money, but they're "expendable" because that reader will likely never go back to that author.

And that worries me to no end.

Because I'm an indie author too. It's my bread and butter this independent publishing gig, and I can't afford for other authors to be disrespecting readers. Those readers might potentially be my readers ~ but if they've learned from experience that self-published authors aren't reliable and sometimes put out unedited crap, well . . . that hurts my bottom line.

I think it's even worse, even more offensive, when the author doesn't just put out unedited work because they don't know better, but they do it because they intend to take advantage of the sales, those poor suckers willing to shell out money on their story, at the earliest possible moment.

It reminds me of one of the more popular bits of advice I've read regarding when you know your manuscript is ready to be queried to agents. It goes something like, "When you think you're book is good enough--edit it again. Then it's ready." In other words, you never, ever, want to query a book that's only "kind of" ready. That's only "sort of" polished. You only get that one chance with an agent, that one little glimpse to know if the story is right for them. You want that experience to be as perfect as you can possibly make it.

Why in the world would we ever treat our readers with anything less than this pinnacle of respect?

Every reader counts.

But that first one? That brave soul who's willing to take a chance on your self-published work? That one counts the most. Because that reader can make or break you.

Make sure that everything you publish represents your very best.

Every.

Single.

Time.

Ali Cross is the sensei of the writer's dojo where she holds a black belt in awesome. She lives in Utah with her kickin' husband, two sparring sons, one ninja cat, two sumo dogs and four zen turtles.


She's the author the young adult urban fantasy books BECOME and DESOLATE. Find Ali online: Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Self-pubs & Agents - A Match Made in Heaven...or Hell?

In the self-pub community you'll often come across a big argument: should any self-respecting indie author seek out an agent and if they do, are they a sell-out?

Is an agent a writer's biggest goal or their ultimate enemy?

It depends on the author's point of view....

I'm sure you want to know which side of the fence I'm on. I'll be happy to tell you ... in a few minutes. ;)

Source: http://symobimbaspastika.over-blog.it/article--c-43552683.html

Let's think about this a few ways.

First, what can an agent do for a self-pub?

Sell foreign/translation rights.

Yes, a self-pub can figure this out on her own. She can find someone to translate her book, format it, and upload it to multiple sites that reach other countries. However, an agent might have access to a reliable, professional translator. How do you know some random person on Craigslist, or who advertises their skillz online, can truly translate your novel? Not just verbatim, but adding those subtle nuances that come with quality overseas publishers?

Yes, you could do it yourself - but you MUST know exactly what you're getting into.

Sell film rights.

I have trad pub friends who've sold film rights. It sounds complicated to me. Really, really complicated. Unless you have a competent attorney  who has experience in this field, an agent is going to be your best ally (but you'll probably still want an attorney too).

Sell future books to traditional publishers.

Okay, okay, I know some people are screaming at the computer screen right now. (You know who you are, and I still luv you.) It's okay. Not sure if you know, but I'm one of those self-pubs who isn't against traditional publishing. I don't currently have anything written and edited that might work for that route, but I don't rule it out for the future.

Look, if you want to go traditional, getting an agent is the first step (unless you want to work with a small press, then you could probably do it without an agent).

Do the crap you don't want to do.

When agents first started side businesses to 'help' authors self-publish, I raged against it. I mean, really, these services are things any author can hire out, for a flat fee, to other professionals. Why in the <bleep> would any self-respecting self-pub give an agent a percentage to that stuff?

Because once you have six or seven products out there, sometimes you want to spend more time writing than managing. I don't think there's any shame in that.

What can a self-pub do for themselves?

Everything.

 
Yes, you can do everything yourself as a self-pub. You can. You can write, edit, format, upload, manage, sell film rights, audio rights, foreign rights, do all the stuff involved in publishing. YOU CAN DO IT!

But, the question you have to ask yourself is: Do I want to do everything?

If the answers is yes, then go for it! Put out your best product and be proud of yourself. You should. Self-publishing is really hard work. Every time some random person whines about how self-pubs slap any old poorly edited combo of words on Amazon, I want to punch them. I don't know any self-pubs who do that. We all take pride in our work. It's not about the quick buck.

If the answer is no, then before you query figure out what kind of relationship you want with an agent. Then look for an agent who fits your needs. Keep in mind - you will give up a decent percentage of royalties and some control over your work. For some authors, this is too much to ask. Nothing comes for free and agents have to make a living too. It's a compromise and a business decision. There isn't one right path.

So are agents angels or demons? I think most are probably angels. I'd like to believe they are in the business because they love books and authors. Whether you want one, or need one, is up to you. ;)

                                                                                          

Megg, age 8-ish (I think)

Megg Jensen is an author, mom, and wife. She hates laundry and loves road trips. She's got a bunch of books out. Epic fantasy, but with a young adult twist - less quests, more kissing. Check out her books at www.meggjensen.com