In the beginning there was Facebook: about 450 friends, the number growing slowly. And then I added Twitter, which soon swallowed all of my efforts--but did help to get my name around, introduced me to some cool new friends and won me 1800 followers to date. Still, online book sales remained slow.
Someone recommended Goodreads. Then I received a lengthy list of review sites and forums to try.
You see where this is going: While grateful for the intel, I also work and need time to write while rewriting/proofing/formatting my backlog of books from The Desert: my goal being a dozen books by the end of 2013. But how could I achieve that goal while doing the promotional and social legwork I now knew I needed to do?
I removed my dunce cap and put on my thinking cap. Result? My Secret Weapon: an 80-sheet, 5x8" college-ruled notebook. This one is #1 and I suspect there will be several. It's a combination media log and motivational driver. As an intensely visual guy, I need to see what baby steps I'm taking.
Examples:
Facebook section: sent out X Friend Requests with hopes to build my base.
Twitter section: Added follows, unfollowed nonfollowers, ReTweeted important Tweets from friends, participated in a daily Tweet Team to promote my own books while helping others.
Goodreads section: Introduced myself formally, joined several groups, participated in forums.
Review section: requested reviews on the days set aside for this task.
And so forth through a half-dozen more sections (for now).
Others can do this full-time, I'm aware. But I'm convinced that persistence and consistency will pay--and avoiding doing nothing but shout-outs for my work seems a giant, not a baby, step in the right direction.
As a reader/book buyer inundated with book choices, I can say that your mention of avoiding doing nothing but shout outs is *the* most important way to navigate a marketing approach in my opinion as a potential buyer. I am much more inclined to look into the details of a book when the author interjects a little humanity into their social media rather than shooting out book shouts like errant buck shot. All the best!
ReplyDeleteThanks for your feedback. And sorry for the delay in publishing it: the email just arrived requesting my okay to publish! Okay, indeed.
ReplyDelete