Kelly Miller's Blog - Posts Tagged "writing"
Time Spent Promoting vs. Writing
I’ve read numerous articles discussing the fact that authors don’t really “make it” until they have 3+ books published. There will always be the exceptions like Stephenie Meyer or J.K. Rowling, but it’s rare authors find a large readership for their first book.
It's still important for me to market myself but not spend lots of money doing it. The most useful way I can spend my time is by writing. The more books I have available for sale, the better. Think about it. Readers stumble across my book, read it, and fall in love with my writing. The first thing they want to do is buy my other titles. So the best way to increase my sales is to have a variety of books out there waiting for them.
With this in mind, I’ve spent time but very little money on my marketing efforts. I’ve relied on word of mouth by friends, family, social networking, and book bloggers. There is one exception though. I’ve discovered a very inexpensive promotion through Goodreads. This is a website devoted to books, reading, and people who love reading books.
I’ve participated in two giveaways on Goodreads. Both have paid off big time. During the first one (done in March to US residents only), 711 people signed up for the giveaway. Even better 352 people put Dead Like Me on their “to-read shelf.” If you’re not familiar with Goodreads, this virtual shelf is a way for readers to keep track of the books they discover and want to read at a later date. It’s kind of a digital reminder list. In April, I opened the giveaway to international readers. An astounding 1,202 people signed up for a free copy of my book and 494 people added it to their “to- read shelf.” Not a bad promotion for about a $15 monthly investment.
It's still important for me to market myself but not spend lots of money doing it. The most useful way I can spend my time is by writing. The more books I have available for sale, the better. Think about it. Readers stumble across my book, read it, and fall in love with my writing. The first thing they want to do is buy my other titles. So the best way to increase my sales is to have a variety of books out there waiting for them.
With this in mind, I’ve spent time but very little money on my marketing efforts. I’ve relied on word of mouth by friends, family, social networking, and book bloggers. There is one exception though. I’ve discovered a very inexpensive promotion through Goodreads. This is a website devoted to books, reading, and people who love reading books.
I’ve participated in two giveaways on Goodreads. Both have paid off big time. During the first one (done in March to US residents only), 711 people signed up for the giveaway. Even better 352 people put Dead Like Me on their “to-read shelf.” If you’re not familiar with Goodreads, this virtual shelf is a way for readers to keep track of the books they discover and want to read at a later date. It’s kind of a digital reminder list. In April, I opened the giveaway to international readers. An astounding 1,202 people signed up for a free copy of my book and 494 people added it to their “to- read shelf.” Not a bad promotion for about a $15 monthly investment.
