What many authors have to learn how to do is to become entrepreneurs and not just through sitting at a computer and typing to their hearts’ content. a course in miracles bookstore requires a great deal of effort on the part of the author. Very few publishing companies invest their own finances or time in promoting their author’s work. It sounds strange since the book becomes a financial risk for the publisher as soon as it is accepted for publication yet that is the way it works. Either the author becomes involved in marketing or the book doesn’t see a bookstore shelf or likely make many sales.
If author success is measured by sales then I’m not writing this from the perspective of a successful author, merely a published author. I have recently had my second MS accepted for publication by the same publisher who produced my first book. Lovely. I was excited to hear the news. Thinking back on the abysmal sales of my first book I decided the same fate would befall this novel as well but I shrugged and figured “at least I’m published”. However things have changed in the past week or so.
I’ve decided I’m not content merely to allow my print on demand novel to float about in a major bookstore’s cyber-inventory yet never see it on the actual shelf. My book is good. This I know since nearly every publisher I queried about it wanted to see it and some outright offered to publish it. I’ve probably got a good story here then but I still know it won’t do me or my publisher any good if I don’t market, market, market my brains out so that is what I’ve decided to do. Hopefully through my efforts I will achieve a modicum of success at least. Certainly I can’t do any worse than with the first book my publisher released! To that end I’ve compiled a list of the steps I am taking to market my book. Hopefully you will find something helpful in here too.
Create a website. They are absolutely free nowadays yet they are still beautiful and very professional-looking. I sat down two nights ago and tentatively began building a site using a software company’s pre-formatted templates and a whole lot of patience. Bingo! I have a beautiful site that advertises me, my writing history and my two books with my current publisher. I must say it looks terrific. If you intend to create a site make sure you include your email and links to your blogs and any social media where you are a member.