What happens when you get tired of promoting your current book and decide to spend all of your time writing your next one? Virtually nothing. Sales for your current book begin to dwindle. Soon it is dead in the water. But you’re having fun writing again, aren’t you?
When you finish book two, then what? Will you publish it and promote it until you lose your enthusiasm for marketing? Is this any way to run a business?
Oh, you didn’t expect to go into business, did you? You don’t consider publishing a business? Well, it is. And your book is a product. In order to succeed as a published author, you must embrace this concept and understand that your book will sell for only as long as you are willing to promote it.
Not only is publishing a business, it is a highly competitive business with thousands of companies and individuals trying to get their books noticed. Those authors and publishers with the longest reach, the largest following and the most energy, creativity and persistence will get the most attention for their books. It all boils down to this: As an author, you must understand something about the publishing industry and be willing to take responsibility for your project.
Sure, it has to be a well-written book within a popular genre or one that is wanted/needed by a segment of readers. But even the best books—if no one knows about them—will not sell!
Marketing a book in today’s fiercely competitive publishing climate is tough—really, really tough. It takes knowledge, time, follow-through and more time than ever before in the history of publishing to successfully tame the book marketing tiger. Yet, there are many, many more options and opportunities for promoting books. It is the clever author who knows who his/her audience is, where they are and who understands that it is his/her responsibility to approach them with a tantalizing sales pitch.
Start (or continue) your education here: Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author. It’s at amazon.com in print, Kindle and audio as well as at many other online and downtown bookstores.
The Cat’s Meow Mystery
If you are one of the many who has downloaded my new cozy mystery, Catnapped, to your Kindle, I want to say, Thank you! Have you read it? Did you enjoy the story? Please leave a review at the Amazon Catnapped page: http://amzn.to/14OCk0W