The Best Tool in Your Marketing Box

We are self-publishers, and that's definitely not a bad thing unless you cannot fathom partaking in an uphill battle. I assume you can, and if so, you are suitably equipped for a self-publishing journey.

- BY KIM CATANZARITE

Warning to all of those who have not yet pressed the publish button: There are certain aspects of this journey that will never be easy.

As self-publishers, we have a story that we want to tell so badly that we not only write the book but we also hire someone to edit the book, and then we polish, proofread, and produce the book, all on our own. Congratulations to us. We didn't need a publishing house to get it done.

But we all know that producing the book is only half the effort. The second half is getting readers to pick it up and read it. We can't just put it out there and hope for the best, though that's what many people do.

Alas, whether we promote the book or not, at some point we are likely to ask the question, Why isn't my book selling?

In most cases, the answer is marketing.

SELF-PUBLISHING IS AN UPHILL BATTLE

STRIKE ONE AGAINST US: Anyone can publish a book, and some of “anyone’s” books—let’s face it— consist of unprofessional writing, an unattractive interior, and an amateur cover. This is why a stigma remains on self-published books.

STRIKE TWO AGAINST US: A sizable portion of the general public will assume that your self-published book is “most likely subpar” even before they’ve opened it. And people don’t get excited about things they assume are subpar.

STRIKE THREE AGAINST US: There is no well-known logo or name inscribed on the spines of our books, no brand recognition, no company expert guiding our efforts or tooting our horns.

In other words, we don’t have anyone to reassure potential readers that our book is so good that they should gratefully invest their time and money on it. Mindy and Jenna don’t pick our books for their lists. Drew and Jimmy don’t want to dance with us. Most of us can’t convince the local Barnes & Noble to agree to a two-hour signing.