We writers like to think of ourselves as the creative sort but as much as we’d love to live in our peaceful countryside retreat, releasing our latest book into the world every year or so as royalty cheques come rolling in, that is unfortunately not the reality. In order to have any chance of ‘making it’ as a writer – by which I mean generating sales and earning some money – then we also have to embrace the fact that we are self-employed business people.
This of course brings us to the ever-present, deeply intimidating issue of marketing. It’s the means by which we let people know about us as writers and our work as viable forms of entertainment but shoving ourselves in people’s faces and demanding they support our career is never much fun. This means we, including myself, are always on the lookout for new, interesting and effective ways to promote our books.
I must admit I didn’t do a huge amount to market my debut novel, The Vessel, as my focus was on gaining experience in the world of publishing and dipping my toe in the water as it were but it is an issue I know will require more attention in the future. I for one am always grateful when someone shares their tips and experiences with regards to marketing but sadly I don’t think it happens often enough. So, in the spirit of honesty and mutual support, here is a breakdown of what I tried and how effective it was in my case.
- Word of mouth: It may sound cliché but you truly cannot underestimate the power of word-of-mouth when it comes to writers. I would comfortably say that the vast majority of my sales have been friends of friends who learned about my book through the people they know. To give specific examples, I began by posting on my facebook that my book was available, so as to let my close friends know. Thankfully, several of them bought the book but also shared the post, thus generating more subsequent likes and shares, culminating in increased sales. i.e. My best friend sharing the news led to their aunt in America buying my book; my mother sharing the post led to several of her friends buying my book, as well as her cousin in Australia, which in turn led to her daughter and two others in Oz buying it. The ripple effect can be huge.
- Blogging: One of the main reasons I set up my blog was to establish a platform through which I could share my work and connect with readers and writers alike. I’ve been thrilled, not only with the like-minded people I have met and the supportive nature of the community, but also because I know I have made sales and brought in a couple of reviews based on these fantastic connections.
- Local ads: I ran an ad for three months in a monthly print publication that gets sent to thousands of homes in my local area. It’s near impossible to know how many sales, if any, this actually generated but I did have a few people commenting unprompted that they had seen it and it was nice to know I had done something closer to home.
- Online ads: I ran an ad on facebook that got lots of clicks – way more than I had ever anticipated. Again, it’s hard to know what this led to in actual sales and in hindsight, I think I ran it too early, before the book had brought in any customer reviews, which definitely helps lend it some power. It would be interesting to see how one fared in comparison now, though I haven’t heard great things in all honesty.
- Promotions: I briefly ran a free promotion of the Kindle version of my book. This led to well in excess of 100 downloads, mostly between the US and UK, with a few elsewhere. Though I obviously didn’t get money from this endeavour, it did directly result in two positive customer reviews on the book’s Amazon UK page, which was a success in my eyes.
I hope that onslaught of information held something of interest for you; be it that it encouraged you to try or even avoid certain methods. It’s important to remember that there is no set formula and it’s a case of finding what works for us as individuals. In light of this, here are a few techniques I hope to try in the future.
- Release another book: I remember reading once (I wish I could recall where) that the best way to market a book is to write another one. It makes sense; the first thing we do when we finish a good book is look to see what else the writer has produced, meaning that having several books available can be very useful. It also shows to readers that you are a serious storyteller and not simply a ‘one story wonder’. I’m well on the way to finishing my next book, False Awakening, so this should be achievable in the near future.
- Business cards: I must admit I’m not sure how or where I would distribute them yet but I like the idea of having something tangible, like business cards or even personalised bookmarks, to hand out to people. Not everyone has embraced the online world and even more of them still like having something physical they can hold in their hands. You’re a lot more likely to be remembered if you can give someone a visual cue to take home with them than you are if you simply say, “look me up on twitter.”
- Social media: I don’t have a business facebook page yet (I shied away from one, saying I wasn’t ‘famous’ enough to warrant one; stupid, I know…) but I do plan to set one up in the future. I am on twitter but don’t yet have a huge following. I often see writers with 20,000 followers and am amazed (before I realise they are following 30,000 people). I would rather take my time to build a following of people whose tweets I’m actually interested in; I don’t want good tweeters lost in a wash of spammy promotion. I’m also a registered author on Goodreads but I haven’t ventured into the site all that much yet. By all means add me or my books and help show me the ropes! (I’d be very grateful). The social media world overall is definitely something I need to increase my presence on; the main focus of which will of course always be my WordPress blog, which has a much more in-depth, interactive and personal feel.
I apologise for rambling on somewhat and good on you if you’ve stuck with me long enough to be reading this. I hope any fellow writers out there found it useful in some capacity. I’d love if you would share your experiences with me in the comments.
What marketing methods have you tried? Which have proven to be successful for you? Do you have any tips you recommend trying?
Just the thought of marketing makes me cringe. It is so hard to do. You can tell but so many people, post it on sites, blogs, etc for but so long until you 1, become a spammer or 2, start to annoy people. This is tough for me. I appreciate some of the tips you have posted.
It’s definitely a tricky business! You’re very welcome. Hopefully there was something useful in there for you.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment 🙂
No problem!
I drafted a post similar to this, and of course this one tops it by roughly ten thousand times haha… I’m pretty much with you on the whole thing. Marketing is a finicky bastard.
I’m sure it doesn’t 😉 I’d love to read your version. Marketing can be a nightmare so the more people share their tips on it the better!
Thanks for sharing a concise list of marketing ideas. I totally agree with the idea of “taking time” in the marketing process and keeping to your interests. Marketing is hard enough and will be even harder if you don’t care about your blog or tweets or those you have to read. I don’t think there is any wrong way to market, and new ways can always be invented. And I think word-of-mouth is really still a very important part of it. Another big part is determination and time. Sometimes it just takes a lot of work and a lot of time to successful. Some others take years. I’ve heard writing a second book quick is a good help, too. Lots of options, but again a lot of it is hard. Nice post.
Absolutely. It’s never going to be an easy process but that’s just it; it’s a process and there are no quick fixes. As you said, determination and perseverance are key.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and thanks for having a look at my book as well, I’m glad it piqued your interest 🙂
You’re welcome. Keep at it!
Just read a bit of your book on Amazon; sounds like a really awesome idea and book from the description.
I was told the best and only way you should be looking to market as a writer is by releasing more books. Which is a lovely thought and maybe over time that will work, but in reality, unless people know you’re out there then they aren’t going be buying any books, no matter how many you release 😀
Marketing is such a tough thing, I don’t like doing at all really, and I struggle with social media as I find it can be incredibly exhausting. So I try my best to support others and hope they will do the same. In the end, I hope my writing and any reviews I receive will help to push my books. Word of mouth, as you say, can be one of the best ways!
I think that’s what’s so great about connecting with other writers. We can all relate to the difficulty in trying to get attention for our work and can help spread the word for each other 🙂
Great post, Callum. Unfortunately I don’t have any fresh ideas, but I’m with you and Mishka on the whole support network angle. I think building up a ‘posse’ is a great way to go. Not only do you get an endorsement from a fellow professional, you also get the benefit and encouragement from people who know exactly what you’re going through. It’s a win-win 🙂 I think you should definitely explore Goodreads – when I learn more about how to use it, I’ll add you to my ‘network’ (my ignorance is showing!)
Absolutely. I think that’s why blogging is by far my favourite form of marketing. The focus is on forming friendships and connections that are based on mutual respect and appreciation, be they writer/reader or writer/writer. You get all the benefits of marketing without really feeling like that’s what you’re doing. It’s far more personal and approachable I think 🙂
I completely agree 🙂
Hi, I enjoyed reading your article. You give good advice. I have found Goodreads to be a good source of reviews and sales. I believe that half my meager sales have come from this site. Therefore, I highly recommend it.
Thank you for the encouragement and your input! It’s good to know that Goodreads is worthwhile, I definitely want to explore it more.
Genuine interaction. That is the best marketing that can come directly from the writer. No writer wants to push their book on someone who won’t like it. It is a lot like match making.
Next is support from the writing and reading community. They don’t want to push your book on someone who won’t like it either.
The best platform is the one that reaches writers and readers, but most importantly one that you use.
It isn’t selling. It isn’t begging. It’s match making.
I couldn’t have said it any better. There’s nothing more frustrating for writers or readers to have to resort to relentless spam to get your name out there. The best marketing is the kind that doesn’t feel like marketing because the focus is on building genuine connections; that’s why I love blogging.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.