Good day blog readers,
I have received my proof copy and noticed a few minor errors such as the drop cap missing from chapters 7 and 8. Upon further inspection and the eagle eyes from one of my reader’s, they pointed out a few other minor mistakes/typos that were missed. I have since fixed the drop cap issues and the other minor errors. The newest version has been submitted and approved by Amazon! Any copy of my book purchased after July 18th should be the latest and greatest version.
I’ve been doing my best to get a bit of marketing done without going broke in the process. So far that has been my biggest struggle as an author. There are so many ways to market/ self-promote that it’s a bit overwhelming to know where to start. I thought it was a good idea to start a few weeks before I was ready to release my book, as a means of getting my name out there and attempting to create a bit of excitement about my story.
So far I have created a Twitter account, created an Author page on Facebook with the hope that readers would be able to follow me there; as well as provide a platform for me to interact with them. My author page also allows a place for me to keep my readers updated with any changes, updates, new book releases or events that I will be attending (in the future). Also on Facebook, I am a member of a few Book Club and Indie Author pages which has been a great resource to learn from other authors who have been in my shoes. I created an account with Bookbub and Goodreads as those sites seem like a great place for readers to notice new authors/books as well as check out any reviews that a particular book might have if they are on the fence about whether it’s worth reading.
I have used Facebook ads a few times which I thought would be a great way to promote my new book. While I did have a couple of successful attempts, I have found that the reason for denying my last ad was not clear. I had the option to request an appeal, and my request was instantly denied within seconds. So there was no possible way that an actual person had time to read my well thought out remarks before rejecting it. I have left feedback about their process and have heard nothing since then. To me, they don’t take their customer service seriously, so I won’t bother using their platform for any future ads.
My ads placed on Twitter were more expensive but reached over 7 thousand people. That is one method of getting your name out there and getting more followers. Perhaps if I had more of a following (more than 100 twitter users) my ads may have converted into more sales. I also put together a deal with Bookbub to see about having them promote my e-book for FREE for a limited time (on sale through Amazon for $4.95 USD), and that deal could get my book into the hands of a few thousand readers. Of course, that deal isn’t free for me, but from what other authors have commented, they have made their investment back and then some. That is what I’m hoping to accomplish should Bookbub approve, rumor has it that they are very particular to what they accept.
You do have to be careful out there, there are many people (some self-proclaimed gurus) that are very eager to help you launch your book along with other amazing offers for the low low price of $5 thousand dollars. They’ll edit, proofread, publish, arrange for book signings, set you up at conferences with other new author’s that they promote. Which all sounds great, right? Do a bit of research, look into their book sales as they claim to have made their fortune writing, but in reality they made their fortune selling new authors on their seminar circuit program. I’m not saying don’t buy into it. I’m saying keep your eyes open, do a bit of research and make sure you know who you are partnering up with and possibly giving your rights (as the author) away to. What looks like a one time fee of $5 thousand now, will most likely lead into a few hundred in a few months and few hundred more for as long as you are a “member.”
One option that I am considering is recording/narrating my book. I did a bit of poking around on the ACX website. As an author you do have the choice to narrate your book or hire a voice actor to do it for you. There are a few options of paying for this service, and I’ll let you check them out for yourself should you be inclined. I realize that many readers do prefer an audio version as they commute and for me, it makes sense to cater to what the readers want. ACX offers a Bounty fee to the author, which means that any new Audible customer that chooses your book as their first purchase will earn you a cool $50. That’s a pretty sweet deal! ACX does work with Kindle, so you do have the ability to keep your rights (as an author) while your book is in audio form, it will be available in over 20 markets including iTunes, Google, Audible and a few others that I don’t recall at this time. So that is another option to consider. For me it just makes sense, nobody knows your story better than you (the author), so you’ll know where to emphasize. It’s probably safe to say that many readers would rather hear your story from you. Just my 2 cents on that matter.
That is the news for now. ~Hannah
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