On Being a Writer

If you want to sell more books, you have to extend your reach beyond family and friends. You need to grow your author platform so that people know who you are. You need to stretch, get your name out there, and become an influencer.

But how?

1. Develop a Plan: Nothing happens in life without a road map. You can think you’re moving forward, but unless you know your intended destination, you’re merely circling the block. A plan allows you to put a goal in sight and course a direction. Even if your plan is simply a running list of things to-do that you review and update every week. It forces focus.
2. Author Website: Think of it as your home base. But it’s not good enough to just have the website – you need to keep it updated with events and activities reflecting your efforts to sell books and promote yourself.
3. Social Media: Become active. Facebook is the number one social media driver. Every author needs to have a Facebook author page. And once set up, build and promote it. If you’re unsure how, check out the videos on YouTube. They make it all seems so easy.
4. Blog: Be in control of the message you want to create. Blogging regularly does that. It’s free – and should reflect your unique voice. Participate in a 21-day blog challenge – it helps build content and search engine optimization for your website.
5. Publish Articles: Magazines need content. You’re a writer. Think about what topics might work and pitch them. For my book, The Intersect, I’m working on an article that links together ageism, immigration, and homophobia – three key themes running through my novel.
6. Speaking: Get out there and let people know who you are. Seek opportunities to stand in front of large crowds and offer your expertise.

We live in an instant world. The Internet offers news at our finger tips. We click – we read. Our photos are virtual – snap – no developing – we share. At every turn, we seek the quick fix. We don’t have time to absorb too much. We’re on the move. So give it to me fast. Make it simple. Headlines please. USA Today format. Sure the Sunday edition of the New York Times is great – but I have a life.

Okay. We get it. Authors need to package their books into sound bites. Witty snapshots that encapsulate the emotion and plot while stimulating immediate recognition. We want our customers to associate with our work. To know instantly that this is their genre – or their favorite TV show. We want them to say, “Oh yeah. I loved that movie. I bet I’d love your book.”

Being a new author, I’ve learned late in the process that we should be writing for a target audience. If you don’t know your reader, how can you know how to reach them?

Okay. That makes sense. It’s marketing 101.

You can’t provide someone what they need unless you know what they want. And you can’t know what they want unless you know who they are. And if you know who they are and what they want, you won’t have to sell — because what you create — is what they’ll want.

Now — what to do when you’ve already written the book?

Well — you can look in the mirror.

I grew up in NYC in a high-rise building, living on the 6th floor, so you’d think it would be a no-brainer for me to come up with an elevator pitch for my book.

I’ve spent countless hours riding up and down – not to mention stuck between floors – hearing bits and pieces of stories – adults quickly recapping the visit of a relative, the illness of a child, the death of a parent, all in under a minute. Usually the juiciest bit.

And yet, every time someone asks me what my book is about – I freeze. My tongue swells – and I struggle to muster the excitement that I should have when talking about something I love. I mean, how could you possibly spend all those hours, years in fact, writing something that you don’t love? Impossible.

Let’s face it. I’m just inherently shy – and also reluctant to be judged.

Ever think of using beta readers for that new book that you’re about to self-publish?

Beta testing is a “best-practice” approach in healthcare to confirm that IT technology is “clean” ahead of widespread adoption.

So why should you think about beta readers?

You’ve worked hard with a professional literary service to edit your book. They’ve counseled you on structure, point-of-view, character development and plot-line. You’ve reworked and reworked the manuscript. Hours and hours of writing and rewriting to get “to done.”

You’ve spent nights tossing and turning. How will your book be received by your intended audience? Is it engaging? Are there core objections that you should be aware of before publication? Are there opportunities to still tweak the work? Important changes yet to be made?

Enter beta readers.

It makes good sense to have someone other than yourself, your spouse, or your best friend, read through the final manuscript.

Patience is a Virtue

You’ve just published your book on Amazon and you’re getting nervous. You’ve read all the tips from the self-help gurus. You need to be out there connecting with your audience. Promoting, selling, and marketing. You’ve sent off an announcement to your list of 250 friends and associates. Posted on Facebook. Asked friends to share the link. You’ve heard most books barely break 250 in sales. Heck – at this moment in time – you’d do a jig if you could get to 250.

Don’t Give Up

Hey – you’re finally on your way. You’ve done the really hard work. Remember when you’d walk into a library and look around at all the books. Or when you cruised through Barnes & Noble and thought it was all so hopeless. Well it isn’t. You did it. And even though you still feel stressed about getting the book out there, there is good news. You did do it. Yeah for you.

So, as you face the next few months, remember this:

1. There is no deadline for marketing. As long as the book is available in print, and you remain alive, that’s how long you have to get that book in front of a reading audience. Don’t feel pressured by all the gurus circling asking for money to promote your baby. Instead, take a calm, thoughtful approach. You didn’t write the book in a day – you won’t be selling it in a day. Hire only true experts to help you. If you’re unsure of who is legit, ask your writer friends for recommendations. And understand that what might work for one person, might not work for you. Trial and error is the key.

2. Social media is a great way to build an audience, but it takes time. It can be frustrating to spend time on social media in an effort to build an audience that seems impossible to find. How can you know what to offer readers when you don’t know who your readers are? Take a pause. Experts say it can take up to three years to build an audience. You will find them. Just like that book that you’ve just written took time to develop, understand that social media requires the same steady commitment. You will connect with your audience. It just takes tenacity and persistence.

Struggling with the decision to hire a proofreader?

It seems like it should be a no-brainer. After all, who can possibly write a novel while they’re busy checking grammar, punctuation, and spelling? Certainly, not me. But as Indie authors, we’re on a tight budget. So, is this really where we need to put our money? After all, how many mistakes can you really have in one little book?

So you hesitate.

Your best friend, spouse, beta readers … review the book. They’re all intelligent, well-educated people. How hard can it be to proof a book? Surely everyone pulling together should be able to get the job done. And they do seem to catch a fair share of problems. More errors than you imagined. Maybe you’re home free.

Think again.

It takes a special expertise to proof a book properly. The ability to “truly see” the page. Someone with the skill of a copy editor, and the eye of an eagle, who can:

Okay. I admit it.

I was a shy child. More interested in my inner world than anything going on around me. So my parents considered it their duty to make sure that I developed into a socially well-adjusted human being.

The mantra: If you want to have friends, you have to be friendly. People want to like you. All you have to do is smile.

But smiling never came easy. The heart is willing—but the muscles are weak.

Growing up in NYC, smiling can attract all sorts of weird people. I grew up mostly looking down, forever avoiding pot holes and dog poop.

The lesson: No one bothers you when you appear unfriendly.

Now, with my debut novel about to be released on Amazon, The Intersect, I find myself needing to boldly engage with the world.