A few weeks ago I wrote about my quest to learn as much as possible about marketing for indie authors. Well, I’m happy to announce that a combination of hard work, perseverance and some good old-fashioned luck, has resulted in something awesome.
BEGINNER’S LUCK, the first instalment of my MYTHICAL MENAGERIE series has reached the Top 3 best seller’s list in its category on Amazon!
It’s an amazing feeling seeing your book on a list like that, no matter how obscure or underrated. I might not be shipping as many copies as someone playing the big leagues, but it provides a sense of achievement and validation that makes all the effort worthwhile.
I’m riding the euphoria train right now, I can tell you.
“But your book is free and you’re not making any money from it”, I hear you say. Well, that’s fine. The book is currently on a week-long promotion in celebration of the upcoming release of the second installment. I’m hoping that in this way, I’ll be grabbing the attention of lots of readers who will, potentially, love the story so much that they’d be willing to buy BANSHEE’S WAIL, which continues Ambrose’s adventures, in Paris this time. With some luck, a free promotion will pay for itself in the long run.
It does seem like marketing is a long-term game. I’ve been working very hard behind the scenes lately, mainly focussing on extending my readership base and getting my stories in front of as many people as possible. They might not be buying right now, but if I can get them to read something so long, and hopefully enjoy it enough to be interested in more (and stay subscribed to my mailing list), then my job is done.
In the past few weeks, I’ve grown my mailing list from a measly 15-odd family members and friends to almost 250 readers, some of whom have been excited enough to join my street team to help me spread the word. Not much, but to me, it’s HUGE.
It makes my heart beat in overdrive. To anyone who has been following along and supporting me on this roller coaster journey of discovery – thank you! I’ve had the most fun learning and experimenting, and seeing it all pay off is reward in itself.
Do you have any tips for anyone starting out on their indie publishing and marketing journey that you’d like to share with the rest of us? Let us know in the comments below!
