More on Book Marketing for Self Published Fiction
I think the toughest question I get from readers on a regular basis relates to fiction they are trying to market. While a lot of the questions come from mediocre fiction writers like myself who aren't going to succeed no matter what they do, some come from serious authors who have dedicated their lives to crafting their tales, and who are willing to spend serious time trying to get them into readers hands.
Here's the problem. When a serious, aspiring fiction writer starts asking me about self-publishing with print-on-demand and marketing their books online, I know that the odds are pretty long against their making major headway. At the same time, the odds of finding a large trade publisher who will not only publish their fiction but do any marketing to save it from instant obscurity are at least as long. We're probably talking on the order of hundreds-to-one in the former case, and thousands-to-one in the latter case. Yet, there's little question in my mind that the the hundreds-to-one case of a serious self-publishing fiction author figuring out book marketing and meeting with success will have appreciably fewer sales than the fiction writer who lands a serious trade and for whom the stars align. By appreciably fewer sales, I mean an order of magnitude, a factor of ten or more.
What this all means is that when fiction authors who are serious enough to start building an internet strategy to market their books contact me for advice, I usually ask them if they're sure they've exhausted the options in seeking a trade publisher. Most claim they have, and sadly, the experience of rejection seems to lead many to the point of "...and I'll never try that again." I think that's a mistake for the serious author who really wants to reach a large audience. The major trades will always be able to do that better than the self-publisher, it's just a fact of life.
What I end up recommending to fiction authors who are self publishing is that they treat their business (because that's what self-publishing is) as another a step on the path to the NYC trades. Publishers drool over authors who know how to market themselves and their books, so the experience you gain here increases your value to a publisher even if it doesn't maximize your current income. Think of it as graduate school for authors. Unlike nonfiction self-publishing where the profit is the bottom line, fiction authors also have to pay equal attention to selling the greatest number of books possible, even if that means pricing closer to break-even. Self-published novelists are also wise to invest time pursuing some of the traditional publicity avenues that I call a waste of time for nonfiction publishers who should be concentrating on promoting their material rather than themselves. In fact, when you encounter a "nonfiction" author who has succeeded primarily through self-promotion, your probably looking at some guru whose works are closer to fiction than he'd care to admit:-)
When self-publishers tell me about great publicity stunts they've pulled off with radio, newspapers, or even television, only to sell a handful of books, I'm sympathetic but realistic. If the books aren't stocked in quantity on bookstore shelves in the markets the one-time publicity is reaching, nonfiction self-publishers are wasting their time. It's entirely the opposite for fiction authors who treat the self-publishing experience as way-station. The very fact that they end up with a great newspaper clipping or interview is another selling point their next fiction proposal to their dream trade publisher - who cares if it doesn't sell any books and maybe leaves them out of pocket for some travel expenses.
I'd sum it up by saying I see fiction and nonfiction self-publishing as an apples and oranges world for those authors who haven't given up on the dream.
Here's the problem. When a serious, aspiring fiction writer starts asking me about self-publishing with print-on-demand and marketing their books online, I know that the odds are pretty long against their making major headway. At the same time, the odds of finding a large trade publisher who will not only publish their fiction but do any marketing to save it from instant obscurity are at least as long. We're probably talking on the order of hundreds-to-one in the former case, and thousands-to-one in the latter case. Yet, there's little question in my mind that the the hundreds-to-one case of a serious self-publishing fiction author figuring out book marketing and meeting with success will have appreciably fewer sales than the fiction writer who lands a serious trade and for whom the stars align. By appreciably fewer sales, I mean an order of magnitude, a factor of ten or more.
What this all means is that when fiction authors who are serious enough to start building an internet strategy to market their books contact me for advice, I usually ask them if they're sure they've exhausted the options in seeking a trade publisher. Most claim they have, and sadly, the experience of rejection seems to lead many to the point of "...and I'll never try that again." I think that's a mistake for the serious author who really wants to reach a large audience. The major trades will always be able to do that better than the self-publisher, it's just a fact of life.
What I end up recommending to fiction authors who are self publishing is that they treat their business (because that's what self-publishing is) as another a step on the path to the NYC trades. Publishers drool over authors who know how to market themselves and their books, so the experience you gain here increases your value to a publisher even if it doesn't maximize your current income. Think of it as graduate school for authors. Unlike nonfiction self-publishing where the profit is the bottom line, fiction authors also have to pay equal attention to selling the greatest number of books possible, even if that means pricing closer to break-even. Self-published novelists are also wise to invest time pursuing some of the traditional publicity avenues that I call a waste of time for nonfiction publishers who should be concentrating on promoting their material rather than themselves. In fact, when you encounter a "nonfiction" author who has succeeded primarily through self-promotion, your probably looking at some guru whose works are closer to fiction than he'd care to admit:-)
When self-publishers tell me about great publicity stunts they've pulled off with radio, newspapers, or even television, only to sell a handful of books, I'm sympathetic but realistic. If the books aren't stocked in quantity on bookstore shelves in the markets the one-time publicity is reaching, nonfiction self-publishers are wasting their time. It's entirely the opposite for fiction authors who treat the self-publishing experience as way-station. The very fact that they end up with a great newspaper clipping or interview is another selling point their next fiction proposal to their dream trade publisher - who cares if it doesn't sell any books and maybe leaves them out of pocket for some travel expenses.
I'd sum it up by saying I see fiction and nonfiction self-publishing as an apples and oranges world for those authors who haven't given up on the dream.
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