Kevin Rees's Blog
June 18, 2014
Hold on Tight as This Is One Heck of a Ride
It's been one week to the day since I launched my first novel. I guess, after seeing numerous posts and blogs on the subject, it seems all first time authors have high expectations of massive sales in the first few days when their book goes live, and I'm no exception.
But the mire of reality sets in when you flick constantly to the KDP sales graph and see some days it has flatlined. It doesn't mean the patient is dead, far from it. What it does call for is the best treatment you can put in place to ensure a revival that leads to a long and happy life. This involves a lot of hard work on the social media front, and equally long hours sustaining the promotion of your new novel if you want it to sell.
I won't count myself as naive when I decided to self-publish. I read all the blogs and books on the subject, and I listened other authors experiences via podcasts or You Tube. By the way check out Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com
She has a fantastic website with a lot of free material for new writers. I highly recommend this resource. I learned an incredible amount from Joanna, and from others before pressing the button to upload my book - Blood War. By doing a lot of research, I felt ready to promote my book and make it visible to potential readers as quickly as I could. As I haven't (yet) got my own website, I decided to use pages like Goodreads, Google+, Facebook and Twitter. These are the key site's, which I could immediately access to let people know about my book. I think for anyone, like me, learning to put an advertising campaign together for free these are the four best resources to begin with. Especially if you don't understand blogging or creating a website.
I think (in my experience) that becoming savvy with building an author platform is almost as essential as writing, in that both are intertwined, even if you choose the traditional route to get your book out there.
Last Sunday, As part of KDP, I was able to offer the book on a free promotion day. This saw forty-six takers from Japan, USA, Germany and Canada. My book is out there globally, and it has the potential to grow into further sales. Although I have made nothing monetarily so far, it doesn't matter, I have a readership — a very small platform. And at this stage, my fellow newbie writers, that's really what counts. Not glory or prizes — just good old-fashioned readers willing to devote a few hours out of their hectic lives to read the words you've spun so delicately for their enjoyment.
I want to leave you with my own take of being a first time published author. I'm still overjoyed at having completed a saleable book this week, and achieving a life-long ambition I've had since I was a spotty teenager. Even if this book doesn't do well, I'm still going to write another one. Because, like you, I'm a writer, and that's what we writers do best, isn't it. We slog away day after day and write our books, regardless of ambition, fame and wealth.
So onwards to the keyboard once more. The voices of my characters are becoming fidgety and want new life breathed into them.
I wish you all success.
But the mire of reality sets in when you flick constantly to the KDP sales graph and see some days it has flatlined. It doesn't mean the patient is dead, far from it. What it does call for is the best treatment you can put in place to ensure a revival that leads to a long and happy life. This involves a lot of hard work on the social media front, and equally long hours sustaining the promotion of your new novel if you want it to sell.
I won't count myself as naive when I decided to self-publish. I read all the blogs and books on the subject, and I listened other authors experiences via podcasts or You Tube. By the way check out Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn.
http://www.thecreativepenn.com
She has a fantastic website with a lot of free material for new writers. I highly recommend this resource. I learned an incredible amount from Joanna, and from others before pressing the button to upload my book - Blood War. By doing a lot of research, I felt ready to promote my book and make it visible to potential readers as quickly as I could. As I haven't (yet) got my own website, I decided to use pages like Goodreads, Google+, Facebook and Twitter. These are the key site's, which I could immediately access to let people know about my book. I think for anyone, like me, learning to put an advertising campaign together for free these are the four best resources to begin with. Especially if you don't understand blogging or creating a website.
I think (in my experience) that becoming savvy with building an author platform is almost as essential as writing, in that both are intertwined, even if you choose the traditional route to get your book out there.
Last Sunday, As part of KDP, I was able to offer the book on a free promotion day. This saw forty-six takers from Japan, USA, Germany and Canada. My book is out there globally, and it has the potential to grow into further sales. Although I have made nothing monetarily so far, it doesn't matter, I have a readership — a very small platform. And at this stage, my fellow newbie writers, that's really what counts. Not glory or prizes — just good old-fashioned readers willing to devote a few hours out of their hectic lives to read the words you've spun so delicately for their enjoyment.
I want to leave you with my own take of being a first time published author. I'm still overjoyed at having completed a saleable book this week, and achieving a life-long ambition I've had since I was a spotty teenager. Even if this book doesn't do well, I'm still going to write another one. Because, like you, I'm a writer, and that's what we writers do best, isn't it. We slog away day after day and write our books, regardless of ambition, fame and wealth.
So onwards to the keyboard once more. The voices of my characters are becoming fidgety and want new life breathed into them.
I wish you all success.
