Welcome to November's Insecure Writer's Support Group! We're a friendly bunch of writers that get together on the first Wednesday of every month to post about our writing insecurities, as well as offer encouragement to others. The IWSG was set up by the awesome Alex J. Cavanaugh - if it sounds like your cup of tea, then you can check out the official IWSG website here, or their Facebook page here.
So what's been eating me up this month? Well, I've barely done any writing since mid-way through October, but that's not what's bothering me - I'll write in my own time, once I've done something about my huge to-do list that's somehow appeared from nowhere. No, the thing that's taking up most of my time at the moment is the bane of every introverted writer's life - marketing.
The wonderful Murees Dupe recommended a book about marketing for writers to me, and although it's got my super-psyched to start and promote my work, at the same time, I am finding the thought of starting rather daunting. What if it doesn't work? What if all my ideas are horrible? What if I end up losing readers?
But before I get myself sucked into the void of paranoia, and 'what ifs', I have to remember one thing - just trying something, anything, is better than not trying at all. If I'd let my fears conquer me, I would've never have written my book, and I certainly wouldn't be here blogging today. All I can do is try. And if one thing fails, well then, I can simply move onto the next idea that's on my marketing plan (which, by the way, I LOVED doing - anyone else out there enjoy writing and colour-coding lists? No? Just me then).
I just thought I'd share with you the most crucial piece of information I got from this book - that marketing your book should always be about the reader, and you've got to treat your writing as a business not a hobby. This is a remarkably simple idea, but I never would've thought of it on my own. And it's with this mindset - that my writing is a business, not a reflection on me personally - that has given me the guts to create my own marketing plan for my writing. No doubt I'll be sharing my marketing successes and failures with you over the coming months, so stay tuned!
Do you have a dedicated marketing plan for your writing/book? Do you see your writing as a business or a hobby? What are your fears this month?
I write like it's a hobby, but when it comes to pursuing an agent, I'm all business! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on marketing. I think when we step away from the personal aspect of writing and treat it as a business, we'll get a lot more done!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Jennifer! That's a very good philosophy to have :)
DeleteI think marketing is more fun when you try new things. And trying multiple things, because you just don't know what's going to work. Don't let the big picture worry you - just pick one thing and do it, and then another, and then another...
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely more fun when you're trying something different! Thank you for the encouragement, Alex!
DeleteIt's great to see Austin Powers again. And marketing is fun. I find I sell more soft bound copies by far on the street but that could change with some promos I have coming up.
ReplyDeleteI decided to go old-school on my blog today ;). Congrats! That's really interesting to hear - I've always thought e-books were the biggest sellers amongst indie authors! It's nice to know there are other routes open to us too :)
Delete"just trying something, anything, is better than not trying at all." I love that!
ReplyDeleteI have been developing a new marketing plan, and one for my upcoming novel, and I can't wait to implement it and see what works. I just hope something works! lol
Thanks, Chrys! Wishing you the best of luck with your marketing plan - I hope it all goes well!
DeleteI think I still write like it's a hobby with the hopes of someday treating it like a business. Maybe once I actually publish a book and make a little money on it I might see it as more of a business. Lol. That's the hope anyway. And while I haven't had the chance to market yet, I do kind of look forward to trying new things. I'll be interested to see how your new marketing plan works out! Good luck!! :)
ReplyDeleteThat was my thinking too - but then I though, will I ever make money if I DON'T start treating it as a business? So I've decided to try a different mindset for a while and see if that helps :). Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteGood for you, I wish you every success with your plan. You have taken the first steps so go for it! Look forward to hearing how it all goes.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your encouragement, Suzanne :)!
DeleteI'd say, 'Go for it!' Try new things. It's highly unlikely that you will lose readers. After all, they love your books and won't focus too much on your marketing techniques. They will probably be very supportive. If you put the work in, I'm sure it'll work out really well, Rachel. It is a bit like role-play and today you are a marketing executive :) I tend to wear different clothes to match the head I'm wearing :) Writer: pyjamas or really comfortable loose clothing, no make-up; management stuff: smart casual and make-up etc.etc. Wishing you lots of fun and hope you enjoy the marketing experience.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the encouragement, Nicola! I love the idea of doing a role play!! I should totally try that and see what happens ;).
DeleteOh marketing, I hate it so much. I always seem to come up with ideas that everyone else has already done and moved on from. What book did Murees recommend?
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly my problem too! I'm praying that I haven't already missed the boat on some of these ideas! It's called The Book Marketing Bible by Norm Schriever - I would definitely recommend it :)
DeleteMarketing is so complicated and time consuming and really, it's just hell. And sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. Best wishes to you as you find your way through it.
ReplyDeleteSusan Says
Oh gosh, the amount of time I've put into this plan (let alone actually implementing anything from it) has been about double, if not triple, what I originally expected it to be! Thanks for stopping by, Susan :)
DeleteI wish I had an awesome plan, but I don't. I just keep trying twitter, and then a facebook page, and then a book event once or twice a year with a few flyers, and then . . . well, Idk.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes with marketing and writing!
That sounds like a great plan, even it isn't formally a marketing plan - you're being proactive about your books, which is the main thing! Thank you for the encouragement :)!
DeleteI think you are amazing for taking on the marketing monster. You even sound upbeat about it and that inspires me. I'm excited to read more about your marketing experiences. Don't worry, the writing will come:) Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words, Murees! I'm still upbeat at the moment, but that may change over the next few days, knowing me ;). I'll keep you updated! Have a great day!
DeleteYou're thinking and planning about marketing so that's a good start. You can learn from what others have experienced, then use whatever works for you or whatever you're comfortable with. I posted my marketing results from FB and Twitter ads--didn't do me much good in sales, but I got more followers. I know I didn't reach readers like I wanted to. I'll just keep on trying. Maybe more followers will result in more sales somewhere down the line.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Gwen :)! At the end of the day, all we can keep doing is trying new things until we find something that works - it all takes time :)
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