Ok So Now You're An Author. What Next?

This is the post you probably don't want to read.

After labouring for months in a freezing garret beset by writers cramp and mental blockages of varying degrees of severity you have finally completed your first novel. No mother could be prouder of her firstborn. With a cry of mingled relief and joy you look to the heavens awaiting the clarion call of trumpets that will herald your achievement to the world.

Ok so you didn't really expect the trumpets but you have something far better - Amazon Kindle. Following the guidance provided in a previous post you format your book and publish it on Kindle via Amazons's Kindle Direct Publishing platform. All you have to do now is sit back and wait for the sales figures to rise and rise.

You face a long wait. 

The truth is that even if your novel is the best thing in its genre since sliced bread it won't even get read unless someone knows its there. As of February 2012 Amazon Kindle state they have more than 900,000 books magazines and blogs on their site. It's a bit like the Klondike. It seems as if the whole world and his wife is trying to get published. There's a lot of competition out there and it's easy to become buried under the digital debris.

If this sounds discouraging it is genuinely not my intention but you have to face facts. If you want your book to ever make the best sellers list then you have to market it and market it and market it. I don't mean taking to the streets and competing with Big Issue vendors - although that is a solid tactic but probably beneath most of us aspiring authors. You have to become savvy internet marketers. Your work is too important to leave this vital task to someone else. I have just suspended work on my latest book for however long it takes to undertake intensive research into the potential of social media as a powerful means of engaging with prospective readers.

In a few weeks the "Scrooge" opt-in box will be replaced with a "Google+ eXplosion" opt in.

Subscribe and you will be notified when this comprehensive ebook is available in the Kindle store.  Every major business like Coca Cola has a Fanpage and use innovative tactics to engage and interact with prospective customers. Small businesses and individuals can do the same quicker and more effectively on Google+ if they know how.

 Google+ is growing fast and will eventually be absolutely massive. It is also presents the #1 opportunity for Indie writers and authors to find a large group of people interested in what they have to write about very quickly indeed. WATCH THIS SPACE.Soon there will be a page dedicated to internet marketing on this blog I hope you decide to visit it regularly. In the digital universe you market or you die. Your choice.

To finish let's touch briefly on one website that attracts a phenomenal amount of viewers each week. Youtube. Many authors are now using video trailers to advertise and promote their books. Not only do they attract viewers but frequently they rank highly on Google. Google loves videos. It's nowhere near as difficult as you think. I created one for my book, uploaded it to YouTube and it has already received nearly 1,000 views. Not massive maybe but it will grow over time. In the next post I'll reveal a free website that is brilliant for creating innovative videos - and it's free. What's more it's great fun and you know what? If we enjoy what we do there's a far greater chance we'll persist until we succeed.

Below is the video I created using PowerPoint and Windows Movie Maker.

Next Post: Create Your Own YouTube Video On This Free Site