I’ve made it through the initial waves of the storm. Eighteen months’ worth of writing, editing, anxiety, formatting, book cover creation, writing a blurb, self-doubt, launch promo, platform building, and experiencing all the ups and downs that go along with being a newbie Indie Author. In the end, with great pride, I can say that I have succeeded in fulfilling a lifelong dream of publishing a full length novel.

Sails no longer billowing in the wind, there is a feeling of lost control, as I set adrift on a “dead calm” sea. It is a time for continued writing, reflection, planning, waiting for reviews and feedback, and hoping that readers will find my work both enjoyable and entertaining.

This tranquil condition does not mean that work has stopped in keeping this boat running and afloat. On the contrary, with the next storm brewing somewhere out there on the horizon, vigilance, preparedness, and due diligence are all necessary as we look to find the most effective ways to market, promote, and create awareness for our art.

But here, in this state, there is also a sense of short term relief from the anxiety. A feeling that you don’t need to be as “rushed” as you made yourself to be when you began this journey. You realize that this voyage has just begun and the course set out for you will be long, at times difficult, and always unpredictable.

Sales
In preparing for launch, it didn’t take long to learn that you should not set your expectations too high, in terms of immediate sales, for the release of your first book. I have been pretty happy with my results so far, going in and out of the “top 100 paid” in the “Financial Thriller” Kindle category, and in the top 300-600 of Books> “Organized Crime” category.

I pray every day for the reviews to come back from those bloggers and reviewers that have sent me direct requests for (mostly) print copies to read and review. Part of the anxiety in waiting for these reviews is knowing that if they are favorable they may help with gaining exposure and boosting sales. The other takeaway from reviews, which to me as a new author is even more important, is providing a benchmark to evaluate and hopefully improve my writing style and skills.

It can be excruciatingly difficult for newly published authors, in a society that puts a premium on instant gratification, to exercise patience and persistence. We are all aware of cases where eventual bestselling books and authors lay dormant for months, or even years, after initial release before realizing ultimate success.

Six weeks into it, I am comfortable with where I stand on sales, but will always continue to strive to reach and attract more interested readers.

Marketing and Promo
The following are the first post launch marketing/promo avenues that I have explored, and the results of these efforts where applicable. Hopefully, newer emerging authors can gain from these experiences and this info might help contribute to their own assessments of where to spend their marketing $$.

In case you haven’t noticed, with the evolution and growing acceptance of self-published authors, the eBook market is becoming increasingly more saturated with each passing day. If you don’t have a marketing budget to promote your book, it will be very difficult to grab the attention of new readers without catching that ever elusive “lucky break.” This seems to be especially true on the fiction side of the fence. I have rated these avenues for value using the 5 star system.

*** Goodreads Giveaways– ran two 15 day giveaways (3 free books each) with about a 10 day separation between the first and second one. I opened the giveaway up to many countries for the first one to increase international exposure and received 1151 entrants. Fewer countries in the second giveaway, but still had 1000+ entries. Costs – First giveaway - $52; two books shipped to Europe ($24.59 ea.), one US ($3.22). Second giveaway - $35; one book to Europe ($24.59), one Canada ($17), and one US ($3.22). Tip: When shipping books domestic from US, let Post Office know it is “media mail” to get steep discount, and now they even have free tracking on media mail. Cost will vary with weight. My printed (paper not hardcover) book is 450 printed pages, so it’s on the high end. Add cost of ordering book from amazon, for me about $9/book includes shipping. Currently, 670+ have marked the book as “Want To Read” on Goodreads.

** Bostick Communications – Press Release - $95 Received 8 requests from bloggers/reviewers to read/review my book. Sent 6 print copies (all US) and two MOBI files. One request for interview, which I responded to, but no follow up back. Jury is still out as to if/when any of these will post reviews or provide feedback. Lots of hype about all they do for you and testimonials from authors on their web site, but who knows what they really do? Check back on future blogs for update on this.

***** KDP Select Free eBook Promotion – ran this on July 3 & 4, had a good number of downloads to propel the book to #3 in “top 100 free” in Amazon’s “Financial Thriller” category on July 4th. So far, 2000+ KENP pages read thru KU/KOLL.

** Social Media – Bottom line for me, so far, is that big social media does not equal big sales.
It is such an interesting dynamic for authors, especially new authors that don’t have a large following of readers yet. For the most part, when I Tweet, Retweet, Share, and Like, I’m now doing so with mostly other authors, many of whom are in the same boat as I am. We are all sellers. While having an active presence on social media is mandatory, I have found that so far it has accounted for only about 10% of my sales. As you begin to gain credentials as an author and build a readership, it looks like targeted Facebook ads (not Promo/Boosts of Posts) using FB’s Power Editor can be very effective. If you have a decent marketing budget and a good product with good reviews, you can realize a significant return on investment (ROI). A social media progress report will be given on my next post in this series.

Please leave comments as to what has/has not worked for you in terms of generating paid sales, and help out aspiring, emerging authors, like me, that will be reading this post.

Thanks as always for taking your time to read this. - Maurice