Marketing
Advertising
and
Promotion
These 3 key points are so crucial to presenting the author’s property; so when I did step out into self-publishing I was thrilled at how much more control I had in these areas, and have done all I can to see that each and every angle is covered.
It’s a lot of time consuming work, but if you want to keep up with the vast and growing volume of publishing folk, you simply have to keep at it. I would encourage any writer to drop by as many Writers websites as humanly possible. There is so much to learn and so many offer opportunities to broaden your horizons, even if only to share work (it’s still sharing in the talent of another artist).
SET YOUR SIGHTS
Only now, do I see myself as ‘partially experienced’ taking 8 years to reach this stage of my career. I know I still have a long way to go, but I’m hoping what eventuates from my non-fiction project, [a huge leap of faith] with all the support encouragement & optimism is what drives me onward. My inspiration comes from so many people and so many places. Those who take the time, to invite writers to submit so others can share…this is what really inspires me.
But, it’s also other writers / authors who have displayed their work and their own experiences which can be used as a ‘guide’ to those just starting out. When it comes to reading for inspiration, I have truly been inspired by a number of authors, those such as Janet Frame, Walt Whitman, Nancy Cato, Elizabeth Melton Parson, Robin Knowles and Gilda Radner, actress / comedian who was wife to Gene Wilder.
Gilda had sadly been diagnosed with Ovarian cancer, amidst another late diagnosis, came this absolute horrific ending, to a young star’s life. and like so many other tragic cases, it was a late diagnosis so all the horror and sorrow she endured was shared through her own words in a lovely book entitled, “It’s AlwaysSomething“- This book gave me a new appreciation for a true-tale ,one that somehow, managed to step off the page and into my world. It was as if she were sitting next to me, sharing every moment, every detail of her battle to get the right answers. Then I picked up my pen and began to tell my own story, which I hope will be ready to share in the coming future. That’s inspiration right there!
Be sure to consider all options, and if you are a serious writer experiencing the dreaded, writers block, don’t panic! The world of Blogging is one way of keeping the creative juices flowing and are so very simple to set up. In fact, talk to any writer today and most often you will learn they either have one or two blogs, a very helpful tool when your thoughts seem to be wandering.
At last count, I think I’d reached somewhere around 9 or 10, each offering poetry, articles of interest, random thoughts and so on. I find by blogging, I am unlocking ideas, things that may be of absolute no interest to another reader, but of great use to my writing! A blog is really an online journal, and you only need to surf the internet to see what other bloggers are writing about to tap into your needs/desires. This certainly doesn’t mean you’re expected to clock-up this many, you may only need the one Blog to work for you, if any! The good old pen-to-paper is still a very respected friend & work-colleague of mine. Life would be simply ‘boring’, without it and definitely missed!
There are also unlimited websites offering upcoming authors the opportunity to have their work published, whether it be a hard copy or the latest trend, ebooks! The latter being a very simple method of having the manuscript saved to a file, then having this file downloaded and ready to print from any home/office printer. It is a much more affordable approach as well as a faster pace. Not everyone will want to share their work publicly, and that’s fine!
The beauty of self-publishing means you also have the choice of print-on-demand, a simple process which offers the author the choice of the amount of books that they will print out, usually a small run to print, enough to pass a copy to family or friends, but for the more serious writer, a larger amount can be set up. If you want to market your book, the next process will probably require the purchase of an ISBN number, this is for distribution of books to places such as libraries and book stores, a requirement when you want to sell your book to the public.
Either way, it is up to the individual and for me, self-publishing was a lot of fun and I would never dismiss as a means to sharing my own work.
MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN!
Don’t be afraid to blow your trumpet! You will find making some noise about your accomplishment/s, the ONLY way to get the attention you crave. It’s self-promotion, but it can give you, great self-confidence as you go. Never aim small, dare to challenge yourself! Thanks to the internet, we have limitless tools at our fingertips, many don’t ask for money as they use the clever tool of cross-promoting. ie: They’ll advertise your work, if you display theirs. This is just one of many ways that will assist you introducing YOU, to the world. .
Check posts on this subject,as we go a little further into Marketing/promotional tools/Media kits.