Ask the Author discussion

I"ve been marketing my book for the past 6 weeks. I did the free book promo and spent a fortune listing it everywhere (indexes and the like). I have a few five star reviews, but no sales numbers to speak of.

When do you cut bait and move on? We as writers fall in love with our own words and what we think is good, may (and it pains me to write this) be mediocre or worse. Nobody likes the kid who sings off key - but believes himself a star because of false praise.

My question to you is, do you ever admit the book is a dud? At what point do you stop spending money to market your book (if in fact you spent any?). Your comments are greatly appreciated.

Richard wrote: "I"ve been marketing my book for the past 6 weeks. I did the free book promo and spent a fortune listing it everywhere (indexes and the like). I have a few five star reviews, but no sales numbers to..."

You never accept that your book is a dud, but you do move on and write another--and the time to do that is immediately after you finish the first. And when the second book is done you write a third--and so on. Keep going, Richard.

Thank you for your words of support. It's a very deep sea and a solitary one for we writers. I am on novel 3.

Richard wrote: "Thank you for your words of support. It's a very deep sea and a solitary one for we writers. I am on novel 3."

Richard ... I have felt that, too. But if you believe in yourself and like it, I say keep going. I don't think it's a matter of getting to the top, but rather finding others to read your words. So the better you get can only bring it on.

Caroline
ps. And I am going to start another one in Jan. with fingers crossed and a smile on my face.

R.J. is right...keep writing. And don't stop promoting. Overnight success is a fairy tale that might happen to one in a million, so don't give up after six short weeks! It took me four novels before I began to build up a small (yes, quite small, but still growing) fan base. My sales are not huge, but my fans are supportive and loyal and are now asking for more and I won't disappoint them, no matter how low my sales are. And maybe those few fans will help enable my fanbase to grow.

Richard wrote: "I"ve been marketing my book for the past 6 weeks. I did the free book promo and spent a fortune listing it everywhere (indexes and the like). I have a few five star reviews, but no sales numbers to..."

Give it time. And do some review exchanges.

The only novels that are "duds" are the ones that the author clearly did not put his heart into. That is, carelessness with grammar/punctuation, gaping plot holes, and just no heart. You can always tell when an author is not into his own work.

What Jessica said (we need recommended buttons on here).

That's an interesting question. I've sold a few of my short stories but it doesn't seem to take off. So its hard for me to say whether its a dud or not. And I'm the type that can't write much while doing promoting. Promoting is an exhausting job!

Richard wrote: "I"ve been marketing my book for the past 6 weeks. I did the free book promo and spent a fortune listing it everywhere (indexes and the like). I have a few five star reviews, but no sales numbers to..."

I've added your book to my TBR list :)

David wrote: "Hi Everyone! What if we do some sort of promotion/review exchange to get these books selling? Who's interested?"

It makes me nervous, David. Some of the indie books I've read (and reviewed) were excellent--but some weren't. I don't review a book unless I can give it at least three stars and reading a book and then not reviewing it can make for unpleasant responses. Unless there was a way to assess the book before committing, I'd steer clear of any such initiative.

David wrote: "Hi Everyone! What if we do some sort of promotion/review exchange to get these books selling? Who's interested?"

I love the idea, and I do it all the time. If for some reason I can't give the author at least four stars, I let them know privately. I have done it seven times and have had nothing but positive experiences. Message me if you would be interested.

Richard wrote: "I"ve been marketing my book for the past 6 weeks. I did the free book promo and spent a fortune listing it everywhere (indexes and the like). I have a few five star reviews, but no sales numbers to..."

Richard, the problem probably isn't that your story isn't a good one; it's more likely that there are a gazillion books out there with which we compete. Getting it front and center in anyone's cache isn't easy. My philosophy now is: just keep kicking them out. The more books you get out there, the better your chances of creating a fan base.

a dud in whose eyes? 6 weeks is nothing. The only question should be did you set out to achieve the things in writing the book that you aimed for - by which I mean the artistic and literary challenges of writing it, not whether anyone hands over money to an unknown author for their book.

When to turn to producing the next one? When the idea is ready to be written. Jeffrey Eugenides produces one novel every decade or so. But they're worth it!

Marc wrote: "a dud in whose eyes? 6 weeks is nothing. The only question should be did you set out to achieve the things in writing the book that you aimed for - by which I mean the artistic and literary challen..."

Amen, Marc!

Richard wrote: "I"ve been marketing my book for the past 6 weeks. I did the free book promo and spent a fortune listing it everywhere (indexes and the like). I have a few five star reviews, but no sales numbers to..."

I think Marc's point is a good one, you shouldn't judge the success of a book by the number of sales, but rather by the quality of the work itself. At the same time, I understand your frustration if there are only a few people that are getting to appreciate the work you did.

I think authors can work together to get their work out there.

If you have sold 1 copy, then your book has served its purpose. It's not a dud at all...keep going.

Please don't be angry, Richard, but I looked up your books and I can give you three things to do immediately. Get your author picture up on GR and anywhere else you're offering your books. Unless you're a 4th grade teacher writing porn and need to keep your true identity a secret, people want to know what you look like. Next, your blurbs need work. If the blurb doesn't capture the reader, no matter how good the story is, no one will read the first chapter. Third, keep the reviews and criticisms of your work in mind as you write your future books.
Why do I say this? Because it worked for me.

Jacqueline wrote: "Please don't be angry, Richard, but I looked up your books and I can give you three things to do immediately. Get your author picture up on GR and anywhere else you're offering your books. Unless y..."

Jacqueline, I am a teacher and I do need to keep my identity a secret. I use my pen name on all my websites. I can't use my likeness on any of my pages. It sucks, but if my school board finds out, it could land me in hot water with my school district. I don't write porn, but teachers have been fired for cussing on FB. I;m not taking the chance revealing myself.

Yeah its a lot harder to market with a pen name. All my friends suggested that I used a pen name. But then there is no credence to my story I think. Similarly they told me to make it a fiction, but I wouldn't stand a chance in a crowded field I think. But yeah did sell a few copies in the UK,US, Canada, Australia and Germany. But looks like I'm stalled now. Will invest on a better cover once I have more material on offer I think..

S. I'd recommend you follow your friend's advice and rewrite those books as fiction or write new fiction with the same premise. Have you considered m/m romance? Non-fiction sales are always tough and there's a HUGE niche market for m/m fiction. Just a thought to help pay the bills.

Then get an avatar, Jessica. That blank doesn't appeal. Take a picture in a big hat and sunglasses - anything but a blank.

Jacqueline wrote: "S. I'd recommend you follow your friend's advice and rewrite those books as fiction or write new fiction with the same premise. Have you considered m/m romance? Non-fiction sales are always tough a..."

Owwww..interesting..well I know I'm selling better than academic books (even traditionally published) in the same subject..and I could always expand more at liberty if its a fiction..hmm something to think about :)

Jacqueline wrote: "Then get an avatar, Jessica. That blank doesn't appeal. Take a picture in a big hat and sunglasses - anything but a blank."

I put the picture I use on my other sites (a red rose). It's better than nothing until I think of something else, right? I'm not making enough sales that I can afford to lose my day job, so I still have to keep my identity sealed.

Jessica wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "Then get an avatar, Jessica. That blank doesn't appeal. Take a picture in a big hat and sunglasses - anything but a blank."

I put the picture I use on my other sites (a red rose..."
I get that! I was a Middle School librarian before I went full-time writer. DID NOT want the local library to carry my books! I guess the point of the picture thing is that readers want to know you. And the blurb. That's the other thing I can't stress enough. Covers and blurbs are all we've got to catch a reader's attention.

Jacqueline wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "Then get an avatar, Jessica. That blank doesn't appeal. Take a picture in a big hat and sunglasses - anything but a blank."

I put the picture I use on my other s..."

I'll think of something else. Maybe photoshop my picture so I'm not so recognizable. Until then, my red rose will have to do. And I'm fairly new to this site, so could you tell me what a blurb is? (Sorry, I know this is an ignorant question).

The blurb is your description piece that's found on the back cover of a paperback or next to your e-cover. It's the 'hook' or teaser that makes someone want to open your book and read the first few pages. It should always end with the hook. "Is John the man of her dreams or the killer of her nightmares." It's funny, but many of us can write whole books, but find writing that blurb next to impossible. It took me a long time and I'm still no expert. I re-write that blurb more times than the book! I learned by reading the blurbs of famous authors in my genre.

David wrote: "Hi Everyone! What if we do some sort of promotion/review exchange to get these books selling? Who's interested?"

I am in a Goodreads group that does this. Take a look at the Genre Specific Review Groups (https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...).

R. wrote: "David wrote: "Hi Everyone! What if we do some sort of promotion/review exchange to get these books selling? Who's interested?"

I am in a Goodreads group that does this. Take a look at the Genre S..."

R. wrote: "David wrote: "Hi Everyone! What if we do some sort of promotion/review exchange to get these books selling? Who's interested?"

I am in a Goodreads group that does this. Take a look at the Genre S..."

Thanks :). I just joined. I believe wholeheartedly in the review exchange because who is better qualified to judge my work both objectively and subjectively than other writers?

Jacqueline wrote: "The blurb is your description piece that's found on the back cover of a paperback or next to your e-cover. It's the 'hook' or teaser that makes someone want to open your book and read the first few..."

Jacqueline wrote: "The blurb is your description piece that's found on the back cover of a paperback or next to your e-cover. It's the 'hook' or teaser that makes someone want to open your book and read the first few..."
Jacqueline, when you get a minute, would you take a look at my blurb and tell me what you think? here is the link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2....

My cover was professionally designed.

Jessica wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "The blurb is your description piece that's found on the back cover of a paperback or next to your e-cover. It's the 'hook' or teaser that makes someone want to open your book and..."

No question is ignorant. That's what this forum should be about; authors helping authors. I'm not an expert, but I do have some experience in this area and if you can learn from my mistakes, I'm happy to share.
Your cover looks great. I sent you a sample blurb for comparison. Hope it helps.

David wrote: "By the way, I started a free blog where I feature books where the author is interested in doing review and promotion exchanges. Message me if you want your book to be listed."

I'd be very careful with review exchanges. Many authors (myself included) consider them sock-puppet reviews like those of family and friends. This can hurt you in the long run. Don't forget, as you develop a readership, those readers will take your recommendations to heart and will feel betrayed if you offer them a good review on a book that stinks. I'm not saying you would do that or anyone else here would, but I am saying that's the rep review exchanges have.

Promo is different. I can promo your cover and buy links on FB and say, "My GR friend, David, has written a self help book. Interested? Check him out." See? No commitment, just a referral. If I do a promo and have read and enjoyed the author, I will honestly say so.

S. wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "S. I'd recommend you follow your friend's advice and rewrite those books as fiction or write new fiction with the same premise. Have you considered m/m romance? Non-fiction sales..."

If you wrote fiction, your non-fiction would enhance your credibility!

As a fellow new author it's incredibly hard to generate sales and awareness - sometimes I feel like I'm shouting in the desert but it's ticking over at one per day on average. To get that though I've spent more time on FB and Goodreads than writing so tricky to find a balance. Hard work and luck is needed. The hard work goes into writing the book, the blurb and making the cover then marketing (the really hard part). Keep going I would say, the hard work is in your hands so you can cover one part at least. :)

Hello all! Thanks for all the advice. The reviews are streaming in, mostly five stars. Amazon has begun marketing my work for me, which is a very good thing. If they take a liking to your work, then they really push for you. I'm told on Amazon 20% of marketing is the author and 80% is the Amazon machine. I'm enjoying their limelight (for the moment). I don't know how long it will last - but the last few reviews have given me some hope. As for writing more, I've signed a contract with my present employer (I'm a consultant) which says they own whatever I create, so I won't be creating anything new until my contract with them is up. I'd hate to have a run away success and lose out because they own it. I'll get a pic up of me and maybe hire someone to re-write my blurb. I used Piece of Cake - but - while I like what they wrote - it wasn't helpful. And if they did send out their press release - it did not garner any of the sales they said it might. Alas. Here' s the link to their press release they wrote for my novel: http://www.releasewire.com/press-rele...

Richard wrote: "Hello all! Thanks for all the advice. The reviews are streaming in, mostly five stars. Amazon has begun marketing my work for me, which is a very good thing. If they take a liking to your work, the..."

I think it all looks great, Richard! And your sales rank on Amazon isn't bad. Curiosity question: How are you doing on KU? I've got a contemporary series I'm thinking of putting up because it's not doing much. I won't go with my others because of the exclusivity. I sell too many in other outlets.

Thanks for the question. I did a free book promo last weekend for 2 days. On the third day I had about 9 people get the free book through KU. I was at #5 in mystery, #5 in occult and #9 overall for free downloads. Now if only I could get the paying folks to get me there! I did about 600 downloads in two days - with only the odd twitter tweet. The novel has made it into the machine so let's see if it does any better now. I'm happy for my characters- that people will get to see them and know them and give them life!

Richard wrote: "I"ve been marketing my book for the past 6 weeks. I did the free book promo and spent a fortune listing it everywhere (indexes and the like). I have a few five star reviews, but no sales numbers to..."

Sales from a book is not a sprint, it is a marathon (or longer)... I've got eleven books out there and this year I've sold a little over 210 copies. Some have sold none and others are doing well. I market them all and do what I can to promote them. There is only so much money for me but I do what I can. Unless you have a hot reviewer in your pocket that can give you a review in a national paper or you get on Oprah's book list, I think you have to keep slugging along.

From a busines point of view, you do have to watch your ROI (return on investment). If you're spending hundred or thousands of dollars and getting little to no return, you might reconsider how you're spending your money. First and foremost you want to make sure you're getting to your targeted audience. For instance, you wouldn't spend money for a romance novel with an ad in Auto Mechanics.

There are a lot of inexpensive things you can do as well. Donate to local libraries, send press releases to local papers, have a facebook page and invite everyone to like it, use social media to promote, donate to a local VA hospital or senior center... these are just a few from my wacko brain... again make sure you target your audience and shout about the things you're doing.

Thanks. I've done some of the things you suggest, and since I've posted this I've had many more reviews and sales. So it's all good. I will watch ROI. It's easy to spoil your baby.

Jacqueline wrote: "S. wrote: "Jacqueline wrote: "S. I'd recommend you follow your friend's advice and rewrite those books as fiction or write new fiction with the same premise. Have you considered m/m romance? Non-fi..."

I've thought of writing a fiction. But I'm not too sure whether my language grasp is up for it. But yeah something to consider I guess..

I am reminded that even the big names were once obscure. We are all learning how to do this marketing thing. I think some of us are farther than others. I am still learning myself and am really new to the social media thing. I take advice from other authors and readers out there and keep plugging away.

Keep at it Theresa - talent always shines through in the end. :)

I used Story cartel. 50 of my alumnus from my college downloaded the book. It cost me 30.00. I didn't get any reviews from it.