Marketing for Writers 101 – Understanding the Marketplace and Customer Needs

Marketing Strategies for Writers

I’ve noticed a trend. Articles on idea generation or developing the discipline for writing are rare.  The reason for this is simple: if you’re serious about being a writer, you will find the time and you’ll find the ideas.

The not-so-simply part is what to do with the work after you’ve finished.  Apparently, selling or promoting their own work does not come naturally to many writers.  It’s like we hope the publishing fairy will sweep through our windows at night, wave their magic wands, and suddenly we are doing the talk show circuit.

But what do you do if the publishing fairy godmother doesn’t show up?

That’s when I remember: oh right, I’ve taught marketing for over 8 years now. I wrote the new marketing curriculum for my college and I spent about a decade in sales and customer service before that. I should know how to sell my book. Shouldn’t I?

I think the problem is selling and being creative seem a bit, I don’t know, oxymoronic. What about artistic integrity? Blah blah blah. For me, art for art’s sake is nothing more than masturbation: you are the only one having any fun. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but I’m not writing just for a giggle. I want people to actually read my work and give me money.

A word of caution: if you are looking to become a poet laureate or gain notoriety only after you’ve been dead for a hundred years or so, these lessons probably do not apply to you.  If you want to make money…well, now we’re talking.

To make things simple, I’m using references from the textbook we’re currently using for our marketing courses.  It is Principles of Marketing (Kotler,Armstrong, Cunningham, Trifts, Toronto: Pearson, 2011).  If you can pick up the book, do. If not, get any book on marketing. Heck, you may even want to take a few marketing courses. Let’s start with the basics: the marketing process.

Today I’m only focusing on the first step: Understand the marketplace and customer needs and wants.

       

NEEDS

Any serious writer or publisher will tell you to read the work that is already published in your genre. The text states: “Human needs are states of felt deprivation”. Why do people read your genre anyway? What is the motivation or incentive to read horror, romance, mystery, or the type of literature that wins the Booker or Pulitzer Price? People read different genres for different reasons. Learn the elements what must be in place for a piece to be acceptable. For example:
 

1. Horror must be scary. If there is no fear of death or injury there will not be any real fear.
   
2. Romance must have tension. "Boy meets girl, they get married, the end" is not going to sell.
   
3. Mystery needs a puzzling crime. Preferably a murder

 

WANTS

To stand out from the competition we need to give more than just the bare essentials. Again, critical reading helps. Remember to read as a peer (someone at the same level as the author), not just a fan. Analyze what they writer did well and try to figure out how they did it. Aside from reading, ask.  Get to know a whole bunch of people who read and like the genre you hope to write in. Ask them what they liked and didn’t like about previous books.

Sometimes the customer does not even know exactly what they are looking for.  They may think they want something they actually don’t want. For example, sometimes in a scary movie we “want” the hero to live. But would The Exorcist have been as scary if the devil said “Okay Father, you win” followed by a fade to black?   Would Titanic be so successful if Jack stayed on the raft with Rose? If you think back to the most “romantic” stories of all time, how many of them had a happy ending?

DEMANDS

Price matters. For completely non-rational reasons, many people see $1.00 as much more expensive than $0.99. For equally irrational reasons free is often interpreted as disposable. So, be careful about what you give away for free or you may damage your image as a credible artist. Let me ask you a question.

Imagine you have two books in front of you. One you downloaded for free, the other you paid $4.99 for. Which one do you read first?

Spending money is tied into the artistic experience.  If you are giving away all your work for free you are, unintentionally, diminishing the experience of the reader.

My next article will be on how to develop a marketing strategy that is focused on your customers.

Kotler, Armstrong, Cunningham, Trifts, Principles of Marketing. Toronto: Pearson, 2011. Print

Marketing for Writers 101 - The Marketing Mix

My next series of articles on marketing is based on the marketing mix (also called the 4 Ps). Entire marketing classes could be spent just going over each of these. I'll be putting a new post up every Thursday on the Marketing Mix.

Firstly, here's a brief video to introduce the concept of the marketing mix (e.g. product, price, place and promotion).

I want to keep these posts short to encourage people to read them. Starting tomorrow I will deal with one one P at a time. 

 I'll end today with another quick video with Steve Jobs discussing marketing. Well worth the watch.

Viral Marketing Checklist - How to Keep People's Attention



Source; http://blog.kissmetrics.com/viral-marketing-cheatsheet/

There's a solid business reason behind Hollywood's obsession with sequels. One of the hardest things to do in business is get new customers. It is much easier to keep the customers you already have.

When you plan your viral marketing, plan on making at least five videos. Then release them equally spaced apart. Consider releasing one a week. 

My role model for viral marketing is Felicia Day. Many actors sit around waiting for roles. She created her own with the web series The Guild. Starting in 2007, it was one of the first web series. She created a devotes following. Also, she's turned her fame from The Guild into paid acting jobs on several shows, significant music sales, comic books and video games.

If you are not familiar with her, here are few links to get you acquainted.

Wikipedia Entry on The Guild

Felicia Day talking about the Guild

Why Do You Care about Felicia Day?

She is a role model for how talent bundled with the right 'out-of-the-box' thinking can bring great things. You'll see in this first episode, it doesn't take mountains of money to make a quality product.

Viral Marketing Checklist - 7 Things You Should Be Doing on Twitter

Source: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/viral-marketing-cheatsheet/

Twitter is not the place to sell your books. It's a place to get other people to sell your books for you.

Too many authors turn their Twitter accounts into billboards. Or worse: infomercials.  Ask yourself, how often do you tweet the following:

• please buy my book
• please like me on Facebook
• my books are on sale today

Now check the Twitter account of a successful writer you admire. Check to see how often HE or SHE tweets about buying a book.

SEVEN THINGS YOU SHOULD BE DOING ON TWITTER.

1. It is social media. Be social.
2. Have conversations about things other than books.
3. Respond to people's tweets and retweet them.
4. Be funny without being offensive.
5. Tweet things related to topics trending on Twitter.
6. Tweet about current events.
7. Live tweet during your favorite shows or while at conventions.

Must-Read Links on Social Media for Writers:
Twitter for Authors by Jonathon Gunson
Social Media Train Wreck Authors Must Avoid

Viral Marketing Checklist - Surprise Your Audience

Source: http://blog.kissmetrics.com/viral-marketing-cheatsheet/

Do Something Unexpected

If you want your campaign to go viral you MUST do something the audience does not expect. Think about Gangnam Style for a moment. I know that may hurt your brain, but it is a perfect example of the power of viral marketing.  People watched and LOVED this video because it was something very unexpected. Funny and weird.

Do not simply copy the videos below. Throwing your book in a blender or singing your version of "Call Me Maybe" is not going to work.  A few weeks ago, however, your version of Harlem Shake might have. 

Suggestions:

• If you write about vampires, walk down the street with a video camera. Ask random strangers what they think about vampires. Post to your blog and YouTube.
• If you write erotica, walk into your local adult store. Interview staff and customers.
• If you write mystery, investigate cold cases or profile famous murder cases in your area.

I'm doing a documentary on the Windsor Hum. It's something that is local to where I live. It's a real-life case of creepiness and Big Business interfering with regular people.

Homework: 

1. Watch the videos below.
2. Watch for the moments you laugh or smile.
3. Relate those moments to something YOU can do.

Will it Blend? Viral Campaign by Blendtec

20 Best Viral Videos of 2012 including my favorite at #5.

Sentence Fragments vs. Complete Sentences

COMPLETE SENTENCE

A complete sentence makes sense standing alone. Every sentence needs a subject (someone doing an action) and an action. For example:

John ran. 

This is a full sentence. You can easily see who is doing what.

SENTENCE FRAGMENT

A sentence fragment is any sentence that does not make sense standing alone. If you've written an incomplete sentence (or sentence fragment), it is likely a "subordinate clause". That's fancy English for a series of words that do not complete an idea. Subordinate clauses are also called dependent clauses because they depend on an independent clause to complete an idea.

See below for examples of sentence fragments:

Since John Lennon was in the Beatles. (So what?)

Due to the weather. (What happens because of the weather?)

Unless the gun is found. (What happens if the gun’s not found?)

None of these make sense in and of themselves. They do not complete an idea you wish to communicate. 

See below for examples of how to fix these sentence fragments:

Since John Lennon was in the Beatles, he was one of the coolest people alive.

Due to the weather, the picnic was postponed.

Unless the gun is found, we cannot prove he committed murder.

Each part that is underlined is an independent clause. They make sense by themselves and do not need the 'help' of the part in italics (the dependent or subordinate clause).

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO USE SENTENCE FRAGMENTS?

Sometimes a sentence fragment is exactly what your story needs. Seriously. If you want to add a sense of tension, emphasize a point or play with pacing, a sentence fragment may add just the right 'beat' to your writing. Just be careful: sometimes your sentence fragment is needed; other times it is the result of bad punctuation.

For example:
"Classic. A book which people praise and don't read." That period should be a colon. "Classic: a book which people praise and don't read."

Here are examples of 'acceptable' sentence fragments that improve pacing or tension:

"I can't believe you're making me do this." She took the gun and shot him. In the head. 

You've created a sentence fragment by adding the unnecessary period after him. However, it adds extra tension or emphasis to "in the head".

I knew then I would love her forever. Until I died.

Again, this example plays with punctuation. "Until I died." is a sentence fragment. Using it adds an extra 'beat' after 'forever'. It may be the effect you are looking for. However, use this structure sparingly or it will lose it's impact.

LINKS:

The Subordinate Clause by Robin L. Simmons

Common Causes of Sentence Fragments by Literacy Education Online

Quiz - Repairing Sentence Fragments

Quiz - Sentence Fragments and Run-On Sentences

Sentence Fragments - Purdue Online Writing Lab

Viral Marketing Checklist - Neutrality is Useless

So now that you understand what viral marketing is, how do you do it?

As you'll see on the graphic below, one key element is doing the unexpected. Stop doing what all your competitors are doing. You'll never stand out if all you're doing is blending in.

I'll spend the next few posts talking about each item on the checklist below.

1. Stop Being Neutral

Controversy breeds notoriety. Look at Ann Coulter. I think she is a vile human being. She has said so many offensive things many people want her dead. Here's the thing: the only reason she's relatively famous is because she says stupid things. Things that get people talking.

Now, I'm not saying become the next Ann Coulter. Lord knows one of her is more than enough. As a writer, you never want your image to outshine or distract from your work. The one and only piece of credit I will give Ann Coulter is she knows how to get people talking about her.

Here's your homework:

1. List five public figures (e.g. politicians, celebrities, etc.) that you strongly dislike.
2. Pick one thing each person has said or done to make you dislike them.
3. List five public figures (e.g. politicians, celebrities, etc.) that you admire.
4. Pick one thing each person has said or done to make you admire them.

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The below graphic is from the Kissmetrics Blog. They provide html coding if you want to include this on your own blog (because they understand viral marketing.)

++ Click Image to Enlarge ++

Source: The Viral Marketing Cheat Sheet Infographic

What is Viral Marketing?

Source: http://blogs.ubc.ca/ivyzhongqi/2011/03/17/do-you-know-about-viral-marketing/

As writers, the most important marketing tool we have is word of mouth. Today, word of mouth is only limited by your access to social media. 

However, most people are not using social media correctly. Plugging your book on social media is a waste of time. If you want to get the most out of social media, you need to understand viral marketing.

WHAT IS VIRAL MARKETING?

"Viral marketing is an idea that spreads--and an idea that while it is spreading actually helps market your business or cause."

Seth Godin

"The key to effective viral: create and execute an idea that's intriguing enough to get consumers to interact."

Theresa Howard, USA TODAY

Few things spread faster than gossip. If there was a way you could get hundreds or thousands of people spreading good 'gossip' about you, would you be interested?  

Viral marketing is normally done in video format. It is easier to spread on Facebook and Twitter. People watch videos because they are fun. Most of us are so inundated with advertising that we tune out as soon as soon as it sounds like someone is selling us something.

So stop selling.

Relate.

Entertain.

Over the next few weeks I'll be giving you some ideas on how to do this. To get you started, here are a few free ebooks on viral marketing brought to you by experts in the field.

Free ebooks on Viral Marketing

UNLEASHING THE IDEA VIRUS by Seth Godin

HOW WILL YOU CREATE A WORLD-WIDE RAVE? by David Meerman Scott

THE NEW RULES OF VIRAL MARKETING by David Meerman Scott

Review - The Canterbury Tales Vol I by Luke Bellmason

 

Have you ever read a book that was so well-written you kind of hate the author? That's pretty much my feeling for Canterbury Tales. It's brilliant.

Amazon Synopsis

Every ten years each spacer pilot must make the pilgrimage to Vale, where the mighty and all powerful Federal Galactic Spaceflight Licensing Authority resides. From all corners of the nine galaxies they come, on ships such as the GSS Canterbury.

To pass the time over their three nights journeying through the void each traveller tells their story. Volume One features the tale of the Smuggler, the Merchant, the Assassin and the Knight. Join them to hear their tales of rivalry, revenge, piracy, insurrection, daring escapes and adventure in this all new re-imagining of the original Canterbury Tales.

This is what Geoffrey Chaucer might have written if he'd owned a ZX Spectrum when he was 12 and wasted his formative years playing video games through the 1980's.

If you're not familiar with the original, here's an overview:

 

What I Liked

The first thing I noticed was the very literary and witty writing style. I was hooked by the first few paragraphs. I also like that each story has an element of social commentary just below the surface. That's what science fiction is supposed to do: use fantastical situations to make us look at ourselves.

Each character is unique and interesting. You also get the sense of a  much more complex world in the background without the author wasting page after page in useless worldbuilding exposition. There are moments of horror, adventure, romance and intrigue. It hit all the right buttons.

What I Didn't Like

I have to wait until next year to read the second part. Seriously. That's my only negative reaction.

Conclusion

If you haven't read Canterbury Tales Volume 1 by Luke Bellmason do yourself a favor and pick it up. I'm sure you're going to hate Luke as much as I do.

Links:

Luke Bellmason's Website

Luke Bellmason on Goodreads

Luke Bellmason on Twitter

Buy the Book: Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk

Stages in the Writing Process - An Overview for Indie Authors

Source: http://www.bcps.org/offices/lis/writing/secondary/writingprocess.html

I've taught business writing at a local college for the last six years. It has given me an opportunity to  appreciate the process of writing since it is a complete mystery to most people. Most experts will tell you writing should be done in stages. While the names and numbers of these stages vary, I've listed the most common ones below.

Pre-Writing (25% of Your Time)

For non-fiction works, this is when you:

• Analyze your Target Audience
• Anticipate their Response

Some fiction writers waste too much time waiting for "inspiration". They wait for the "right" story to come along.  However, if you understand your target market you will never run out of ideas.

I'll give you and easy example. Joss Whedon has repeatedly discussed coming up with the idea of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He was tired of seeing women in horror films portrayed as helpless victims. He wanted to see one kick butt.

So how does this relate to target markets? In many ways it all comes down to you. You know that old saying "write what you know?" If you're ever stuck for ideas ask these question;

• What kind of stories do I like?
• What did I like about those stories?
• What did I hate about those stories?
• What would make them better?

If you're trying to write for a target group you don't belong to (e.g. middle grade or YA), make sure you truly understand their needs and wants before you writing

Writing (25% of Your Time)

To be clear, "writing" has several stages. For my students, I break it into three basic categories:

• Research
• Organize
• Compose

Research includes worldbuilding as well as historical/factual research. I have a tendency to spend too much time worldbuilding. Remember ,most readers care more about story and character than worldbuilding. That's why they're reading a novel and not an almanac.

Organizing may include a detailed outline or a simple bullet points of key scenes and themes.

Composing refers to completing your first draft. The best advice I can give you is to power and just get it done. Too many authors waste time looking for perfection in their first draft. For most of us it's simply not possible. The real artistry comes in revision and editing, not the composition.

Revising/Editing (50% of Your Time)

And here's the hardest part. Most people have no clue how to properly revise or edit their work. Over the next few months, I'll provide helpful tips on how to properly edit your story or novel.


Links:
The Writing Process:  Target towards Public School Audience but a concise reintroduction
Perfection Your Writing Process   Focused on University Papers but very helpful.

Editing – Aim for Short, Concrete Sentences

I have taught a course in Business Writing for over six years. While very different than creative writing, some elements are the same.

Long sentences are hard to follow. Try reading James Joyce with anything less than complete attention.  There's definitely a place for long sentences but, for the most part, it's not in genre fiction.

As a general rule, keep your sentences under 20 words. Any longer and you’re likely to make grammar mistakes or lose the meaning of the sentence.

How Long should a Sentence Be?   by writing tips for word lovers

How Long Should Sentences Be?   via help me tell my story

Also, try to keep one thought per sentence. If you need to convey two ideas put them into two separate sentences. Let’s compare an early draft of my opening scene with the last draft

Second Draft

      Wisdom fell fifty feet and landed face-first on concrete.  The impact splattered blood from open wounds in all directions leaving an after-image of his body on the ground.   His skull bounced off the sidewalk twice before coming to rest.  He kept his eyes closed and forced himself to breathe past the jagged pain in his chest.  At least three ribs were broken. Probably more.  If it wasn’t over, if his father wasn’t really dead, Wisdom would soon be.   Still, it was not pain or fear that made him open his eyes. It was a little girl’s scream.

      He had to blink several times before he could focus.  Misty shapes solidified and he realized something: he was no longer in the underground fortress of the Council.  Cold mist fell on his face, the air rumbled with the rush of water and Wisdom was forced to admit where he was. 

Sixth Draft

Wisdom fell fifty feet landing face-first on concrete.  His skull bounced off the sidewalk twice. Then he was still.  He kept his eyes closed. Each breath was painful.  At least three ribs were broken.  Probably more. Still, it was over: the Djinn was dead.

Nearby, a little girl screamed.

He blinked repeatedly, forcing his eyes to focus.  Misty shapes solidified and he realized he was no longer in the underground fortress of the Council.  Cold mist fell on his face, the air rumbled with the sound of rushing water. He realized where he was.  

Changes:

1.       Point of View (POV)

Beta readers had a problem with Point of View. They wanted to keep the reader mind inside Wisdom's mind. This is call first person subjective. I wrote the first draft in 3rd person omniscient. That means you can't tell who the narrator is. You can also see inside the mind of every character as needed.

For some reason this point of view is currently out of fashion, especially in YA.  That genre prefers 1^st person subjective because a single person narrates the story as they see it happening.

Here's how the above scene would play in in first person subjective:

I fell fifty feet and landed faced-first on concrete. My head bounced off the sidewalk twice. Then I was still.  I kept my eyes closed. Each breath was painful.  At least three of my ribs were broken.  Probably more.  Still, it was over: the Djinn was dead.

There is nothing wrong with either POV. The choice is yours as long as you do it consistently.

Links
Point of View - What and Why
Understanding Point of View for Dummies

2.       Beware the “has” tense.

Currently the “has” tense is out of fashion (just don’t tell George R.R. Martin about it). The theory is it puts too much distance between the reader and the action. Technically you should only use this tense to describe a continuous action in the past that was interrupted by another action. For example: 

Harry had spent every morning alone after breakfast until he met Ron.

Now that the “had” out and see if it changes the meaning.

Harry spent every morning alone until he met Ron.

The meaning doesn’t really change so you should take the “had” out.

Links:
The Present Perfect: Using "Has" and "Have" With the Past Participle
Narrative Tenses with Helpful Pictures

3      Keep it active and avoid the passive

Saying “he had to blink several times to focus” makes Wisdom seem a victim. It is something beyond his control. Changing it to “He blinked” puts the action back on him. He is consciously doing something.

Similarly “Wisdom was forced to realize where he was” is passive. Again, events beyond his control give him no choice but to admit something. Changing it to “He realized where he was” makes him more active.

If you’re writing an action scene, use active tone. If you’re writing a scene about someone being victimized or suffering from a natural disaster passive tense might be more appropriate.

4.       Watch run-on sentences

Look at this line from the first version:

Cold mist fell on his face, the air rumbled with the rush of water and Wisdom was forced to admit where he was. 

This is actually three separate thoughts. 

1. Cold air fell on his face.
2. The air rumbled with the rush of water. 
3. Wisdom was forced to admit where he was.  

You could put it as three separate sentences; however, I decided to break up the monotony of several small sentences by using a semi-colon.

So when do you use a semi-colon? Use it when you want to join together two complete sentences that are related and/or support each other. If you’re not 100% sure that a semi-colon works, don’t use it. A period works just as well. It’s simply a matter of style.

A quick note on the relationship between sentence length and tension. Short sentences tend to create more tension, long sentences reduce tension.  Therefore, most action sequences should have generally short sentences.  Descriptions of peaceful valleys or scenic ocean vistas work better with longer sentences.

Links:
Sentence Fragments and Run On Sentences

5.       Can You Spot the Comma Splice?

A comma splice is a grammatical error in which you use a comma where you should use a period or a semi-colon.  Both “Cold mist fell on his face” and “the air rumbled with the sound of rushing water” are full, complete sentences. Therefore, a comma is inappropriate.

Conclusion

This may look like I've spent too much time thinking about a few simple paragraphs. However, this is how much writers SHOULD think about their finished work. Too many self-published indie authors are putting out sloppy, unfinished work. Not only are they destroying their own reputation, they are damaging the industry as a whole.

Take the time to edit properly. And, for the love of literature, get the opinion of an experienced editor.

Editing Process - Beginnings

http://greatfirstlines.tumblr.com/post/23355599029/it-was-a-bright-cold-day-in-april-and-the-clocks

Years ago, I had the privilege of being accepted to the creative writing program at the University of Windsor.  One thing these classes taught me: your beginning is crucial.  

Just like a movie, the beginning of your short story or novel needs to immediately engage the audience. It also needs to set the tone for the entire piece.

Here’s How the First Draft of Council of Peacocks Began.

He sat on the grass-covered rocks looking out at the ocean.  He was covered in wetness from the spray and the gentle rain that had been falling all morning.  He didn’t really care about being wet. He was just glad to be outside; away from the dungeon he called a home.  One room in the basement of a house. He felt so far away from everything he’d ever know. Lost, in a way, but secure in another.  As he watched the waves crash against the beach he realized he had to make a decision.  Something had to change.   He took off his shirt and headed towards the beach.  When he was only a few feet from the water, he took off his pants and the rest of his clothes. Naked he walked the rest of the way to the water. He didn’t really consider someone watching him. It was far to cold for that.  Nova Scotia was a cold place this time of year.  He knew the water would be close to freezing too, but he didn’t care. He had to do something different, something daring.

Why This Didn't Work

This scene is written from the point of view of David. In the first draft he was the central character. Nothing in this paragraph screams urban fantasy. If anything, its makes me think of a “coming of age” story.  It’s a common trope. He's the outsider admitted into a supernatural world. Through his eyes we experience all the strangeness that makes up day-to-day life for the other characters.  You’ll see this in:

• Alice in Alice in Wonderland
• Rogue in the first X-Men movie
• Harry in the first Harry Potter novels.

In the first draft, we start with David’s beach-side scene. Then he takes a bus to Toronto and meets Wisdom and the Anomalies. There is no action or hint of supernatural elements for 30 pages. Sometimes slow beginnings can work. However, most of the time they result in lost readers. 

Why I Needed to Write This.

The first draft helped me understand who David was. It established his voice and his back story. In subsequent drafts, I removed all elements of this because it does nothing to advance the plot.

What Replaced It

Here’s the beginning of the novel now:

Wisdom fell fifty feet, landing face-first on concrete.  His skull bounced off the sidewalk twice. Then he was still.  He kept his eyes closed. Each breath was painful.  At least three ribs were broken.  Probably more. Still, it was over: the Djinn was dead.

Nearby, a little girl screamed.

He blinked repeatedly, forcing his eyes to focus.  Misty shapes solidified and he realized he was no longer in the underground fortress of the Council.  Cold mist fell on his face, the air rumbled with the sound of rushing water. He realized where he was. 

Why It Works

It starts with action. It is also “in media res”: a fancy Latin phrase used in literary circles meaning it starts in the middle.  We jump into the story without preamble. That’s another fancy word meaning “introductory or explanatory statements”. I’m not starting with 10 pages of world building. I’m not discussing Wisdom’s childhood. I’m trying to give you the same sense you get in the “opening gambit” of a James Bond movie.

My next post will discuss the various drafts of this opening scene and how I tried to improve it.

Links:

100 Best Opening Lines From Novels

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Survey Results - Part 4 of Indie Author Survey

In January of 2013, Suckers Guild conducted a survey of Independent Authors. The original survey can be found here: What Indie Writers Need Survey.  The first three parts of the survey results can be found here:

Survey Results – Part 1 of Indie Author Survey

Survey Results – Part 2 of Indie Author Survey

Survey Results - Part 3 of Indie Author Survey

If You Belong to Any Writer's Groups, What Types of Support Do They NOT Offer That You Wish They Did?

I teach a course on preparing a business plan. Many young entrepreneurs know they want to open their own business but do not know what kind of business. I tell them if they want a successful business they need to forget about what THEY want. The best businesses focus on what the world NEEDS.

That is why we added this question to the indie writers’ survey.

Some of the responses were expected:

·         Finding readers because my current group only has other writers

·         Help with editing, proofreading, cover art, and launch promotions

·         Help getting word out about my blog

·         Marketing, promotion, and distribution.

Other responses were unexpected. These are things we can use to build the kind of group you need.

1. Access to Media and More Info on Social Media.

The internet is quickly becoming the number one method of advertising in North America.  The internet is pervasive. It is in almost every home and on almost every phone. At the same time, many people are not marketing correctly on the internet (see below).

There are thousands of sites focused on how to use social media.  Who has time to read a thousand pages? Suckers Guild will be your “go-to” people for promotion and social media questions. Rather than reading those thousands sites, ask us. We will dumb it down for you. This will free up your time to focus on writing and editing.

Internet Advertising Now the Top Medium in UK and Fastest Growing Around the World

U.S. Study Reveals Online Marketing is Failing with Consumers

2. Increased Access to Marketing Opportunities.

Here are the things everyone else is already doing:

·         Facebook author pages

·         Blogs

·         Blog tours and swapping promotions on blogs

·         Shout-outs on Twitter and Facebook

·         Standard book trailers

·         Goodreads author pages

We want our members to stand out. All of the above tactics are good and necessary for the modern author. However, if you want to stand out from the competition you need to do what they are not doing.

Suckers Guild will help you improve your promotion by:

·         Analyzing your current promotion strategy (if you have one)

·         Determining your strengths/weaknesses for promotion

·         Developing an innovative promotion strategy focused on you

3. Organized Help in the Writing Process (e.g. writing circles).

Marketing and promotion is one of the core functions of the Suckers Guild.  Improving your writing process is the other core function. Trying to find other writers you can trust to give an honest opinion on your work can be time consuming. Rather than hunt for them, simply come to Suckers Guild. We have a built-in network of beta readers.

Writing can be a very solitary process sometimes.  The more you connect with other writers the more productive you will be.

4. Post Traumatic Review Stress Counseling.

We cannot share a Haagen-Dazs over the internet. We can help you use the traumatic review as a learning tool. Sometimes a bad review is because the reviewer is a jerk. Other times, it is because the reviewer is giving you the greatest gift an artist can ask for: honesty.

Years ago I interviewed for a position as marketing manager for a national retailer. My resume said I was qualified and I was sure I connected with the people conducting the initial interview. At the end of the session, I asked (very cocky) if there was anything I could do to improve my interview skills. The interviewers exchanged a look and then laid into me. I took a deep breath and learned from it. They told me everything I had done wrong (in minute detail) and I never did those things again.

Harsh reviews can change everything about your work if you use them properly.

5. Divide Group Based on Genre.

From day one we will categorize authors by genre. Much of this will be behind the scenes until the group grows.

6. Introductions to Literary Agents and Publishers. A girl Can Dream.

Absolutely. There are some big advantages to being an indie writer today. That’s why I’m starting as an indie. Still, most writers dream about hitting the big time. We all want to be the next Stephanie Meyer, George R.R. Martin, J.K. Rowling or E. L. James. One way to grab the attention of an agent or a publisher is to build your own following. It means less work for them.

Rather than wait for them to notice you, we’ll help you get started building your fan base today. When that happens, you won’t have to look for agents. They will look for you.

7. More Room for Non-Fiction & Memoir Writers. We're Usually Left Out.

Another lesson from Marketing 101 is the importance of staying focused on your target market. If you try to please everyone you end up pleasing no one.

Suckers Guild will be focused solely on helping genre writers. If anyone is interested in starting a group of their own for non-fiction or memoir writers we will happily assist with the setup.

Conclusion

That wraps up the report on the indie writer survey. Thanks to everyone who took part. It will definitely help us create a better group focused on helping you.

Survey Results - Part 3 of Indie Author Survey

In January of 2013, Suckers Guild conducted a survey of Independent Authors. The original survey can be found here: What Indie Writers Need Survey.  The first two parts of the survey results can be found here:

Survey Results – Part 1 of Indie Author Survey

Survey Results – Part 2 of Indie Author Survey

The last two questions on the survey were short answer questions.

What I Like Least About Being an Indie Writer

The results for this question were varied. However, there were two basic trends.

1. Being Responsible for All Marketing

Here are a few examples of statements made in the survey:

• Spending all my time trying to market and not having any time to write outside of my technical writing business.
• The endless search for information that will be relevant and perhaps critical to the successful marketing of my books. I learn something new every day and am constantly saying “I wish I had known that 6 months ago”. The learning curve is steep.
• Difficult to get the word out. Marketing.
• Marketing takes away from writing
• Having to do all the promotion myself

Without the support of the marketing team of a major publisher, independent authors are responsible for doing all their own marketing.  However, even authors published through one of the big six are often responsible for their own marketing today.

See these articles for more information on how all authors are responsible for their own promotion:

                Six Common Misconceptions About Being a Published Author

                Do Publishers Expect Authors to Market Themselves?

                Publishers Must Change the Way Authors Get Paid

One of the goals of the Suckers Guild is to ease the burden of doing all your own marketing.  We help members formulate smart marketing strategies to ensure the biggest impact for the least amount of work.

Several others commented on how expensive marketing can be.  Thanks to the Internet and social media, it is possible to do very effective marketing campaigns for little to no money. 

2. Indie Writers Have a Bad Image

Examples of statements made in the survey:

• I think indie writers are often unfairly grouped together. If a reader discovers a few badly formatted books that have terrible grammar and have clearly not been proofread, they assume all indie books are like that.
• The stereotyping that all Indie books are of a low quality.
• Being lost in a sea of others and told you are lazy or no good because you chose to not do traditional pub.
• People assume that I have no editor and dismiss my work out of hand without even looking.
• The old ways still hold sway, even though the 21st century promises to displace it. The general opinion seems to still place much emphasis on traditional publishing houses.

Undeservedly, there is an impression that indie writers are independent because they could not get a publisher or agent. The truth is many writers are choosing to stay independent because they get to keep more of the money from their sales.

However, in the marketing world we learn that image equals reality. If the world believes something about you it is, in essence, true.  We have to fix that impression. 

So why is this happening?  I think the following statement from one survey respondent is the most accurate:

Some people release work that is not ready out of ignorance; they don't realize how unfinished their work really is.  Other people put out work that is not ready because they can’t afford to hire a professional editor.

If you have the money, hiring a professional editor is an amazing experience. If you have more time than money, becoming part of a writers group may be a better offer. You gain someone who will edit your book for free and you “pay” for it by editing theirs.  One of the benefits of this is you become better at self-editing as well. Seeing the mistakes others make is a wonderful way to learn what NOT to do.

Just because you can publish a piece does not mean you should.  In the past, publishers acted as “gatekeepers”. They decided what got out into the public.  Today the gatekeepers are on holiday. Anything can get out into the hands of a reader no matter how good or bad it is.

One of the goals of the Suckers Guild is to self-police our members. We will be the gatekeepers helping to make sure only quality products are released.

The last section of the survey results will be released tomorrow.