Encouragement for self-publishers

Yes, creating a following is the hard part. No matter how difficult the writing may be (or finding time to write), getting noticed is far more difficult.

My experience is that a following grows for those who have a name and/or a platform that is consistent with a built-in marketing base.

I also think that series where the first book catches on and several more are in the pipeline makes a difference.

Very uplifting. Thank you!

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]


Targeted marketing key to successful self-publishing
By Dionne Soares Palmer

Self-published authors need to be more marketing savvy and more willing to dedicate time to the task of marketing, said Jeremy Robinson, author of POD People: Beating the Print-on-Demand Stigma.

“Marketing is really the only way a self-published author can get those first books sold and kick off the word-of-mouth machine,” he said.

Robinson learned this lesson the hard way when his first print-on-demand novel, The Didymus Contingency, initially failed to sell to readers outside his circle of friends and family. However, just one month after Robinson began proactively marketing the book, it became a Barnes&Noble.com bestseller and the #1 bestselling fiction title at print-on-demand publishing company Lulu.com. He also credits his marketing efforts to ultimately landing a book deal with Thomas Dunne/St. Martin’s Press.

After what Robinson describes as “long years of trial and error” experimenting with a wide range of marketing techniques, he found that locating his audience and specifically targeting them with his marketing efforts was the most successful strategy.

“Spending time marketing to a general audience is a waste of time, and possibly money, because only a percentage of them are going to be interested in your book,” he said.

Robinson shares the following ideas for targeting your marketing:

Visit online discussion forums related to your discipline and take part in conversations.

Create YouTube videos demonstrating physics experiments, for example, and include your book information at the end.

Find out where teachers hang out online and join the conversation.

Offer free copies of your book to teachers. Getting added to a curriculum means yearly sales you can count on.

“Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to experiment,” he said. “The worst thing you can do for your book is not try.”

Thanks for the good advice. My experience is that marketing takes constant massaging; the minute I slow down so do book sales. On the other hand, one advantage of publishing with a small press is that they can gain momentum over time as opposed to sink or swim when first published Make no mistake, however, new releases get the glitz - and they need a major push.

A colleague of mine launches her books with a community fest - food, wine, door prizes, music, invitations, etc. She sells nearly 200 books at that event and
moves on from there. I think her books are fluff; but she is doing VERY well with sales. She knows her audience...

I do my share of marketing and promotion; but it's less grand.

On a similar note It seems that all the praise for self-publishing still leads to the brass ring - getting a mainline publisher.

cc

This member of the forum has made the statement, "I have sold 1000 books." I don't know if Mr. Pappalardo is referring to my statement, but the time period for those numbers for my book was three years.

Ann

Domenic Pappalardo wrote:

Of the millions of books written, very few sell. My feeling on self publishing is;

One in ten trillion make any money when they take on the job of publish

ing their own work. One member of the forum said; "I have sold 1000 books."...over ten years. I think it is far better to put the time into writing a very good book, and seek out a Standard Publisher. You may have reject,after reject...but if you have talent, and have written a good book, it will sell in time. It's just a matter of hanging in there until you sell, or die of old age.

Domenic, you are a dinosaur.

cc

J. A. Konrath for one.

Dick did not self-publish his memoir; the book was properly published at no cost whatsoever to Dick. Don't dismiss Dick as a self-published author; he had dozens of mystery stories published in reputable magazines. He did self-publish a book of previously published mystery stories. I wrote the one and only review of the book:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

It's the things we do for one another that count, not the things we say. Talk is cheap.

I think there is room still for many opinions regarding publishing. Even the very definition of "self-publishing" has fuzzy edges.

Here's my take. I will have a much better opportunity to sell more books if I am under contract to a publisher with connections to the mainline newspaper reviewers and access to the brick and mortar booksellers. Second best is a small press that provides some marketing assistance. Third best is ebooks with wide distribution to all ereaders and libraries. Last - signing up with a vanity press or doing all the work myself from contracting out the cover, the printing and the distribution. The last category includes Createspace, etc.

Therefore, it all depends on my patience. If I have the patience to seek an agent and a mainline publisher and the years to plug along, that is the best choice from my perspective.

If I'll be happy to sell 1000 or so books, then a small press is a good idea.

If I have the ability to do a lot of the work myself, then self-publishing might shorten the time from manuscript to publication.

Shelagh wrote:

J. A. Konrath for one.

Dick did not self-publish his memoir; the book was properly published at no cost whatsoever to Dick. Don't dismiss Dick as a self-published author; he had dozens of mystery stories published in reputable magazines. He did self-publish a book of previously published mystery stories. I wrote the one and only review of the book:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

It's the things we do for one another that count, not the things we say. Talk is cheap.

Shelagh,

I did not dismiss Dick as a self-publisher. I stated he published his war book through PA because he wanted it in print for his family, and PA was faster than a SP. That is what he said on the Water cooler.

No one was under attack. You can defend self-publishing until the moon turns blue. I will defend Standard publishing until it is gone. You have your opinion, and I have mine. You want me to respect your opinion…I do. Respect mine also.

If you want to read what Dick wrote on the water cooler go search it. Don’t ask me to. You can search their files. You don’t have to log in.

I should not have posted on this thread.

Domenic,

I do not need to search out Dick's words. Dick's words to me were good enough for me; I do not need to read anything he said to anyone else.

Domenic Pappalardo wrote:

I should not have posted on this thread.

Would you take sailing advice from a non sailor?
Before you advise or expound on writing or publishing, become an Author--You are afraid to even try.

No one gets a book in print by running around yelling they will have only the best publisher.

Your opinions have received far more respect than you have given.
If you wish to be an author--become one--get a book published.
I don't care how you do it--just get it done.
SET A DEADLINE
"If wishes were fishes... "

Good luck! Hope you are a published author soon--at least before you pontificate on publishing on a Published Authors forum.

I enjoy life and will gladly live it for as long as God gives it to me.

Hey, I ran a thread that included very controversial opinions where there were people who didn't always agree with each other and tried very valiantly to keep the opinions to third person, not accusatory or venomous. I think that thread is an example that could be followed throughout the forum.

Some controversy attracts posts; however, controversy is possible without attacking perfect strangers by words. We are, in fact, strangers. When we meet in person, we will find kind and generous hearts. Those same hearts type here. Let's protect them.

What D.K. said.

I changed my post. Why? It was a lie. I have to live with myself for the rest of my live, so might as well be honest.

Not eveyone has a kind heart. There are downright nasty, mean people in the world and on the net, they should not be encouraged and emboldened. I refuse to pander to nasty pompous folks.

This thread began as an encouragement to self-publishers, it became an attack on self-publishers.

Like it is from my viewpoint.

Great thread, LC.

alice wrote:

I changed my post. Why? It was a lie. I have to live with myself for the rest of my live, so might as well be honest.

Not eveyone has a kind heart. There are downright nasty, mean people in the world and on the net, they should not be encouraged and emboldened. I refuse to pander to nasty pompous folks.

This thread began as an encouragement to self-publishers, it became an attack on self-publishers.

Like it is from my viewpoint.

Great thread, LC.

Every position not in agreement with yours is taken as an attack. Why don’t you just post a sign, “Think like I think, or I will sick the dogs of war on you.”

Precious! Please do not delete it.

alice wrote:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Precious! Please do not delete it.

Alice, you attack anything I post that is not in agreement with your way of thinking. Then you turn around, and act like I am the attacker. Do you not understand what you are doing? It is the main reason I want nothing to do with you. I do not post on your threads, nor comment on what you say on the threads of others. I have no way of stopping you from being a cyber bully. Even when I pay no heed to you, you keep coming at me.This thing you have going is your problem…not mine.

I'll come back when the food fight is over.

Al,
You have been a great encouragement to me. You gave me a wonderful book review on Amazon and even my husband was impressed.

In honor of your wishes, I will not respond to the previous poster. In all fairness things have been deleted on both sides.