Hide your head in the sand and hope it all goes away?
As an author you sometimes feel like that, don’t you! You try and reach out on Twitter, your blog, Facebook and the list goes on, but time is short and there’s no real time for the positive meaningful interaction you need, for it to be worthwhile and enjoyable.
Flit from one platform to the other as the new fashion come along?
‘You must try Tick Tock,’ a fellow author cries, ‘It’s great!’
… or whatever the trending platform is at the moment. You spread your precious time more thinly than ever and take hours getting it all set up. It’s called familiarisation! Then you launch it in a big funfair, mentioning it on your other platforms. Your enthusiasm keeps the adrenalin going for a few weeks as you juggle all you were doing, with your new ‘social media pal’ and then what? Burn out!
‘I’m a writer’ I hear you cry, ‘and not a marketeer!’
I’m afraid all authors have to market their own books, unless they sell squillions and can pay for a publicist; even those debut writers with the big publishing houses. Finding a balance between writing, marketing and, well, life too, is tough at the best of times.
So, have we a magic bullet here at Eventispress?
Sadly no, but we do offer some sound advice:
- Once you’ve chosen a platform, take time to establish yourself before moving on.
- Post regularly, especially if it is your blog and connect with other bloggers by reading and commenting on their posts. That’s essential.
- Be part of the community. Don’t just dip into it.
- Make contacts and build relationships with other authors and readers.
- Share areas of your own personal interest to show yourself as a ‘whole person’ who is engaged in life; interesting to know beyond books.
- Ask other authors you have got to know as to what worked for them. Remember though, one authors plan to success may not work for you. You need to furrow your own path.
- Make a marketing plan and try to keep to a loose schedule.
- Allow a budget per year for paid marketing, for example Amazon ads (and Bryan Cohen gives wonderful free courses on this), blog tours, twitter tours and other marketing platforms.
- This way you are not alone ~ your reach is far greater, as is your presence on the internet. You cannot do it all yourself.
The list goes on and I’m sure you could add to it.
Good luck!
eventispress 