Tag: promotion

Write, Promote, Hone

~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ Leave a comment

Being an independent author is a juggling act trying to balance creative writing, publishing, networking and marketing.

After completing and launching my last book it was time to switch to promotion-mode and I’ve spent the past month trying new marketing methods.

With my first four books I set a schedule of publishing a new book in the series every six months, leaving very little time for promotion. I felt harried much of the time and decided not to push myself with the current series. My goal was to relieve my stress levels, but in doing so I had a chance to catch my breath and see something else I had been overlooking in my urgency to publish: I had not taken the time to hone my craft.  Rather than a regimen of write, publish, promote, I should be spending time honing my craft as a very vital step. The schedule should be hone, write, hone, publish, hone, promote, hone, etc.

Taking time to study and research writing craft is essential if I hope to grow as a writer, not just amass a high number of books.

To that end, I have been reviewing some of my favorite writing texts and have found they mean more to me now that I have written a few books than they ever did before. The guidance is more real to me. I can compare the principals to my existing works, seeing where I could have improved, and I am excited to apply what I’m learning to my current work in progress.

With the accessibility of independent publishing it is tempting to shortcut the process and shortchange ourselves as maturing authors.

In this burgeoning and competitive field, I believe it will be the excellent craftsmen and women who succeed in the long run; not simply the ones with the most books or the most hits on Twitter.

Pulling back the curtain

~ Jonna Hawker Turek ~ Leave a comment

Like many new independent authors, I was naive about the publishing and marketing world. I believed when an author wrote a book, if it was published and got good reviews, it meant success was right around the corner. (Great American novel…or at least great american cozy, here I come!)

After publishing four novels, all getting pretty decent reviews, and finally dipping my toe into promotion and marketing, my fantasy bubble has well and truly burst.

While there are a few lucky authors whose writing careers took off the way I’d ignorantly imagined, most of us must scramble frantically simply to get our books noticed and begin to build a reader base.

I was surprised when I learned of some of the ways being used to get reviews and push good ones to the top of the list. I had foolishly assumed after the first few reviews from the author’s friends and family, all the rest were authentically from readers who cared enough about a book to post a critique.

Imagine my dismay to read a nasty “revenge” review of a friend’s book, after she had given an honest, but unflattering review of another author’s work. Who does that?

Loss of innocence can be a painful experience, but usually one which leads to  greater wisdom and maturity.

I’m looking ahead with eyes more widely open than before, but with hopes and dreams intact, as I learn to swim in the turbulent waters of the independent author.