While I was touring my book around, the world didn’t stop spinning around here. I worked, and we had some unusual visitors at the office. This little guy was photographed from my office window.
He didn’t stay long, but it was fun having him stop by. We also had this visitor, and it’s appropriate for the season.
My iPhone makes it tough to photograph something so tiny, but you can make out his little bat ears at the bottom of the image. He’s only about the size of a walnut, but it was cool seeing him.
In other news, I got the sprinkler system blown out. Old What’s Her Face is on her way home, and we have an appointment to get the camper winterized tomorrow. It seems like winter is determined to show up, so we need to get ready.
I finished reading a book and posted a review. I try to review whatever I read. I look at it like a karma kind of thing. Authors need reviews, so I ought to post them, too. I’ll probably start reading another one before my vacation ends.
New fiction is still taking a back seat. I haven’t written a new word in a month. I’m struggling with the production vs the promotion cycle. I love creating new stories, but hate the promotion part. Honestly, I don’t like getting promotion stuff either, so I assume many people are like me. (Maybe you aren’t, but that’s my mindset right now.)
The questions I’m struggling with are:
- Should I just bury some of the stories I write? Publish the series work, and keep the stand alone things for myself.
- What about blog only? I know some who’ve done this, but have no idea what kind of reception it gets. Is it appropriate to release a few chapters over a period of months, then publish, thereby, skipping any blog tour and such? Does this piss people off more?
- Should I publish them with zero promotion? I know how that works out, but workmanlike promo for every other story could still draw attention.
- I’ve learned how to write an incredible amount of new fiction. Should I go back to my old ways and produce less?
- Would it be worthwhile to hold stories, then do a multiple book release with mutual promotion?
I’m interested in what you guys think, so speak up. Do you have any experience with these methods?
Entertaining Stories 
I don’t like promotion either, but believe authors need to be salesmen too.
LikeLiked by 3 people
It’s true. I’m just trying to find a balance. Would it irritate you to read 1/4? Of a novel on a blog, then get asked to buy it to read the rest?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nah. That’s probably a good approach.
Of course, I’m no marketing expert. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am not a fan of doing a blog tease of a few chapters and then expect everyone to go out and buy the story. Also, I have no idea how much promo is enough. I do know that when I pay full price for a book and then it goes on sale for $0.99 like two weeks into the launch, I get pissed. (not that you are guilty of this) I think authors should start the promo at $0.99 and then raise the price. I think a reasonable blog tour is a good thing. It allows for the reading public to get an idea of whether they want to buy the book or not. Launching too many books in a short timeframe works against several tours since there is wear out. So if you are going to launch several books, you will have to alter the promo plan to prevent wear out. You may have to pay for promotion at some point. Just my opinion.
LikeLiked by 5 people
That’s good information. How would you feel if the blog tease was no more than the free sample Amazon offers anyway? I’m not opposed to paid promo, I just wish I knew of something that worked for the money. Amazon has a problem if we give too much away for free. It’s a rough game, for sure.
LikeLiked by 3 people
First chapter is fine. More than that I don’t approve.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fair enough.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Promotion is not my thing, but it’s a necessary evil. 🙂 Can’t answer for you, but I’ve been blogging more often the past three months and while it’s fun, I have to write some fiction. It’s in my blood. Don’t think I could do blogging alone (even blogging pieces of fiction).
Love the view from your office window.
LikeLiked by 3 people
It’s a hard balance. I’m trying to come up with some new ideas, but those are risky, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m the wrong one to ask, for I don’t have a clue as to the best course of action. I’m a champion winger, but it seems to work!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Don’t know what I’m going to do in the future. I’ll probably tour Serang around in the traditional manner, but that isn’t completely sustainable.
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is the trouble, so many ways of doing things. Whatever way you choose, Craig, will work a treat! (and we’re here, if you need any help!)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a view from your office.
I have been trying to blog more but have been writing as well. I have a serial on my blog based on prompts from Sue Vincent’s #writephoto. They are snippets, short scenes, not full chapters.
Like most authors, I hate the promo part but consider it a necessary evil.
I agree with John, introduction at $.99 then raise the price.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That might work, if I ever go 99¢ again. I can see how it might attract some shoppers up front. I’m trying to figure out something besides a full blown blog tour. Those work, but both the book and the readership can burn out on them. Hopefully, someone has a reasonable idea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wish I knew the answer. One thing I do know, I don’t like when an author posts a few chapters on their blog and then stops hoping everyone will bu the book. I’m also not a fan of reading chapters on a blog to begin with. Just publish and give me the book.
Promo is exhausting and I sometimes wonder if it’s worth it. The most extensive blog tour I ever did resulted in the worst sales I’ve ever had.I could blame it on the time of year (summer) but then I’ve done other blog tours at the same time with great results.
There is no question you have to promo.
I do think having a backlog is key, so the more you write and publish, the more your name is out there. That comes down to write, write, write, and you’ve been doing a ton of that.
I have a character who I hope to spin into a novella series someday. I think If I could release one of those every other month, it would be a great start to building consistently. But realistically, that would be hard to do while working a day job, writing other full length works, promo and social media. I’m starting to think I won’t see results until I retire.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I’m hoping there will be result when I retire. I will have a back catalog. One every couple of months would be tough. Three this year was killer, but if I’d gotten Serang finished before school let out it would have been easier. I keep thinking there is something I haven’t explored and keep trying to find it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I do blog only. I’m not making money but people are reading what I write, and I am having fun. I think the method a writer chooses depends on his or her goals.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Blog only might be fun if I had a shorter work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tough questions and I think a lot of them depend on what you want. Definitely have to promote and I’d say produce at whatever pace life allows, but then things get shaky. You have to factor in your audience, amount of time, and goals to answer the other things. As someone who is doing a ‘blog only’ story, I will say that it doesn’t have any impact on the published works that it’s connected to. That could just be me and ‘Bedlam’ never did click beyond a handful of people. Still, it does bring in traffic and a couple of comments. Doesn’t hurt, which is a plus.
Not sure I follow you on the releasing a few chapters and then publishing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I was hoping you’d weigh in. You’ve done some similar things and might have advice. Doesn’t hurt isn’t a bad goal. It sounds like the regulars are not in favor of getting a few free chapters, then having to buy the book to read on.
LikeLike
That is a tough one. Teasers are one thing. Give part of the cow for free and then charging for the tasty parts . . . I think I lost that analogy.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Doesn’t sound like a popular option at this point.
LikeLike
Craig, I’ve tried Debbie Macomber’s promo list she did for Bookbub a couple of times, and I thought it made a difference. I made twitter headers and posts on canva.com So why haven’t I done it more? I don’t get organized fast enough sometimes. But here are her ideas:
https://insights.bookbub.com/book-launch-checklist-marketing-timeline-traditionally-published-authors/ Good luck! Are you doing a cover reveal for Serang? With a blurb and release date? Should we share it?
LikeLiked by 2 people
I don’t generally do those. Part of that involves my lack of organizational skills. I have a hunch, it will be a couple of days from now and it will be live. I believe I’ve hosted Debbie once, so have a contact. I’ll check this out, thanks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Okay, I hosted a different person, but those are decent tips.
LikeLike
Even if my reviews aren’t always detailed, I review what I read too, though admittedly usually only on Goodreads and my blog (I do sometimes do Amazon as well on request, but it’s a headache for me to navigate, so I mostly don’t bother). Speaking of reviews, I’m working on the books of yours I haven’t read. Slowly, because a certain family member has decided two hours of phone conversation right as I’m about to start reading in the evening is required (and it’s the kind of family member it’s hard to tell to go away) so my reading time has been limited. But I’m working on them, so watch Goodreads and my blog for new reviews on some of your books in the near future. I have a couple of your older titles I missed reading before, plus Viral Blues to read.
I hate the promotion part of being an author. It takes away from my writing time, and you can’t even guarantee it will result in sales. But since I want to share my stories with others, I kind of have to do at least some. It’s one of those situations where you have to take the goodwith the bad, in my opinion. At least, if you want people to potentially buy and read your books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Our daughter has that same telephone timing. Promo is rough. You never know if you’re doing the right thing, and paid promo never seems to work either. Thanks for having faith in my stories.
LikeLike
I can’t give you advice on the promo issues… something I’m not looking forward to having to tackle myself. The on,y thing making me happy is I take sooooo long to write a book I’ll never have your problem 😁
Omg you had a deer in your yard??? No waaaay! So cute. We don’t really get them here. Just the odd koala in a tree or kangaroo in the yard.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We feel the same thing about your wildlife. Having a koala out back would be fun.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Until they drop and eat your face……
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oooo kaaay
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahaha, all Australian wildlife wants to eat your face!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Scratching Aus off my dream list. It isn’t much of a face, but it’s the only one I have.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, nah, I’m 38 and still have most of my face intact 😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Promo just goes along with the job, Craig. I can’t really give you an answer, but getting books out so regularly will definitely get your name out there and could result in more sales for your backlist. Other than book reviews, I haven’t written anything either, but I’m jumping on the NaNo bandwagon and pushing myself to get the sequel for Subject A36 written.
LikeLiked by 2 people
A lot of people are doing NaNo this year. Things are going to get quiet online, so I’m going to take over the Internet.
LikeLike
Teri, I am doing NaNo too. Joan and Mae convinced me to give it a try. I’m on the site as Chelepie. If you see me around the blogosphere, feel free to give me a NaNo nudge.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Marketing is a necessary evil is you want to sell any books. That’s a given fact. Finding a balance is the hardest part of the whole mix. I can’t answer your questions for you. Maybe using a mixture of all of them? Heck, I don’t know. Good luck, whatever you do! I am 50% of the way through “Viral Blues” and enjoying it! What a cast of characters!
LikeLiked by 1 person
That makes me so happy. Enjoy the rest of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Um, you did ask. I do NOT like to read a series of fiction on blogs. It interrupts ma flow. I DO like to read samples. You are a published author, please stop considering free things. Reading you here is entertaining, as demonstrated by your title. Your bits and bobs of his lit, her lit, your lit, are great, and I don’t think you owe readers free anything. Anthologies are tops for me, as I do so enjoy a bit of reading in times of impatience. While I want to curl up with an analog novel at home, I very much enjoy shorts on my Kindle in the drs office, in the carline, in the dealership, etc.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m about over free and 99¢ stuff. On the blog there is a bit of benefit in growing my reach. I love anthologies and collections of shorts, so I understand that appeal. I’d like to find, or create, some other way of promo. Blog tours work, but they’re tiring. Readers also tire if they try to come along on my route. The beauty of them is reaching beyond my circle of friends. There has to be something else, better or equal, that I’m not thinking of. We’re a lot alike, and missing a chapter one week would irk me no end if it were a blog series. Excerpts aren’t the same thing, and they seem to work well. In other news, the bat and the deer were cool.
LikeLike
I wish there was no promotions, I don’t like doing it either, but I know it helps. I love story story collections, but I like to focus on one release at a time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think this next one will have to be one of my traditional process releases. One day, I’ll come up with something new to try.
LikeLike