Patience & Persistence
by Mike Wech
(Los Angeles)
My number one marketing tip is patience & persistence. As a first time self-published author, I am constantly looking for better ways to promote my book, SEVEN-X.
What I've learned so far is that "Word of Mouth" is your greatest ally. When people talk, other people listen, much more than when I talk about my book.
I've found that Goodreads (www.goodreads.com) is a great source for promotion, finding your audience and getting feedback about your work.
I've found that a negative review can yield a positive result. In the age of self-publishing, it costs nothing to make changes and adapt your story as you go. Minor changes can create big results and shift a readers perspective on the story and characters. As writers, we get close to our work, so it is great to get perspective from the intended audience.
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.
The worst mistake I make is getting hung up on results of marketing. This is not an exact science and what doesn't work today may work tomorrow, what works today may not work tomorrow.
During my second Amazon promotion with very little marketing effort, SEVEN-X rose to #2 in Horror and #68 total. My third promotion with more reviews and more marketing yielded a worse result. The web is so big that it is impossible to tell when people are tuned into your product, but the one thing that is consistent is "word of mouth," and that is the thing that grows sales the most.
I find direct communication with my readers has been a great tool. I follow up their reviews with a thank you, and ask questions on how I can make my product better if they have criticism.
Books are a longer road than other products, and the consumer takes a lot more time to evaluate the product, so being patient and persistent, knocking down walls, getting new customers and moving toward success comes one step, one day at a time, with the same positive attitude and same energy. We'll see what happens. Once we finish our work, the result is not in our total control - only the effort is. So never give up on what you believe in.
Good luck everyone on this wild journey.
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