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.
Views: 9112
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by J. Steve Miller on
-
Sara,
Thanks for the detail! That's great! Mind if I post this to my blog and link back to your blog?
-
-
Sara,
Thanks for letting us know about your success on Twitter. I've about giving up on Twitter and Facebook, since I just can't seem to get around to it. Bottom line: I don't love it like you do! I think that's a key a lot of us need to narrow down. There are lots of ways to market books successful, but each of us needs to find a marketing method that not only works, but that we like doing.
Concerning blogging, although I write for other people who might be reading, I typically blog about things that interest me and that I want to keep up with. Thus, I'm not blogging every day - more once every couple of weeks. When I blog, I post a lot of valuable stuff, but I do it so seldom, and don't publicize my blog, so that very, very people actually come to my blog.
I've come to the conclusion that if someone's starting a blog solely for the purpose of selling their books, they'll probably be disappointed. I think it may be better to spend time "going where crowds already gather" than trying to gather your own crowd. Find the top blogs in your subject area, interact with them, and leave your book info and a link in your signature. Also, ask those top bloggers if they'd like a free copy of your book to review on their blog - and offer them another to give away.
I'm sure some would disagree with my approach, but this has been my experience.
-
Permalink Reply by albertasequeira on
-
Steve I agree with you. I haven't gotten into Twitter or facebook. I have no interest in My Space because I've gotten junk mail with men trying to go too far with their emails. I'm left feeling it's a pickup site.
I love Book Marketing because if anyone writes on the chat room, we all get the message without going to the site to see if there "is" a message.
Once I finish the sequel to my second book, I hope to get time to hit these sites. I leave info and events on mine and get no replies. As for going to the site, I'm so straight out, I don't have time. I don't know how people do it. No time is left when I'm promoting, writing, booksigning, marketing and doing speaking engagements.
I have SOME great news. My memoir Someone Stop This Merry-Go-Round; An Alcoholic Family in Crisis is up for Nomination with Readers Views for the 2010 Literary Award. They will announce the winnners at the end of the month. Just being nominated is a gift.
-
-
Alberta,
Congrats on the nomination! I have a friend who was nominated for an award (didn't win) and he got a lot of mileage out of it. He got the stickers that say "Georgia Writer of the Year Nominee," or whatever. It's always good to have something that separates our books out from the pack. Mine won its category in the "Best Books" contest last month. Hey, it might have been the only one in its category (personal finance) for all I know. But these contests reserve the right to throw out a book if it doesn't meet their standards. So somebody's willing to put their seal of approval on your book - that's significant! You can see how I used my "star" on my press page below.
J. Steve Miller
Author of Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It
"The money book for people who hate money books"
http://wisdomcreekpress.com/press_kits.html
-
-
Sheila,
Juggling...I understand that! I run a not-for-profit from my home, my wife works outside of the home, we're raising 7 boys in a blended family, I help my mom care for my 103-year-old granny and I do most of the cooking.
But I've actually found myself enjoying the marketing process. Necessarily, it's had to go slowly, but a couple of things have really helped:
1) As I ride my stationary bike, I read book marketing books. It's not how much I read each day. I just need to read something instead of nothing - something I can reflect on while I'm cooking, etc. That means that over the past year I've learned a ton about book marketing.
2) While you're right about the problems in the publishing industry, I think there are huge opportunities these days that most aren't taking advantage of. Yes, mere mortals (people w/o big platforms and followings) probably won't get published by traditional publishers. Also, they won't typically see their books sold in many bookstores. But I agree w/ Poynter that, for many reasons, bookstores are typically lousy places to sell books. Once you think beyond the bookstore, the avenues for selling are almost limitless.
I'd encourage you to read a bit each day, or even each week, about book marketing. Note only those things that would apply to your book. Then, just start trying something. I think the biggest gain is when authors start doing something instead of nothing.
Anyway, I know book marketing can seem daunting, but I think there are tons of young adults who would love to read your stories. You've just got to find ways to get it into the schools, speak to middle school writing classes (I did), and start figuring out what works and what doesn't.
Don't get discouraged! We're all learning this together!
J. Steve Miller
Author of Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It
"The money book for people who hate money books."
http://wisdomcreekpress.com/press_kits.html
-
Permalink Reply by kevin on
-
Comedy. My first book was comedy. My current is a political thriller and I want some light hearted moments in it but don't want to over-do it.
-
Permalink Reply by DEANNA MORE on
-
My biggest challenge with my book(s) is to get them out of cold storage, hidden in a dam dusty bureau drawer.
In life, I excel in PROCRASTINATION. (In fact, I'm Queen of De-Lay and the all-time winner of the Tardy Award.)
And honestly speaking, even though I've won literary awards, I can't seem to muster up faith in myself to believe my books are worth anything.
One of my 2010 New Year's Resolutions is to start believing in myself and take steps to have one of my books published. BUT...where do I start? What is the first step?
-
-
Hi Deanna,
I LOVE your description of yourself. Great writer!
How can you not have confidence in yourself when you've won litary awards. I think you're problem might be from worrying what other people, readers, authors, family, friends or media might think of you or or books.
You have to write for "YOU!" If you are concerned if someone likes you as a writer, you won't get that stamp of approval. No one is truly loved without error. We are humans.
Write you stories because "YOU" love them. Writing should be fun. Don't think you have to be the best or will become famous. It can happen to authors but take each day as it comes.
So blow that dust off your manuscript.........and WRITE. Be yourself. Dont' try to copy another author's way of writing or thinking. There is no right or wrong way in our writing. It's our own talents, and talents are things to be proud of with our accomplishments. If you fall down, just pick yourself up.
We belong to this chat room because we are authors bonded from caring what other authors need help in, whether it be their writing, promoting, marketing or just plain support.
Join our group and let things flow from your heart.
-
-
Deanna,
Concerning the first step, here's what I suggest:
You're a great writer, judging from your intro. So get those stories out there, starting with some friends and acquaintances (or a writers group) that can give you input. They don't have to be professional writers. It's readers that you're writing for. Maybe just a chapter at a time. I always make copies of my early stuff and get it into the hands of lots of people who'll give me honest input.
Why "lots of" people? Because everybody's got a different angle and different likes and dislikes. Some may hate your style, others may not be interested enough to finish the chapter, but if some of the readers read and love your stuff, then you know that they represent a niche of readers out there who'd love to read your books.
Getting a publisher these days is a long-shot, since publishers tend to want people who already have followings or have high profiles. If you want to go that route, read a book like "How to Get Happily Published," by Applebaum. You've got to understand how the industry works.
If you just receive a bunch of rejections, it doesn't mean you're a bad writer; they reject tons of great writers. At that point, you might consider self-publishing. See Poynter's Self Publishing Manual. But also hang out at these forums, since publishing has been revolutionized and it's a wild, wild west out there.
I've been both traditionally published and self published and like both ways.
Whatever you decide to do, I encourage you to do something rather than nothing. Blow the dust off those manuscripts, make copies of a chapter and start showing them to some people. Everyone I gave a copy to was delighted that I thought them worthy of an opinion. People like giving their opinion!
Just a few thoughts!
J. Steve Miller
Author of Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It
"The money book for people who hate money books"
http://www.amazon.com/Enjoy-Your-Money-Make-Invest/dp/098187567X/re...
-
Permalink Reply by Vangie Williams on
-
I would say promotions and marketing.
-
Permalink Reply by Cynthia Vespia on
-
I find I'm having a new challenge with my latest novel. It's the third and final installment in my "trilogy of terror" Demon Hunter series. I feel I'm a little over halfway into the novel and it's gone very wrong. Usually my novels take on a life of their own while I'm writing and I enjoy it, but this time I feel like it's taken a left turn and left me in the middle of the desert with no food or water.
Is it the curse of the sequel doomed to get less and less interesting as it progresses in the series? Or is my head just not in the game like it should be?
Time will tell my friends.
Book Marketing Bestsellers
About
Recommended Website
Music
© 2024 Created by John Kremer.
Powered by
