Writers often ask how I market my novel. Questions about the effectiveness of specific promotions are difficult to answer. Because I often run multiple promotions at once, the source of an uptick can be hard to define. What I have found is that a multi-pronged approach works.
There is an old marketing adage called The Rule of Seven. If you’re unfamiliar with The Rule of Seven, here’s a terrific explanation by Andrea Stenberg. Essentially, readers need to see your message – hear about your book – 7 times before they feel comfortable enough to buy from you.
With indie books this is especially true. Unfortunately, many people still believe the old stigmas associated with self-publishers and self-published books: our books are second rate, not up to snuff. (My recent article, ‘Sticks & Stones: The Changing Politics of Self-Publishing“
I manage a bookstore and on our blog (BrainfoodVenue.tumblr.com) I have a page for author resources, and I had to add this article to that list. Our bookstore carried primarily independently- and locally- published books, so a lot of our authors don't have a whole marketing team behind them– but the better their books are marketed, the more business I have. Thanks for providing such a valuable resource for my authors!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Kimberly! I'm thrilled you found the article so helpful!