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We selfishly (but with the dual intention of giving y’all some ideas) started this episode by giving an update on what we’re currently doing to expand and get the most out of our burgeoning self-publishing empires. I (Johnny) am doing the most different things, but Sean and Dave are doing more productive things. FOR NOW, PLATT AND WRIGHT… MUHAHAHAHA…
Here’s the Johnny stuff we talked about:
- I started the process of getting The Bialy Pimps into the Barnes & Noble Nook and Apple iBook stores
- I’m in the process of making “The Universe Doesn’t Give a Flying Fuck About You” permanently free on Amazon and elsewhere. I’m doing this because the title already sells like mad at 99 cents, and I want to remove all barriers to people getting it. (I’m using it as a lead generation tool, and the start of one of my marketing funnels)
- The Bialy Pimps will officially be launching as a free podcast audiobook on July 25th.
Sean and Dave, for their part, are happy to announce the debut of Yesterday’s Gone, episodes 13 and 14… the first two episodes in the long-anticipated third season. Definitely check it out if you like apocalyptic fiction and what Dave calls “dark whore.”
Using pen names with the man from Mars
… or named Mars.
Mars called in with a cool German accent and a question about using pen names if he wants to write 1) nonfiction about marketing and branding and aslo 2) fiction.
Sean and Dave both said he should use a pen name. I more or less agreed that Mars should use a pen name in his case, but argued that in certain cases (like mine), the content areas aren’t quite as mutually exclusive and that the reader is connecting more with the PERSON than the INDIVIDUAL WORK and that a pen name divides your audience who otherwise might like to read everything you wrote. Hey, it worked for ISAAC FUCKING ASIMOV, I said.
I think Sean and Dave won this debate, because they know a lot more about how to have your cake and eat it too, by both letting your people know all of what you write but keeping Amazon from confusing people who don’t know you yet. And also, I was talking a lot out of my ass.
Why you, as a self-published author, need a platform
Plain and simple, a “platform” is a way you have of connecting with your readers outside of your published works themselves. It’s a way of building a community, being able to talk with people, and so on.
A few key concepts we discuss:
- Our best suggestion is a blog. Dave was all, “Blogger is fine, you guys!” but Sean and I put the smack down on him and are STRONGLY suggesting a self-hosted WordPress blog as your author platform. Our best suggestion for web hosting is Hostgator (that’s an affiliate link), or if you’d like someone to do it all for you, you can hire Sean’s guys at OutstandingSetup.com to do it for you.
- But if you don’t want to do that, Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus can be your platform. Or forums. Or anywhere else where you can become known, and get people following what you do.
- But again, ideally, you’ll want your own site because then you can build a list of these people and be able to connect with them directly. (We can talk more about this later if you’d like. Let us know.)
- And lastly, the rule with platform is NOT “If you build it, they will come.” We talk in this episode about that fallacy… and how YOU need to go to THEM. They won’t give a shit about you and/or seek you out if you leave them to their own devices.
Jeez, I sound like a stoned, gay hipster from the Berlin underground.
I was working all day on my computer and didn’t speak a thing – that’s why I’m not getting to the point, haha.
Amazing how much value you could provide – man, it really seems I have to get a pen name (although I do luv “Mars Dorian” – maybe calling my other self Mr. Dorian ? Or just MD ? I want to do something that’s still somewhat close to my original name)
How about “Dorian Gray”? I don’t think anyone has ever used that before.
How about just “Mars.” That’s pretty fucking cool. If my name was Jupiter Platt, you know Jupiter would be one of my pen names.
Hi guys,
I totally agree with Sean on the Amazon and multiple names thing.
People find our books through two different ways
1) the book – primarily through Amazon
2) our platform – blogging, social etc
I have spent a lot of time on platform building but (1) has brought me so many more sales than I could have found on my own. There are a stack of people who have read my thrillers that don’t know or care about me as an author, or about what I write online. That’s fine, right
So I use 2 names now – J.F.Penn for my thrillers, part of the initials is about separation of fiction/non-fiction and also gender neutral as I write violence.
Joanna Penn is for my non-fiction.
I also agree on the long-game. The audience has to trust us so we know what we’re getting. You mention Scott Sigler (who is awesome!) I know he will deliver horror and violence – that’s how he has built trust in me as a reader. I know what I will get.
Thanks guys – I’m enjoying the show
Joanna
also, thanks for the mention
I’ve spent a lot of time studying marketing – I think non-fiction is so different from fiction.
I’ve come down to a couple of main things on fiction
(1) Write more great books that readers love – as per Sean’s comment.
(2) Optimize your Amazon sales page – in terms of sales copy as well as review quotes, categories etc. This translates into more Amazon attention.
(3) Have an email list that people can sign up to at the end of your books, and then engage those people as reviewers and evangelists. Reviews are definitely the best marketing for fiction.
Everything else is icing on the cake, and a lot of fun, but I haven’t found it translates into massive sales.
Thanks again, Joanna
Well said, as always Joanna.
And yeah, if I had to drop one thing right now, it would be the online platform, not the Amazon one. I get an exponentially smaller return on stuff like FB, Twitter, the podcast and the Digital Writer, than from simply putting out high quality work to Amazon on a consistent basis.
One of my favorite things is when people send me emails they get from Amazon that has our work promoted. That’s a broadcast we could never come close to reaching on our own.
Thanks for listening to, and enjoying, the show!
Awesome, great info. Thanks, Joanna!
Did Stephen King really sell Lost to JJ Abrams for 1 USD?
I’ve no idea if that’s true. But that was the urban legend after Comic Con in the shows second season.
And it was Dark Tower, not LOST.
That’s interesting, because there’s a ton in LOST that mimics what happens in the Dark Tower. I’d expound upon it here but a certain grizzly bear cynic hasn’t finished the books yet.
I do know that Abrams was apparently heavily influenced by King.