Why I Suck at Marketing
Terry Odell
Being an old dog and, as an indie author, being responsible for every aspect of my book publication processes, it’s hard to remember that just because I don’t like something doesn’t mean nobody else does. I’m not talking about the writing. Everyone finds the system that works for them. Plotter, Pantser, or Plantser? Nitty gritty or beautiful words? How much violence? Profanity? Look at any best-selling book’s reviews on Amazon. There will be one and two star ratings along with the fours and fives, so you’ll never please everyone.
No, I’m talking about the other side of the job. The part I dread.
Marketing. Promotion. Getting the book from “uploaded” to “being bought.”
There are so many aspects of marketing, and I haven’t found any I like.
But just because I don’t like them doesn’t mean I shouldn’t at least give some of them a try. Debbie covered some of this in her post yesterday.
I know authors who promote a new release with Facebook “parties.” Or blog tours, some of which they spend bucks on to have a professional set them up.
What I see is people who follow these tours are looking for a chance to win whatever giveaways the author is enticing people with. Most of them aren’t buying the book. But maybe the authors are looking at this as more of a way to connect with readers, which might lead to future sales.
What about posting things on social media? I’ve said it before, and my opinion/advice hasn’t changed. Social media should be at least 80% SOCIAL. Seeing countless variations on “buy my book” doesn’t work for me as a consumer, so I don’t do it as an author.
I’ve never bought a book based on a book trailer. I might have looked at the book after a trailer, but that’s rare. Yet, just because I don’t think book trailers are of much value, some people do. And, because it was very easy to do with Canva, I went ahead and made a trailer for Double Intrigue.
Again, because it was easy, and more fun than a lot of other marketing chores I avoid, I created some graphics as well. Do they send people to my book pages? I don’t know. But they seem a slightly more subtle way to draw attention to my book. (Clicking will enlarge images)
Don’t get me started on ads. When I’m shopping for a book, I usually have a good idea what I’m looking for, and go straight there. I’ve been told that Amazon puts ads on book pages, but to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever noticed them. Of course, that’s because 97.63% of my book purchases are at Barnes & Noble, not Amazon. Almost all of my Amazon “buys” are the monthly free books because I have a Prime account. B&N probably has ads, too, but there again, I’m there for the book I want.
I haven’t done Amazon ads.
The big reason? Because Amazon ads require all sorts of conniving to reach an audience. You have to bid for placement, target an audience, set budgets, do AB testing … my old brain hurts, and I wonder how much money you have to put out there before you see a return. I was at a workshop once, and the presenter said she had no issues with forking over $200/day just to test her ads. Not me. And having to take courses to learn how to run ads … not my thing. I’d rather spend that time writing. After all, writing the next book is the best marketing ploy.
Now, I have run ads (not talking about Featured Deals) at Bookbub because they’re very easy to set up. Are they as effective as if I’d spent the time learning how to use Amazon and Facebook ads? I don’t know. Can’t compare what I haven’t tried.
A takeaway here is that you shouldn’t be acting based on only your preferences. You’re not your audience. You’re not your peers.
Another aspect of marketing I learned the hard way. Covers. They’re part of your book’s image. Part of your brand. They need to let readers know at a glance what kind of a book they’re being asked to buy. That’s why publishing houses have art and marketing departments, and they’re separate from the editing side. Deb went into covers in great depth last week, and I shared a post I did about covers there as well.
What about you, TKZers? Do you enjoy the marketing side of publishing? And yes, even traditionally published authors, unless they’re the BIG NAMES, have to do some of their own marketing.
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Terry Odell is an award-winning author of Mystery and Romantic Suspense, although she prefers to think of them all as “Mysteries with Relationships.”
Strange you should post this tonight. Today, I made the final tweak to my KDP upload for my non-fiction book. Actual appearance on Amazon will follow in 2 or 3 days; Kindle by the 19th. In the meantime, I should be considering how to market the book. Instead, I’ve been jumping thru the hoops to release an ebook version. I’ll be rereading your post again, Terry, and Debbie’s, too.
I’m hoping to convince my son to do a little of the lifting, e.g., a trailer. A friend controls the calendars at a pair of book stores. Book signings are BYOT (Bring Your Own Throng) affairs; a lot of advance publicity will be required. I’ve hired a publisher friend as a consultant for a monthly retainer; I’ll be talking with her a lot.
Good luck with your book promotion, JG. I’m not well-versed in non-fiction marketing, but you seem to have a good idea of where you’re going. I would suggest, if you don’t have one already, to get a newsletter up and running. You own those names, unlike your “friends” on social media.
Good point. Used to have a blog but got bogged down in a coop blog, “8 Great Storytellers.” We needed more like 24 great storytellers. Something more like KZB!
Excellent point, Terry, about viewing through the lens of the target reader. As we find out, it’s not about rules, but principles, and there are no silver bullets, just figuring out where and how the audience finds their next book. Thanks for emphasizing the essentials!
Glad you found my mutterings helpful, Grant. As I mentioned, writing the next book is always a good move.
The only part of the writing business I like is the part where you write the book. LOL! All the other stuff? I hate it. Needless to say, I’m going to have to ‘suck it up, cupcake’ and deal with the grunge side of writing.
As to marketing–$200/day for Ads? YIKES. When I do start venturing into this arena I’ll have to be very careful & not accidentally sign up for some such scheme and get myself in trouble. Whatever marketing approach I use will be the po’ man’s version.
And it’s hard to buy in to many of these marketing approaches since I myself rarely utilize these approaches to find books. Whether non-fiction or fiction, I usually find/purchase them based on my own searching, whether researching a specific topic or just searching around on Amazon. Or I see a reference to a book on a small handful of blogs that I visit regularly such as TKZ.
Although Amazon regularly sends out an email with ‘books you might like’ type pitches, 90% of the time it gets deleted unread for lack of time.
Bottom line, I know whether I like it or not I’m going to have to learn to market and I can’t rely on how *I* find books as it probably doesn’t even remotely resemble how others find/buy books. It’s going to be a big learning curve.
It sounds like you and I find books the same way. But because ads don’t work for me doesn’t mean they don’t work for others. There are plenty of classes/workshops/webinars to help you learn how to create “effective” ones. The ones I’ve seen, usually as conference workshop sessions, haven’t excited me to jump into that amount of work.
Oh, Terry, the title of your post made me smile!
Marketing DOES suck, no matter what method, style, gimmick you use. I personally know a few writers who are very good at it but they spend literally half their working day on it. That ain’t gonna be me.
Personal connection has proved to be the most effective way to sell my books. Book clubs, conferences, speaking appearances, and Zumba classes. And of course TKZ!
Is it efficient? No. Do I sell thousands of books? No.
Do I enjoy the heck out of those activities? Yes. So that’s what I do.
“Do I enjoy the heck out of those activities? Yes. So that’s what I do.”
That’s probably the best approach, Debbie.
Right now I’m writing a book and getting ready for Deadly Revenge to release at the same time. Writing the book isn’t easy, but for me, it’s a piece of cake compared to marketing. And traditionally published authors do help with marketing… unless your name is John Grisham or James Patterson.
I did recruit a small street team that shares the graphics my publisher sent me. I do plan to make a trailer and do a scene-reading post on TikTok…if I can figure out how.
You’re braver than I for entering the realm of Tik-Tok. That’s been a hard no for me, although I’ve learned to never say never. I’d rather be writing than marketing any day, hour, minute.
Ha, I wrote a whole book called Marketing for Writers Who Hate Marketing. All the stress and worry that usually accompanies this phase can be mitigated by understanding and embracing the fact that word-of-mouth is what rules. As I write in the book:
The most important marketing tool you will ever wield is one you already love. And it’s a tool you can sharpen each day without taking a single thing away from your writing. Because it is your writing. Your books, your stories, the way you connect with readers. By far and away, this is the golden key to selling your work. As super-agent Donald Maass says, “The best marketing comes between the covers of the book.”
So if you concentrate on being a better writer each time out, you are in actuality also “marketing.”
So true, JSB. The challenge is finding those readers to connect with.
Ahh…what a breath of fresh marketing air this is, JSB!
🙂
Short answer, Terry?
Nope. Hate marketing, putting myself “out there” (unless it’s out there walking my dog), and anything else remotely connected with selling. If I could, I’d just write the dang thing, wrap it up in a cool cover, upload, and move on.
Rant over.
BTW, I’m doing that very thing today. Uploading my new MS, and ordering my proof. 🙂
Have a great day!
Best of luck with the new book, Deb. I’m an introvert, even online, so putting myself “out there” is a challenge.
Great post, Terry. Marketing is challenging. I have enjoyed it at times. When I began publishing my urban fantasy novels in early 2017, I had two ready to go, along with a prequel “reader magnet” novella which I’d used to build up my list, and I launched into Kindle Unlimited. I used paid ads via promotional newsletters like Bargain Booksy and Book Barbarian. When I took my books wide, I was able to land a Book Bub Featured deal, which gave my series a huge boost.
I did take a class on Amazon ads back in late 2018 and like you, shied away from money, time and sheer work needed. I have a friend who used them very successfully but it was a second job.
That was then, this is now. I have two library cozy mysteries out in my Meg Booker series, and am in the middle of writing the third. My newsletter and newsletter building activities have been my only marketing, beyond writing the best book, crafting a hopefully compelling book description, and commissioning covers that give prospective readers a taste of what the book is like–its vibe.
Once I have a third book out I’ll be able to consider running promo site ads, dropping the first books price temporarily to 99 cents or free (so far, I’ve run two sales at $2.99 for the first book). I need to update my website and began putting out regular content there.
But as Jim mentioned, right now my focus remains on writing the best book I can.
2024 is certainly a different time than 2017, but the fundamentals of compelling, engaging stories, well presented remains.
Thanks for sharing, Dale. Having a body of work makes a big difference. If someone loves your first book, and there’s nothing else in the pipeline, you’ve probably lost them.
I think, as with most everything, you have to find what you’re good at, what works, and not fall into the FOMO trap and end up doing nothing but marketing. Write the next book!
I like what Jim said about the best marketing being the writing itself.
I’m uncomfortable having to market my books. (I hear my mother’s voice: “Let another praise you and not you yourself.”) But I have found a few things that sold books and/or got reviews.
I have done a blog tour with each of my books. Around 25 bloggers read and blogged about each book. Most left reviews on Amazon / Goodreads / B&N.
Bookbub Featured Deals work well to sell a lot of books, and some of the lesser known book promos help get the word out.
I also think name recognition is a part of it. Going to conferences, joining writing groups, sending newsletters, maintaining a blog and commenting on others’ blogs, all contribute even if I’m not explicitly marketing one of my books. (And those are all things I enjoy doing.)
Good points, Kay, and glad your blog tours worked for you.
I’ve heard it said that people need to hear/see your name at least seven times before they’ll remember it and make the connection to your product, so finding ways to be “seen” is important, even if it’s not a direct “buy my book” plug.
Oh, you people! 😉 … I’ve said this before but I’ll say it again: If you can dream up a well-told story, you can certainly dream up and execute some marketing or promotion to let people know about that story. Drop all your angst and just have fun with it. If you’re good with video, create a book trailer. If you like meeting people in person, go to conferences. Do the bookmark thing, if you want. If you like dabbling with ads, give some a try. Heck, I’ve got Amazon Ads running all the time. I get a kick out of seeing which keywords work and which don’t. So to answer Terry’s question: Yes, I do enjoy it. But I don’t spend that much time on it. I do a push when a book comes out, but then I just twiddle and tweak from time to time. No sucking involved.
Thanks for being a bright light, Harald. Some of these are much easier than others. Conferences can be fantastic, but they require time and money. If it’s a matter of the occasional twiddling and tweaking, I might dip my toes into the world of ads. It’s a matter of getting out of the mindset that says I think this way, so everyone else must, too.
I read 4-6 books every week, a mixture of Kindle and library books, so some purchased and some borrowed. Two good friends also read like this. I just checked with them and they, like me, have never even seen an ad for a book. My choices are made from books that have been recommended, or by authors I like. I have also purchased several books from TKZ authors because after reading the blog for so many years, I feel like I know you all.
I have encountered author tables at craft shows and flea markets, but have never bought a book from any of them. One woman actually followed me down the aisle continuing her seemingly desperate spiel. I’ve never been to a writer’s conference, but if I went to one expecting to find books for sale, I would probably buy if the blurb on the back cover sounded good to me.
The thought of marketing makes me shudder. I liked it much better when my publisher did it, and the local newspapers did feature articles. I’m convinced that the articles were what brought over 400 people to my first book signing, because I certainly didn’t do anything. And every one of those people bought a book. That’s why they were there. By contrast, I had another book signing in a big city mall bookstore a few weeks after that, sold eight books, and saw people cross to the other side to avoid my table. They weren’t there to buy books.
I will continue to write, because I can’t not write; the stories won’t let me go. But I know myself well enough to know that I won’t be doing any marketing. I’m blessed to not need the income, so if only my friends and family buy my books, that’s okay.
I’ve done library events, but those are more to meet people. The people who attend usually come to hear the guest speaker, and they use the library for their books. Our community is having a craft bazaar this weekend, and I have a table. People seem to like buying a book from a ‘neighbor’ but it’s not a huge number. Still, one hopes that if they like the book they bought, they’ll want more. Most of my sales are for the ebooks. Print sales are a teeny fraction of my income.
Like you, I write for the joy, not to put food on the table.
My publisher expects me to be a partner in the marketing/PR of my books. It comes with the contract. That means doing Facebook chats/lives, interacting with readers on social media, having a newsletter, pursuing guest blogging opportunities, being on podcasts, maintaining a presence on Instagram, X, and even TikTok. I was in public relations for 20-plus years so I understand the value and how to do it. That doesn’t mean I like it, but I also want to continue to get contracts. The publisher takes care of my Amazon author page, as well as Amazon, Facebook, TikTok, and BookBub ads. They pay for blog tours and sending books to my influencers. Their sales reps court the bookstores. Recently they even set up a TikTok store to sell their author’s books through that channel. By connecting to it as a creator, I’m able to earn commissions on my books sold in that venue. I love not having to handle these tasks, so I’m willing to do my part. I’m happy with the arrangement because I know more sales should result in more contracts. It doesn’t do me any good to write an amazing book if it doesn’t get published. (I know those of you who indie publish solve that problem in a different way. It just doesn’t work for me personally.) However we attack this challenge, it’s not going away!
Having a publisher that partners with you and picks up expenses is a bonus. And you’re right. We all do what works for us.