Commonsense zero-cost DIY marketing for authors

[image: photo http://www.sxc.hu/photo/784024 by H Berends http://www.sxc.hu/profile/hberends” width=”200″ height=”409″ class=”alignright size-full wp-image-1994]I mentioned this a few days ago.

It’s a book, but first, it’s a project.

I believe that the marketing methods which have made my businesses successful will work for my books — but I haven’t tested them yet. (Alex Zabala, author of Treasure of the Mayan King certainly has. Over 3,000 sales to date.)

I need to test and prove these methods, using anodyne as a guinea pig. When I know what works and what doesn’t, I’ll codify it in the book which will be called, surprise, Commonsense Zero-Cost DIY Marketing for Authors.

Here’s Where You Come In

What have you tried that didn’t work? What worked, but not well enough? What have you heard of folks doing, and wonder about it?

Please, tell me anything and everything you think or believe or don’t believe or tried when it comes to marketing your book. Wild or conventional, curious or convinced, tested or tempting.

I have hundreds of ideas, but it’s easy to create an echo chamber, especially if you’re someone who talks REALLY LOUD like me. I want more than my own ideas to experiment with.

Growing Followers

Your blog and newsletter (oh, please tell me you have both!) are where your fans get to know you as a person and develop the connection which will ensure their fandom for life.

List-growing is all the rage. More more more. Ask these folks “Are you looking for more followers, or better followers?” and they’ll universally say “Both!”

Consider the concept of focus: it’s not possible, with our eyes or our mind, to focus on two things at once. That’s just not what focus means.

[image: photo of crowd http://www.sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=view&id=965625 by michael lorenzo http://www.sxc.hu/profile/nazreth; photo of glasses http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1415587 by Alfonso Romero http://www.creactionsdesign.com/” width=”440″ height=”128″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-1975]
… more … “Growing Followers”

7 Reasons Copyrighting Your Art is a Waste of Time

[image: photo http://www.sxc.hu/photo/666175 by Daniel Duchon http://elduchon.es/blog/” width=”220″ height=”220″ class=”alignright size-full wp-image-1960]Someone stealing your book seems to be every author’s nightmare.

Let’s think this through:

  • someone finds your book or song
  • they think it’s worth stealing in its entirety
  • they publish it as their own
  • it becomes a big hit and makes them lots of money

For that to happen, we have to get past all this:
… more … “7 Reasons Copyrighting Your Art is a Waste of Time”

Engineering Best-Sellers (Are Your Pants on Fire?)

[image: photo http://www.sxc.hu/photo/118553 by martin louis http://www.sxc.hu/profile/martinl]Smashwords has a new feature: people can pre-order your book, but the sales can be tallied all at once on launch day.

From the Smashwords blog:

During the preorder period, customers place advance orders. At some retailers such as Apple, these advance orders accumulate in the days and weeks prior to the official onsale date and then credit all at once on the date of release, which causes the title to spike in the retailer’s bestseller lists.

Here’s an easier method: if you want the label “best-selling author” why not just lie about it?
… more … “Engineering Best-Sellers (Are Your Pants on Fire?)”

Interior Design: An Invisible Art, Until It’s Not

photo http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1331104/ by Faith LaFazia http://www.sxc.hu/profile/flafaziaSome functions are hygienic: just as you don’t notice when someone has taken a shower, you don’t notice if windows are clean, you don’t notice if a musical instrument is in tune, and you don’t notice if a book’s interior is properly designed.

The opposites are also true.

If you’re a music-lover, a shop-owner, or an elevator-sharer, you’ll notice all right.

And if you’re a bibliophile, a poorly designed book is painful. It, well, stinks.

I just finished reading a book which could have been marvelous. Fascinating stories from inside an industry I appreciate.
… more … “Interior Design: An Invisible Art, Until It’s Not”

Big Projects for 2014 (And Why You Might Care)

photo http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1392189 by WallPhoto http://www.sxc.hu/profile/WallPhotoAfter 6 years of struggle, last fall things turned around. My 7th year back in self-employment has, so far, been the best. Less anxiety. More fun. Greater clarity. Better schedule. And even better money.

There are 3 projects in the pipeline that’ll take less than 6 years (partly because I’m not starting out in a $400,000 hole. Long story. Feel free to ask.)

… more … “Big Projects for 2014 (And Why You Might Care)”

What Does It Cost to Make a Living as a Writer?

picture http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1220297 by Guillaume Riesen http://www.sxc.hu/profile/thegnome54Some authors hope their first book will make enough money to encourage them in their writing dreams.

Not likely.

More likely, you’ll spend a lot of time, money, effort to get it finished, and see very few sales.

If you’re writing to make money, go ahead and give up now, before you waste all that time, money, effort.

… more … “What Does It Cost to Make a Living as a Writer?”

Fifteen Thousand Words: Self-Publishing 101 Q&A

Fifteen thousand words about self-publishing. That’s the conversation I’ve had with Cheryl Campbell, answering her questions about self-publishing. Being a newbie, her questions were basic. Being a smarty, her questions were insightful and clear.

Fifteen thousand words. I’ve written books shorter than that. While most of this content will make it into Getting Your Book Our of the “Someday” Box, 2nd Edition you can read it all here absolutely free.

… more … “Fifteen Thousand Words: Self-Publishing 101 Q&A”

Media Kits, Live Appearances, Second Book? What, When, and Why

Cheryl Campbell

Cheryl Campbell

Continuing our conversation with author Cheryl Campbell

Cheryl Campbell
Mon, Aug 12, 2013 at 10:22 AM
To: Joel D Canfield

Hi Joel,

Hope you had a great weekend. I was reading on this link (again) and was looking at the Media Kit piece. Is this something you do?

What’s the difference between a book summary and the description on the back of the book?

I saw your weekly email with the start of my loooong run of questions. Looks like I still haven’t run out so I’ll keep giving you plenty of fodder for that. 🙂

Cheryl

… more … “Media Kits, Live Appearances, Second Book? What, When, and Why”