Indie Top Ten List
R. B. Wood
‘Top Ten’ of the things an Indie writer needs to be doing today
So, you wrote a book. Now what?
- Target Market. Really, know who your target reader is. **Hint** it is not “Everyone”.
- Website. You must have one. If you do not, stop and get one now. It is that important. Everything below, points back to it!
- Blog. Was that an eye roll? Will you get thousands of book sales by building up the most successful blog ever? No. Not the goal, either. If you don’t blog, how will I know if I like your writing?
- Tweet. Another eye roll? If you haven’t tried it, stop judging. If you have, and think “it isn’t working” – I ask, are you blasting out links to your book every five minutes? Yes? Absolutely wrong.
- Guest blog. Reach new people – share the love in the blog-o-sphere. IF they are in your target market.
- Facebook. Your goal is simple, get on there, and talk to people. Friends, family, fans (you DO have an author page, don’t you?)
- Pin. On Pinterest yet? Fastest growing social media out there. Back to #1, what do your readers care about?
- Post Comments. Write a relevant comment, people will read it. Note that word “relevant”. Do not spam.
- Don’t Advertise. How often do you click on an ad? Save your hard earned cash for something that will impact sales, like hiring an awesome cover designer.
- Stop Marketing. Do not think of any of this as “MARKETING”. Networking, research, conversation, connecting. If you think of it as marketing, it will come across. People have an inherent distrust of being “marketed to”.
REPEAT!
Twitter: @ksearsbooks
Katherine Sears is the Chief Marketing Officer and co-founder of Booktrope Publishing. Prior to Booktrope, her background was primarily in technology and online marketing in both Seattle and California, working at companies such as NetApp, ADIC and Siemens. Her life-long love of books, and a desire to bring a new type of focus to marketing them, had her join forces with some other bookish folks to create Booktrope. She is the co-author of How to Market a Book and has served on the University of Washington’s Digital Publishing Certificate Program advisory board. She has also worked as an actress, and a corporate trainer. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from the University of Southern California. Katherine currently lives in Fall City, WA with her canine and human family members.
