How NOT To Sell a Book in 6 Easy Steps!
All the things I did wrong with my first (and every) book launch...
This is a cautionary tale for anyone who is self-publishing a book. I’m not in any way trying to dog on myself, though it may seem like I am because I will be going in depth on all the very wrong moves I made with my recent book release(s). I just hope that my mistakes can be avoided.
Book in question: The First 100
Pre-Order: Mid-February
On Sale Date: April 2nd
STEP 1: Don’t Talk About it TOO Much
Yes, I mentioned it in its own email when it was a pre-order back in February. But that was it. At least in terms of setting aside emails specifically for the release. Considering I’ve preached how important it is to do proper promoting of a new release with a series of consecutive emails from pre-order to release day. But isn’t it always the same, we can easily give advice then have a hard time following it ourselves…
STEP 2: Don’t Use Social Media AT ALL
I mean, I haven’t really used social media in the last couple years so I can’t really be held responsible on this front but knowing that I had this book coming I should’ve made at least some concerted effort to tell people on my quiet and small social media networks. But months in advance. Some teaser posts, etc. Instead, I said nothing. As if saying nothing would made sales! Silly me.
STEP 3: Don’t Put the Link EVERYWHERE
Yes, I had a link but which link to use tripped me up. I have it on my Linktree, but I also have links on my personal website. Then there’s going with Amazon (which everyone knows) or sharing the link to other major outlets, like Barnes & Noble. The possibilities left me unsure and that left me not sharing. Before I knew it, I was late putting any link out and now I just don’t know. I was unprepared and scrambling. I think what tripped me up was the fact that I’m using Ingram Spark to POD (print on demand) the books versus just using Amazon so it made the whole process a lot different.
STEP 4: Let NO LESS THAN 6 months go by before you promote it
Let’s face it, we all feel this sense of imposter syndrome and guilt if we share work we’ve created and ask people to pay for it. Why? That’s a question for another longer post where I flounder to come up with a satisfactory answer, though there likely isn’t one. The truth of the matter is, the time I spent living in Doubts-ville should’ve been the when I was shouting from the rooftops that I did something few people on a similar journey to myself will ever do!
STEP 5: Release 4+ books in under a year without a plan
I didn’t just release The First 100. I set out to release several in this series. Since I had written several hundred of these stories already and I had the template for how they all would look based on the first book, why not stagger their releases throughout the year? Now, maybe I didn’t consider leaving myself enough room in between each release to do proper promotion of each? And maybe I could’ve spread them out a bit more to give myself at least some room to be excited about them, let alone promote them. But why do something that makes all the sense in the world, in hind sight.
STEP 6: Don’t accept help or ask for help from others to promote it
There are so many opportunities, just in the Substack fiction community, that I could’ve and should’ve availed myself of in order to properly promote my book(s) but I never bothered to reach out to them or to do any sort of research to make sure I planned better. Hell, I could’ve done a virtual tour of my book to reach new audiences!
If after you’ve read this you’re shaking your head at me, I feel you. I’m shaking my head at myself! So, don’t be like me. If you’ve got a book coming out, take every opportunity you can to promote the heck out of it! You owe yourself and the hard work you put in to make that book a reality at least that much.
Even now I am about to end this entire post without sharing at least ONE link where you can purchase my now 4 books that are out in The 100 Series!
