Last December, a very interesting piece appeared in the Wall Street Journal. After having her manuscript rejected by several publishers and more than 100 literary agents, first-time author Darcie Chan took matters into her own hands. At the time the article was written, she had sold over 400,000 books. When any unknown writer creates this kind of success, we need to sit up and take notice. What is she doing that we are not? Check out the article at the link below, and then tell us what you think. How could you adapt her marketing strategy to your book?
This is a very short post because I really want you to read this article. It could make a huge difference in the success of your books — as well as the size of your bank account.
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Linda Lane teaches writers to write better. Combining her innate sense of story with the mechanics that make writing work, she and her team of experienced editors offer mentoring classes to authors who are serious about their work and their writing careers. Visit them at www.denvereditor.com.
10 comments:
Great story about Darcie. I applaud her and her tenacity. And I have to smile that NOW her book is a great success, and she did all the work, the powers that be want to scoop her up!
Thanks for the link to the article, Linda. The main thing that I gleaned from reading it is that Darcie spent some money on some ads, which is something many writers don't do. It is interesting that of late I have read advice from marketing experts who are saying buying ads is not the best way to reach potential readers. Hmmmm....
Very interesting. Does make one wonder what direct to go in these days.
Thanks for bringing our attention to this interesting and informative article, Linda! It's always great to hear about the success of another indie author!
Honestly, I don't know whether to laugh or cry ... part of me ... the part that admires the creative process and lauds the hard work of promotion wants to give Darcie a great big kudo for her success ... the other part, the darker, ego-driven, victim-oriented, why-do-others-seem-to-have-all-the-luck whiner wants to strangle her. Sheeeesh ... it tough being an indie author.
The message I gathered from the article was "think outside the box." This cliché is great advice in many cases, as is another: Don't take no for an answer.
Maryann, I don't know about advertising. Maybe it matters how and where one promotes one's work. Advertising and promoting are very similar in nature; however, the application may be somewhat different.
Christopher, thanks again for the chuckle. You dare to say the things that some of us don't dare to say. LOL The key is to turn the negative thoughts into positive ones. Luck can come any day if one keeps writing and doing what he or she can do to market.
I hear a lot about posting on Facebook and tweeting on Twitter to boost book sales. As a person who does neither, I have to wonder if, indeed, there is something to these things. Now we have Pinterest, and non-techies like me shudder at the very suggestion of using yet another unfamiliar tool. Yet, others have enjoyed great success by utilizing them. Adjusting the mindset to embrace such technological wonders indicates that thinking outside the box may be easier than acting outside the box.
You're so right, LD Masterson, when you note the confusion about which path is most likely to lead to success.
Quite interesting. I'm at a loss too.
This was a wonderful article and completely inspiring! Thank you for sharing. :) Have a great weekend.
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