Support for Indie Authors discussion

This is my main, glaring weakness when it comes to marketing. I have never been involved with social media, due to a complete lack of interest, and have therefore never gained any real understanding of how it works.

With four indie books now up on Amazon, with the fifth around the corner, I have tried basically everything else an indie is supposed to do, paid and unpaid. Nothing has coincided with the slightest blip on my sales chart, save for free Amazon giveaways.

I have been told that I just HAVE TO build some kind of relationship with my readers, and create an online presence, which kind of makes me feel I've been told that I need to go ahead and perform surgery. But I can wallow in despair... some more... or I can actually TRY to at least read the manual.

Logically, I guess I need to find one aspect of this kind of stuff that I can tolerate, dip my toes in, and adjust to it for a while before attempting to add something else.

Any advice on what to do and how to do it? I don't have any kind of relationship with my readers. I don't know who the hell they are. There's just the occasional blip on the sales chart, the most recent being due to a free promotion of two books, but I don't have a platform to be noticed. I DO have a Twitter account and a webpage, but evidently that's not enough. I have tried using the Goodreads blogging option, but I don't have anything to say to random strangers on the internet.

First, do you have an author's website?

I had (and to some degree still have) the same problem.
I suggest you take it a step at a time. It's a marathon, not a sprint. do what you feel comfortable with. For example, discussing books in one or more of the GR groups. You will make some friends that way.
Morris gave you a good suggestion: and I would find someone who can put a decent website together for you. You will have to put some stuff on it though, so check out some of the websites from other Goodreads authors to see what they do, and what you feel comfortable with.
Do you sense a theme here? You do have to stretch your comfort zone, but not so much that you abandon the effort after a short while.
And as for getting your books out there, I think the SIA group is one you should join immediately if you haven't already. You will get a wealth of information there.

Morris wrote: "First, do you have an author's website?"

I know they all say 'author's website' but then I feel you just shift the work. Instead of pulling the readers toward your books, you need to pull the readers toward your website.

I am not against the idea of a website; however, a website never made me buy a book. I never even check my favorite authors' websites. Why would I check someone I don't know anything about?

For me the best promotion I have ever done was one that included both Goodreads Giveaway AND an amazon freebie of the book on the last day of the giveaway. Why the last? Because the 'ending soon' is the ones that always show first unless you manually check something else. So on the last day, where most people will see the giveaway, they will check your book and see that the ebook is free and grab it. (You can also put it in the description as long as you make it clear which version you are offering in the giveaway.)

Charles wrote: "And as for getting your books out there, I think the SIA group is one you should join immediately if you haven't already. You will get a wealth of information there.
..."

She is posting in the group thus she has joined. :P

Charles wrote: "And as for getting your books out there, I think the SIA group is one you should join immediately if you haven't already. You will get a wealth of information there. ..."

And what's the SIA group?

And could someone explain Goodreads Giveaways to me? I have had little luck drawing attention here on GR.

I dont think social media help to market a book. Giveaways on goodreads will build awareness as well as on amazon. A website if you are not known will not do so either. The best best is to have the book in books stores and do your own promotion or have a PR consultant do it but that comes with a fee.

Elí wrote: "Charles wrote: "And as for getting your books out there, I think the SIA group is one you should join immediately if you haven't already. You will get a wealth of information there. ..."

And what'..."

SIA: Support for Indie Author= this group.

Goodreads giveaway: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/terms

In short you offer a print (they do kindle now but at a cost) offering a print is free aside from the book and the postage of course.) Ok, I was saying, you offer a print version of your book. You choose in which country or countries you are willing to send it (be careful, some postage fees in some countries may be quite high depending on your location). You set the date it will start and end, and the number of prints you are offering.

Where to find it: On your book page and to the top right of it under 'author tools'.

Once the winner is chosen, Goodreads will send you an email with the name of the winner(s). Once you have it, you send the book(s) and voila. Done. Failure to send it will bar you from doing another giveaway, so make sure you have it on hand.

If you don't have a copy home to sign and send, don't mention 'signed copy' in the giveaway and just send it directly from the store (amazon, createspace etc.) Note that these places will ask for a phone number that they will print on the package.

Hope this helps.

Forgot to say, to browse the active giveaways, click on browse (top of page), scroll down to giveaway.

G.G. wrote:
I know they all say 'author's website' but then I feel you just shift the work. Instead of pulling the readers toward your books, you need to pull the readers toward your website.

I am not against the idea of a website; however, a website never made me buy a book. I never even check my favorite authors' websites. Why would I check someone I don't know anything about?"

I feel the same. I did make a website eventually, but that is not where the majority of my sales come from and I don't think it ever will be. Sales come mostly from running regular promotions.

G.G. wrote: "SIA: Support for Indie Author= this group."

Ah. Well, I feel dumb.

As for print copies... hmmm. Do those demonstrably help? I did manage to arrange a couple of print copies through Createspace, to send to a friend in England who was battling cancer, though the covers didn't come out quite right.

How is it customary to handle those? Are they expected to be store-quality? Because I only have a front cover image, not a full wraparound thing with a back blurb.

And does sending a non-signed copy directly from Createspace hurt the effect? I live in Iceland, and so I would have to pay for shipping over here, then back abroad.

I appreciate the responses so far.

I have done both direct shipping and signed, and haven't noticed a difference in the result.

In your case a direct shipping is completely understandable.

As for the giveaway, a print is a print. There is no statement that says it has to be a certain way. (Of course it has to be a book format and not printed pages.) Aside from that. I don't see why you couldn't do yours.

Eli, you are asking a relatively general question which basically amounts to "what will make me sell books?"

The answer has never changed from "there is no magic bullet."

For specifics regarding social presence, search this folder using the search function. There have been many topics started on the merits of a website, merits of specific social media, etc. This has all been discussed, so you may find suggestions and ideas you might consider helpful, but you are not going to find "the" answer. No one can say what works for you except you.

Christina wrote: "Eli, you are asking a relatively general question which basically amounts to "what will make me sell books?"

The answer has never changed from "there is no magic bullet."

For specifics regarding ..."

You are right no magic bullet

Christina wrote: "The answer has never changed from "there is no magic bullet."

Oh, I know. But I gave up for some months and did nothing, and doing nothing didn't exactly help. I feel I have to try SOMETHING, and almost everything has proven useless. So now I'm looking into this.

Elí wrote: "Christina wrote: "The answer has never changed from "there is no magic bullet."

Oh, I know. But I gave up for some months and did nothing, and doing nothing didn't exactly help. I feel I have to t..."

Which is why I'm suggesting looking at the information that our members have already put forth. We have dozens of threads on specific marketing tactics and we encourage all members to read through them before asking general questions. You're likely to find some helpful suggestions.

Elí wrote: "This is my main, glaring weakness when it comes to marketing. I have never been involved with social media, due to a complete lack of interest, and have therefore never gained any real understandin..."
Eli, I am so in the same boat......... I just have no idea where to begin, other than my personal Facebook page. I don't see how having my own web page could help at all, as I don't think anyone would check it out........... I also have no idea how to set it up, it's all very overwhelming....... good luck!

I'm in exactly the same situation as you, Eli and Susan. However, I really wonder how 18th and 19th century authors and those who wrote much before this period, sold their books to the point where they became best sellers - why can't we use the same method today?

You mean Walt Whitman didn't have a Twitter account? Charles Dickens didn't blog? Washington Irving wasn't on Facebook? Whoa.

Marie-Anne wrote: "I'm in exactly the same situation as you, Eli and Susan. However, I really wonder how 18th and 19th century authors and those who wrote much before this period, sold their books to the point where ..."

We do. Word of Mouth is still an important factor in creating bestsellers. The key now is to be discovered. A lot more people publishing books these days..

No Twitter, no blog, no Facebook - yet they're all unbelievably famous hundreds of years later and are avidly read by people all over the world even today - many have had their work translated into a multitude of languages so that many more readers could benefit from their ideas....:):):) There's still hope for people like us, I'm sure.

Famous painters starved while living. Their work only got famous sfter their death. Maybe that's what is going to happen to us. :)

And as Alexis said, a lot more people publish books.

I can't say that too much SM has sold books for me. Who knows, though. I think most of my book sales have gone to other authors who are supporting me. But eventually, who knows, my books will be known by my small subgenre and people who read them and want the next one.

I've no idea if SM works, but some SM is fun and so I focus on that. And I go through phases where I like it then I don't. I just do what I can. If I miss opportunities, that sucks, but it does happen.

I have an author website that is mainly there to give info on books, events, a sale, etc... I don't really interact with anyone there, but the info is good.

Good luck.

Again, we already have several that discuss low sales. We have this one pinned to the top of the folder. In there you may find advice, or you may relate: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

As such, this thread will now be locked. Thanks.