These are the Reasons Most Authors Fail at Book Marketing

I’m really enjoying your daily challenges! Some, I grin and say “Hey, I’ve already done that!” and others are teaching me brand new things. So, a big thank you, Rachel x

I’m so grateful for the daily challenges, Rachel. I’ve learned that when my circuits get overloaded, I just need to take a break and come back when I’m feeling rested. It’s a process and with each format I learn, the others get easier as I start to figure out the general logic of the technology. I remind myself that I’m staying current which is sexy. It’s a quality I admire in people older than myself.

Nice article, Rachel! The daily challenges are great too! Thank you!

I knew you were the twitter Princess, Rach, but your facebook recos are just as deep. Kudos and thanks. I shall see you in my in-box tomorrow 🙂

This challenge is fantastic — I feel like I’m pretty media-savvy, but I’ve learned tons, and the challenge finally motivated me to set up a page to promote some recent publications (I think I’d been in the shy/”run away” category previously). So generous of you to share. I’ll suggest your book to writing friends when it is available.

Stumbled, Googled, and tweeted. You rock, Rachel. Thanks so much for all the work you’ve put into this. Much appreciated.

This is brilliant. I have spent the best part of five months studying how to sell more books on Amazon.

I have brought a few self-help guides which have worked.

I have learnt that there is a world of difference between being an author and being able to market your book.

If there is one lesson I have learned, it’s that if you want to sell books you HAVE to be able to know how to market them. You HAVE to know where to market them.

One place where you will not sell books is facebook. There are hundreds of book promotion pages where you can upload a link to Amazon. But the chances of selling any books is slim. This is because hundreds of other authors are uploading their books. In essence, the only people who go on these book promotion pages are other authors, not people who read books.

Book promotion websites however, are a different matter. These are the pages you need to be on. Why? Because they target people who read books, and that’s where the money is. There are dozens of book promotion sites out there, some massive like Bookbub, others small like Ebook-soda.

You can also use amazon’s advertisement feature which allows you to target different genres.

All you need to do is believe in yourself and your ability to write a good story.

I am loving your challenge and i seem to learn something new most days. Like those above, some of them i have found, but of those i had found (so far) some i had already forgotten about, or you have shown me a better way to use it.

Great article. I like how it’s down to earth and yet far from condescending. Also inspiring to read your bio. I look forward to learning from you and the process as I make attempts to market my work =)

[…] is Why Your Books Aren’t Selling: 4 Ways To Improve Now and These Are the Reasons Most Authors Fail at Book Marketing by Rachel […]

[…] These are the Reasons Most Authors Fail at Book Marketing […]

Well, as a nearly 66 yr old, I’ve learned so much! And set up my own special author page completely on my own with the help of the tips. So if klutzy oldie here can do it, anybody can. Yep, there are some things I have deided not to do: book bub (they didn’t take me when I was with a publisher anyway), a few of the more ‘American’ publicity things, but it has been enlightening to read about them anyway. A very good series of advice sheets..most of them filed away to read later. Thanks you.

Your article was re-tweeted today.

A few years ago, I thought I would have to give up writing. I lost almost all of my vision.

However, a few stories are begging to reach out to others.

I tried to learn spoken VoiceOver as a screen reader. No luck.

I started to learn braille.

Managed to get accepted to the training center, only to find – they could teach braille. No VoiceOver for computer training. And certainly not for a writer’s needs! The trainer, although a nice person, had no interest in any document programs. Her longest writing was her grocery list.

Tried to learn on my own again. Gave up in a sense. I bought a braille display and am teaching myself to use VoiceOver through it. Over 1,000 times easier than spoken VoiceOver which I can’t comprehend. I didn’t realize how deaf I was!

Oh, and there is no manual to teach how to use a braille display with VoiceOver. So. Um. I’m writing it as I go along. It is actually helping me learn.

Deafblind, and doing fine. And soon, I’ll be back to figuring out how to market (can’t use visual social media like Pinterest well).

First – I need to figure out how to find my audience.

Gonna be a long road.

In another month or two, I’ll be ready to try again. When I can pick up my braille display and use it as if I know what I am doing.

[…] No need to fight with yourself or come up with further excuses (i.e., yea, sure but I can’t afford not to work, etc… we’ll cover that below). Just answer the questions! The point of this exercise is to assess your commitment to not only writing, but to the business of writing. These are two very different animals. You can sit at your computer and pump out book after book after book, which will sit in a nice, neat little pile for time immemorial, or you can learn the business of selling and marketing your work correctly (hello, this does not mean spamming “buy my book!” links on social media). […]

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This is so real and honest and full of good advice we all need to hear (even if it’s just to be reminded).

[…] (me), marketing is the most difficult part of writing. Rachel Thompson at Bad Redhead Media claims These are the Reasons Most Authors Fail at Book Marketing. Give it a read and tell us what you […]