I've spent the past two days trying to improve my author presence on the internet. It's all a part of 'marketing' and 'author platform building'. Erg. Just saying those things make me sick.
As with most people, I'm terrified of putting myself out there and asking, "Hey, could you look at me, please?" People who know me know that I don't really have a problem talking about my book in real life. I've wrangled practically everyone I know into reading it. (If I haven't asked you and you're interested, just let me know!) I actually feel bad about how much I talk about it, so I've tried to cut back.
On the net, however, I don't feel comfortable seeking out readers. It's not that I have a problem talking. I doubt very many people will actually read this post, but I'm writing it anyway. I just don't know how to sell my book. I've only just figured out an acceptable jacket copy--the little blurb that usually goes on the back of the book or the inside flap. Though funnily enough I have no intention of putting it on the actual book jacket. A lack of jacket copy had made setting up professional pages for my book a little difficult, since all I was able to post was the cover and title. This problem has been fixed and information on my book can now be found in a few places:
- Under the My Fiction tap at the top of this blog
- On Goodreads.com, where I finally managed to get my Goodreads Author status working properly.
- On Inkpop.com, where I've also uploaded the first four chapters of the book for previewing/reviewing purposes. The first chapter is on Goodreads, as well, but it's so much easier to view on Inkpop.
Tied into my presence on these sites, I've also set up an author fan page on Facebook. The little 'like' button on the right there lets you add me to your feed. I use Facebook regularly and have always posted my blog updates for my friends. I will also use my author page as a way to share information and make announcements. I know everyone is flocking to Twitter these days, but I have to admit that I don't get it. I can barely wrap my head around Tumblr (got one of those, too, but it's fairly useless). I know that makes me sound like an octogenarian, but I don't care. If I get super (or even mildly) popular and there is a request for a Twitter feed, then I guess I'll get one, but in the meantime...
One big thing I've been avoiding on the whole book launch front is diving into the world of Kindle. I just need to get over this stigma I feel against Amazon. Their policies just irk me. They're my Wal-Mart. But this is no place for a soap box lecture. I've made my Kindle Direct Publishing account and I'll get used to using it. The next step after that would be chatting people up on Kindleboards and Nookboards. Let me tell you, I'm totally looking forward to that. Ug.
All right, that's enough ranting for the day. I've worked myself into a bit of a depression, so I need to stop. I need to find a new book to read. Something light and happy. Any suggestions?
