Happy holiday! Whatever are your beliefs and traditions, I hope you that you find today enjoyable.
I have double reason to celebrate: today is the six-month anniversary of the release of my first book. Do you recall the excitement you felt the day your book went public? I felt proud of the accomplishment, anxious about how it would be received, and relieved that the work was over. Unfortunately, this exhilaration did not last very long. The first bubble to pop was that of pride. I had set up public speaking engagements for early July and ordered 100 copies of the book. During the interim, I sent the book for copy editing. To my horror, it returned chock-full of errors. Now I had books that I was too embarrassed to sell! The second and third bubbles popped almost simultaneously as I realized that readers were not knocking at my door and that I had to work hard to market the book.
Did you have a similar experience? After self-publishing your book, were you disheartened by the paltry royalty checks, wondering what you could do to better promote your book? If you are like me, you researched a myriad of conflicting marketing techniques, joined writer’s forums and groups only to find other disillusioned authors wondering how to increase their sales, and were overwhelmed with social media and digital tools.
I feel your pain. There is so much to learn! The good news is that, if taken one step at a time, you can gain the knowledge and skills required to increase sales. Don’t become frustrated at the slow progress; your incremental work will result exponentially.
What I have learned in the past six months
- FOCUS ON THE READER. One of the most important lessons I learned is not to focus on sales but on the readers. This is such a paradigm shift in thinking. As you focus on the reader, everything changes including your writers platform. (See The author platform—a long-range career growth tool.) Your blurb becomes irresistible as you shift from merely telling about the book to describing what the reader can get from reading your book, or what they will miss by not reading it. With a little creativity, you can do this no matter the genre. Instead of selling your book on various social media, use these outlets to engage your readers. One amazing result for me was that I now enjoy the interaction; marketing is no longer a daunting chore.
- USE A SCHEDULER. Mastering distractions is difficult. ( See Family and friends: Distractions and assets for the indie writer and To write more, conquer the time-suck.) I now block off time segments in my scheduler and try to adhere to the time slots. I admit, I somethings get caught up with the distractions, but I am trying to discipline myself to stick with the regimen. One benefit has been increased productivity and more “me” time.
- MASTER ONE TACTIC AT A TIME. I was overwhelmed by all the “solutions” proposed by the “experts”. (See Do you feel more like a juggler than an indie writer?) By focusing on one tactic, I am able to really learn how to best use it for me and my sales platform, which is finally coming together piece by piece. I still have a list of things to do, but I am no longer overwhelmed, knowing that when I am ready, I will get to it. I also realized that I don’t have to do it all; sometimes the experts give too many suggestions. I am learning to trust myself and to take what feels right and leave the rest. If it doesn’t work out, I can reassess and try another approach.
- FIND YOUR VOICE At first I did not have a vision. I felt that I was at a crossroads without a map. Focusing on the reader has helped me put it all together, like pieces of a puzzle. Now, when I write, I am talking with my readers. I am not concerned about becoming a brand or a persona. I want to be authentic. I think that my newly found voice is manifested in my blogs, in my comments on others’ blogs, in guest posts, and even in my Pinterest boards.
- DEFINE SUCCESS IN YOUR OWN TERMS. For me, defining what success meant for me was liberating. I no longer had to struggle to attain a vision that was not mine. I also started liking what I was doing more, because I was doing what I liked, not what someone else prescribed.
As I reflect on these past six months I realize how far I have come. I wonder what strides I will make in the next six months.
What have you learned about indie publishing that you would like to share? Please comment.
