We are the After Hour Authors
November 25, 2011 Meeting AHA
I've included an article written by Jerry Simmons...
Writing and Marketing are Equal Partners
By Jerry D. Simmons | November 9th, 2011
Often I receive emails from authors frustrated over the fact their book or eBook is not selling. When asked about their marketing plan most have none and even more spend little time introducing themselves or their new release to readers. Beyond family and friends the world needs to know when a writer launches their book. With over 2, 700 new titles being released every day it is easy to get lost, let alone discovered. The marketing process begins with an understanding that writing and publishing are half the equation, book marketing is the other half.
As the world of publishing adjusts to the realities of technology and realizes that readers are approachable with the touch of a mouse, marketing via the Internet is efficient, inexpensive, yet time consuming. Expecting consumers to buy what they do not know exists is not going to happen. There are too many choices for readers and the competitive nature of publishing is such that the world is being introduced to only a small fraction of the total number of new books being released each day.
Where to Start
Begin with the little things such as establishing yourself with an author profile on Facebook. This is different from your personal page where your friends hang out but setting yourself up as an author and begin the process of attracting readers to you and your work. The second thing is to start blogging. There are free blogging websites and to find one simply Google free blogs and you can have your pick. The point of blogging is to introduce readers to your writing.
If you are a novelist consider blogging about your characters, or scenes in your book, anything to give the reader a sense of how you write. Giving away content that you create, whether a portion of your book, or original content created for your blog, is one way to introduce you and your writing to the world. If you write nonfiction blogging is easier, just comment on the news of the day and tie-in then link to your genre. Daily news provides an unlimited source of topics to write about.
Time Commitment
Attracting readers is more about consistency over a long period of time than the total amount of time spent at one sitting. When readers start to see a steady flow of new material from a writer they tend to take notice as opposed to someone who writes once a week. Everyone has time restrictions but you must view this exercise as your commitment and passion to writing. Becoming successful as a writer is much more than putting words on paper, it is about you the author, the content you create and eventually how people find you. The best way is through social media and all the free services available to writers.
When writers tell me that just don't have the time, certainly I understand. However allocation of time is equal to the desire one has to succeed. Practice is required of anything we do and more so with writing. You only get better as a writer when you write. There is no other way to explain it, writing and marketing are equal partners, and one will not work without the other.
No Other Choice
Writing is about creativity, expressing oneself in a way that provides joy in storytelling or providing information about an interesting subject. If writers just want to write and not worry about marketing or anything else that is okay. But expecting to become successful as a writer without marketing is like winning the lotto with a single ticket. Certainly it is possible but we all know the odds.
Publishing is extremely competitive yet success often comes to those who are good and committed, not great as a writer. Creativity in marketing is as important in the quality of the writing; when you combine both you have a distinct advantage over the competition. Failure at this point to reach your goals may have more to do with the investment of your time as anything else. When seeking success as a writer, failure to communicate directly and consistently with your audience can result in disappointment.
Jerry D. Simmons is a former New York publishing executive and author of "What Writers Need to Know About Publishing"
There is no homework for December and no official meeting but there is a Christmas get together at the usual meeting grounds on December 9th at 6pm. Bring a snack to share!
