...will they come?
Now that's a question for the ages, especially in the digital world. For example, here's what I've got: * A website for each of my author names * A Facebook page for each of my author names * A Twitter account for Josie Dorans * An Amazon author page for each of my author names * KDP accounts for each author name * An account on Channillo for Josie Dorans (although one of the series is by my nicer side) * An account on Smashwords for each of my author names * My nicer side has a Youtube channel * My nicer side has a Bitchute channel * An account on Duotrope (that I really should actually use) * An account on Pintrest (that I should actually use for book stuff, too) * An account on Wattpad (that I should use) * An account on Upworks (that I've decided to ignore) * An account on Ko-fi that I've pulled everything off of * An account at Authorhouse for my very first book * An account at Freelancer which I believe I've cancelled * And account on Upwork that I ignore * A Zoom account that I keep swearing I'll use for book things but don't * An account at Zazzle with some book related merchandise for my other name that I should make more of an attempt with * And I belong to at least 2 online writer's groups that I am only marginally active with * I'm about to embark on the Amazon Vella route (Pray for me.) I'm juggling multiple books with each name along with some videos about putting together a picture book. If we go with only the books I've self-published, we're talking 9. If we include anthologies I'm included in, that number jumps up to 16. E-zines bring me up to 19. You can also include the newspaper article on the West Virginia Writers, Inc. Summer Conference to round things out to 20 or look way back in the shadows of time for the piece I had published when I was graduating high school if we want to make the count 21 so it can legally drink. So, now that I can sit back in my chair and tell myself the lie that I'm a fairly prolific writer, you may ask how these platforms have led to overwhelming success and phenomenal sales. The short and incredibly depressing answer is: They haven't. Why? That's an easy one. It has two parts and I can't seem to convince myself I'm good at either one. First, you have to get people to go to these places. Forget about "organically" growing your platform. You need to be a border collie rounding up a herd of readers and directing them to the the right pastures. Once they are there, you then need to convince them to part with their money in exchange for your product. Sounds easy-peasy, right? I mean, it's just 2 steps and of course they'll love everything about your book. It's wonderful, for Pete's sake. How could they not want to take it home and curl up with it? The truth is that if you are like me your inner border collie may have arthritis, cataracts, and mange. Your herd is comprised of family, close friends, and fellow writers. The sad truth is that - at least for me - that combination just doesn't produce sales. I love them all. Each and every one of them is near and dear to my heart. They just aren't the right audience. This isn't their fault and I don't expect them to give me a pity buy out of their hard earned paychecks. Sure, sometimes someone will pick one up here or there and I appreciate that. I just don't expect it of them. They cheer for me. They (occasionally) share my posts. They add what they can to my emotional support network. They just don't make me a best seller. The tricky part is to find the right audience to attract. While you are doing that, you also need to keep that audience entertained. You can't just rain down advertisements and expect them to enjoy being loved only for their money. It's the dating game in a way - and lord knows I've been out of that miasma of chaos for a very long time so have no clue how the heck it works these days. Another day I'll go into some of the great advice that has worked well for other authors but has fallen flat for me. I'll even give you my take on why these awesome ideas may not have worked out as well here as they have elsewhere. Hopefully, one or more will help you grow. I'm all for success whether it's mine or not. If I'm destined to always be a bridesmaid and never a bride, well then, so be it. Consider me your cheerleader in this game. (Just remember, I'm a writer. I'm probably too broke to buy your book. LOL)
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AuthorJosie Dorans Archives
June 2022
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