I'm usually on Instagram discussing these things with other fellow independent authors: the hardest part about being an independent author...
Marketing and promotion! This in itself is a FULL-TIME job if you want to do it effectively. But if you have a family, another job, and other responsibilities... it is so challenging, and can often feel overwhelming and sometimes discouraging if you simply do not have the time to commit to it.
My theory is that the books on the best-seller lists are the ones who have the biggest marketing budget... that may not be true, but sure would be logical!
And now people on social media are saying that authors who self-promote are tacky! Well, we would love to be able to pay someone else to do the marketing and promotion for us, but sometimes that is just not a choice we can make. And all authors self-promote, it's just some have the money to engage others to do it for them.
We rely on ourselves, and the kindness of others to share our work, whether that's writing a review, buying our book, or sharing our posts on social media. I am grateful to have a small group of people who constantly share my stuff and promote my book out of the goodness of their hearts, and it really makes all the difference. I feel such support from those people, and gives me juice to keep going.
We just want to write! I didn't know I'd have to become a marketing specialist and promotions manager, along with a bunch of other hats, when I started this journey. I have learned a lot, and still want to achieve so much more.
So, if you are someone who has shared my work, or the work of another independent author - THANK YOU! We rely on and are so grateful for people like you. Thanks for being part of our team.
In books and thoughts,
Nadine
Comentários