According to the internet, the average indie book only sells an average of 10 copies per year with a lifetime of sales hitting 250. Yet with these statistics, indie authors write books anyway. It must be love. Writing the book is only part of the triathlon that brings a book into the world. There’s the editing and publishing. And then the endless marketing.
Last month on Twitter and IG I asked the question “How do you cope with the marketing grind?” People answered with advice, frustration, and honesty. Below in no particular order are their answers, which I hope will comfort, inspire, and educate:
Stick with content that you’re passionate about!
Tag companies, colleagues and business partners and use hashtags.
Have fun hanging out online with fellow authors.
I just self-deprecate about how bad I am at it.
Bang my head against a wall.
I cope poorly.
I don’t cope.
I avoid it.
I try to get creative with posts.
Follow new people and try new things!
Sell books in person at a craft fair.
Interact with forums, news articles, and write book reviews that demonstrate something I care about - A technique that I champion keeps me energized. Because if I only pitch my book, I go mad.
Pace yourself. Taking breaks is key.
Hope keeps me going.
Marketing for me is only just tolerable. I’m so passive on social media.
Eat a lot of chocolate!
Hope my marketing doesn’t appear stupid like some others appear to me.
I talk a lot about my book to try and stir up curiosity.
Read.
Alcohol and no sleep.
Lots of coffee.
It’s a struggle trying to balance writing, promoting, life, family and a day job.
I set an Amazon campaign manager and let it run.
It’s so time consuming and such a cluster. I try to break it down into small tasks making it more manageable.
Do some in person stuff to change it up.
Find a way to make it fun.
Joke a lot!
Treat it like a job. Think about what you would want the publicity department of a publishing house to do for your book. Then do it yourself.
Create aesthetic videos with popular quotes.
Entertain myself with wild video making.
It’s like brushing your teeth, do it every day like it or not.
Network with like-minded people.
I try to keep a sense of humor.
I’ve spent more money on marketing than I’ve ever made when it comes to writing.
Take a step back for a time and refresh yourself.
I have made it a routine and now I’m used to it. To the point that I’m on auto-pilot.
It’s so frustrating not knowing if something I do really hits the mark or if my sales increase is only coincidental.
Most of my sales come from fellow writers. My family won’t buy my book.
I emailed a bunch of libraries and did follow up calls.
Get organized, have a plan. I have a pushy, fearless, extroverted personality. I live for marketing.
Who knew I'd become a social influencer and a blogger, when I wrote a book?
D.S. Marquis,
Author OF SCHOOL AND WOMEN - A documentary