Hang In There!
Thanks, all. I tried not to come into this with unrealistic expectations, but it's hard to feel like my book is sort of . . . disappearing. And the resources for marketing are pretty limited. I can't keep paying for ads. I don't have a blog or a Twitter and even if I made one, it'd just be another thing I have to somehow draw attention to. It doesn't help that I don't really know what it means to be successful as a self-publisher. Should I feel like a success if I sell a hundred books? A thousand? And I have no way to get reviews--I can't do giveaways, because of KDP Select, and I doubt I'd get many reviews out of one anyway. It's my understanding that bloggers and book reviewers just don't do self-published books. So I guess I just have to let book one sink to the bottom of the sea while I work on book two.
I probably need to read the rest of the thread before answering this but I don't want to forget my train of thought at the moment.
As far as success goes, all depends on what your goals are and what your definition of success is. But like most people here have mentioned, self-publishing - or being an author in general - is a marathon, not a sprint. And so right now, while it may seem like your book is sinking (it's not, it just needs to be discovered and for this to happen you have to do more than just look at your author dashboard 10 times a day).
I self-published in 2014 and I had no idea what I was doing then. I still don't, not really, but I knew enough that by the time I released my third book (the first of a series), I knew that along with writing a good book, I had to learn a few things, like choosing the right keywords, the right categories and subcategories for my book, and even tweeting something about my book once a day. Some well-known writers tell you not to tweet about your book or they'll unfollow you (that's their prerogative), but I think some sort of balance is good, and once a day won't kill your reputation. Tweeting 10 times? Probably. I also create quote art which you can do using Canva.com which is free though I use whatever app I have on my phone to create mine and post those on FB, Twitter, or Instagram.
I was struck when you said you didn't have a blog or twitter and that if you did, it would just be something else you'd need to draw attention to. Your book isn't going to sell itself, so you'll probably need to step out of your comfort zone a little bit, and try a few new things. Things will look up, just don't let this slump stop you from writing that sequel.
When you wrote your book, did you have an About the Author page with a link directing the reader to your website or Facebook Page? If you're already on Goodreads and have claimed your book, you can even set up a "blog" there as well, if you don't want to set one up on Wordpress or Blogger or other platforms. If you're wondering what to blog about, write about why you wrote your book? What was the inspiration behind it? What inspired you to create your character? Your villain? Where do you write? If anything, writing about these topics (and others) will jumpstart your enthusiasm about why you wrote your book in the first place. Just don't give up because remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint and you've got people here who can help you, even if it's a virtual hug or a pep talk.
:Hangs head in shame:
