5 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I SELF-PUBLISHED ONLINE

2. Marketing is the only way you can get your audience

If there is anything you really need to take away from this article, it is this point. As a writer, you can never avoid marketing. Every marketing endeavour brings you closer to a larger audience. Success doesn’t come by magic. Yes, we all wish we could just post our content once and have everything fall in place immediately, then we automatically become a New York Times Bestseller.

Unfortunately, even Stephen King did not get this lucky.

Especially if you do not have an agent, you have to do the bulk of the marketing yourself. You need to advertise your book as much as you can, even if it means doing it every day. With marketing, I can assure you that there will come a time when you feel like a nuisance. But when it comes to success, feelings need to be pushed aside. If you really want to sell your book well, make noise. And if your voice is not loud enough, pick up a megaphone until somebody buys that book.

Another thing you need to be aware of is that marketing can come in various ways besides advertising your book on your social media page. You can also collaborate with bloggers, create an author website, get involved in podcasts, pay for promotion on the site you are publishing your book, join book contests and so on. Be very open minded when it comes to marketing.