Are any of you old enough to remember the Donny and Marie Show? She'd sing, "I'm a little bit country." He'd sing, "I'm a little bit rock-n-roll." Fellow Word-Whore Jeffe and I have some of the same thing going on. Only we're comfortably certain no one wants us to sing. You see, Jeffe and I each have a story in a brand new, two volume sword and sorcery anthology edited by former Word-Whore James Ray Tuck Jr called THUNDER ON THE BATTLE FIELD. Volume one is titled SWORD. Volume two is titled SORCERY. This brings us back to the Donny and Marie shtick. I'm a little bit sword. (My story, Emissary, is in volume one.) Jeffe's a little bit sorcery. (Her story, Negotiation, is in volume two.) The anthology is out in e-format only for the moment. Print copies are due at the end of the month.
Thunder on the Battlefield: Sword
Kindle version: http://www.amazon.com/
Nook version: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
Thunder on the Battlefield: Sorcery
Kindle version: http://www.amazon.com/
Nook verison: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/
ON TO THE MARKETING ADVICE!!!
The most outrageous marketing scheme I have to offer may lie in the fact that I'm attempting to offer any kind of marketing advice whatsoever. Witty or elegant marketing is not notable among my achievements. Also? Unless you can prove your marketing actually resulted in sales? It's not marketing, it's flailing.
So. My Most Outrageous Marketing Suggestion: Relax. It doesn't matter who you are or how closely you orbit the bright, shining center of the publishing galaxy. Take a deep breath and slow down the pace on that 'seeking SEO' treadmill.
I know. I know. This runs counter to all of the panicked WEBSITE! BLOG!TWITTERFACEBOOKPINTERISTINSTATUMBwhatever the hell is next hysteria. Any number of people will espouse their preferred poison and tell you why their particular combo of social media blitzing is the must-have marketing snake oil du jour. Of course you can drink the snake oil if you want! Just approach it the way you'd hope to survive ingesting arsenic - in tiny initial doses.
No need to chug that stuff until you find out whether or not you even like the taste. Therein lies the kernel of madness in the method I suggest.
Dabble in all the things. Make it experimental. Play. Find out what's fun. You're going to find things that aren't. Guaranteed. The point to all of my relax advice boils down to what your mama's been telling you since you were in grade school: Be yourself.
Wait. Let's tack another one there. Be yourself. AND: If it's not fun, don't do it.
Why?
Because if you aren't having fun, it shows as a lack of spark - passion. Where we lack passion, we lack conviction. Where we lack conviction, we hesitate. Common wisdom has it that he who hesitates is lost, ergo, if you lack passion for your social media/marketing schtick, you're lost. I offer my meager personal blogging attempts as graphic proof.
Thus, my brilliant, outrageous suggestion to relax. I'm not asking you to forego marketing completely. You shouldn't. But maybe reframe 'marketing'. Instead of thinking of elbowing your way out there into the world, consider inviting the rest of the world into your life for a cup of tea and a look around your version of reality. Do it because you're having fun, because you're being true to who and what you are.
"Because if you aren't having fun, it shows as a lack of spark - passion. Where we lack passion, we lack conviction. Where we lack conviction, we hesitate. Common wisdom has it that he who hesitates is lost, ergo, if you lack passion for your social media/marketing schtick, you're lost." - This. It's Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteWhich probably explains why Twitter is such a trial for me. I can't find the passion in 140 character spurts. =o)
heh heh heh - you said "spurts." :D
DeleteExcellent post, Marcella. Can I put Jameson in my tea?
~skips off humming "I'm a little bit country..."~
For you, I'd even brew coffee to go with that Jameson. :D
DeleteYou know, B.E. - it's daily blogging for me. Twitter is fun. Tumblr is fun. FB, too. But actual blogging? Every day? My record proves I suck a that - probably because the mere thought of it sucks the life out of me. Whereas Jeffe clearly takes joy in blogging every day. I wanted it to be fun. I really did.
Though I backed off to two days/week, to accommodate all the guest blogging. But you're right - I do like having that outlet for my thoughts.
DeleteEnjoyed the post, best wishes to you and Jeffe on the books...definitely agree with you - if it isn't fun, it isn't going to work too well, as far as marketing!
ReplyDelete