Marketing: Love it or Lump it

When I was writing Stalker I gave little thought to marketing it. I'm a writer, not a salesman, so why should I. The book would find its own level once it was ‘out there’, and if it was good enough it would be picked up by bona fide publishing houses, attract glowing reviews, and achieve thousands of sales as if by magic. All without me lifting a finger.

Well not quite – not even I am as naïve as that. But – and it’s a big but, I’m not a marketer by nature or inclination, in fact quite the reverse. So why did I write Stalker in the first place, given that most books sink without trace if no effort is put into marketing them once publication has been achieved.

This means I’ve had to re-examine my resistance, and question whether I am serious, or simply a self-indulgent amateur, incapable of appreciating that the actual book is just a beginning; that without a marketing push it will forever remain a product without potential. Because to realise its potential, marketing , however distasteful, is an essential adjunct.

Nonetheless the fundamental problem remains. As with many other writers the thought of aggressively marketing my book in order to achieve sales leaves me unenthused -likewise the endless marketing rabbit holes out there with their enticing promises of reviews and exposure. Good Reads affirmations, audio blogs, u-Tube slots, mailing lists, Tik Tok, Canva, Twitter - the list is exhaustive, and exhausting. Other avenues require payment in return for chimerical results. In the absence of a marketing gene, it’s no surprise that helpless disdain can be a tempting default.

Recognising all this, I’ve forced myself to engage with selected aspects of marketing, partly out of respect for those authors who are professional writers, and for whom zero-marketing is a zero option. It’s been touch and go, but as a result I now have three ‘sites’ largely devoted to Stalker and to establishing my so-called ‘brand’. They are, in short order, Instagram, Facebook, and my Website with regular blogs like this one. Frankly that’s all I can cope with right now - those, and the invaluable support of my groups and friendship circles which are probably the most effective marketing avenues of all.

Of course I could have stuck to my guns way back and held out for a recognised publisher in the first place, vesting marketing responsibilities with them instead of taking the assisted publishing route. But I don’t have time. I’m getting on. Which is why I’ve settled for what I can manage – what answers to my temperament and disposition. But I do realise I need to carry on pushing myself, to get that mailing list sorted out, to make more use of the hash tags. Even Twitter. It's a work in progress.

Meanwhile, a huge thanks to everyone who has bought Stalker, giving it life, and visibility.

East Anglian Beach Scene

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