14/07/2017
What do we do when we fail in our book marketing? Not just authors, even Publishers have to grapple with this issue. When we run out of idea's we need to get them somewhere. There are many methods to getting these ideas. Our favorite method is to ask. We are never shy of asking. Asking empowers the person to whom we are asking. Depending upon their education, they will respond accordingly. Some negative, some neutral, some helpful and some overly helpful. The second favorite method is to read what others do. We are posting some replies we saw so that it helps someone in some ways.
1) Take out time to reflect and learn. Stop beating myself up is a good start too. (Probably this s the most important thing)
2) Sat my arse down and wrote. More books out there = more chance to get be discovered. Once discovered, bigger back catalogue = more sales. (From a very big and successful author)
3) When it comes to marketing, every day feels like a fresh setback. I just try and concentrate on doing things right, writing every day, and trusting that things will turn around at some point.
4) Mate, I feel you. Every fu***ng day. EVERY DAY. Yeah? Defeat is the terrain over which we walk. Of course it is. We're all fish out of water, learning to walk. It hurts to evolve and it's messy and rubbish, and that's why so few people do it. If you're feeling low, it's because you're doing something you care about and you're not an expert yet. Stick down some bean bag chairs and a lava lamp, you'll be spending a lot of time here. We all spend a lot of time here.
Get up. Get back on the horse. Keep getting back on the horse. That's it, that's how ugly and simple it is. And it never feels neat, and it never feels enough, and it never feels like you're doing anything but getting things wrong while surrounded by people who seem to know it all.
But every single one you ask, EVERY single one will look at what you've just asked and nod in a sad, grim way.
You are doing it. This is what doing it feel like. Keep doing it.
5) So when you say 'setback', is that implying that there was success at 1 point in time? If so, haven't been there yet. I would say that mine is more of a series of p**s poor decisions with my first book. A few thousand in the hole and 12 books sold so far. I would like to think that I've learned a few lessons from the first attempt. So, learn from mistakes, cheaper method of publishing and just keep writing.
6) The most important thing to me is to remember why I started writing in the first place and even though it's hard, remind myself why I love it.
7) Keep going - you've only failed when you give up.
