OBSCURITY: NOT AN OPTION

by

Cindy MacDonald

So you’ve written a manuscript. You had it professionally edited. You’ve got a great cover design. You’ve had it published in paperback and eBook forms, and it’s been uploaded to Amazon. Great! Now what? Sit back, relax, perhaps twiddle your thumbs a bit, and wait for those royalties to come pouring in, right?

Mmmm, I’m afraid not.

No good deed shall go unpunished!
Amazon.com
Amazon.UK

The fact is that no one is going to come looking for your book, no matter how well written, how engaging, or how action-packed it is unless you, the author, makes it happen!

Hey let’s face it, obscurity is not an option when you’ve published a book. The competition is fierce—and the competition is using all the resources that perhaps you are not. There is no doubt that marketing is an indie’s biggest hurdle, but you can’t afford to be shy or stuck in the nineteenth century. I’m not saying that marketing one’s book is insurmountable, but it can be hard to get started. Book stores are not usually very willing to arrange a signing for indie writers because they are relatively unknown—they’d rather have James Patterson, go figure. However, some local libraries may be willing to host an event for you. That’s nice, but that doesn’t tend to spread the word to a large mass of people. And that’s exactly what your need.

So what’s an author to do?

Brace yourself, because I’m about to say the S word: Social Networking. Yikes! You may consider it a dirty word, but I’m afraid it's truly the reality of our time. Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pininterest, it’s enough to make an author’s head spin! After all, it has been widely rumored that authors are quite a recluse lot. The trick is to not allow it to overwhelm or intimidate you—no matter what your age.  The bottom line is it's your responsibility as an author to get the word out about your book—not your publisher—you.

Actually, I’ve seen quite a few traditionally published and even best selling authors on the networks pushing their books as well. So it’s my guess that their publishers feel the same way—get the word out, baby!

So stiff upper lip, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and do what you need to do to make that book of yours a success. Because you can.

If you don’t have a website—get one. You need it! There are plenty of website options out there and some are free. List your books—with covers, a synopsis, provide an excerpt, and yes do a book trailer, to boot! You can make one right there on your computer—it’s easy and it’s actually a lot of fun.

Don’t forget to provide links to your book’s Amazon sales site on your website.

Okay, now that you have a website, you need a…wait for it…Facebook page! I have two FB pages: one in my name where I talk about my life—nothing too personal—and one for my books. On both pages I will announce reviews and provide links to those reviews or my books, and sometimes I will post pictures of my horses just for fun. There are also FB pages that are provided for authors to promote their books. On all these FB pages I will also list blogs that I am featured at—like today—another excellent way to get the word out about your book—I also plug the blog site to draw in readers.

And then there are VirtualBook Tours—virtual book tours help you to promote not only your book but you—the author— without having to leave the comfort of your sofa. You have control as to how long the tour is: two weeks, one month, or the max—three months. 

How they work is that for approximately three times a week you will visit a blog for an author spotlight, a review, interview, or a guest post on a variety of subjects. The guest post will spotlight how well you write beyond the pages of your book. That’s important. It also provides potential readers an insight as to who you are and what you think or believe. While this service is not free, you can decide how much you want to spend by the length of the tour.

LinkedIn is a great place to post a blurb about your book on a daily basis. I usually write something like: Whoa! Those online romances can be real murder!  And then I list the link to where my potential audience can purchase DEADLY.COM I went from selling hardly any of this particular book to making it my best selling novel at this time—especially in the UK.

Then there’s Twitter *wince*. I thought I would never get the hang of that nightmare social networking demon. I thought it was stupid. Then I thought: but there are sooo many authors using it. Hey, there’s got to be something to it.  So I started following people—mainly authors—they would retweet my book blurbs—I would retweet back---this would result in book sales. Hmmm. I followed more—retweeted more—additional book sales. Who knew? I am now tweeting approximately three to four times per day. It only takes about ten minutes, and the payoff has been well worth it. 

Pssst…I’ve even got my publishing manger tweeting more than she ever did before. To tell you the truth, she probably hates me for it, but she has realized how invaluable it is for her and her cozy mysteries. She too has experienced a sharp rise in sales. Go baby go!

It’s true, I spend a lot of time per day promoting my books on the social networks—it’s a commitment. But hey, didn’t you make a commitment to the book when you wrote it? You love your characters. You love your stories, so help send them get to the masses.

There’s the light at the end of the very long indie tunnel—it can and will work!

Since I’ve been using Twitter on a daily basis, following as many people with an interest in books, tweeting and retweeting other authors, using hashtags, and writing something about my books on my FB pages and LinkedIn, my book sales have truly improved!

C’mon, don’t be shy. Get out of that “I am NOT going anywhere near social networking sites” demeanor. You CAN do this. Only you have the power. You’ve worked hard. So step up to the plate and take a swing at making your book into everything you wanted it to be—a success!

Cindy McDonald's website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

See more of Cindy's posts on WWBB: 

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Never judge a book by its cover.

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