I used Readsy for the cover of my latest novel, and I’m considering using their marketing services to find help. Has anyone else outsourced their marketing?
Thoughts and opinions wanted.
Thoughts and opinions wanted.
Hiring a marketeer?
- Thread starter indianroads
- Start date
Never heard of Readsy or if so the name didn't stick around in my memory. I wouldn't call it outsourcing but I do use a PA for FB marketing. This is the norm for most authors, having PAs or VAs. Other than that I do my own marketing and promotion in terms of running ads and everything. I see no need to pay for anything beyond a PA in my opinion.
Thanks -
Wouldn't getting someone that knows how Amazon's marketing engine works be better? Then there's review sites... Facebook... Instagram... and the universe of Twits.
I don't know anything about any of that. I can build a website (I have one), I've tried advertising on Facebook... anyway, as far as marketing is concerned I'm completely out of my element.
Before you hire anyone, I would suggest you figure out what your end goal is. Higher visibility via social media? Effective advertising? Use that to guide your choice of whom to hire.
Getting more readers and reviews are my main goals - I also need help getting my book set up so it's easily found on Amazon.
ETA: Marissa D. Beautiful job on your video. What software did you use to make it?
ETA: Marissa D. Beautiful job on your video. What software did you use to make it?
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I'm confused. What do you mean get your book set up on Amazon? If it's on Amazon it's set up. Nothing else no one can do. A marketer can't give your book a better position on Amazon. Only sales and visibility can do that which is where marketing and promo comes in.
Knowing the inside of how Amazon's search engine works has nothing to do with marketing or promoting a book. You promote a book for visibility and your work has to stand out. An important thing about marketing is that it won't help if the product is lacking. Some authors spend money on marketing and promotion but their books don't look professional or don't convey the genre at first glance. A lot of things go into promotion like having a clear brand, etc. Packaging is a big part of marketing. Make sure your books look the best they can and catch readers' eyes. Make sure your covers are the best they can be and people can tell the genre you write from your covers. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to be mean but I can't tell what genre your books are. I'm leaning toward horror? See, you don't want readers having to guess what your book is. They need to be able to tell immediately. Also, look at the covers of authors who are selling well in your genre and you can see if you are on the right track. Covers gotta be darn near perfect these days and people gotta know what they are getting the minute they look at them. So that's the first step to ensure better results from say ads or any type of promotion for any author or they will just be wasting money.
After that, it's trial and error. People have to try what works for them. Different things work for different authors and different books, etc.
Hiring a marketer is a waste of time if you're self-publishing fiction. It's nothing they can do for you and it's best to try methods other authors are doing. As I said, an assistant can be good. Most are affordable and you can get one where they charge by the hour or where you pay them to do a task.
Many authors do their own marketing and promotion all by themselves as well. As I said I do most of my own promo which is mostly Bookbub ads and AMS ads. My PA does my Facebook promotion.
Also, you have three books published and you don't know anything about social media?
You should have been building an audience on these sites. These places are great for networking and getting readers but you gotta want to learn. If you don't know anything about these sites with three books out then you are behind. You should start learning about this ASAP.
If you are looking for someone to do all your marketing for you, unless you got the dough to pay someone to be your all-around assistant you're gonna have to get out there like the rest of us and learn, research, and try things. Also, there is no magic bullet or someone who can make your book sell. Learning about social media or forms of promotions is something you should've done before publishing three books in my opinion. I mean, you don't have to like social media but it's a huge way of how authors connect with audiences these days.
Knowing the inside of how Amazon's search engine works has nothing to do with marketing or promoting a book. You promote a book for visibility and your work has to stand out. An important thing about marketing is that it won't help if the product is lacking. Some authors spend money on marketing and promotion but their books don't look professional or don't convey the genre at first glance. A lot of things go into promotion like having a clear brand, etc. Packaging is a big part of marketing. Make sure your books look the best they can and catch readers' eyes. Make sure your covers are the best they can be and people can tell the genre you write from your covers. Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not trying to be mean but I can't tell what genre your books are. I'm leaning toward horror? See, you don't want readers having to guess what your book is. They need to be able to tell immediately. Also, look at the covers of authors who are selling well in your genre and you can see if you are on the right track. Covers gotta be darn near perfect these days and people gotta know what they are getting the minute they look at them. So that's the first step to ensure better results from say ads or any type of promotion for any author or they will just be wasting money.
After that, it's trial and error. People have to try what works for them. Different things work for different authors and different books, etc.
Hiring a marketer is a waste of time if you're self-publishing fiction. It's nothing they can do for you and it's best to try methods other authors are doing. As I said, an assistant can be good. Most are affordable and you can get one where they charge by the hour or where you pay them to do a task.
Many authors do their own marketing and promotion all by themselves as well. As I said I do most of my own promo which is mostly Bookbub ads and AMS ads. My PA does my Facebook promotion.
Also, you have three books published and you don't know anything about social media?
You should have been building an audience on these sites. These places are great for networking and getting readers but you gotta want to learn. If you don't know anything about these sites with three books out then you are behind. You should start learning about this ASAP.If you are looking for someone to do all your marketing for you, unless you got the dough to pay someone to be your all-around assistant you're gonna have to get out there like the rest of us and learn, research, and try things. Also, there is no magic bullet or someone who can make your book sell. Learning about social media or forms of promotions is something you should've done before publishing three books in my opinion. I mean, you don't have to like social media but it's a huge way of how authors connect with audiences these days.
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I gotta say I am floored when I see authors with books out who don't know the basics. You can't put books out and ask questions later. It's important to learn before you publish or you will be lost. Always put yourself in the best place possible by learning all you need to know about publishing. You can't just put books out without knowing how all aspects of the industry work.
Might sound harsh but it's really tough love. This is a thread I'd expect from someone with say one book out not three. Be as knowledgeable as you can beforehand and it will make a huge difference.
Might sound harsh but it's really tough love. This is a thread I'd expect from someone with say one book out not three. Be as knowledgeable as you can beforehand and it will make a huge difference.
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indianroads - well...it's never too late to learn.
There is a lot of bad advice in the webverse about marketing...usually given by people who want to make it too obscure so that you feel like you must hire them. Speaking of hiring someone...Tim Grahl has great marketing advice that he gives away for free. He also makes money at it, but he seems genuinely to enjoy helping authors. His free how-to articles might be a great way to feel like you can handle this.
That website you have should be the centerpiece of your marketing. Funnel everyone back there and sign them up on your email list.
As far as all of those other social media platforms work, you really can't hire someone to do that for you. OK, so you COULD...but the idea of social media is to actually connect with people. To make a legitimate connection, you have to be there. Be careful, though, because you can get sucked into the drama and drain away your writing energy. Set yourself some limits and some goals: 15 minutes a day, for example. Then log on and see what you can do to connect up with readers.
I watch a lot of writers start connecting with writers. Nothing wrong with that for moral support, but doesn't help you connect with your audience at all. Go where your readers hang out and just lurk for a bit. Then start connecting. (Please...don't jump in and say "buy my book!" because you'll just look like a drunk at a cocktail party.) Once you start connecting with people, you'll start finding ways to reach out to them.
Yes, PPC ads are great and sometimes they work. But if you connect with 1 avid reader who will become a true fan and push you to their network...you may find that more effective and cheaper.
Just a few words of encouragement.
Don't feel like you need to be everywhere on social media, either. You know your readers. Check current social media statistics to figure out where you should target your efforts. Then have fun with it.
And keep writing!
There is a lot of bad advice in the webverse about marketing...usually given by people who want to make it too obscure so that you feel like you must hire them. Speaking of hiring someone...Tim Grahl has great marketing advice that he gives away for free. He also makes money at it, but he seems genuinely to enjoy helping authors. His free how-to articles might be a great way to feel like you can handle this.
That website you have should be the centerpiece of your marketing. Funnel everyone back there and sign them up on your email list.
As far as all of those other social media platforms work, you really can't hire someone to do that for you. OK, so you COULD...but the idea of social media is to actually connect with people. To make a legitimate connection, you have to be there. Be careful, though, because you can get sucked into the drama and drain away your writing energy. Set yourself some limits and some goals: 15 minutes a day, for example. Then log on and see what you can do to connect up with readers.
I watch a lot of writers start connecting with writers. Nothing wrong with that for moral support, but doesn't help you connect with your audience at all. Go where your readers hang out and just lurk for a bit. Then start connecting. (Please...don't jump in and say "buy my book!" because you'll just look like a drunk at a cocktail party.) Once you start connecting with people, you'll start finding ways to reach out to them.
Yes, PPC ads are great and sometimes they work. But if you connect with 1 avid reader who will become a true fan and push you to their network...you may find that more effective and cheaper.
Just a few words of encouragement.
Don't feel like you need to be everywhere on social media, either. You know your readers. Check current social media statistics to figure out where you should target your efforts. Then have fun with it.
And keep writing!
When you upload your manuscript, you pick your categories and your keywords. Start there.
You feel like it is not findable on Amazon? What makes you feel like it isn't? Is it possible that what you are experiencing is the very common starting point where no one knows who you are?
I hope you don't mind a suggestion ... but I checked out your website. You don't have an email list that I can see. You may consider adding one. (MailChimp has a free startup level that would get you going and be easy to embed on that site.)
The idea is that you go out and make connections. They come to your website (or your Facebook, or wherever) and sign up on your list. Then when you have a new book coming out, you already have a list of your fans. You connect with these people so they want to tell their friends about you. It takes time and hard work.
Forgive me for just dropping in some not-really-asked-for advice, but I've seen too many writers spend money on marketing people who don't deliver.
Take some time to study Tim Grahl's free online stuff. I think you'll do really well. Your covers look amazing!
Many will say the best thing a writer can do is write the next book. You've done that, so congratulations.
I have found this link helpful: https://absolutewrite.com/forums/sh...-intelligent-human-being-and-not-an-SEO-Dweeb
In my opinion, you have done the most important thing first. Sure it would have been helpful to have an audience waiting for your book, but you can't go back and change that. But you can go forward and keep writing those books, implementing what you are learning now. Chris Fox has some good advice for writers, much of it is free. I enjoy his videos.
You original question was about hiring someone to market your book. Most of the self-published authors I'm in contact with have done their own marketing with varying levels of success. Hiring someone from the start can be expensive, without any guarantee of making your money back. A lot of "services" have popped up to help those who are self-publishing. I'd be leery of most of these. If you are going to continue to self-publish, I would learn some of the basics, just so you know what you're getting if you decide to hire someone.
Best of luck.
I have found this link helpful: https://absolutewrite.com/forums/sh...-intelligent-human-being-and-not-an-SEO-Dweeb
In my opinion, you have done the most important thing first. Sure it would have been helpful to have an audience waiting for your book, but you can't go back and change that. But you can go forward and keep writing those books, implementing what you are learning now. Chris Fox has some good advice for writers, much of it is free. I enjoy his videos.
You original question was about hiring someone to market your book. Most of the self-published authors I'm in contact with have done their own marketing with varying levels of success. Hiring someone from the start can be expensive, without any guarantee of making your money back. A lot of "services" have popped up to help those who are self-publishing. I'd be leery of most of these. If you are going to continue to self-publish, I would learn some of the basics, just so you know what you're getting if you decide to hire someone.
Best of luck.