Marketing-What works for you?

I love to write. I hate to market.

I admit it, I could easily be a hermit. Heck, I'm already half-way there as it is. The best day is one where I don't have to leave home. I can write, spend time with my animals, go for a walk in the woods, clean the barn, lug some straw and hay...there's always something to do on a farm. When I do go to work, it's part-time on a goat farm where I spend more time with the animals than the people. Ahhh, the good life. :-)

So, what I'm getting at is that for me writing is the easy part of the equation. When it comes to marketing my books..."What do you mean I have to talk to people? Interact with them on a regular basis. Oh, no." (picture me clutching my head in my hands and shaking it).

Okay, I'm exaggerating slightly, but the truth is just as hard to take. Where do you begin? What even works these days. So many avenues are available that it's mind boggling to even figure out where to spend your time and money. EVERYONE seems to be sending out e-mail blasts, newsletters, etc. I think it's been overdone to death and people are fed up with receiving so many e-mails in the course of a day that they end up deleting a lot of them unread. Newspaper advertising might work locally, but that's not where you'll make your money. Google ads, facebook ads, social sites everywhere you look. Yahoo and google writing groups, but from what I can see everyone else is there to sell their books, as well. Yikes, it's mind boggling.

As every other published author who'd like to see their book sales soar, I've spent money, time, energy, and done a ton of research with minor results. So what really works?

Here is a very interesting link that deals quite succinctly with marketing and promotion

www.freepublicitygroup.com/marketing_manifesto.html

So, why not share what works for you and your books.

Have a great day,
Catherine