Three years ago I published my debut novel, A Lost Woman, launching me into the world of publishing, head first! I knew nothing, going with an Indie Company that was brand new (spoiler alert- they closed down within the first year) and having no clue what it would take to be a successful author. I figured the publisher would ensure that the book was a success, but I would learn that is not true. That was my job and I failed miserably.
Locally, I hosted a book signing (when the world opened back up, not during COVID), got my book into local bookstores, and attended a few book clubs that read my book. It was all thrilling, not to mention all the positive feedback! It was wonderful to learn how inspired and touched my readers were by A Lost Woman. But that was as far as it went - literally.
But, I had no time to focus on that, as I was spending my time developing my next book, The Blood Inside Me, a YA fantasy novel I was writing for my students at the time. Once they learned I was an author, they of course wanted to read it, but it was not appropriate, so with all my free time I decided to write a book just for them.
I self-published this book, printed 20 copies, gave them to my students and that was done. That was it - all I did. So, naturally, that book was not successful in the sense of sales - it was successful in what I intended it to be though.
Then the publisher for A Lost Woman closed down, so I found myself with two books that were going nowhere. Secretly - don't tell anyone - I wrote an online novella, In the Shadows, for EGlobal Publishing - actually, never mind you can tell people! It's a fun read. But through all this, I had been able to do what I love - write - but I had yet to sell books, which is what I needed to do if I was ever going to be able to keep writing.
Fast forward to today, in a place in which I have learned how to market my books through my new job (check out that post!) and listening to a lot, and I mean a lot, of podcasts on Book Marketing. I highly recommend All Things Book Marketing by Smith Publicity
My main take away - it's a lot of work to market yourself as an author and your books as a product, but it is doable and successful if you do it in the right way. Post on the right way to market your book coming soon! So stay tuned...
