Crash and Burn

Not everything one tries works out. Sometimes nothing one tries works out. You still gotta keep trying things, though.

So, I actually went to my Canva account to create another Instagram post, but I got sucked into looking at video templates. I created my TikTok account a week or two ago and have never gone back (because I hate it ~ really); but yesterday I thought, well, damn; how hard can it be to make a book video? As it turns out, making a video isn't hard; posting it is hard. Not the actual uploading, but tagging it properly and linking it to my book (which is not allowed, but I could ask people to copy and paste the destination that I spelled out into their browser), and then the default apparently is that the video can only be viewed by me, which is stupid. Why would anyone want that? So I kept changing it and it kept changing back, so I have no idea if anyone besides me can see it. (It's been a few hours now, and my video still has no views.)

I also found that following people on TikTok hasn't helped the algorithm know what I want to see, which is supposed to be this amazing innovation that works in a flash. As soon as I logged on, it showed me a bunch of cr@p that I am not the least bit interested in, and none of the content I'd like to see. Honestly, I'm missing the allure of TikTok, and I've always been an early tech adopter.

My second crash and burn was sending out my newsletter. (I know; I swore I'd never do it again.) The impetus this time was a special promo I'm participating in, which requires authors to do their part in promoting. (Apparently paying for the promo isn't enough.) It was suggested that in addition to social media posts, we include it in our newsletters. (Oh, and the site demands proof of our efforts - geeeeez.) So, being the obedient sort, I sent out my newsletter yesterday. I (naturally) didn't have much to say, but I did tout my own giveaway ~ 3 digital copies and 2 paperback copies of my novel. Not a single person entered. One person did unsubscribe, though. See why I stopped this mortifying practice? 

Then, my half-joking idea of subscribing to country music accounts on social media and plugging my novel in their posts resulted in one timid effort on my part. One of the accounts wished Reba McEntire a happy birthday, and I commented how nice that was....and that I based one of the supporting characters in my novel on her (shrug). I didn't link my book or even mention the title, because the whole idea makes me a bit queasy, and that idea is about as effective as sending out a newsletter.

I'm pretty sure I'm running out of promotional ideas. And interest. And patience. Soon it'll be time to take a break. That is probably just as effective. 

 

 

Creative Marketing Ideas Needed

I wonder if I could hire Sterling Cooper. Granted, most of their ad ideas weren't good, but at least they had ideas.

I've tried brainstorming. My novel is about a woman navigating Big Music (for wont of a better term), and generally making a mess of things. Really, all that saves her at first is her acquaintance with an older superstar and her own natural instincts. It's when she follows the record label's plans that things go badly.

So, market to country music outlets? How would that be done, exactly? I don't know if I should start following some big acts (female acts) on social media, and casually drop hints about my novel in the comments, which seems really cheesy, to be honest. And too blatant. Or perhaps I should find out which country music websites are popular and follow them instead (and again go with the cheesy hints about my novel). "Funny you should post about that. My novel, Running From Herself, which follows newly-signed singer Leah Branch as she navigates the Nashville music world, includes an eerily similar circumstance, in which she..." and then follow my comment up with the Buy link. 😉

I asked AI for ideas, and unlike Sterling Cooper, its ideas are fine, but they're not exactly doable:

Leverage Music Platforms: Since your novel centers on a singer, target music enthusiasts. Collaborate with local musicians or bands to promote your book at their events. Create playlists inspired by the book's themes and characters, and share them on Spotify or Apple Music.

"Hey, guys, while you're on break, mind if I commandeer the mic and read some passages from my novel?"

(Also, I already did create a Spotify playlist, and I'm not smart like AI.)

Social Media Campaigns: Build a presence on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Share snippets of your novel, highlight quotes, and post engaging content like "behind-the-scenes" inspiration for your characters. A reel or short video introducing the protagonist's journey could resonate well.

Well, like what, exactly? I did post a pseudo-contest, asking people to guess who the real-life inspiration was for the Paula Barnes character, but nobody wanted to play.

Book and Music Hybrid Events: Organize a launch party or reading with live music performances. This could tie into your book’s theme and attract both readers and music lovers.

Ah, yes! I think I'll hire either George Strait or Reba McEntire. I don't have a backyard, per se, and can't afford to book a venue, but my kitchen/dining room might work.

Collaborations: Partner with influencers or bloggers in both the book and music worlds. For example, music critics who also enjoy novels could help amplify your reach.

Is there a list of those somewhere?

Soundtrack for Your Novel: Create or commission a fictional soundtrack for your book. Readers love immersive experiences, and music can help bring your story to life. You could even release songs as part of the marketing.

Oh. How long will that take? Five minutes, tops? I mean, sure, someone (who would be me) would need to write the songs; then I'd need a backing band and a singer (who I guess would again be me) and a producer. Then someone (me) would have to pay to distribute the soundtrack. Totally doable.

Pitch the Story to Podcasts: Many podcasts focus on books, music, or both. Share insights about your novel's creation and the music industry's role in it.

Hmmm. Could I hire a stand-in for those elusive podcast appearances? I don't do performances; I don't even make videos with myself in them.

Exclusive Content: Offer limited-edition bundles with the book, such as lyric prints (related to your singer character), bookmarks shaped like musical notes, or other themed merchandise.

Cute, but requires money. And really, swag doesn't sell books.

Engage with Local Communities: Work with bookstores and libraries, especially in communities known for their music scene. Host workshops or discussions about writing and music.

Minneapolis is definitely known for its music scene. Unfortunately, that scene doesn't involve country. Host workshops? LOL, cool.

The bottom line is, when suggestions are unrealistic, that's a good indication that there are no good suggestions to be had. I'm pretty much screwed in the "outside the box" category.

I guess I can still make a book trailer, but book trailers are about as effective as book swag (although I could at least make one for free).

There must be an answer, mustn't there? Maybe not. Maybe my brain hurts now from pondering it, and it's time to stop.

 
 

I Think Indie Minnesota Got Tired of Me

When I submitted Running From Herself to Indie MN, I received a very welcoming email, informing me that my novel was now available through all the state's participating libraries. Nice! And having nothing else to do that wouldn't cost me money, I took advantage of their offer to submit as many of my works to them as I chose. I've so far submitted just three more (probably my three best), but I've gotten no acknowledgement, and now I'm wondering if I'm imposing on them. "Oh, for God's sake; it's her again!"

Well, sorry I don't have just one book, and you invited me in the first place! What's so bad about being prolific? Now I want to upload all my books, just for spite. (I won't.) I suppose I'm just hungering for recognition, and even that "welcome" email was more than I've gotten since I published. 

Strangely, though, I somehow sold eleven copies on April 2, and I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out the catalyst for that. I did have an eReader Cafe ninety-nine cent ad, which must have enticed those buyers, because while my BookBub ad was also running that day, I already know that was a colossal bust. 

Overall, I've sold 23 copies of Running From Herself ~ again, don't know how, because my individual promotion results aren't adding up to that number ~ but I suppose some of those sales could have come from social media (LOL). I have zero Amazon reviews. For someone who's written a really good novel, I'm pretty much an utter failure.

One thing I did today that had occurred to me before, but fell out of my brain before I could act on it, was to update my blurb to add "Fans of Daisy Jones & the Six will love this deep dive into the inner world of the record business." Never read the book; watched the series, but a little name dropping can't hurt, right? 

So, I keep on keeping on. And I'm giving Indie MN a break ~ for today.

 

So, My Novel is in My State Libraries

 

 

Yes, I'm famous. I generally don't like to brag about that, but sometimes it must be done. My novel, Running From Herself, the literary phenomenon of 2025, is now featured in libraries all across my state.

 

How is that possible, you may ask. Well, I may not possess as much talent as other authors, but I have a lot of persistence (and spare time). As I was researching writing competitions, I ran across something called the Indie Author Project. In a nutshell, what it does is partner with libraries across the country to offer indie books, and if you're lucky enough to live in a partnering state, you can get your book offered by your home state libraries, regardless of whether you win a competition or not. (Win-win for me.) Oh, and entering is FREE.

 

Let's face it; I don't get many wins, so I need to celebrate even the tiny ones. I'm still blushing because AI told me I had written a great story! (Sure, it tells everyone that, but no human has said it to me without wanting something in return.)

 

I kind of hate running out of things to do to promote my work (as much as I hate running out of promotion money), and social media, while free, presents its own issues, like constantly being bothered by someone who asks me question after question about my work and won't get to the point ~ that they want to sell me some kind of service. Right now on X I'm dealing with two of those people simultaneously. I feel like telling them, hey, buy one of my books and then we'll talk. But no. Heaven forbid that I would come across as rude.

 

I do think I'll post something about being in my state's libraries, though. What the heck? I'm running out of ideas for posts. In the meantime, I can submit more of my books to the IAP, which will kill some time, something I have far too much of.

 

 

 

What Have I Been Doing?

Somehow I fell down this rabbit hole of book awards, and I've spent the last couple of days mostly trying to figure out which ones are legit and which are scams. Sometimes, but not always, it's easy to tell the difference from viewing their websites, so I'm now relying on trusted sources to tell me, such as ALLI and Reedsy.

Naturally, scammers loves to prey on creative types; we are ripe for believing in impossible dreams. In fact, we practically beg to be scammed (really). That happened to me with music, and though I'm much savvier now, I still have to hold myself back from jumping into a situation that is just too good to be true, with its promises of renown and (negligible) riches.

So, whether by luck or by scouring websites (I didn't run across any recommendation lists until later), I managed to enter five contests that are legitimate, and the good news is, two of them were free. I doubt that I'll be continuing, mainly because most of the legitimate ones' entry fees are outside my price range. The silly thing about this whole process is that my book won't win anything or even be shortlisted, but I suppose just putting it out there is a baby step forward. It makes me feel like a real author. 

There's also a site called Book Award Pro, which I found via a post on Fussy Librarian's site (I find everything in a roundabout way, it seems). This service has three tiers, one of them free. You enter your book details and it will find competitions and reviewers that match. The free tier, which I chose, requires an author to do her own research, but I was doing that anyway. I wasn't offered any relevant competitions this month, but I did find a book reviewer. 

Other than obsessing over this topic, I did a couple of useless things: I reduced my novel's price to ninety-nine cents for three days in order to run a BookBub ad, which was COMPLETELY USELESS. I didn't get one single click. And this is the site that is supposedly the gold standard. 

While I had my price reduced, I purchased an eReader Cafe ad for April 2. And that's the end of the promo cycle. I'm done. 

I'm doing better at social media marketing (sort of). I've been doing a post a day, for some unknown reason, resulting in the usual engagement by people who want to sell their services, but I just want to feel like I'm still in the game, I suppose.

So, even though I'm no longer writing, I haven't completely given up. The thing is, though, is that I'm running out of disposable income, so it's gonna be social media marketing or nothing from now on. (Probably all the better. I've really wasted my money.)

At some point, I'll detail the things that actually work to move a book. It'll be a very short post. If you want to know what doesn't work, click here. 

Regardless of my multitude of failures, I'll keep on keeping on.

 

 

 

 
 

Not Sure About This Whole Synopsis Thing

 

"A novel synopsis should include: your premise/hook, the overall plot (all of the major plot points), an introduction to your main characters, plot twists and spoilers, and character development arcs." (source)

But it should be no more than 800 words, preferably no more than 500. 

Great. Now, how do I do that?

I know I wrote synopses for the three novels I queried (years ago). but they're gone from my hard drive and any competency I once had has vanished, too. I've started my query for Running From Herself and the word count (so far, mind you) is 1,229 words, and I've barely scratched the surface. 

Clearly, drastic measures need to be taken. I'm not above asking AI to summarize it ~ the words are still mine, after all. My issue is, if I simply cut to the chase, my story is going to come across as nuts.

Here are the bullet points I managed to glom from somewhere when I began writing a synopsis for one of my novellas (for some reason I can't recall; maybe for a book reviewer for asked for one); and if one can adhere to these, a synopsis should theoretically be a piece of cake:

• Status quo
• Inciting incident
• Rising action/Developments
• Crisis
• Resolution

I imagine most stories follow this plot structure; I almost wish mine did. My first inciting incident actually happened before the story begins; then there are a few more incitements and (I suppose) one true crisis, then a long and winding road to get to the resolution. Yikes. I wrote yesterday about kicking back ~ this isn't what I had in mind.

I'll get there. Again, there's no rush. Just my own rush to get it over with. 

 

 

 

Sitting Back

 

I can't say that I miss being part of the game. I'm enjoying my retirement from writing, at least right now. I can sit back and browse Reddit self-pub posts and smile about the issues I used to obsess over ~ formatting a paperback, which promo sites to use, why isn't my book selling? How can it be that some authors sell a thousand copies the first day? (still not sure I believe that one).

It's not just that I'm not writing, but that I am confident I did all I could to sell my final novel, and the fact that it didn't work out doesn't mean I didn't try. Sometimes things just don't work out. I'm in the acceptance phase. 

Now I can work on some peripheral things...or not. I'm still thinking about making a book trailer, and my synopsis for the novel contest is yet to be finished. Really, if I fail to complete either of those things, it doesn't matter.

My author email is busier than ever. I think the promo sites are getting desperate to hear from me, but whatever "special" they're pushing this week means nothing to me, because only one promo site managed to move any copies of my novel, so I'm sure not going to throw more money away. Still, it's nice to have pen pals.  

I no longer feel any self-imposed pressure. No "have-to's". I could post on social media or not, I could check my sales report (but likely not ~ it never changes); there are lots of things I could do, but only if I feel like it.

Freedom can be boring, but it can also be good for my psychic health.