Category: Marketing

Radio Debut

I feel like a real writer now. I was interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol at ten to six last night on Drive Time hosted by Laura Rawlings. They posted on the local writers’ facebook page that they were looking for local authors to chat to on the book slot and I got in touch. To my surprise, they wanted me. I guess they are looking for local rather than big-name authors. You can’t get a smaller name than me. I suppose it helped that The Brigstowe Dragons is set in a fantasy version of medieval Bristol, known as Brigstowe way back.

I was a nervous wreck, to be honest, but Laura put me at my ease. Not sure I’d do telly. I have a face built for radio.  I guess local stations are looking for local interest and, like everyone else, content. Getting to the studio and back took a while but I think it was worth it. Poor writers will (and should) do anything for a bit of publicity.

The Two Truths About Self-Publishing

My girlfriend always says there is more than one truth – and I disagree – but with self-publishing, she seems to be correct. Surf the net and you will find the following ‘facts’ all over the place.

  1. Self-publishing is hard work but do it right and you can make BIG money. (To be fair, none of the hucksters say it’s easy money.)
  2. Self –publishing is a waste of time and you won’t make a penny.
  3. Marketing is indispensable and with the right marketing plan, you can make BIG money from your books.
  4. Marketing is a waste of time because no one’s ever heard of you and no one wants to know. You are shouting into the wind.
  5. Giving away free books is a brilliant plan to gain new readers who will snap up the next book and pay anything.
  6. Giving away free books is a complete waste of time. The readers will download the free books, never read them and not buy your next one.
  7. You must invest in a professional editor (around £400) a professional book cover (around £50 for an off the shelf or £200 for a custom made one).
  8. It’s not worth spending any money because your book won’t sell and you won’t recoup any of the cost. Edit it yourself about six weeks after you write it and do a homemade cover with Paintbox.
  9. You must be all over social media, build a mailing list, tweet, Facebook, Instagram, Blog and so on so that readers pining for your book will know you are there.
  10. All that is a waste of time. There are a million books on the market and 30,000 added every week. All the authors are peddling their crap on Twitter, Facebook and the rest but there are only a few thousand people left in the western world who actually read, most of whom are reviewers.
  11. Buy THIS book and it will tell you how to be a successful writer like the author.
  12. Don’t buy it. The author’s main success is telling people like you they can be a successful writer and selling books to you. How to Succeed in Self-Publishing books are the new diet and weight loss industry for the 21st

I should point out that the odd-numbered positive ‘facts’ are a lot easier to find than the even numbered negative facts but that’s because all the marketers selling How to Succeed in Self-Publishing books have clogged up the first few pages of any search.

‘What is truth?’ Pilate asked.

P.S. The real reason for writing is that I love it. As Orson Welles said, it’s the best model train set any boy ever had.

 

 

 

 

Marketing Tosh

Visit my static website here

In my pursuit of a million sales for my books, I’ve read quite a few other books about marketing and most of them are full of…it.

Today I downloaded one that says I know a hundred people (I don’t) and all I have to do is email them all a simple message saying that I’m writing a blog and will they sign up to follow me. They will all say yes. They all know a hundred people too and will joyously contact them about my blog and soon I will have millions of followers.

Er…no. I know some people but none of them are interested in my blog which is mostly about self-publishing because that’s what I’m doing. None of them want to follow me. None of them are SF or fantasy fans and none of them want to read my books. Therefore this entire brilliant marketing strategy falls down at step one. Millions of followers, I shall not have.

The writer advises against emailing strangers with spam and I agree with him there.

There’s another one about getting reviews which begins with the assumption that everyone you know – even vaguely – is gagging to review your book. They are not. The only people I’m in touch with in the SF community are fellow reviewers at SFcrowsnest.co.uk who have too many books to review already, same as me. I am a member of some local writing groups too. They want me to read their books. We’re all in the same boat. The internet is awash with people who have books out shouting for attention, including me. Ignore those other people! Read mine! Consarn Christmas and Other Stories is available at all good ebook retailers. So is The Brigstowe Dragons and so is Five Little Horrors which is ABSOLUTELY FREE.

I’ll be quiet now.