I wrote a book and got tired of waiting for an agent to respond (response times are in the months). So I decided to self-publish it as an eBook on Amazon, but now I'm having trouble getting any publicity. Any suggestions on marketing, Veeky Forums?
Self-Publishing general
Nathaniel Phillips
Daniel Jones
amazon link is here, if you guys will excuse my shameless plugging:
amazon.co.uk
Xavier Cooper
Decent cover. Not sure why you needed to mention he was bald in the description.
Caleb Gray
You need to ask PR professionals, not 14-year-olds who circle jerk about Ulysses
Xavier Lee
I've been waiting for this. I think people should be allowed to plug their novels on Veeky Forums, as long as they're truly the author and are willing to discuss the book.
Anyway, this one looks like a painfully obvious life analogy, where the author pelts the reader with his or her own all-purpose, industrial strength musin's on life and how to live it for... oh, it's a short story. Well, I'll take a look anyway.
Oliver Nguyen
Lmao those two reviews sure do lay it on thick. Who are they, OP, ur mum and cousin or something?
Michael Bailey
There's no way I'd read any more of this. The prose is bad, the characters are boring. He climbs the ladder and runs into a steaming hot info dump. This one needs a lot of work before it's readable.
Owen Fisher
>self-publishing
Andrew Lewis
>My book was shit so I released it anyway without having an edit done
Self-publishing needs to die as do all people who self-publish.
Jace Sanders
hahaha, trust on Veeky Forums to shit all over my book
seriously though, if you guys have any constructive criticism, I would much appreciate it. I know my craft is still raw.
Josiah Morales
>I know my craft is still raw.
Then why the fuck would you think it's OK to publish your pieces?
Cooper Brooks
HAHAHAHA IS THAT YOUR REAL NAME?> AHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAA
HAH!
Jose Baker
This.
pic related: it's OP
Kayden Moore
You can have an editor and still self-publish lol
Aaron Stewart
>paying out of pocket for an editor for a book that will never sell and make you money
versus
>Get paid a few grand up front and have it edited for free
Tough choice
Carson Ramirez
self publishing is a way to get a writing career started.
if your self publishing work gets popular you will be scouted by publishers and there you go. if you attract no attention then you know not to quit your day job.
Christopher Johnson
Hey man congrats on the publishing, how did you format your e-book btw? I'm trying to do with mine on word but whenever I try and convert it to epub with software it comes out all fucked up. Does the Amazon uploader fix all that stuff or something?
Julian Rodriguez
I would work on the cover. Self-publishing can be a crap shoot as it is, but trying to market literary fiction is even harder.
Asher Hughes
I left you a review. Keep it up. Keep writing.
Easton Wilson
Listen to the self publishing podcast on YouTube.
Read the descriptions and start with the ones that have Mark lefebvre and Dan wood as guests then seek out the ones that talk about covers and marketing. You'll learn more in 10 shows than you have known...period. You're welcome.
Josiah Lopez
And I'll take it a step further..
These days you need to start your career by writing a series of you can't or have t tried to get traditionally published. By putting your work through Amazon KDP select for 90 day exclusivity you'll see how you're trading exclusive was for some publicity. It's like an a us ice relationship. You don't want to go back but you want the promotion and marketing scraps they throw you. After that 90 days go "wide" by putting your work onto KOBO and Draft to digital to get into ALL the markets worldwide. You'll make more money that way but to tl really get ahead you need more than one volume or book you need more so you can offer buy 1 get 1 free and bundles to entice buyers to take a chance on an unknown. Don't sell your shit for 99 cents. It's demeaning and let's people think they can undervalue writers work. Cheers.
John Ward
If you feel like your book is not good enough to make enough money for an editor, then don't publish it at all.
Asher Bennett
Holy shit, thanks user. I really appreciate the extra motivation.
Jaxon Gutierrez
I've just submitted my small novel for file review with Createspace, I was a little nervous with the Royalty setup, as I'm in a country which doesn't support Direct Payment, so I have to get checks, I also had to sort out my tax stuff with them. I heard Amazon KDP does direct payment for Ebooks from any country so that will be good.
Zachary Thomas
Yeah, KDP is pretty good for handling the financial end of things. KDP Select might also be worth it if you don't mind agreeing to exclusivity.
Jeremiah Long
I was pleasantly surprised- was a good smooth read and made me want to read more.
Does seem to have a few of the obligatory self-publishing errors, though, e.g.
>As he had pondered upon his dilemma, he noticed
and I also noticed quite a few fairly cliched expressions- 'realised with a start', 'enigmatic smile', 'retorted hotly'- and adjectives that look redundant like 'noncommittal shrug', 'colossal ladder'.
But I'd say it's well worth looking into marketing it with facebook ads and whatever else self-publishing types recommend. I don't know much about marketing but I'd assume you'd want to pitch it using words like 'surreal', 'fantastic', 'speculative fiction', 'mystery'- aiming to rope in genre fans.
Hudson Adams
>hoping your work reaches the right desk at the right time based purely on luck and is considered good enough by each person that reads it to be pushed further down the line
vs
>paying someone to edit your work and hope it might make it based on its own merit
ftfy
Brandon Ortiz
You've got to work for that attention though.
Adrian Reed
Im in the market to selfpublish a short in December.
I think for publicity you will have to get a Twitter and a Tumblr and go a little mad to attract attention.
>not selling cheap
Yeah i understand the demeaning aspect but who really is gonna pay for it
Charles Bennett
I find the first three sentences of this (probably handy) advice literally incomprehensible. Mobile phone posting: not even once.
Jaxon Collins
Same poster here, I'm getting a proof-read copy sent!
>tfw have to wait til the 13th