Marketing: What works?

Luke King · 11-26-2010, 01:47 AM

I've just released my new novel, Koenig's World. I've added a free coupon for Smashwords, but so far have received 14 downloads - 2 paid. And not a single download from Amazon.

I'm probably a little impatient, but I have spent many weeks rewriting this novel, and I'd like to think that someone, somewhere, is reading it.

Perhaps you'd all be so kind as to tell me what has worked for you in terms of marketing. It's not something I'm good at.

neilmarr · 11-26-2010, 02:13 AM

The key word in your post, Luke, is WORK. Nothing else hacks it. Neil (forty-five years trying to find a simple answer to the same question)

kcmay · 11-26-2010, 08:18 AM

The biggest hurdle we have is making people aware that the book exists. I started promoting my book about a month before its publish date (next week). If you didn't do any pre-release promo, you'll need to start now. Without knowing what you've done yet, I'll just direct you to two of my blog posts where I've listed some things to get you started:

http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com/20...ing-tip-1.html
http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com/20...ing-tip-2.html

I'll get the other tips I have posted soon. Hope this helps!

randyflycaster · 11-26-2010, 10:26 AM

There are many things you can do. I'm a fly fishing writer. What works for me is posting articles and memoirs on sites, like ezines, amazines, article snatch, go articles, author's den, etc. The articles link back to my website, which links to my book.

(You are giving other sites the right to publish your articles and stories.)

I also publish on fly fishing ezines.

I'm not sure what kind of book you have, but I'd see if there are any relevent online book clubs, then I'd contact the leader (if they have one) and offer to send him a copy of your book. (Hopefully he or she will have an ereader.)

In the end, however, I believe that promoting a book is a tough, tough go. There are so many books out there.

Randy

mr ploppy · 11-26-2010, 11:30 AM

Find a few other people who write in your genre and see if they will contribute a short story to a free collection. You all give it away free anywhere you can, including pirate sites. Even better if you can find a friendly "big name" to contribute something, even if you have to pay them to do so.

DavidRM · 11-26-2010, 03:35 PM

You kinda have to find your own particular average of "Nothing works" and "Everything works".

I'm a couple months into the long, slow build for The Summoning Fire, myself. And about to start the process with a new book soon.

-David

sportourer1 · 11-27-2010, 07:22 AM

Have to try every trick there is and invent your own. Thousands of eBooks are published because it is free, few are sold because few people use the readers yet.

Steven Lake · 11-27-2010, 11:18 AM

As with anything in this world, there is no "one size fits all" solution. Everyone is different, every book is different, and every market is different. What works for one guy won't work for another. Heck, I've actually found that I've had to employ slightly different methods of marketing for everyone one of my books, even if they're in the same series!

So yeah, follow KCMay's list, and then spread out from there. His list is a great starter, but then you'll need to find out what works from there.

Luke King · 11-27-2010, 03:05 PM

Thanks, guys - and KC particularly.

basschick · 11-29-2010, 01:02 AM

why not offer free copies to the owners of blogs about ebook readers and reading? put the name of your book in your sig and underneath it, link to its amazon and smashwords pages. are you on facebook or myspace as an author, making friends with other authors and keeping your blog alive?

you could also offer to give talks about writing at local bookstores and offer it on more ebookstore websites.

bobavey · 11-29-2010, 02:03 PM

I don't know. Let me know if you find out.

greencat · 11-29-2010, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kcmay

http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com/20...ing-tip-1.html
http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com/20...ing-tip-2.html

I'll get the other tips I have posted soon. Hope this helps!

KC - unfortunately it looks like your second tip has gone AWOL.

My tip is:

Set some goals (eg how many sales/month). Make them fairly ambitious but not unfeasible. Give yourself some time to reach them but maybe no longer than 90 days.
Research how others have managed to sell their books
Make a plan including techniques which have worked for others
Execute the plan - even a small part of it everyday. No sales happen without action.
Reward yourself for action
Carefully review the results. Repeat only what works.

There aren't any short cuts - it is going to take time. Keep plugging away at it though - and providing your book is good - eventually you will hit upon a few things that work (sometimes together). Keep doing these. Think about how they could be tweaked or extended. eg if promoting your book on a blog works for you - find more blogs to promote it on. Stop doing things that don't work (even if they work for others).

Figlilly · 11-29-2010, 04:37 PM

Heh. Your post worked for me. I have just bought it. I haven't read SF for ages but for the price of a cup of coffee I am willing to give it a go

My one suggestion, and I am a buyer and not an author, is to expand on the description of the story at Amazon. It is a bit sparse.

Steven Lake · 11-29-2010, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greencat

KC - unfortunately it looks like your second tip has gone AWOL.

He mislinked it. The second page is here:

http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com/20...ing-tip-2.html

Williamlk · 11-29-2010, 09:48 PM

One thing that helps is useful tags on your books, especially with Amazon. People may want to read your book but can't find it...tags help point them in the right direction.

Also, I'll echo what everyone else has said. Bottom line: It takes a lot of work and some things will work, some won't. It's just the nature of the beast. Just don't give up, keep getting the word out. The more people see your work, the more likely they will be to act on purchasing it. Think Pepsi and Coke...How many times have we seen the same commercials over and over and over...but they work.

11-26-2010, 01:47 AM	#1
Luke King Member Retired Posts: 173 Karma: 200000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle 2	Marketing: What works? I've just released my new novel, Koenig's World. I've added a free coupon for Smashwords, but so far have received 14 downloads - 2 paid. And not a single download from Amazon. I'm probably a little impatient, but I have spent many weeks rewriting this novel, and I'd like to think that someone, somewhere, is reading it. Perhaps you'd all be so kind as to tell me what has worked for you in terms of marketing. It's not something I'm good at.

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11-26-2010, 02:13 AM	#2
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,216 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	The key word in your post, Luke, is WORK. Nothing else hacks it. Neil (forty-five years trying to find a simple answer to the same question)

11-26-2010, 08:18 AM	#3
kcmay Addict Posts: 363 Karma: 500001 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Georgia, USA Device: Kindle2	The biggest hurdle we have is making people aware that the book exists. I started promoting my book about a month before its publish date (next week). If you didn't do any pre-release promo, you'll need to start now. Without knowing what you've done yet, I'll just direct you to two of my blog posts where I've listed some things to get you started: http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com/20...ing-tip-1.html http://fantasyauthor.blogspot.com/20...ing-tip-2.html I'll get the other tips I have posted soon. Hope this helps!

11-26-2010, 10:26 AM	#4
randyflycaster Zealot Posts: 113 Karma: 1000858 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: New York City Device: Sony 350	There are many things you can do. I'm a fly fishing writer. What works for me is posting articles and memoirs on sites, like ezines, amazines, article snatch, go articles, author's den, etc. The articles link back to my website, which links to my book. (You are giving other sites the right to publish your articles and stories.) I also publish on fly fishing ezines. I'm not sure what kind of book you have, but I'd see if there are any relevent online book clubs, then I'd contact the leader (if they have one) and offer to send him a copy of your book. (Hopefully he or she will have an ereader.) In the end, however, I believe that promoting a book is a tough, tough go. There are so many books out there. Randy

11-26-2010, 11:30 AM	#5
mr ploppy Feral Underclass Posts: 3,622 Karma: 26821535 Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Yorkshire, tha noz Device: 2nd hand paperback	Find a few other people who write in your genre and see if they will contribute a short story to a free collection. You all give it away free anywhere you can, including pirate sites. Even better if you can find a friendly "big name" to contribute something, even if you have to pay them to do so.

11-26-2010, 03:35 PM	#6
DavidRM Addict Posts: 203 Karma: 1007768 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma Device: Kindle	You kinda have to find your own particular average of "Nothing works" and "Everything works". I'm a couple months into the long, slow build for The Summoning Fire, myself. And about to start the process with a new book soon. -David

11-27-2010, 07:22 AM	#7
sportourer1 Writer Posts: 117 Karma: 560236 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: London UK Device: none	Have to try every trick there is and invent your own. Thousands of eBooks are published because it is free, few are sold because few people use the readers yet.

11-27-2010, 11:18 AM	#8
Steven Lake Sci-Fi Author Posts: 1,157 Karma: 14743509 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Michigan Device: PC (Calibre)	As with anything in this world, there is no "one size fits all" solution. Everyone is different, every book is different, and every market is different. What works for one guy won't work for another. Heck, I've actually found that I've had to employ slightly different methods of marketing for everyone one of my books, even if they're in the same series! So yeah, follow KCMay's list, and then spread out from there. His list is a great starter, but then you'll need to find out what works from there.

11-27-2010, 03:05 PM	#9
Luke King Member Retired Posts: 173 Karma: 200000 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle 2	Thanks, guys - and KC particularly.

11-29-2010, 01:02 AM	#10
basschick Wizard Posts: 1,096 Karma: 4695691 Join Date: May 2008 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	why not offer free copies to the owners of blogs about ebook readers and reading? put the name of your book in your sig and underneath it, link to its amazon and smashwords pages. are you on facebook or myspace as an author, making friends with other authors and keeping your blog alive? you could also offer to give talks about writing at local bookstores and offer it on more ebookstore websites.

11-29-2010, 02:03 PM	#11
bobavey Bob Avey Posts: 117 Karma: 501082 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Broken Arrow, OK Device: none	I don't know. Let me know if you find out.

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11-29-2010, 04:37 PM	#13
Figlilly Zealot Posts: 122 Karma: 2514066 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Australia Device: Kindle Oasis 2&3, Paperwhites, Kindle Touch, Kobo Clara, IPad Air2	Heh. Your post worked for me. I have just bought it. I haven't read SF for ages but for the price of a cup of coffee I am willing to give it a go My one suggestion, and I am a buyer and not an author, is to expand on the description of the story at Amazon. It is a bit sparse.

11-29-2010, 09:48 PM	#15
Williamlk Guru Posts: 624 Karma: 700001 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: New York Device: kindle	One thing that helps is useful tags on your books, especially with Amazon. People may want to read your book but can't find it...tags help point them in the right direction. Also, I'll echo what everyone else has said. Bottom line: It takes a lot of work and some things will work, some won't. It's just the nature of the beast. Just don't give up, keep getting the word out. The more people see your work, the more likely they will be to act on purchasing it. Think Pepsi and Coke...How many times have we seen the same commercials over and over and over...but they work.