One thing I’ve learned from years of self-publishing my novels, is that selling books is HARD, especially if you don’t have a big name publisher, like Random House or Penguin, to display on your cover. When Kindle Press published The Standout, I thought I had it made. An Amazon publisher was publishing my book! It was great and all, but I didn’t realize that I would have to work just as hard, if not harder, on self-promotion. I flubbed my book launch and never recovered.
I am determined not to make that mistake with Favorite Daughters. Luckily, Black Rose Writing does a lot to guide and help their authors with publicity. One thing they had me do right away was fill out this long questionnaire, where I came up with Amazon keywords and a pitch, and other stuff that will help make my book visible. I labored over that questionnaire, trying to get it exactly right! But there was one part that I had to leave blank.
It was at the bottom, where it asked for any awards or blurbs from other authors or review sites, recommending my book. I expect most authors leave it blank for a while, because we’re supposed to complete it within sixty days, and we get the questionnaire right when we’re first accepted for publication.
Today, happily, I was able to email Black Rose’s marketing department with a blurb from a fellow BRW author, and with the announcement of TWO awards for Favorite Daughters.
I entered these contests with a coverless (the cover up top is temporary), yet-to-be fully proofed-or-published novel, so I’m thrilled to announce that I was a winner in The Firebird Book Awards for Women’s Fiction, and a finalist in The Indies Today Book Awards for Contemporary Fiction. I am honored and happy to be off to a great start!
Of course, there’s still so much to be done. Stay tuned for most posts as I prepare for my book launch at the end of August.
Wow! Your hard work is really paying off. Can’t wait to see where it goes from here.