Bridge Over the Murky Waters of Marketing

Ever get the feeling that you have come to the party just a bit too late? The crowd has thinned out, there's no longer a buzz in the air, and just a few people are left milling about? That's been my relationship with social media.

For as long as it has existed, I’ve avoided it like the plague that I think it can be. But now as a self-published author of my first children's book, I cannot resist it any longer. These days, it is the bedrock of marketing and selling a product. As a frustrated neophyte, I am struggling to learn and manage even the basic nuances. I often find myself feeling as though I am left standing in the middle of the party when everyone’s grabbed their coats, they’re ready to leave and the cleaning crew has come in.

I have loved storytelling for as long as I can remember. Listening to family folklore and seeing stories etched and sewn into fabric as quilts, I understood who I was and from whence I’d come. Writing came later, more or less as a hobby, but then became a means of self-discovery and survival via journaling. I have only ever taken one creative writing class: the actual writing and editing were fairly simple. But once it was all finished and tidied up in a neat manuscript ready for consumption by eyes other than my own, well that was a completely different story in itself. It is the selling of the finished product (and essentially yourself) that is hard!

Taking “your baby”, this idea conceived in your heart and mind, nursed and nurtured to fruition, and releasing it out in to world feels a bit like the panic of your child’s first day of kindergarten or worse, that first parent teacher conference where you learn your darling little genius isn’t at the head of the class. Sandwiched between anxiety and anticipation is a lot of self-talk, primarily to remind myself that no matter what, in no way does anything minimize or negate my efforts.

Thankfully my “firstborn”, The Adventures of the Bureau of the Missing Socks, an

illustrated storybook received wonderful reviews across a broad swath of age

groups. Parents and grandparents were especially drawn to it, which translated

into decent sales throughout the first year in publication, with some seasonal

spikes. Admittedly, there was a lot of face to face, feet on the street advertising,

with some blips from social media. But mostly the movement of sales came from

good, old-fashioned word of mouth. Apparently, this is not uncommon with first

outings in self-publishing.

Once published, your "baby" is now competing with every book in its genre/age

category there is and ever was. Enter the wildebeest of marketing! Getting people

to even consider your book is worth a glance, let alone a read, is a particularly

cumbersome dance for any first-time author. It requires not only knowing the steps,

but the social graces of the culture of the publishing world.

As an unknown amongst the unknowns, the list of people you need to know and

who need to know you is lengthy; librarians, booksellers, bookstores and every

sort of vendor in between. Then there is keeping up with the various and

ever-changing social media platforms. It is enough to make your head spin faster

than Regan McNeil’s (a lá The Exorcist)! Pitching your book to an agent/publishing house can be even more nightmarish and requires an incredibly strong constitution of will and perhaps a novena or two.

Marketing, and it's not so distant cousin public relations, which brings awareness that your book actually exists, are major hurdles, as first line purchasers, librarians and booksellers are not keen on self-published authors. Even the simple “meet the author” can be hard to come by. Book fairs are even less friendly. Access to a coveted table space is often fraught with a registration process that seems to close almost as soon it opens, kind of like one of those radio dial-in lotteries for concert tickets that opens at 8:00 am. Everybody is dialed in at 7:59 am with all but the last digit of the phone number, only to find out you were the 36th caller and precisely at 8:01 am registration closed because they were only taking 35 callers. Surprise! There are no more slots available followed by “leave your contact information and we’ll be in touch” if anyone cancels. 

Absent an agent, getting exposure in public forums has been a lot like trying to pledge a sorority without being invited to the Rush party. And like sororities and fraternities, the book business seems somewhat cliquish. There is a fair amount of surreptitiousness regarding who is included or chosen from what appears to be a very select guest list.

Then there is the very humbling, groveling of asking to leave free copies of your book at libraries and bookstores to consider my book in their review process as a candidate for a “meet the author” session, whereby parents might express interest or render a review or critique. As soon as I mention the dreaded “I am self-published”, I am met with a disapproving scowl accompanied by the dismissive “let me speak to my manager”. While some have appeased me by listening to my carefully scripted pitch and reluctantly accepting my book, it is frequently coupled with a hollow promise to get back to me. There is almost never a call back and if there is, it’s a very emphatic “hard pass!”, minus any instructive or informative feedback. Bookstores are far less gracious as it is all about sales and what sells is what’s popular, which is driven by the PR teams and agents of the well-known established publishing houses. For the self-published author, it all leads back to social media and mastering the art of self-promotion.

There are a number of resources such as virtual forums for networking  and content ratings specific to self-publishing that have proven quite useful. But I must admit my initial experience was stuttering and clumsy but for the most part, it was met with genuine collegiality. However, there was also the uncalled-for dismissive disregard and gladiatorial attempts at mocking that left me with a ping of “WTF!” But I surmised rather quickly, these platforms are full of trolls spewing their misery and discontent. With strategic filtering, I simply directed myself to more insightful and instructive information. Now when I broach the virtual world, I think of Steven Sondheim’s "Into the Woods" and I am reminded to choose my words and paths wisely, for they now will live in the land of perpetuity.

Self-publishing books is much like having a sole proprietorship. You are a writer, agent and publicist. While I have always had great admiration and respect for small businesspeople, my venture into self-publishing has raised that to new heights. A skillful marketing strategy is paramount in getting readers and building a fan base. That said, social media content messaging with an artful pitch in an effort to grab even just a tiny sliver of an all-ready saturated field is a helluva challenge! I have found that as soon as I master a skill, there are three new ones I need to learn.

Boomers like me grew up in a more tactile world and face-to-face interactions, when a handshake and literally your word mattered, and a transactional turnaround time of a few days was considered fast. Today, the frequency and rapidity that is necessary to establish and maintain relevance is dizzying.  In the past a simple, clever play on words or a succinct, witty phrase was all one needed in their marketing tool chest, as a sure-fire way to grab your audience’s attention and capture their loyalty. But now audiences span the globe and it’s all about the visuals, timing and expediency.

Advanced capabilities in technology and social media have no doubt made self-publishing more mainstream and accessible, putting it in the same room, if not yet at the same table, with traditional publishing. Social media is an excellent gateway to reach and connect islands of potential markets. So, I have not turned my nose up at all of social media.

I approached the writing of my first book with great zeal but also a hefty dose

of arrogance that was quickly doused by the humility of the hustle of marketing.

Although the last eighteen months have been challenging, it was also instructive

and remarkably fulfilling. Because I love the art of storytelling and believe in the

transformative power of words, I am committed to this journey, and I have not

yet abandoned the idea of self-publishing.

Going forward I wrangle my distrust and phobia of social media, recognizing

a good deal of the source of my trepidation is rooted in lack of knowledge and

not that I am not good enough to be a successful writer. I simply need to

educate myself. 

So dispersing any notion of bestselling fame and instead writing for the sheer pleasure of doing so, I will arm myself with as much knowledge as I can and avail myself to every resource possible to quell those pesky inner voices of self-doubt that whisper why bother?, and plow ahead with a clearer vision of what I need to do and the confidence that I will be one step closer to my definition of success.

For now, I am just crossing one bridge at a time!