I had an ask from a very talented author show up in my tumblr inbox the other day and, to paraphrase from the author’s kind and polite question into my own way of speaking, it went: Yeah, but how the hell do you do this self-promo thing so that it’s effective?
This question startled me, not so much in the fact that it was asked, but that it was asked of me. I, as I tried to say, am by no means an advertising or promo guru. I just kind of show up.
It got me thinking though, of the various attempts that I had made at advertising and self-promo (Facebook, twitter, tumblr, giveaways) and I found that the question couldn’t be properly answered in its current state.
Therefore, the point of this post is not the “how” of promo it is the “why” of it. I mean, when we get right down to the nitty-gritty of things, do marketing ventures and promo spots actually sell books?
Long story short… no. Not really. I’ve seen it myself, and I’m sure a lot of sites that collect click-through revenue can attest to that. Sure, there are people that will click through to view the book, to read the blurb, or see what else comes up in the genre, but there aren’t many actual purchases made at that point of game. You can have a thousand plus entries to your Rafflecopter, but that doesn’t mean you’ve made a thousand sales by any means. (Trust me on that one.)
So, why do we do it? What’s the point if the promo or advertising spots aren’t going to make us sales? Because, although it doesn’t work, it does. (Bear with me, I can make this make sense, I promise.) To make another long story short: it’s all about exposure. To make that short reply long, let me tell you a bit of a story…
I follow a very popular (and in my opinion extremely talented) author on just about every site that the man (or, to be more honest, his marketing folks) are a part of. I own every one of his books, even the hard to get ones, and I buy all his new books pretty well the moment they’re available. Are you thinking, well it sounds like advertising is working just fine for him? Of course it is. He’s a multi-million dollar industry at this point, the publishing houses he works with have marketing budgets that would make a person choke to death from envy, and the major review sites climb over top of one another to either rip him apart or lavish him with love. But this isn’t about him. (Yes, it sounds like it’s about him, but it’s not. I swear.)
See… while following this fantastic author I realised that this author had a son who also writes. Thrilled, for reasons I couldn’t quite explain if I tried, I made a point of searching out his son and following him everywhere I could. Here’s the thing about this, and I’m going to admit it right out loud so try not to judge me too harshly, I didn’t follow the son because I was interested in purchasing any of the son’s books. I followed him strictly because of dear old dad. (Also because he had a ridiculously adorable smile, but never mind that part.)
However.
Within two or three months of having this guy show up on my various feeds I was intrigued. I liked how he said things, I enjoyed his writing style, and more than anything I dug his personality. Before I knew what was happening I was buying his books. I was enjoying his books. And now he’s on my must-buy list too.
Not once did I take advantage of any of the advertised promos or sales. Not once did I follow a click-through and purchase his novel(s) at that point. But I did buy them.
And that, right there, is what promo and advertising does for an author. It brings them into the mind of their readers and it draws a connection between the two of them. It’s kind of like fostering a relationship—not in the creepy stalker-like aspect of things but the I-dig-the-way-they-think and I-just-might-like-their-work kind of way—and once that relationship is established, it might become one that continues. I honestly believe that self-promo is about developing a pre-established concept of what your work is going to be like before the first word is ever printed on paper. That’s what is going to become the basis for future sales.
I like to believe that many of the people that stick with me on social media have become more than just ‘followers’ – they’ve become friends. And they’ve become friends because we have similar outlooks, likes, and dislikes. They buy my books because they already know they like the way we interact.
Although, I could just be a romantic fool and I won’t hate myself for that. Romance is, after all, what I like to do.
My point being, don’t be discouraged if you’re just starting out and you’re not making the sales that you’d hoped even though you’re busting your ass to get the word out there. Just keep forging ahead, putting yourself out there, and showing folks the person behind the words. Hell, the worst that can happen is that you’ll gather up a few more close and personals and that is never a bad thing.
What do you think? Am I right? Am I wrong? Let me know…
Until next time,
AF Henley <3
Henley was born with a full-blown passion for run-on sentences, a zealous indulgence in all words descriptive, and the endearing tendency to overuse punctuation. Since the early years Henley has been an enthusiastic writer, from the first few I-love-my-dog stories to the current leap into erotica. A self-professed Google genius, Henley lives for the hours spent digging through the Internet for ‘research purposes’ which, more often than not, lead seven thousand miles away from first intentions but bring Henley to new discoveries and ideas that, once seeded, tend to flourish.
Henley has been proudly publishing with Less Than Three Press since 2012, and has been writing like mad ever since—an indentured servant to the belief that romance and true love can mend the most broken soul. Even when presented in prose.
Henley’s newest release, Baby’s on Fire hit the market on May 6th and is now available at your favourite online book retailer. Check it out on Amazon, or directly through LT3 Press: ebook, print.
For more information please stop by for a visit at afhenley.com.
You just described yourself and why it is I follow you through various places. You are very intriguing yourself, good sir, and that’s part of the deliciousness that helps along your works. For some people, sometimes knowing the person behind the words makes the stories I read extra special. It doesn’t apply to everyone, but in your case, it definitely makes it cool.
Ah, it is good to be back. I miss staying on top of these things. <3
Thank you for the kind comment and welcome back. 😀
Buddy, have I ever mentioned how much I do love your honesty and thoughtfulness?
It is this plus your sincerity that makes the man behind the words so wonderful. And those qualities make your novels so special, my friend. <3
You are too kind, my friend. Thank you. <3
I will admit I have never been in love with your contemporary works (your historical – Honour is a top 10 favorite, though) but I buy your contemporary books anyway because I love you on the social sites, love the way you express social norms so we can see them for what they are, and I want to support you. I started following you because your comments to another authors on Twitter.
I’m honoured to real that. Thank you very much, Myles. Honour was one of those novels that taught me more about myself while I was writing than I figured a book ever could. And I’m thrilled to no end that it was social media that brought us together. 😀
Thanks very much for taking the time to comment and let me know. <3
Allow me to add to the praise of “we loved the author.”
It’s so weird to think. I only found out about you because of a wonderful artist sharing her work in a livestream. Same with all of the people I communicate with on Tumblr. When I found out you were a writer I favorited your y-gallery page intending to come back to it. But never did.
I just liked talking with you and the others in the livestream.
Then I started following you on Tumblr.
Then I won Second Star to the Right. I’m not a romance guy, I like romantic things I try to be romantic, I blush and get all awkward when it’s done in a cute fashion. But I don’t read romance works. But I really really enjoyed it. Then I won The Chase and the Catch. And I slightly enjoyed that one. (Parker urked me xD )
I bought Road Trip with my own money. And I pre-ordered by one of your links that Wolf..one….need to remember the name.
In the immortal words of Harry Wormwood ” I say appearance is 9/10 of the law. People don’t buy a car, they buy me”
Anyway, having never read Romance I never would have found you. It’s to my great joy and libido that I found yet another author I can enjoy.
Well, thank you very much. As much as I was expecting some negative debate on the subject at hand, I certainly won’t turn down the praise when it’s sent my way and I think it’s fantastic that I’ve roped err… convinced you into reading some happily-ever-afters. Me… inspiring romance in the young and cynical. I freaking love the idea! 😀
Seriously, it was a pleasure to meet you back when we did and it’s still a pleasure to interact with you, my friend. <3
(Btw, Parker irked me too)
(The new novel is called Wolf, WY and I can guarantee the series is going to progressively have more action than the rest have, LT3 willing and the creek don't rise)
Negative debate? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Debates are always positive. Arguments are negative. xD
The thing is I think you’ve captured the concept very well.
Promotion does sell books, if you aren’t out there you can only expect people to buy if they randomly stumble across it and think the description is interesting or it’s part of a deal of some sort. Without promotion, you won’t sell enough to have made publication worth it. Would have been better posting it to a share site.
But the individual promotion of a single book will only garner sales from dedicated fans, or people who are intrigued a.k.a impulse buyers. So while promotion does sell books, the turn around, ROI, or goal conversion (visit = sale) is very small.
But it’s important that the information is out there.
The writer’s platform has changed significantly in the past years. When the internet was young, promotion and stumbling upon a book were all that sold. Also loyalty to an author.
Now you can learn about the author and determine if they meet your desires. We went from a marketplace, to dedicated stores, to an online mixture.
Self promotion, self publicity, the selling of the author. That social platform that lets an author stand up and yell “I’m here, see if you like my wares.” Three stalls in a market place, one is touting his prices, the other sits silent, and the one with the business smiles and tells you who they are.
Promotion still has a major place in the selling of a book. But most won’t know about a book unless it’s the big names, or an author you know.
Honestly, the only thing we could really debate is best online platform. Social Media is now the hot ticket. Some publishers are advising new authors away from dedicated websites because Websites don’t garner a lot of conversions. And new authors try to tend it themselves leaving it a bit out of date, or offending certain markets by not having links to all options for the book. And with social media being the spotlight they feel the author would be best served only building up their social platform.
Others advise a mixture.
Others just tell you to make sure you do it right whatever you choose.
[…] Self-promo, does it sell books? A.F. Henley asks the eternal question. […]