Nikki Broadwell
Jan 29, 20223 min
I have given up on most of the usual ways of marketing. WHY???
I'm sure you are astounded reading this. ALL authors HAVE to do their own marketing--it's nearly a full time job! Remember my post about this very issue a while back? 'When the usual ways no longer work?'After beating my head against the wall a hundred times, I'm at the same point once again.
I will tell you what I've run up against before I explain myself.
Amazon--needs zillions of keywords, competing against TOO many others in the same categories
Pinterest--completely impossible interface--totally confusing..little to no traction when I've attempted it--sudden unexpected bills racked up.
Google ads--tried that--didn't work
Bookbub--haven't completely given up on them, but finding it more and more difficult to get any traction. Unsure as to why.
Bookfunnel--still working on that, but again--too few sales.
There are many more things I've tried and given up over the many years I've been doing this. Is it really possible that I have not yet found my readership? Recently I have redone nearly all my book covers, edited the books to make sure they are well-written with little to no typos and no grammatical errors.
Well, maybe people just don't like your books, you say. ALL of them? I have twenty-five now. AND I have just reread some of them. I am my ideal reader--I actually love my books. ARE there more me's around? There have to be--I'm not THAT unusual. Lately I reread my Gypsy series--loved them all and have now changed the titles and the covers to more properly represent the storyline (and bring them up to date) If you haven't read them, they are now titled, The Tower, The Page of Pentacles, and The Ten of Swords. Yes, my protagonist is a Tarot card reader. https://www.amazon.com/Nikki-Broadwell/e/B007EE1LN0%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share
My marketing has narrowed down to my website shout-outs, Bookbub, (when they work) mailerlite (bookfunnel group promos and my own) and Facebook, which is also confusing to me and mostly doesn't work well. But at least I'm still capable of doing it. I wonder if these ad interfaces are getting more difficult or if I'm just tired of trying?
Basically I've decided to do what I enjoy and try not to attempt things that are frustrating and incomprehensible. My list of enjoyable things:
Youtube videos and readings. It was hard at first to see myself as old as I am, but once I got used to it, I could deal. I like doing the readings from my books--still slim to no followers or even watchers, but hey! I enjoy it, right?
Animoto--I do my teaser videos there--can choose the music and the images--very fun...I highly recommend. Here is a link to my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiBrA6eaqmOkY4AWU4npQ1g/videos
Bookbub is fun because of making up the ads (on Book brush or Canva) and finding authors to target--I like the simplicity of the interface and being able to pause them if they go nowhere...
Writing. This is the most fun of all. Right now I have begun a third book in the Coyote series I wrote back in 2014/15...I've redone the covers, and again, I LOVE these books!!! I love the characters who are getting deeper with each book, and I love the way they write the books for me. DREAMCATCHER is the name of the new one--should be out by early spring. The other two can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Another-Desert-Sunset-shapeshifter-ebook/dp/B00MJ6IWEE
So in closing, I hope you got something out of this. If you're a new author I wish you well. And if you've been writing a long time, I wish you the best. And maybe you're a reader and not a writer? If so, thanks for reading.