Self-Publishing Goons: Yep, people buy it!

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Self-Publishing Goons: Yep, people buy it!

Exmond: May 31, 2007; Writing is fun!

Bardeh posted:

This:

is just a bad cover. It would be bad in any genre. It looks like he threw it together in 20 minutes.

Err, I don't self-publish, but I do read a bunch.

If I was browsing Amazon and saw that cover, I would just gloss over it and not give it the time of day.

# ¿ Apr 19, 2018 17:03

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 11:44

Exmond: May 31, 2007; Writing is fun!

SurreptitiousMuffin posted:

Got my first self-pubbed novel going up for sale later this week and I'm just a nervous wreck.

I imagine it gets easier with time but like, how do you deal with it initially? I've got to be marketing and promoting and selling myself and instead I'm spending 50% of my mental energy just trying to stop my eyelid from twitching.

Set your expectations accordingly and have a support group there for you or, treat it like Thunderdome.

Link your book once it is out!

Exmond fucked around with this message at 20:09 on Oct 9, 2019

# ¿ Oct 9, 2019 18:33

Exmond: May 31, 2007; Writing is fun!

feedmyleg posted:

I'm in the same boat. My first book launches on the 18th and I'm going to be a mess for the next month I'm sure. SurreptitiousMuffin (or anyone else!) if you're up for a review swap I'd be happy to send an ARC, just PM me.

I'm going through my release checklist now and finishing up my marketing materials. Does anyone have any thoughts on my front cover:

Or my (somewhat revised) blurb:

Or my trailer (aka the ad I'll be running on Facebook et al):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SDduJFp40w

Or my website?

I'm putting together a Facebook campaign right now for a pretty decent spend, and I'm looking into BookBub and the other similar services mentioned in this thread. I'm also slowly putting together a social presence but I'm not expecting much out of it because I'm awful at social media. I've decided that $3.99 was the sweet-spot between "this is cheap enough to take a risk on" and "this book is expensive enough that it might be good" but I'm open to thoughts on other price points.

Since I'm a hobbyist and it's my first book, my real goal is going to be to get as many people as possible to read it, rather than try to make any money on it�or even to stay in the black. Does anyone have any tips on just casting as wide a net as possible?

Whoa, that's an amazing amount of effort dude and everything looks professional! I preordered your book, good luck!

# ¿ Oct 16, 2019 17:12

Exmond: May 31, 2007; Writing is fun!

Burkion posted:

They wouldn't care either way.

it's why you can have a McDonald or whatever

I beleive there are other reasons why you can use the name McDonald.

McDonald means Son of Donald.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_name

It comes waaaay before McDonalds the company. That would be like trying to copyright the word space marine!

# ¿ Oct 17, 2019 22:43

Exmond: May 31, 2007; Writing is fun!

feedmyleg posted:

Well, that's the thing, though: I'm not trying to make money. I'm just trying to get anyone at all to click that Buy button and read it. I'm happy to be in the red on this thing, but my $60 customer yesterday did not instill confidence that I can do that in anything resembling a sustainable way.

I think what you have is extraordinarily good, and that what you are struggling with is just a sign of the times. It's hard to get people interested in reading, and even harder to ask them to try out your first book.

Keep at it, someone once told me the best marketing for your book, is writing your next book.

# ¿ Oct 29, 2019 21:20

Exmond: May 31, 2007; Writing is fun!

Scooty Puff Jr. posted:

Wondering if anyone else has taken to posting their short stories on itch.io?

I recently moved my only self-pub short story there because I was having major issues with Kindle payouts - no matter what I did my bank acct info wasn't accepted - and I have been getting into the indie rpg scene on itch.io so I thought I'd try posting it there and I'm liking how much control I have and how directly I can track engagement.

Just curious if anyone else is on that train. Apologies if this has come up recently, I literally haven't logged onto this site in a decade.

I have had success taking my short stories and sending them to magazines. https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/ is a great site, I heard duotrope is also useful (But you have to pay?)

# ¿ Nov 19, 2019 18:55

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# ¿ Apr 26, 2024 11:44

Exmond: May 31, 2007; Writing is fun!

Burkion posted:

Paul Wainwright is dying. Nearing thirty, he�s got nothing to his name except lung-cancer, PTSD from the Korean War, and a one-way ticket to Point Hope, Alaska. Piloting for an oil-baron in middle of nowhere isn�t exciting work, but there�s not much else for a war vet to do in 1956. Point Hope was supposed to have both $NOUNS. Instead, it has a $DANGERS.

Paul must choose what to do with his dwindling time and health. The end looms, and Paul alone will decide how he faces it.

I'm no self pubber, so I think everyone else's advice takes precedence over mine.

I like the starting sentence. It would be neat if Paul had some stakes or something he can lose.

# ¿ Dec 20, 2019 18:24

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > Creative Convention > Self-Publishing Goons: Yep, people buy it!