Marketing!

Marketing! There, I said it. We all know what it means, and most of us hiss and scurry away into the dark when we hear it.

If you are a writer, an artist, or a musician, you most likely hate that word. I know I sure do... So much. You might find yourself asking a whole lot of questions about this sort of thing, and most of the answers are harder to find than they used to be. I still struggle with this part of writing, but the truth is, it's more important than the work (providing you want to get paid for what you do). What good is a masterpiece if no one ever sees it and becomes a stack of mold somewhere? 

That being said, some notable artists create for the sheer release it provides. This is the cathartic value of the arts. It's a pressure release valve to let out all that "stuff" right under the surface. Just ask Henry Darger- he wrote his whole life, over twenty thousand pages never shared them with anyone. After his death, his works were discovered by accident. 

However, most authors want to make a living off their craft. That's where marketing comes into play. For anyone who wants to sell their work, marketing is a necessary evil- unless, of course, you are one of the lucky few who gets noticed.

I used to think it was a bad word. In most ways, I still do. For the first-time writer, it doesn't pay to build a reluctance to marketing. One must dive right in. Here are a couple of recommendations for the person who is marketing their own books, self-published or not.

First, consider, if the budget allows, hiring someone. There is no shame in paying to get your book noticed. You may want your work to fly on its own merit, but that won't happen if no one reads it. 

Second, consider using the tools that come with the platform you use, if provided. Some publishing platforms offer tools that help you set a budget and spend money without breaking the bank—a slow work up to where you want to be, without the financial drain. Most of these systems are automated and will email reports. 

Third, social media is key to critical mass. Make sure to have a Facebook page. Not a personal profile, a business profile. Make sure it is updated on the regular (daily in most cases). Instagram is good, and so are some of the other platforms. It also never hurts to have a youtube channel. These things contribute to a "presence" online. 

Next is one of the more important but less recognized ones. If you are a writer, you need a homepage where you can update all kinds of things. In many cases, once established, the ad revenue from a successful blog can pay for the advertising or professional marketer. 

Lastly, don't be afraid to post about your works where ever you can. I have a hard time with this one because I am very uncomfortable with the spotlight. But if you have nothing good to say about your own work, then no one will ever read it.

I like to keep these short, so I will end there, but I will be back in a little while with more.

Cheers!