For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers

What's Your Biggest Challenge with Your Book?

I'd be interested to learn what authors/publishers on this network think their biggest challenges are with their book. I wonder if there's any common, pervasive challenge we all face.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by 4-LAN on March 25, 2014 at 11:07am

Hi,

Currently, the biggest challenge is trying to convince everyone to help another author out.

I have my own book that I am working on, but when I joined The Book Marketing Network, I decided that before I could succeed in my own endeavors, first I had to lend a helping hand to other indie authors on this site that write in the same genres as myself.

Today I just posted my most recent edition of What I Am Reading-my blog/book review that features authors from this site.

This week I am reviewing The Dogs Don't Bark in Brooklyn Any More by our very own Eric Robert Nolan.

Please read the blog and then visit Mr. Nolan's page here on TBMN. From there, you can follow his link to his website and then find his book on Smashwords and Amazon.

Thanks everybody!

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Permalink Reply by John Kremer on March 26, 2014 at 12:58pm

Thanks for the call to action. Much appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by 4-LAN on March 26, 2014 at 8:33pm

Thanks John,

I think it is starting to work :-)

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Permalink Reply by John Kremer on March 28, 2014 at 12:34am

Cool.

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Permalink Reply by Joleene Naylor on March 28, 2014 at 4:04pm

I know what you mean. There are lots of Facebook events to like pages or things like that and it's amazing how many breeze in, drop their links, and then disappear never to return the favor. I do book covers for authors and most won't take the time to check out my website before contacting me. Their reason? They're too busy. I imagine if they're too busy to check out a website before hiring someone these same authors are too busy to share a link. Thank goodness there are nice ones out that our I'd have given up on Authors long ago Lol!

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Permalink Reply by 4-LAN on March 30, 2014 at 9:27am

Don't become despondent :-)

They're the ones that are missing out.

You just keep doing what you are doing and know that while not everyone can see pat their own needs, that there are others that appreciate what you do and will reciprocate :-)

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Permalink Reply by Joleene Naylor on March 31, 2014 at 7:53pm

LOL! Yep, i have met some wonderful people at the same time, so there is always someone to renew my faith in humanity - so to speak ;)

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Permalink Reply by John Kremer on April 1, 2014 at 1:01pm

Lots of good people, all around the world.

And lots of people who love to read.

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Permalink Reply by 4-LAN on April 1, 2014 at 2:47pm

Hey John,

speaking of lots of people who love to read, Joleene and Elizabeth had a little discussion going in either this forum or the What's Working For You? forum.

We are trying to brainstorm more ways to get to readers.

My thought for something right here at The Book Marketing Network would be to invite more book reviewers and readers to join your site.

Maybe you can get the word out that book reviewers are welcome at The Book Marketing Network? And maybe plant the idea to everyday readers that they could have a voice as a book reviewer here.

If they are reading all the time anyways, maybe they just hadn't thought about writing a book review and posting it up here as a blog. I think that we could get a lot more people interested in reading our books if they felt like they could be a part of the process.

On this site, readers could write reviews and post comments directly to the author. Maybe even some indie authors would be willing to put a little blurb in their acknowledgements, mentioning Joe Blow or Jane Doe, who made a great suggestion and wrote a review.

Thanks John,

4-LAN

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Permalink Reply by Daniel James Miller on March 27, 2014 at 7:53pm

In terms of biggest challenge, for me it had to be getting the word out. As a new author, I decided to jump right into the fire by going the self-publishing route for English language copies of my book. The publishing industry wasn't one that I was mechanically familiar with, so I wanted to sink my teeth into the self-marketing and awareness process. I wanted to maintain control over as much of the process as possible while seeing if it was a viable option for success. It has been an illuminating journey :)

I signed on with a publisher for the Manadarin version, though. Learning a new industry in my native language is one thing. Tackling a foreign language, new regional market, local customs and main launch sites was another.

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Permalink Reply by 4-LAN on March 28, 2014 at 10:34am

Nice! That must be a huge market!

Howz ur book doing in China?

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Permalink Reply by Daniel James Miller on March 28, 2014 at 2:50pm

The translation is set to complete mid-April, so it has not gone on sale yet. The size of that potential market was definitely one of the reasons I pursued publication out there. While I don't read a lick of Chinese, the cover does look quite interesting. I've included it below. It might be a large photo, so I apologize if it covers the screen if you click it. I'll post that as a separate reply so my text doesn't get eaten by it.