Marketing

So, I read an interesting article today about how to market your book online. The author, one Simon Haynes, made several good points about something we can all relate to: NOBODY wants to be told what they should or should not buy by the person who made the product. Think back to every cheesy infomercial you ever had the misfortune of sitting through. Did you ever actually buy the product? Okay, maybe once or twice if it was something of interest to you, but it wasn't because someone was squawking at you so they could make a buck. So far this year, I've sold a total of seventeen copies of my books. That's it. I've got five books out so I'm not doing so great. I'm due to have sixth one coming out sometime in June but at this point I'm wondering if I should even bother. Don't get me wrong: I'm publishing it. I set out to write a series and I'm going to see it through to the end. It doesn't matter how many books I do or do not sell. What I want is for people to read my writing and hear my voice.
Other writers will understand exactly what I'm talking about just as a cook (whether it be a chef or a mother slaving over a hot stove) would understand someone saying "You know, I worked hard on this meal. It'd be nice to have someone notice." Let's face it-when we do something, we want recognition. It's part of being a person. We didn't do all those assignments in school to pass or because it was the right thing to do: we wanted the grade. So, what happens when you do something great (whether it's writing a novel, knitting a sweater, or painting a picture) and nobody says anything? Did you waste your time? Well, it may feel like that but no, you really haven't. If you truly love what you're doing it's never going to be a waste of time. The true waste of time is waiting for people to stop and take notice. People will notice on their own or they won't. That's okay. Keep doing what you're doing and don't give up.

"Don't go around thinking the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing: it was here first." Mark Twain

The link to Mr. Haynes' article is here: http://www.spacejock.com.au/MarketingYourBookOnline.html