As an independent author-publisher, I have to consider my
career much like any small business owner. Which means as we enter a new year, I
need to look at what has—and has not—been successful in the past.
What didn't work so well in 2013:
·
Sprinting on Facebook – 45 minute sprints in the
big groups proved to be too much of a distraction, and felt more like a
competition than supportive collaboration. I am a steady worker, but not
necessarily speedy, and reporting my measly 300 words in the face of reports of
1000 from other authors left me feeling inadequate and discouraged.
·
Unlimited open chat on Facebook –should be
self-explanatory. I have to treat writing with the same respect I would treat
any job. That means while I’m at “work” I need to work, and not socialize.
·
Facebook Author page ads — toward the end of the
year, FB shifted their “professional”
pages to monetizing ventures. They are a business, and have every right to earn
money from their investment. The ads, while inexpensive, have not generated any
measurable outcome for me. They are particularly restrictive because they cannot
contain adult content.
·
KDP Select – While the promotion was wildly
successful at giving away copies of my books, I think in the long run,
exclusivity hurts an author’s success.
What did work?
·
Sprinting on Facebook. Yes, I know what I said
up there ^ but I found a very small group of writers with whom I can sprint
without feeling self conscious about my slower rate of word production. We
typically work in 15-minute bursts and by tacit agreement, tell each other
‘good job’ at the end of each sprint. It’s affirming and just enough peer
pressure to be effective. Interestingly, the word count was very nearly
identical, whether I sprinted for 45 or for 15 minutes.
·
Working on a variety of genres. This one is a
mixed blessing. It’s hard to become an established name in any genre, let alone
three or four. Still, I think my writing remains fresher by switching things
up.
·
Setting deadlines with my editor. It gives me a
focus. I like having the mini deadlines that come with setting up a project in
Scrivener, too.
·
Hiring professionals to do some of the work. Of
course, that comes with making enough money to pay for said help. Let’s just
say that’s a work in progress.
So what will I do in 2014?
·
Plan better. I have three calendar-type
applications that work together: ToodleDo, 2Do, and BusyCal. I am working my
way through planning the year, making sure my “must” writes stay in the front
of my schedule before I chase any new shinies. After plugging in all the planned
release dates, I can look to see where there is wiggle room before I commit to
anything new.
·
Smart Marketing and Promo. I have never been
very good at promo and definitely never enjoyed it. And unless you have a
significant backlist, there isn't much benefit to blog tours. I believe a
writer’s time is better spent writing and releasing more books at the beginning
of a career. I always saw a boost in my backlist with every new release. Now I
have thirty-plus books on my backlist, so the time feels right to work on
increasing my name recognition in particular genres. What do I mean by Smart
Marketing? For example, when you have a new release in a series, try making the
first book free, use paid advertising and blogs to spread the word about the
free book. That’s how you get the word out to new readers. Your faithful fans
will buy the final book, but endless promo of the finale to people who have
never read the first book feels like a wasted effort. Market Smarter, because
it’s a stinky job.
·
Establish new goals. I’m a big believer in
giving myself a reasonably challenging target. I really wanted to get to 100k
books sold at Amazon before the end of the 2013. I hit that target in mid-October.
Now I need to consider another challenge—one that my promotion and writing
plans will support. Is it to be a USA Today Best Seller? Have a book hit #1 on
Amazon Kindle? Double this year’s sales? Make six-figures? I haven’t decided
yet, but you can be sure once I decide, my attention will focus on achieving
that goal.
Those are a few of the changes I’m implementing in the
coming year. How about you? What’s your best productivity tip and how will you
leverage that tip into a more successful 2014?
Bio:
Laura Harner is a multi-published author of MM, MF, and ménage erotic
romance—suspense included, no extra charge. Her next release is Firestorm, book
one in the Pulp Friction 2014 Collection. Laura became a full-time writer in
2012, and now she spends her time writing, watching her Arizona Diamondbacks,
and working on her very own version of the Willow Springs Ranch in northwestern
Arizona. Her books can be found at all major online retailers
