Now, the "fun" begins
Clueless Hack on Writing transitions from creative to business for Lose Yourself
I’ve crossed the threshold.
Though I'll still read over the proof a few more times and maybe make a tweak here and there, I’m transitioned from the creative phase to the business phase of writing my second novel Lose Yourself.
We are into the Fun Zone where factors such as metadata, blurbs, direct sales, podcasts, blogs, promotions, exposure, paid reviews, Amazon reviews, ads, all have an impact on the level of exposure the book gets. But ultimately, it also depends on whether the book resonates with readers.
Releasing a book is launching a small business or a new product.
Product Development. The creative words on the page are a result of product development. It all started with an idea. Hours and hours went into putting the words on paper, revising those words, injecting the narrative with more drama, cutting everything that doesn’t move the story forward only to do it over and over again as you receive feedback from readers, editors and more.
Product Packaging. The saying goes to not judge by its cover. But books are predominantly judged by the first image they see on the front of the book. If the prospective buyer is interested, then it will look at the back, then maybe inside. By then, the book buyer has already made the decision. Therefore, the cover is the face of the product.
Photo by Elizabeth Jamieson on Unsplash Product Placement Part 1. The dreams of walking into a random store and finding your book are long gone, especially if you’re an indie writer. Wide distribution isn’t available and working to get the book in independent bookstores is based on the book, the local draw, the relationship to the bookstore and more.
Product Placement Part 2. The big game is online distribution. More books are bought on Amazon than anywhere else, and you can’t ignore their reach because of principle. As with other booksellers such as Barnes and Noble, Target, Bookshop.org (profits go to indie bookstores), as well as e-book sales, most sales will come through online retail. Therefore, factors such as metadata, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) blurbs and reviews, reviews, reviews are critical to having the book readily available and accessible to buy.
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash Product Promotion: This is the least favorite part of the whole process and there are levels. There’s the pitching of the book to traditional media, blogs, podcasts, and social media influencers. Pitching your book is hard. Rejection is existential. And when an opportunity presents itself, there is the line between promoting your story vs. the book story vs. providing a reason for the reader to buy the book. It’s dance with many opportunities to stumble.
Product Marketing. Advertising. Amazon ads? Social Media? Guerilla Marketing? Nonstop promotion on all social media channels. With a limited budget, the choices often go with return on investment. For Friends in Low Places, I often looked at the number of books I could expect to sell for an ad placed. If I wanted to spend $50 on a Facebook ad, then I better sell at least 12 books to make back the investment.
Over the next few months, I’m sure to feel a range of emotions: excitement, fear, anxiety, impostor syndrome, frustration, anticipation, sentimentality and pride. But most of all, I’ll feel grateful and accomplished. This is my second novel. Not only did I do this thing once, but I decided I liked it and wanted to do it again. And I’m working on my third, and therefore I’m just crazy, stupid or masochistic.
But as always, I’m forever grateful for your support in subscribing to this newsletter and to buying the book. It keeps me going and I’m sincerely thankful.
Speaking of which…
I’m looking for early readers to submit reviews to Amazon as soon as the book is up. If you’re interested, please let me know. I’ll send an epub file (you can read on computer, iPad, or kindle) in exchange for your review.
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Congratulations on the release!