Author Jeff Whelan [2] : Marketing Books

"Your marketing seems really strong.  Any tips for other indie writers?"

          As long as we're on the subject . . .

          As I said, I find marketing to be the hardest part.  For years, I shunned the social media, having no use for facebook, twitter and the like.  Once Space Orville was out there, however, my wife wisely said, "You've got to get out there now, you know."  Alas, she was correct. And so, I built my profile pages, started friending and following, sharing and retweeting.  I started a blog, learning as I went along, featuring snippets of Space Orville along with some of my other older work - poetry, short stories and what not.  I began following other blogs and hooked up with The Independent Author Network.  Inside of a month or two, I found myself immersed in this vast, global community of independent authors all working to not only promote themselves, but to encourage, support and promote the work of others as well.

          I must say that, initially, I tooted my own horn quite loudly.  I'm sure it would be rather embarrassing to go back and look at some of my early tweets and facebook posts.  Not that I don't still make a lot of noise on my own behalf, but I soon learned that the basic idea behind successfully marketing oneself on social media is "pay it forward". We indie authors share a mammoth boat and dominating the soapbox can get one thrown overboard.  Shine your own light, but carry the torch for others as well.  You'll find that they will pick up your torch and pass it along, too.  I've been helped out by dozens of other authors and bloggers who have not only shared my message, but offered me interviews, guest posts and reviews and I've done what I can to help them back, each time learning a little more about how to do it even better next time.  I believe that diligence coupled with an air of some humility goes a long way toward making a name for yourself in the indie publishing community.