How to make a self-published author’s day

This week’s post seemed kind of fitting given I have just officially launched my debut novel, Radiant, here.

Exhausted? Just a little. I’m sure many of you can relate.

The marathon that is self-publishing

Writing the book in itself is like a marathon event – except the finish line keeps on moving.

You finally finish the book, only to discover that rounds of editing and rewrites are required (oops, there it is, the finish line is off in the distance again). And if you decide to go down the self-publishing route, you may as well add another leg to your marathon…it’s at this point you realise you didn’t do enough training for this event and you’re not sure you can make it. Panic sets in.

But you do. You make it. Your book is finally published available for the world to see and that’s when it hits you – this is a TRIATHLON?!

Now I have to promote and market my book AND try and write another book?

Maybe I’ll just give up now…

Self-publishing is hard. It may even be considered WORK

I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’m a marketing professional and this self-publishing business is still hard work. Some days I would just like to answer the front door and greet the publisher of my dreams (or at some points, any old publisher would do) and hand them – OK, throw them – my manuscript and let them run with it.

Control freak, be damned. Then reality reminds me that even if I was a traditionally published author,  I’d still have to do all this author platform building stuff. So I might as well just get on with it and stop sulking, even if I do enjoy a good sulk from time to time.

In the meantime, here’s a helpful list to share with your friends, family or anyone that vaguely knows you, when they ask why you look a little peaky at the moment. Just hand them this and tell them it’s from your therapist.

10 ways to make a self-published author’s day

1. Buy their book. Well, yes, obvious, but worth highlighting. Did I mention you can buy my book, Radiant, right here? Sorry, couldn’t help myself.
2. Leave a review. If you liked the book, leave a review on Amazon. If you’re a Goodreads member, leave a review there too. Reviews make the ebook world go round. It’s complicated and has to do with algorithms. You don’t need to worry about the details, just trust me on this one. It’s important. So leave a review. Oh, and you can leave a review for Radiant on Goodreads here, just in case you’re interested.
3. Spread the word (in the real world). If you thought the book was utterly fantastic, tell all your friends and family. Or the people you work with. The guy at the gym. Your hairdresser. Your neighbour. Your butcher. Coffee shop guy. You never know what their tastes extend to, plus they might have someone in their life who is interested as well. Word of mouth should never be underestimated!
4. Gift the book. It’s the modern day equivalent of passing on a book to a friend (except you have to pay for it, but let’s face it, at $2.99 you can afford to ‘lend’ it to quite a few friends before you’re at the cost of a hard copy book). Or if you are a ‘Kindle Prime’ member, you can borrow selected books for free! Look into it if you haven’t already. You can borrow mine – just saying.
5. Tweet, tweet. If you are of the tweeting inclination, tweet your followers about how fantastic said book was (and don’t forget to include the author’s twitter handle so they know how much you love them, it will make their day). One genuine tweet from a reader is worth about a hundred dreadful, sales orientated author tweets which we do only because we’re so desperate for someone to read our book.
6. Share on Facebook. Sick of hearing all about your friend’s latest indie album obsession? Shameless pictures of their Masterchef attempts? Throw it right back at them. Sharing a book link at least makes you sound more cultured than them, and better yet, if it’s an indie author, you’re truly hard core.
7. ‘Like’ an authors fan page. If the author has a Facebook fan page, show them the love and ‘Like’ their page. It will make them feel less guilty about the handful of friends and family that loyally liked their page and who are now being regularly subjected to posts by the author whether they are really interested or not. Oh, and my Facebook fan page is here. Just in case you were wondering.
8. Contact the author. If the book was the best thing you have read in a very long time, tell the author. Leave them a message on their website, fan page or email them directly. Just don’t ask them to critique your book. They’d love to, really, but if they’re self-published they’re probably off rocking in a corner somewhere from the stress or else glued to their sales reports, or writing their blog, or writing the next book, or preparing a newsletter….but they’d love to hear from you. Honestly.
9. Book clubs. Member of a book club or writing group? You’ll impress the others if you turn up and mention some obscure indie book that no-one has yet heard of. Particularly if it’s good.
10. Sign up to the author’s newsletter. They’ll be thrilled that readers are interested enough to be updated about their book news. We won’t bombard you with newsletters every single day, we promise. We’re too busy writing. Or blogging. Or checking our sales figures. But newsletter sign ups are gold. It means you’re INTERESTED. Plus, not only did you read the book, but you liked it! You can sign up to mine here (in case you’re interested).

Have I missed anything? What other ways are there to make a self-published author’s day?

Thanks for reading!

Is paranormal romantic suspense your thing?

If you’re into paranormal romantic suspense, read on to view Radiant’s blurb below.

Or not.

I wouldn’t want to be seen to be marketing to you or anything…

RADIANT

Do you believe in angels and demons? They believe in you…

2013 Romance Writers of Australia Emerald award finalist

Lily Ainsworth, a twenty-eight year old Emergency Department nurse, is used to keeping calm under pressure – until the day she wakes up to find herself a patient in the very ED she works in. A victim of a near fatal hit and run, Lily recalls nothing of the accident. The only witness is the mysterious and charming, Leo.

As she attempts to return to normal life, Lily is plagued by strange events, which has her wondering whether the hit and run was merely a coincidence, or if it was something much more sinister…

Drawn to Leo, Lily confides in him and reveals long unanswered questions about the disappearance of her mother twenty-five years earlier. But his presence appears to come at a price. 

Suddenly thrown into a dark world she doesn’t recognise and fighting to stay alive, Lily begins to realise the key to her survival lies in answering the questions surrounding her past.

It’s a journey that will change her life forever, make her question everything she has ever believed in, and test her feelings for Leo in ways she never imagined.

You can purchase Radiant here.