Marketing’s Not for Everyone

Self-Publisher’s
Diary – Marketing’s Not for Everyone

guest post

by

E S Lark

Most times, when I tell old friends that I
write for a living, they say one of three things.

• It’s so cool that you get to write all the time.
• When can I expect my free copy?
• Or the dreaded “How much are you making?”

Whenever someone says one of the above, I
cringe. While self-publishing has picked up some steam over the years, it’s not
as glamorous as some might think. I’d love to just sit down and write all the
time. I’d love to unplug from the internet for more than a day at a time. But
unplugging means I’m not marketing. I’m not answering emails or responding to
questions on Facebook or Twitter.

Writing’s what authors get to do as a
reward for marketing. It doesn’t start out this way, but this is how it’s
become for me. Especially as a newer author on the market, being active in
various communities is a must. It’s important for me to interact with potential
readers, make friends and network with other authors.

The biggest hurdle I think most authors face
is time management. It’s so easy to get sucked up into the marketing side of
this business that before you know it, you have little or no time to write.

So, how does a new author market herself?
I’ll give you a few tips:

• Have an online platform you can direct readers to. I’m not talking about Myspace or Facebook, but an actual site that you own and have paid for. This is so no matter what happens to the other websites out there, readers can still find you through a Google search.

• Join discussion forums that
  attract readers in your genre. Be active in the community. Reply to posts, but
  don’t promote your book. Use forum signatures and avatars to attract readers to
  your website or Amazon page. Promoting yourself is an instant turn off.
  Instead, share what you know with the community. It’s amazing how much this can
  do for you and your online presence.

• Join a few of the networking
  communities. I mainly use Twitter for every day updates and chatting with
  authors. Facebook’s used for weekly updates. I use Goodreads to connect with
  readers and other authors. The main thing to keep in mind is to limit yourself.
  Two or three communities is more than enough. You can add more later one when
  you feel comfortable.

•  Don’t be afraid to give
  something away for free. Host a contest on your blog or have a giveaway on
  Goodreads for one of your books. Send electronic copies of your book to
  reviewers. Note, always check review policies and never pay for a review
  service. There are bloggers out there who love to read, so long as you’re
  patient. Most reviewers are booked for months at a time.

• Be yourself. Remember to keep a
  professional face, but don’t be afraid to be yourself. You don’t always have to
  talk about writing or about your books. In fact, readers enjoy learning more
  about their favorite authors. Share posts about the family dog or the awesome
  dinner you made last night.

These are just a few ideas to get you
started. The main thing to remember about marketing is that it’s always
changing. Google Plus recently came out. I wanted an account so bad, but never
got one. And now that I think back, I didn’t need one. I have my small nest of
networking sites. If I branch out much further, I’ll burn out. Know your limits
and try to market a little every day.

E. S. Lark is the author of fantasy fiction
such as The Waking Grove and Trueblood’s Plight. You can learn more about her
and the worlds she creates by visiting her website at http://www.eslark.com

Trueblood’s Plight – coming soon! 

Thirty years have passed since the clan’s flight from Tesmar, their beloved gryphon city. Three decades spent searching for safer shores, a place to repopulate and for some, to bury the truth of an age-old prophecy.

Until now.

Ava always knew she was different, from her pale plumage to her silver eyes, but being a Trueblood—a giphen who can use all forms of magic—takes ‘special’ to a whole new level. With overprotective elders and the enemy advancing from the north, Ava struggles to balance her time on and off the battlefield.

But when numerous attempts are made on her life—an attack on the clan, a rift storm and a mage controlling the minds of her friends from afar—Ava fears there’s another just like her, weakened and magic starved,  who’ll stop at nothing to use her powers as his own. She’ll have to hone her skills and exhaust her reserves close to death if she’s to go against him, even if it means forming a dangerous alliance with her enemy.

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