11 Pitfalls Every Indie Author Must Avoid! | IndieReader (original) (raw)

Originally Posted 2/15/18

If, as an indie author, you feel like you’re learning how to swim by jumping straight into the deep end, you aren’t alone. But, although it’s admirable to jump in both feet first, it often comes with a very real price – it takes time to figure out best practices.

And it can be tough to sort through the hype to learn which of the myriad resources out there are trustworthy.

The good news is that although the challenges are real for indie authors, there are some very simple ways that you can dig deeper to make the most of your book promotion. After all, you’ll want to maximize every effort!

1. Don’t Skip Proper Market Research

It’s time to be honest with yourself. Is there a market for your book? If you’re writing a romance novel, then the answer is probably yes,. But if you are writing something vastly different – let’s say a self-help book for guys, you may want to reconsider. Since 93% of self-help is written for women, the market for men is limited. And knowing whether or not there is a market for you book is a big part of publishing.

Additionally, as indie authors, it’s more important than ever to know how to reach your market. You may have dreamed of writing the next great American novel, but if you have a knack for writing sexy erotica – go with it! You’ll need to determine who will really buy your book, and how to find them.

You’re far better off being hyper-focused on a core market, rather than trying to market to everyone. I have a saying: Don’t chase too many butterflies. It’s tempting to want to say “everyone is my audience,” but targeting everyone isn’t a good marketing plan. Spend your time wisely.

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2. Don’t Forget to Build Your Tribe

We hear this a lot: build your mailing list and grow your fans on social media! But what does that really mean? This big statement and action can seem a bit daunting, but ultimately what I’m saying is that you need to get to know your fans and engage with them. Consumers have thousands upon thousands of choices on Amazon, and while optimizing your presence there is important, it alone won’t make the sale. Building your fan-tribe will be enormously important in your ongoing book promotion efforts.

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3. Don’t Forget to Consider Joint Promotions

Every passing day more authors are collaborating on promotional efforts – bundled books, collaborative campaigns, and more. We’re actually in the process of developing a number of collaborative campaigns – so several authors of the same genre are bundled in one, powerful campaign. This is a way of helping consumers “find their next favorite author,” but there’s also power in numbers. So several authors together, marketing collectively and individually is a great way to build momentum.

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4. Not Establishing Solid Infrastructure

Remember that everything you do is your “resume.” Look professional. Indie authors can pull together a nice website even without a big budget or extensive technical know-how. Readers want to be repeat customers, but they’re more likely to be loyal to an indie author they trust will keep producing the goods. A basic website gives your fans a place to follow what you’re doing and know when new books come out. A well-managed social media account can also accomplish this, but it should be a platform your target market uses. As I often say, you don’t need to be everywhere, just everywhere that matters.

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5. Don’t Forgo Professional Cover Designer and Copy Editor Services

It could be argued that there’s no bigger success killer than a bad book cover. And bad is not relative, bad is bad. Check out the top books in the genre or genres you plan on listing your book in, you’ll no doubt see some similarities, in a good way, in a way that tells you what your market is drawn to. If your book doesn’t measure up, then get a new cover professionally designed, stat.

Bad book descriptions will kill your book’s success too, so don’t write your own. Just because you can write an amazing story does not mean your marketing copy will be good too. You are likely too close to your own work so it’s worth your while to hire a professional who can look over things from an unbiased viewpoint.

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6. Don’t Forget About Reviews

Reviews matter! It’s not just the reviews that are important, but the timing of the reviews as well as their consistency. If you don’t have reviews and you’re not working with a publicity company to help you get reviews, it’s probably not a good idea to pump a bunch of money into other kinds of promotion. Of all the things you should be doing consistently, gathering reviews should be at the top of every indie author’s list.

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7. Don’t Wait for the “Perfect” Media Opportunity

There is no opportunity too small! Don’t turn down a single interview opportunity, guest blog post, or podcast interview. In fact, Chicken Soup for the Soul got to be such a huge, household name because they took advantage of every single interview, regardless of size or hour (sometimes a radio interview at 3am). The most successful authors take every opportunity presented to them in regards to exposure. Mail the book. Write the article. Do the interview. Small steps lead to bigger advances and more opportunities.

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8. Don’t Forget That Everyone Loves A Sale

eBook Promotions offer a great tool for building buzz. Why? People love sales. Although you may question the idea of discounting your book after spending your time and hard-earned money to get it to market, you can’t beat the exposure. Keep an open mind and do a few of these each year.

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9. Don’t Forget to Keep Learning

I’m not suggesting you spend all your time following every marketing recommendation or learning about every book promotion opportunity out there. There’s not enough time in the day. But you should keep up with new ideas and great tips. If you invest a small amount of time learning every week, each book you release will be more successful than the last.

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10. Don’t Hold Off on Starting Your Next Book

Don’t plan to retire off your first book. Although possible, it also isn’t likely. So start your next project. Plus, this goes back to having a home base and letting readers know you’re a sure thing. Readers love seeing their favorite indie authors working on the next book; this is how you establish long-term fans.

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11. Don’t Forget to Participate in Your Own Success

I can walk into a room of let’s say 300 indie authors and pick out the ones who are going to be successful. Want to know how I do it? Well, I look for the authors who carry business cards or bookmarks with them to every event; they are eager to learn and engage.

They’re curious, and they’re always doing something to build on their success, no matter how small. They also know that spending tons of money on a publicity firm will have very lackluster results if you have zero interest in playing a leading role in your own success. You can pay people to do the heavy lifting, but no one will have the passion for your book that you do, so plan to do your part for book promotion even when you hire out.

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Ultimately, your success is in your control. And although you don’t have to follow every single suggestion to the letter, I want you to work smarter so you can maximize your efforts. And, if your current book is out of the running for some of these things, you can make some changes for your next book. Go out and find opportunities and then make the most of them. You were inspired to create something, don’t let that fire die out!

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Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a bestselling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU. She was named one of the top influencers of 2019 by New York Metropolitan Magazine.

Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Amazon visibility campaigns as well offering national media pitching, online book marketing, author events, and other strategies designed to build the author/book visibility.

She is the author of 23 books, including the newly released: “The Amazon Author Formula,” “Revise and Re-Release Your Book”, “5-Minute Book Marketing for Authors,” and “From Book to Bestseller”

AME has had dozens of books on top bestseller lists, including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal.

To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, visit www.amarketingexpert.com.