Hello and welcome to The Novelist Game Plan. The Novelist Game Plan is a podcast where if you desire true success as an author then intentionally marketing your book is crucial.
What does success even mean?
Success, as seen by many authors, is the J.K. Rowlings, Stephen Kings, and J.R.R. Martins of the famous authors guild. They are household names with perceived insta-fame, multiple traditionally published novels, and possibly a movie or TV deal.
From the outside, it does look like some authors do get-it-all quickly. But that is rarely true, even for the authors listed above they worked very hard to get where they are today.
Twelve publishers rejected Rowling before she landed a deal with Bloomsbury for the first Harry Potter book.
King worked various jobs to support his family and wrote short stories for Playboy before getting his first book published by Doubleday.
As big and famous as they are, they don’t rely solely on their agent, PR person (if they have one), or publisher to market their books or their brand. Don’t be afraid of that word: Brand. No, Rowling, King, Martin, and many of the authors you love and admire also do some of their own marketing.
So if that is not success, then what is?
For each author, that can vary. From a certain dollar amount in book sales or a long sought after award to a single glowing review of their hard work, success truly is in the eye of the writer, er beholder.
In The Novelist Game Plan podcast, I want to hear from authors in the trenches on what was their moment of success. When did they go from feeling frustrated and like they can’t do it to ‘I did it! I’m there!’?
But, I also want to explore past that measure of success to:
- How did they accomplish their goals?
- What tools, apps, steps, etc. did they use?
- What mistakes did they make and how did they learn from them?
- And more.
Who am I to talk about success?
At this point, you might be asking yourself: Who is this person to think she can tell us how to market our book? What are her qualifications? Has she even published a book?
Nobody, none, and no. I will be the first to tell you that I have zero qualifications. I’m not trying to pull the wool over your eyes.
Simply put, I’m curious. I’m frustrated. I’m confused. How’s that for an admission?
Let’s start at the beginning. I haven’t published a novel. Am I a writer? Yes. Yes, I am. But, I find myself always looking forward to marketing and publishing. Reading about it in articles, in books, and on blogs. I’ve signed up to websites that offer courses on the subject. Are they worth it? Do any of them even work?
I’ve watched friends publish their first novels and then struggle with gaining traction. Their novels are well-written, fun, entertaining, and contain fascinating stories. Why are they not snatched up by a publisher or have fans writing gushing reviews?
And I can’t help but wonder, how do others who’ve gained a measure of success reach readers and get them to pick up their book?
That, in a nutshell, is how and why this podcast was conceived. It grew from a desire to push aside the chaos and see a clear path from a finished novel to that novel in the hands of readers.
Join me on this journey to learn from authors and industry professionals on how to navigate the publishing and marketing pitfalls.