For book/ebook authors, publishers, & self-publishers
What's Your Biggest Challenge with Your Book?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by sean c. harrison on
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I can't seem to get sales after self-publishing on the popular amazon website as well as its subsidiary createspace. I know it takes a marketing thrust but I don't have the first clue except I know it takes alot of money to market officially. I have only one social media account and that's twitter. Tried to post there only receiving sales ion single digits. Thankful but doesn't go very far in generating much needed income.
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Permalink Reply by 4-LAN on
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Sean,
I too struggle to get sales. The Kindle marketing tools work, but be prepared to have to pay per click-and not all of those equal sales.
Doing review exchanges helps a lot. It takes time to read and post reviews for others. Most indie authors will do this quid pro quo, though.
You can post ads for free on this site. Also, if you have ebooks available for 99 cents, Indies Unlimited allows you to post ads on their site for free every Thursday.
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Permalink Reply by Dennis AuBuchon on
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I have accounts on several social network sites such as twitter, linkedin, facebook and google+. They are great exposure sites. I have over 700 followers on linkedin
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Permalink Reply by John Kremer on
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The biggest challenge for most book authors is very simple: They don't believe in their books enough to spend some time every day marketing their books.
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Permalink Reply by Cendrine Marrouat on
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I so agree with you, John! That's what I keep telling authors.
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Permalink Reply by Manny Asunto on
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To me, the real challenge is that most authors actually believed in their book so much that they spend too much for it but not getting good results. And now, no longer willing to spend a single dime to give their book another chance.
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Permalink Reply by Neil Stanners on
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I'd imagine the answer is fairly simple. Being noticed. The world is flooded with books. Quite often books by indie authors are of a higher standard than those pumped out by commercial publishers. It mostly comes down to marketing. If a book is pushed hard enough and enough money is spent then the you'll probably have a best seller. The actual quality of the writing will be secondary. Against all this you have the independent authors desperately trying to be seen and get some traction.
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Permalink Reply by Steven Walker on
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Hi Bill,
It took me five years to finish my first novel, Gunny Mac Private Detective Trouble in Chinatown. People often ask me why did it take so long. I realized as soon as I started to write that I did not know what I was doing. Career military officer, high school teacher, MS In Psychology... an entrepreneur, and I was lost as heck. I soon found out I didn't need or want another degree in writing. I knew in my gut I could learn how to write fiction.
I have read at least one thousand books in my life and I knew a good story when I read one. But I struggled. I searched the internet looking for assistance. Most writing gurus gave you just enough information to buy their products. Few gave me any real writing information. So...I listened to hour upon hour of writing podcasts... a waste of time...I read self-help writing books...very little help...I was feeling so stupid. I felt I needed a step-by-step guide on how to write a fiction novel. None were available. So what did I do? I took chapters from my favorite books and rewrote them on a page of paper to get a feel for excellent writing. This helped a lot. I began to retrace the steps of great writers and how to write a scene. Then I studied the way a fiction novel is put together. I went to a writers conference that changed my life. There was room for fifty people at the tables. They were filled by fifty women. I squeezed myself between two hefty women. I listened to Larry Brooks and my life was immediately changed. Then I knew why fifty women were there in person and only one manly man. One... Larry Brooks was a hunk of a man (former baseball player) and two...about the smartest man that ever explained how to write fiction
to me. Also, I found out why there were fifty women and just me. Women are doing all the writing. I have no idea where the men are so I really got motivated to write because a man's story must be told! Anyway, I had a private discussion with Larry after the conference and I really began to understand how to write a novel. A technical plan was needed and a story had to have certain elements in it and once you knew what they were you were off to the races. I figured I wrote over one million words to get to my final 89,670 words of my novel. I had a minimum of 55 edits and rewrote all chapters and scenes several times. Using this process I learned to write.
I still have much to learn writing great fiction but my second novel, Gunny Mac Private Detective Trouble in Cleveland is half-finished. I found out that writing a novel is just simple logic. Don't make it more complex than it is. (A) happens...something logical must happen next...you have choices but they must be logical to connect with the previous event. Then because of that logic, something follows, and before you know it you have an interesting story. I'm willing to help any writer who needs help. The problem is most people can't take criticism and act like little children. They just want to be told how great they are. I tell them criticism is hard on the person giving it.
If a person truly loves people the truth must be told. My advice to writers look for criticism and learn to love it. If a person gushes about your work....go find someone else who will rip you apart. Then you will be a writer.
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I have very few problems except with Amazon dictating what I can sell my ebook for and marketing...trying to get at least fifty reviews on Amazon.
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Permalink Reply by Margery Phelps on
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My biggest challenge has been to overcome my fear of rejection - that no one would buy my books. I recently published my "Finding Margaret" trilogy and got someone to help with the launches, and all three books made the Amazon #1 Best International Seller List on the days they were launched. I learned two things: Don' limit yourself with negative thoughts; get professional marketing advice, which is why this website is so valuable.
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Permalink Reply by Patricia M. Muhammad on
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Getting book reviews.
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It recently published a literal transcription of New Haven Town Records, 1769 - 1819, which provides primary source information on what was then America’s 7th largest city during the American Revolution and into first decades of the new American republic. The book is part of the long dormant Ancient Record Series that published all of the previous town meetings. Sadly, because it is a primary resource, no one seems to want to review the book. Which is fully indexed with annotations and information on over 2000 New Haven residents, from Roger Sherman and Benedict Arnold to Noah Webster and Eli Whitney. The book received good newspaper coverage when it first appeared, but now seems forgotten even by academic libraries. Any tips on getting the word out?
PJMalia@connecticutpess.com
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