Articles on developing an Internet presence

Joined : 17 Jan 2008 Posts : 17 Location : Indiana

Coincidently, I just posted the following in one of the other marketing threads. I don't know if this will help answer some of the questions raised here or not, but ...

For me marketing is an on-going process, but I concentrate on Internet marketing/sales and connections. I consider anything I sell locally via bookstores sales or signings as icing on the cake. Our local B&N keeps it in stock but if I depended only on them and the other independent shops to stock my books, I'd go nuts trying.

I read an interesting--no, sobering statistic this week:

Of the 1.2 million titles tracked by Bookscan in 2006, only 2.1% sold more than 5,000 books, 16.6% sold fewer than 1,000, and a terrifying 79.6% sold fewer than 99 copies.

SILENCED CRY was released in late April 2007. I sold close to 100 books between May - December 2007, at 3 book signings and to local people who contacted me the week before Christmas to purchase copies as presents. Additionally, I've received a royalty check each quarter for online and other bookstore sales.

Within the first 6 months after the book's release, my sales were well within the 16.6%; my publisher agrees I'm having above average sales. My only reason for mentioning this is to point out that it is doable for an author to achieve a level of sucess in marketing his/her own book.
It's not a streak of luck, it's work and I focus 90% of my efforts on maintaining an Internet presence.

All six-parts to the series of articles on developing an Internet presence are completed and posted on my web. If you're interested, you'll find them and other articles on my website under the link titled, "Author to Author" at www.martastephens-author.com. One of these articles discusses virtual book tours and no, they don't all involve PR firms that charge an arm and a leg. And yes, they can be successful. I was reaping the benefits of it several months later.

The question remains, how do you balance the time spent between writing and marketing? Very carefully, but a great deal depends on where you're at on the writing. If the book is done. Then marketing/promoting efforts need to take center stage.
_________________
Marta Stephens
Author of the Sam Harper Crime Mystery Series
SILENCED CRY 2007
THE BLACK PEARL coming Fall 2008 from BeWrite Books (UK)
www.martastephens-author.com
http://www.murderby4.blogspot.com/