Junior Inquisitor

Junior Inquisitor

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Marketing is not Sales


Okay it's been a while, but hey, I've been editing number two so that those few who read this will know that another Brother Sebastian story is on the way. Since my last post I have continued to try to convince a wide, diverse group of people that my book is something that they can not live with out.

Via Twitter, this blog, a very long and far flung blog tour, Friends, co-workers, neighbors, and people I have chased down the street, Facebook, Alumni reports, and I'll even be going to a book fair next Saturday, I have spread the word about Junior Inquisitor.




Yes you should come out to Manassas, meet me and eat some of the candy I'll be bringing. Oh yea, and buy a signed copy of my book!


Last I checked I have somewhere around 13K followers on Twitter, I have several hundred friends on Facebook, a couple dozen flesh and blood friends, a few score of coworkers, and a decent size family, all of whom have, at some level, bought, reviewed, spread the word for and with me about my book. I have quite a few (over twenty-five 5 star) reviews on Amazon out of thirty total, and third of my five stars are verified purchases. Multiple times I have been complimented on my clever marketing pitches, I have had people share my giggle inducing ads, been number one in several people's networks and advertise to a rather large audience.

 
 
 
 

The results – modest at best sales. I can not even claim to be a mid-list author, like Rick Gualtieri. According to Kindle Direct sales, I have not sold a single copy in Canada, a country of thirty million, that speaks English, where I have several cousins and a few fans. I have broken triple digits in book sales, but it maybe a long hard slog to crack four.



As far as I can tell, I have done most everything correctly, I have marketed the hell out of Junior Inquisitor, I have done so in a clever and unique way, that is still appealing, my audience consists primarily of authors and readers who should be receptive to my pitches. Those who have read my story have, for the most part, really enjoyed it, and have become fans, sharing their enjoyment with others, spreading the word. And yet.



So the moral here is that marketing, while essential to the self and indy publisher is not a guarantee of success. Good marketing is not good sales. Fate, luck, or what ever you wish to call it, plays a role. Now, in no way am I suggesting that the hard work of shouting the message - “Buy Junior Inquisitor, you will like it,” day after day in a variety of ways and forums is not rewarded. Luck may assist, but will never replace hard work.



 

Next steps – Obviously I don't quit, wailing that the world doesn't love me and my stories while gnashing my teeth or rending my clothes all dramatic like.

I am neither that shallow, not that childish.

 
 


                   NO!


I will continue to edit The Soulless Monk, until it is ready to go, decide on cover art, tag lines, blurbs, and everything else that needs to be done for a book launch. Marketing continues, but soon it will be for both books.

At some point, I'll hit a tipping point, and my books will sell in volumes I can appreciate. Maybe it will happen with The Soulless Monk, maybe it will happen ten books into the series. So I continue on, working hard and fighting the good fight until I have bent the world to my will and am victorious as I define it.


 
                            So where can you get my book?  Good question -
 
                   Amazon - http://goo.gl/D6KrbX
                  Smashwords - http://goo.gl/XsGgAC
                  Nook - http://goo.gl/MVLXia
               Google Play - http://goo.gl/g2kNPa
 

 

 

3 comments:

Lynn Lamb said...

I follow you on Twitter and I wanted to say thank you so much for writing this. I released a book today with "modest at best" sales, too. It was brave of you to write this and I really appreciate it.

Charmaine Gordon said...

Best to you, my new writer friend. We write, promo and do all we can to get our books out there. Charmaine, author of many Romance/suspense stories. Love me, love my books.

Farish's Freehold said...

I have come to think of writing as business, and the author has to do all of the work if they want to be sucessful.