When I became a published author, I knew I would have to make sure I got my name out there so people heard about my books. However, I don’t know if I anticipated just how constant my communications would have to be.
I always see a distinct difference in my trilogy’s Amazon ranking immediately after I’ve done an author event. Recently, I haven’t been ranking that well, as I’d had trouble finding the time and motivation to put myself out there. However, I attended a school fete recently, and sure enough, the following week, my Amazon ranking improved. It happens every time.
I think a lot of authors fail to realise just how important it is to continually market themselves and their books. When I worked for my publisher, Wombat Books/ Rhiza Press, and now that I’m working for Australian Ebook Publisher, a self-publishing company, I’ve seen quite a few new authors who seem to expect that their book will become a huge success simply because they put it up on Amazon and iBooks.
Wrong. While it’s definitely a good thing to have your books on these sites, and is an essential part of your marketing, there are so many books available on these sites that it’s unlikely many will notice yours, unless they’ve already heard of it. So how do you let people know you’re there?
Sorry to say, there’s no hard and fast rule. It’s more just a case of trying everything and seeing what works for you.
Over the next few weeks I’ll talk about a few different marketing strategies on my blog. If you’d like to suggest anything for me to include, leave a comment and let me know. If you’ve looked into a particular strategy and would like to do a guest blog on it, that would be much appreciated. 🙂
Great topic Lynne – it is hard getting noticed. I’m inspired by your dedication to getting your trilogy known.
Someone’s got to do it. 🙂