Authors: How do you go about marketing your work?

Page 1 of 2 [ 17 posts ]  Go to page 1, 2  Next

Honey69
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jan 2023
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,716
Location: Llareggub

08 Jan 2024, 11:39 am

It is easy to publish on Amazon. But, how do you go about generating interest in your work?


_________________
Semen retentum venenum est


BTDT
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Jul 2010
Age: 61
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,467

08 Jan 2024, 12:13 pm

Maybe a YouTube video to act as click bait?



Honey69
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jan 2023
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,716
Location: Llareggub

08 Jan 2024, 1:48 pm

I tried posting a video of myself reading one of my stories. It got to be long--probably few people are going to want to sit and listen to the whole thing.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy9tdC6nb0k

Although, there are a couple of upvotes on the video.


_________________
Semen retentum venenum est


BTDT
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 26 Jul 2010
Age: 61
Gender: Female
Posts: 7,467

08 Jan 2024, 2:37 pm

13 is Taylor Swift's favorite number but concise editing is essential for good advertising.



DanielW
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,873
Location: PNW USA

08 Jan 2024, 2:44 pm

One of the easier things you can do is find other authors and .people in related fields and ask them to review your work. that can allow you the leverage their social media platforms to your advantage.

When I wanted to expand my social circle, I be-friended someone in Public Relations. Their contacts were a huge help, and once people found out that I knew people, they were often eager to get to know me.

No need to reinvent the wheel, just ask someone for a ride so to speak.



Honey69
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jan 2023
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,716
Location: Llareggub

08 Jan 2024, 7:33 pm

Well, I don't know anyone to ask.


_________________
Semen retentum venenum est


funeralxempire
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 27 Oct 2014
Age: 40
Gender: Non-binary
Posts: 29,505
Location: Right over your left shoulder

08 Jan 2024, 7:59 pm


_________________
I was ashamed of myself when I realised life was a costume party and I attended with my real face
"Many of us like to ask ourselves, What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?' The answer is, you're doing it. Right now." —Former U.S. Airman (Air Force) Aaron Bushnell


DanielW
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 17 Jan 2019
Age: 36
Gender: Male
Posts: 1,873
Location: PNW USA

08 Jan 2024, 8:11 pm

Are there no other authors who have written in your field? I'm not talking about anyone you already know personally, just someone you might know of in a professional sense. It doesn't hurt to reach out to someone you haven't met.

You might also consult a copy of the Writer's Market (last published in 2018-19) or a Literary Agent to see if they might put you in touch with other authors as well. This would also be useful if you intend to publish in the future as well.

One of the drawbacks of publishing through Amazon is not having professional support behind you, its possible to overcome that, but it means building a platform (do you have a personal website?) and a willingness to engage on social media.

You can also ask your readers for reviews and/or point potential new readers to those reviews you have on Amazon as well.

I would avoid any "click-bait" postings as you're goal should be to promote, and generate ill-will.

Interestingly enough, Amazon has several interesting titles on book promotion for authors that might also offer some advice.



Honey69
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jan 2023
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,716
Location: Llareggub

08 Jan 2024, 9:26 pm

Well, here are my books thus far

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Willard-L ... abled=true


_________________
Semen retentum venenum est


Kraichgauer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 48,561
Location: Spokane area, Washington state.

21 Jan 2024, 8:29 pm

I've personally done a lot of posting of my books on Facebook. Rather hit and miss, if the truth be known. If you get your book on audio, ACX (which is affiliated with Amazon) will provide a means for your audio book to get attention from various reviewers either in the United States, or the UK.


_________________
-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer


Honey69
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jan 2023
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,716
Location: Llareggub

22 Jan 2024, 9:12 am

Kraichgauer wrote:
I've personally done a lot of posting of my books on Facebook. Rather hit and miss, if the truth be known. If you get your book on audio, ACX (which is affiliated with Amazon) will provide a means for your audio book to get attention from various reviewers either in the United States, or the UK.


How costly was this? Did you record yourself, or hire a narrator? Do you make any money from it, or is it just to get attention from reviewers? And, do you have to pay the reviewers?


_________________
Semen retentum venenum est


Honey69
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jan 2023
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,716
Location: Llareggub

22 Jan 2024, 1:00 pm

Here is a useful tutorial on how to make the sound recording.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NB1LXUsNf4


_________________
Semen retentum venenum est


Readydaer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 19 Dec 2022
Gender: Female
Posts: 868
Location: Court of Fontaine

22 Jan 2024, 1:04 pm

i could use the advice too! :oops:


_________________
My god. jelly donuts are so scary.


Kraichgauer
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 12 Apr 2010
Gender: Male
Posts: 48,561
Location: Spokane area, Washington state.

22 Jan 2024, 3:45 pm

Honey69 wrote:
Kraichgauer wrote:
I've personally done a lot of posting of my books on Facebook. Rather hit and miss, if the truth be known. If you get your book on audio, ACX (which is affiliated with Amazon) will provide a means for your audio book to get attention from various reviewers either in the United States, or the UK.


How costly was this? Did you record yourself, or hire a narrator? Do you make any money from it, or is it just to get attention from reviewers? And, do you have to pay the reviewers?


As I'm sure the video tells, ACX handles the whole process, even providing contacts with narrators. I choose to split profits made on the audiobook with my narrator, while others pay said narrator before hand (I hardly have that kind of money). And of course, ACX/Amazon takes their pond of flesh as payment for services from royalties earned. If none of your audiobooks sell (which once happened to me), then no one gets paid - not the author, or the narrator, or ACX. Thus is the nature of the beast.


_________________
-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer


Honey69
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jan 2023
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,716
Location: Llareggub

22 Jan 2024, 6:36 pm

I was thinking to try recording myself, and to ask for recommendations for a microphone.


_________________
Semen retentum venenum est


Honey69
Veteran
Veteran

User avatar

Joined: 29 Jan 2023
Age: 65
Gender: Male
Posts: 2,716
Location: Llareggub

24 Jan 2024, 10:17 am

Here is a list of 19 ways to promote your books

https://scribemedia.com/how-to-promote-book/

Here is my author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/willardlosinger

My web page about my books: http://losinger.altervista.org/literature.html

I did my own art work for the covers. For my author photo, I used a Picasso-style self portrait. Maybe this will help my material to stand out from the rest.

Maybe I should look up Goodreads.

I will try to look into audiobooks.

Any critiques about my author page and web site?


_________________
Semen retentum venenum est