I wonder how they can write being so stressed out like that.
Even with the little bit I’m doing now, I’m finding it time
consuming. Almost overwhelming. I’m not even OUT there with the people, and
it’s draining me. That’s how much of an introvert I am, I guess. Do I need to
pile on the stress and obsess over reviews and ratings? No, I don’t. But do I
need to promote? Hmmm… If I self-pubbed, I probably wouldn’t put much effort
into it, but since I’m through a publisher, they kind of expect me to do
something.
One promotional tool I’m interested in will get my book
promo in front of book clubs. The site isn’t up yet and will cost me a little
bit of money, but I will seriously consider using them. Getting the word out to
book clubs sounds like the way to go, and a whole lot less stressful. Of
course, now I must figure out what kind of promo material to send and how much
I want to spend. Aack!
Can you tell I’m not a great decision-maker?
But I am a business. I know this. And a business must spend
money to make money. I’m hoping since I’ve been blogging for so long, and have
a few conferences under my belt, that maybe I won’t have to go to extremes to
promote. Besides, isn’t the best promotion having another book out there?
That’s what I SHOULD be working on, isn’t it?
I’ll say one thing: you won’t find me obsessing over something
I can’t control - reviews and rankings. I need to just get the next book out
there. Easier said than done, though, huh? But I’m working at it!
So how do you feel about promotion? Do you like getting it?
I have to admit, I don’t. But apparently a lot of readers do. Especially if the
author makes it personal (just another thing I have to figure out).
Happy Friday!
Stacy
16 comments:
Internet problems are always fun. Ack to that as well.
As for promotion, I haven't had to do any for anything and when I did publish, it was all non-fiction articles and interviews. So in the publication it went. And that was pretty much that.
Here's to having fun with your entire journey. The bookclub thing sounds interesting.
Ivy - Internet/television/phone - it was all a mess, since it's all together. I hope it's fixed now.
The bookclub thing does sound interesting. Once the site is live, I'll certainly post something about it here.
What you need is some kind of 'street team' thing - where people you know go out and talk about your books on blogs, FB, Twitter. Meanwhile, you do blog tours and guest posts (like the one you did for me - due to go live Sept. 30th on The Unpublished Writers' Guide to Survival) and drop hints in comments, like I just did. ;o)
Another thing you can do - with the blessing of your publisher of course - is get pre-release copies into the hands of book bloggers and reviewers.
Also, let people know they can find it on Goodreads now - so they can click 'want to read' and it shows up in their feed to all of their Goodreads friends. =o)
B.E. - I would like to get a street team, but I can't see getting one until I have fans, you know? Right now I'm using my daughter to get the word out (and she's very enthusiastic).
My publisher will send my book to a long list of reviewers (so I should be okay there).
I won't sit on my butt and do nothing, but I'm not going to stress myself out with doing it all, either. Plus, I really hate being annoying!
Stacy, I'm like you - worrying about sales, Twitter, getting reviews, deciding whether or not to do a giveaway - that stuff stresses me out to the point that I don't even want to write. So I quit doing most of it. And yes, my sales reflect that, but I just couldn't deal otherwise. You're doing a great job blogging, and getting out there commenting on others' blogs, and you clearly enjoy it, so I'd stick with that. As for the book club thing, I'm considering signing up for the part to get the book club list, but wasn't that impressed with the rest of it. Like you, I don't care about getting tchotchkes and handouts - I just toss them later.
Jennette - I probably should comment on other blogs more often, but sometimes I'm like Mr. Ed. Remember him? I only speak (or write) when I have something to say. Haha!! Of course, that's why I pose a question at the end of my blogs. To help generate a discussion. :)
I know what you mean, I wish I had someone to handle all the promotion for me so I can just kick back, write and play on Twitter all day. LOL
Jennifer - Yeah, a promotion person would be great. Maybe I'll get one when I hit the best sellers list! :)
Self-promotion is hard, but if there's something you can do to take your book from mildly successful to moderately successful, isn't it worth it?
I do not like when I'm hit over the head with a book. I sometimes wonder if the blog-go-round is a good idea, because I know I get a little impatient when every blog I subscribe to has the same cover reveal or release day on the same day.
Laura - I think the best way to get my book from mildly successful to moderately successful is to have more books out there. So, that's what I'll work on.
Jeff - That's the one thing I dislike about blog tours. I tend to follow the same person as the author, so it gets to be a bit much. If I did a blog tour, it would be through one of those services, where I might hit people I don't normally see. Still seems like an awful lot of work, though. I'd rather write!
Stacy,
I'm glad I don't have to worry about that yet. :)
Good luck on the release. I can't wait.
Best of luck with the promotion, my friend. I don't mind putting in the effort, but with a sea of books out there the Return On Investment isn't always immediately visible. We just have to develop that thick skin and look way past the headlights as we begin what may potentially be a very long journey...and also keep our writer friends close for those dark moments. Just don't doubt your skill for telling stories, and keep writing them down. You can do this. *high-fives*
-Jimmy
Bonnie - Your day will come!
Jimmy - I'm a pretty patient person, so hopefully that's in my favor! Plus, I don't plan on giving up. I just have to keep it fun (and writing is fun).
Welcome to the nuthouse. :o)
I've changed my mind about promotion in recent years. I've come to greatly dislike constant promotion especially when it's blasted to other writers. Look for where the readers are: forums, book clubs, and in your case, vampire enthusiasts.
Writers are readers, but we're such a tiny minority compared to the rest of the reader population.
PS It doesn't matter whether it's indie or traditional, both require promotion. C'est la vie.
I lament anything I call "meta-writing." The business stuff that is not writing itself. (And that includes blogging.) But, it's a necessary evil.
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