Melanie
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Umm... Writing vs. Promtion?
Okay, so my newsletter thread posted twice for some reason, so I had to change one into something else.
This might make for an interesting discussion!
I remember some study done of things that increased your percentage chance at having a successful self-published book. 30% increase for book cover,
35% for pro editing, etc. (Not the real numbers.)
One I latched onto was a big increase in success as a writer if you spent more time writing fiction and putting out new books rather than
marketing.
I'd personally just write fiction and not spend hours marketing things every day. Which do you think works better, or has worked better for you?
[Edited on 17-5-2013 by Melanie]
Melanie 
"Go forth boldly in the direction of your dreams." Thoreau
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M. Lori Motley - Fantasy & Horror
Lenora Meade - Romance
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Michy
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When I see the biggest surge in sales, it's when I release something new. Now, one might think that has to do with the sales of the 'new' item, but
it's not just the new item. When I release something new, ALL of my books increase in sales.
I read somewhere that you should spend about 80% of your time writing and about 20% of your time marketing and promoting. I like that balance. We DO
have to do a little bit of marketing and promoting. Even authors with big name publishers have to do marketing and promoting. Publishers are even
asking for marketing plans with submissions now. Readers expect authors to be accessible, on social networking, and available sometimes in person
too--book signings, events, press releases, and more. With a publisher, the publisher does all of this. As an indie-author, we have to do it.
But then there's Mercedes Lackey who says, "I can spend time going to book signings and meeting fans or I can write more books..." and basically asks
the readers what they'd prefer. They nearly unanimously wanted new books.
So I try to stick to the 80/20. I also have found that the more books that sell the less I have to promote. Eventually, if you keep in the groove, the
sales start to roll on themselves. With a little more promotion, you just keep increasing that roll... if you can get onto any Amazon best sellers
list, it will snowball on its own for you.
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Skwerly
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I’m definitely not as gung ho as many about the self-promoting thing. Jen is a great example. Her untiring self promotion is absolutely fantastic.
I’ll plug a book on Facebook time to time, maybe on a forum, but I’m not good at being ‘in your face’ about stuff like that.
Which is why I’m going for the shotgun effect, same as my yahoo articles: the more I have out there, the more hits I get. It’s just logistics. Sure,
I’d rather write a single masterpiece and live off its sales, but whether it’s one masterpiece or one hundred okay stories, as long as I’m writing,
I’m doing it correctly. :D
I seemed to be looking down from an immense height upon a twilit grotto, knee-deep with filth, where a white-bearded daemon swineherd drove about
with his staff a flock of fungous, flabby beasts whose appearance filled me with unutterable loathing.
Just keep writing and the good stuff will come.
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Melanie
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Thanks for the input guys.
I think the same way really. I'm not so great at promoting myself. I'd rather let me work speak for me. Hopefully I'm good enough that readers will
read one book and want to read the next.
I was reading some post about a self-pubbed writer who did nothing but start a newsletter. She included a link to the signup form in the back of every
book she put out there. In about a year she had over 2,000 subscribers eager to buy every book she put out.
We can dream, right? 
Melanie
"Go forth boldly in the direction of your dreams." Thoreau
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M. Lori Motley - Fantasy & Horror
Lenora Meade - Romance
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Michy
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Dreaming is just the start of creating... keep dreaming, but take positive action toward that dream. Ya never know...
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Michy
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Quote: Originally posted by Melanie  | Thanks for the input guys.
I think the same way really. I'm not so great at promoting myself. I'd rather let me work speak for me. Hopefully I'm good enough that readers will
read one book and want to read the next.
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You know, this part is very true--but how do you get the readers to the first book so they can read you to begin with? That is where your marketing
has to come in.
When readers have literally millions of books to choose from, you have to do something to stand out and get them to that first book before your
writing can stand on its own.
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faust
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Without at least a little bit of marketing, there will be no sales. But I agree that promotion has to take up no more than 20% of your time. Working
on your writing and creating new stories is and will always remain to be our priority.
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