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  • Writer's pictureMichael Parker

Learning the Lesson

February 15, 2015

I seem to be increasing my work load simply by looking into ways of promoting and marketing my books. Despite the ease with which the methods are claimed to be, and that no technical knowledge is required, I find myself scratching my head and wondering what I must do next; or how do I prepare a campaign and list of subsrcibers for Mail Chimp. Do I really need e-pub, mobi and pdf files ready to distribute to those on my subscriber list should they ask? And here’s the chicken and egg argument: how do I get subscribers if my standing as a writer comes close to invisible? The answer, of course, is patience, hard work and ‘stickability’ (and the tutorials).

I’ve worked my way through the three, free videos on how to increase my visibility, and have watched two of them twice. They are packed with information and I expect I will be watching them again. Then there’s MailChimp. It’s so easy a monkey could do it. I must be descended from a different kind of monkey because my head is still spinning. Perhaps an increase in my banana consumption might help? Oh, and I forgot Calibre: probably the easiest way to convert documents to epub etc. Of course, there’s PhotoShop , which is really handy when uploading jackets to CreateSpace, particularly if you know what you are doing. But never mind; there are always the tutorials to hand. But what’s missing out of all this? What vital ingredient has to go into the mix in order to make sales? That’s right: books. And writing books is what I do best. I don’t need tutorials. I’ve been there, done that and got the Tee shirt. But there’s not enough time of day left to settle down with pen in hand (e-pen) and write. I use Scrivener by the way. Forgot that one. Had to use the tutorial of course, but I managed it in the end. But I won’t give up. Once I’ve organised myself into some semblance of order, have grasped the finer details of marketing and promotion, and can see light at the end of the tunnel, I will write. All I need to do now is communicate with readers. Not authors, but readers: people who will agree to sign up to my e-mail campaign once I get it rolling. They will receive the occasional e-mail from me letting them know what offer or news I have. The first offer will be a free ebook in return for signing up. They can even unsubscribe once they’ve received the freebie. But first of all, I will be putting one of my titles out as a ‘permafree’ in the hope that will attract readers to my list. It will be a little while yet before I’m ready for the big ‘launch’. Meanwhile, anyone reading this blog who might be interested once I begin, might like to let me know through the contact page. Just think: it could be the beginning of a great partnership. I hope so. Wish me luck!

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