Wednesday, May 4, 2016

IWSG: Marketing

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So...What am I fretting over this month?
I have plenty to choose from for my anxiety-of-the-month. I'm still revising book three of the Ninja Librarian series, though I'd had hopes that I'd have it ready for beta-readers by the end of April. It's going to take at least another week. And I still don't have a title I like, nor any idea what the cover should look like. Not good.

Then there's the whole marketing thing, or building a platform, or just being visible out there. I had great hopes of making myself known and loved far and wide with extensive visiting during the A to Z Challenge (in which I didn't participate except as a visitor, in hopes of having more time to do that. HA!). That didn't go quite according to plan, and I've been pretty spotty in my appearances on Goodreads, too. I just get too busy and then I'm afraid to poke my nose in around there because there will be so much to catch up on (I know; bad reasoning. The longer I stay away, the farther behind I get).

My on-line sales have been up and down. There was a good initial reaction to a sale price on Death By Ice Cream during the month of May, but that tapered off quickly. And it's been forever since I had an event allowing for local sales. I haven't done my usual local library appearance for the latest release, for a variety of reason that we don't need to go into (I must learn to be pushier!), and haven't been asked to any classrooms this spring.

I recently learned from another Goodreads author that she does sales at craft fairs and farmers' markets and places that I would never have thought of. So my newest resolution is to start looking for events where I can take a table for a low enough price that I can hope to make the money back. We'll see how that goes. 

When I finish messing with the Ninja Librarian, there's the third Pismawallops PTA book to finish and revise, and a couple more books are clamoring to be written. I MUST learn to revise more efficiently so I can get on with the many stories that want out!

I guess there are worse problems a writer could have.

Try not to let your luggage get in the way of life!
 

7 comments:

  1. Wow, you have a lot going on. I wish you all the best with all your revising. Busy is great.

    Susan Says

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    1. Thanks! I do seem to have a fondness for multiple projects. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised: I also read multiple books at once, and in a similar way: I start a lot, and read around at them until one catches me up and I finish it. Then on to another, etc.

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  2. You sound busy, but somewhere among the chaos you have a plan, of sorts, and so plans are good. Good luck with the revisions and your betas.

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    1. I'm pretty good at plans. I'm less good at carrying them out. And some serious introversion makes it hard for me to push myself out.

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  3. Ha, marketing... It's the bane of all self-pub writers, it seems. I'd love to know more about 'being more pushy'! It's something I need to learn myself, and I'm not even doing half of what do you to get yourself out there.

    Not to mention that the whole process of getting a book ready after the writing is done always takes longer than you hoped/expected/wished it would. But it sounds like you are on the right track all the same. Just keep going!

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    1. Yeah, I keep having delusions about getting two books done in a single year. I would love to have one to publish and one to shop around to the traditional publishers. But I seem to lack the discipline. Perhaps it's because I don't *need* to make any money at it. Hunger does have a way of creating a strong incentive.

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  4. That makes me feel strangely better...!

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