How much goes on behind the scenes of selling an indie-published novel online?
From a reader’s perspective, there’s little to it. You write a book, build a website, get followers on TikTok, and you’re on your way. How easy is that?
Part of the story is true, but so much of it is a fairytale. It’s way more sophisticated, and social media is constantly in flux as new platforms come on board while others close down (my podcast platform has changed four times in the last four years!). Some platforms are better suited to books and self-published authors, while some genres work with certain platforms and not others. Each author has to decide which is best for them.
All platforms promise a lot. None say they aren’t good, but many are weak in their delivery. Relying on a website and TikTok for book sales could guarantee failure, not success.
I thought I’d share a snippet of what happens behind the scenes of writing sequels to SEETHINGS.
The website seems like a good place to start, as this is the hub of my business model. Everything I want the world to know about me and my writing is found here. The page you’re reading right now is from my website. I’ve chosen a blog-style site to keep updating it with fresh posts like this one. There’s a menu at the top of the page to learn more about me.
Next is the social sharing part.
This is when I share those blog posts (not all) on various social media platforms. Audience attraction is the name of the game here. I’m looking to find (and invite) strangers to my site to dazzle them with more of my writing. Once I’ve brought them to my home[site], I’m a step closer to converting them into book readers.
Here are some of the social media sites I’ve been working with lately.
- Spotify
- Tumblr
- Mix
If you’ve come across this post, there’s a good chance you’re already following the blog (the page isn’t advertised anywhere else). On a scale of 1-10 for difficulty bringing you to this post, it amounts to a 1 or 2. Congratulations on being a part of the grand scheme.
The more sophisticated version is designed to attract those who are not already reading this blog. It casts a longer and wider net into a highly diverse pool of people. Not everyone is into books, much less dark fiction. It’s where a catchy piece of text or quirky image is left on a distant social site to attract the eye of the right reader. It’s meant for that special someone who is drawn to what I write and how I write it. At a time when the first four browsing seconds count, it’s a 10 out of 10 to pull someone from such an audience.
Social sites like Twitter (X) run at high speed. The volume of traffic is phenomenal. Every share (Tweet) there is hit-and-miss. If one doesn’t succeed in eight minutes, you might as well pull it from the platform and start again.
Pinterest is a slower-paced platform. It takes a while to ramp up speed there. At first, little happens. A strange thing happens. Interest grows. Today, I get a steady stream of visitors from images and text I posted years ago.
I’m not thrilled with Facebook for marketing — at least not for my book. Its focus on geo-location limits the reach of this product. I’m in Western Australia, but my very first reader was all the way in Nebraska! That wouldn’t have happened if I had relied on Facebook to get the word out. If the book were about something in my neighbourhood, Facebook would be my first port of call.
I won’t go into everything, as I’m sure you get the idea. Besides, I’ve got more work to do. If you want more information about how I use social media, drop me a note below.
Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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