That's a really helpful little article for us indie writers. Obviously the costs are a bit steep (I'm below the poverty line, so these kinds of reviews are out of the question), with no guarantee unless you're really confident in what you've written - which clearly you are (I am too, for what it's worth). You've clearly done a lot of good work with marketing and promo research, which is excellent (& helpful, too - thanks). I myself am utterly rubbish at it. Take a look at my own Substack, for example - it's only got 5 subscribers, one of them is me and another is my other half! I wish you good luck for your launch, though...
Yeah, not having any financial resources definitely makes your journey harder, but certainly not hopeless. In a way, I'm glad I waited to publish until I was in my 40s (with a decent day job). It gives me a little more financial freedom to try things out and the patience to do research. Also--Substack is a tough sell unless you're already well-known. I put links out on my social media, but mostly people aren't interested in articles/blogs from unknowns when the same kind of content is available from more popular sources. And the same rules apply to Substack as to all social media -- you need to engage with people to get engagement back. Also, the confidence is a facade lol. I just about puke everytime a new review comes in and the bad ones are soul-crushing. But we all have to 'fake it till we make it' to get ahead, haha.
Yeah, it's a huge barrier to indie authors. I honestly don't think people like to talk about these kinds of costs either. You feel like a failure for having to pay to get your books in front of readers, even though traditional publishers are doing the same thing. I don't care what anyone says: Social media just doesn't cut it for self-promotion unless you're a lucky TikTok unicorn (at least for sci-fi). Fortunately, I've been able to set aside money over the years to try out a few things and share my findings with others in the trenches, but it will be years (if ever) before I see a return--$1.50/book takes awhile to add up. I definitely can't afford to give Book 2 the same treatment. But I was told by an advertising guru to focus on building my brand / foundation and worry about advertising when I have 3-4 books out, so that's what I'm trying to do.
My friend and I recently launched a website for discovering indie books. It's free to submit! Check us out at www.book-shelfie.com
That's a really helpful little article for us indie writers. Obviously the costs are a bit steep (I'm below the poverty line, so these kinds of reviews are out of the question), with no guarantee unless you're really confident in what you've written - which clearly you are (I am too, for what it's worth). You've clearly done a lot of good work with marketing and promo research, which is excellent (& helpful, too - thanks). I myself am utterly rubbish at it. Take a look at my own Substack, for example - it's only got 5 subscribers, one of them is me and another is my other half! I wish you good luck for your launch, though...
Yeah, not having any financial resources definitely makes your journey harder, but certainly not hopeless. In a way, I'm glad I waited to publish until I was in my 40s (with a decent day job). It gives me a little more financial freedom to try things out and the patience to do research. Also--Substack is a tough sell unless you're already well-known. I put links out on my social media, but mostly people aren't interested in articles/blogs from unknowns when the same kind of content is available from more popular sources. And the same rules apply to Substack as to all social media -- you need to engage with people to get engagement back. Also, the confidence is a facade lol. I just about puke everytime a new review comes in and the bad ones are soul-crushing. But we all have to 'fake it till we make it' to get ahead, haha.
I only wish these things didn't cost so much. Not every author can afford those fees.
Yeah, it's a huge barrier to indie authors. I honestly don't think people like to talk about these kinds of costs either. You feel like a failure for having to pay to get your books in front of readers, even though traditional publishers are doing the same thing. I don't care what anyone says: Social media just doesn't cut it for self-promotion unless you're a lucky TikTok unicorn (at least for sci-fi). Fortunately, I've been able to set aside money over the years to try out a few things and share my findings with others in the trenches, but it will be years (if ever) before I see a return--$1.50/book takes awhile to add up. I definitely can't afford to give Book 2 the same treatment. But I was told by an advertising guru to focus on building my brand / foundation and worry about advertising when I have 3-4 books out, so that's what I'm trying to do.
Wow! This was a great summary. I learned a lot from this. Congrats to you!