Self-publishing marketing w/out blogging?

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misterl
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Self-publishing marketing w/out blogging?

Post by misterl » February 20th, 2014, 12:07 pm

Hi Everyone,

I’m about to self-publish my first novel and I’m looking for some advice. I’ve been reading tons of stuff online about how to market self-published fiction and build an audience, but there’s one thing that I could use some clarity on.

It seems like the overwhelming majority of articles I read talk about blogging as the key to building an audience online. For me, this presents a few issues:

First, I have absolutely no interest in blogging – I’ve had blogs in the past and they take a tremendous amount of time and effort to keep a regular flow of new content coming. On top of that, I write science fiction, and can’t imagine what I would blog about regularly to build a sci-fi readership.

My question is this – are all of these self-publishing marketing strategies putting all of their eggs in the blogging basket? What options are there (if any) for a non-blogging author to find an audience for their self-published work?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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AnmaNatsu
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Re: Self-publishing marketing w/out blogging?

Post by AnmaNatsu » February 20th, 2014, 2:13 pm

I personally don't think blogging is a requirement and it is possible to promote without having your own blog. I don't blog myself because I already have multiple ones for my "real life" persona and didn't want to do another. Regardless of whether you blog or not, you will want a website of some kind, with basic info, book lists, etc.

The key thing is engaging with your potential readers. So you'll want to have a good social media presence, meaning at minimum a Facebook page (not profile, but actual page for your writing). Ideally you'll also have a Google+ page and, if you're inclined, a Twitter account. You can use systems like HootSuite to manage posting to multiple accounts (it's free for up to 5).

And while you may not have your own blog, you can offer to be a guest poster on other blogs and you'll want to reach out to other blogs when you are ready to do a cover reveal, for example, or when you get ready to launch. Ideally, get you'll want to get in the review cue for reputable self-publishing review blogs so they can have those reviews up and done off preview copies and ready to go at launch - again getting you more publicity. :-)
Writer of love stories and host of "The Lackadaisical Writer" podcast
Debut novel, Aisuru, coming in 2014!
Official Website: http://anmanatsu.com

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polymath
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Re: Self-publishing marketing w/out blogging?

Post by polymath » February 20th, 2014, 2:19 pm

How-to advice tends to be stale by the time the principles espoused become commonly known and easily followed and implemented. Marketing advice as much as simplistic writing advice. When everyone's doing it--the sparkle rubbed off by lackluster friction repetition--it too became a flood of mediocrity too onerous to pick through for gems. This is now the way of writers' blogs, and social media twitter patter. Leave blogging and twitting to sincere fans, who want to and have the time and incentives and maybe talents for it, occasionally dropping by for a meaningful and sparkly visit.

Consider that approving fans talking about your project are the core kernel that triggers word-of-mouth buzz. Any and every successful marketing plan is only as strong as its capacity to generate buzz, Buzz, BUZZ, no matter the product. Nothing much else marketing-wise matters more than generating buzz.

Providing fans access for writer correspondence outlets is one method for developing marketing contacts, networks, and buzz. Not a blog or such, but an elegant and appealing web site providing communication contact channels. Sincere fans become dedicated friends who like to converse with their writer friends. Posting an e-mail address contact is simple but problematic from preserving privacy concerns, from the sheer volume of potential mailbox clutter, most of it from robospider spammers and malcontents, from having to filter through the sludge and keeping up with sincere fans' corrspondence. Too much access is as problematic as none. A little fan correspondent self-filtering hardship is indicated.

Make correspondents have to go through a little effort and time hardship to correspond. Besides causing self-filtering, this creates a little mystery and intrigue by erecting privacy barrier appeals, as well as creates exclusivity appeals, as well as establishes the terms for respectful correspondence, as well as expresses this is a serious writer. Program a simple maitto: response text entry box, one that requires a spambot filtering code entry for access, one of those zanny graphic letter and number codes that can at this time only be human-eye read and keyboard entered for access, that collects correspondence on a server for batch processing at a writer's time and effort convenience discretions.

See, that also requires a little more hardship from a writer as well, filtering out all the lazy writer free and easy blog setup bloggers. Yet provides manageable correspondence access to sincere fans. Go figure.

However, that assumes fans want to talk about the product in the first place. Back up to marketing plans. A marketing plan has four corners: packaging, advertising, promotion, and publcity. Packaging is far more than mere physical product appearances and wrappings. All three other corners depend on this: the narrative's appeals are first and foremost. If the product is lackluster, interest will be lackluster. If interest is lackluster, buzz will be little, if any. Note that scandal and controversy are attractive appeals. Not per se sex, violence, corruption, and abuses of power scandals, but meaningful and controversial social commentary about them or any similar socially meaningful subject.

If you're writing about the adventures of a roguish, hardboiled cynical protagonist in bleak settings (noir genre), make it matter to deep and wide audiences that the protagonist gives and gets just and deserved poetic justice. Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer is this protagonist. Spillane caught a lot of social criticism griefs for his dreadfully pulp fiction, that is nonetheless biting and meaningful controversial social commentary, his novels and their criticisms, laughing all the while the way to the bank. Controversy that generated buzz attracted the very audience Spillane targeted. This is packaging. In other words, the writing as packaging comes first, foremost, in between, and last in every regard.

Once packaging is in reasonable shape, the other three marketing corners more or less take care of themselves. Only noticing to the public that a product of interest, merit, and suitable caliber is available is the remainder of marketing, That web site model suggested above, that's it, the primary outlet for advertising, promotion, and publicity. And through which sincere fan correspondence is all three.

If there's buzz, other commenters, some approving and some disapproving making crosstalk buzz, using the disapproving critics to advantage; and other advertisers, promoters, and publicists will pick up the ball at no cost to the writer. Free! They will make their bones from riding on the writer's coattails, yes, but it's a conversation from which the writer derives ample rewards as well. Actually, the writer's coattails aren't so much ridden as the writer leads the pack of hungry wolves by their prying noses. Sublime.
Spread the love of written word.

misterl
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Re: Self-publishing marketing w/out blogging?

Post by misterl » February 21st, 2014, 6:05 pm

Thanks for the feedback, you two - very helpful!

lysagrant
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Re: Self-publishing marketing w/out blogging?

Post by lysagrant » April 21st, 2014, 8:56 pm

As a sci-fi writer, I'm sure you can think of something to blog about! ;) Depending what your book's about you could just link to articles that are related to your book. Like that earth-like planet that was recently discovered (or something). Maybe it wouldn't lead to a HUGE readership, but anything indexed by Google is good in my book. You could also look into adding occasional entries on places like http://www.selfpublishingreview.com, which lets you add blog posts and has a built-in audience.

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