Tech marketer here, and former marketer in a publishing company, and I completely agree with you. I have taken a step back from instagram for the same reason. Marketing should be fun and authentic and I’m just of done with trying to ‘hack the algorithm’. I miss the good old days when IG was genuinely about community. It’s why I’m getting such good vibes from Substack I think.
For now, Substack feels different! It soothes my little blogging heart, and the author conversations are so thought-provoking. Less algorithms and more actual insights!
The best advice I ever heard on marketing was: make marketing content that YOU would enjoy engaging with. That's the best way to find YOUR customers (in this case, your readers). It takes away the OMG I'M NOT DOING IT RIGHT panic and hustle/grind misery and just lets you create social media marketing that you personally would enjoy seeing, listening to, or engaging with. Whatever you are marketing, it's not possible for it to be right for everyone. So just focus on attracting people who like what you like, and let the rest be.
Ugh the way this resonated with me today. I have been so lost in the marketing side of indie publishing. Everything feels so incredibly inauthentic and as a result, I've also just stepped back. My book sales are suffering but I would rather have a shitty rank than burn myself out trying to keep up with marketing tactics that feel unethical and loserish at this point.
It's completely valid to take a step back! I hope you can find a way to market your books that feels authentic and fun for you. We deserve to enjoy the ride!
Thank you for this. Every time I take a class on book marketing, I walk away thinking I’ll never be able to do enough or do it right. It’s so overwhelming. I have a background in marketing for non-profits. But book marketing is so different. I like the idea of only focusing on the parts that bring me joy. And Tik Tok is not my thing.
Thanks for commenting! I agree—marketing books is very different than the marketing I'm used to. But if we focus on what we enjoy, the whole process will be easier to maintain for the long haul!
I’ve been agonising over the TikTok of it all for days. My debut just released and I’m really stressed that no one will find it😅 And all this stress has me unable to focus on writing the next book. I kinda hate it here.
That fear is very real! But I try not to have a scarcity mindset. Audiences take time to build, and it takes years and many, many books for most authors to gain traction. Just keep writing, and don't give up!
So hard. And! All the promo on all the channels ... it's keeping me from focusing on The Work! I have scaled back but I do feel pressure when I see writers who can seemingly do it all. Do they have more hours in their day then I do? When do they sleep?!
The pressure to perform online is suffocating, but we're all in this together. I'm only a year into publishing, and I always have to remember to HAVE FUN!
Honestly this is one of the things I worry about the most as an aspiring author. I’m not a marketing person, and back when I was an IG yogi, the whole landscape burnt me out so badly that I haven’t been on my mat consistently for nearly a decade (which is a whole other can of worms). Thanks for giving your insight about how you CAN make book marketing work for you!
Oh man, the burnout is real! I got so overwhelmed by the advice to post on TT multiple times per day from multiple accounts that my brain went, "Well, if I can't be perfect, I won't do it at all." I'm definitely trying to unlearn that toxic mindset!
Early GenX-er and career-long digital marketer here, born at just the right time to have witnessed the complete arc of digital everything from invention to rise to overload - and maintain perspective by remembering what life was like BEFORE the madness and certainly before social media. I have not and will not adopt TikTok because 1) never giving my data to the Chinese (sorry, not sorry!) and 2) granted, no audience I'm interested in for work or personal life resides there anyway. But I've seen the botification of Twitter/X, Facebook, and all the rest. I can only conclude that as AI becomes commonplace, genuine human connections and human-authentic content will be at a premium and hopefully rise in value. Here's to doing what works for you and resonates with your authentic self. IMHO, never get back on TikTok if you have better options!
I have no idea how I found your books, but I’m so glad I did. As a millennial myself, I don’t understand social media trends and algorithms so I don’t participate.
I love finding indie authors who feel ‘real’ online and you fit that! I love how you are marketing your book with the tie into Armenian heritage month this month. Learning about the culture is getting me more hyped to immerse myself in the book.
I find a lot of indie authors through word of mouth on socials. There are certain creators I love who really drive hype trains for the indie authors they love. I aspire to be that, but as I already stated, I don’t get social media enough to participate at the level they do.
Aww, thanks so much, Brooke! I'm so glad we got connected—it's proof that social media works when you're a real person with relatable interests. I really appreciate your support!
Josh Johnson is hilarious. I'm loving The Bondsman. Kevin Bacon, Demon Hunter? Yes please. Still on a loop with Papa Roach and Rise Against after the concert. And yes to the bot is not it mentality. I'm a goofball, I love to post my weird life on Facebook and Instagram, so if you buy my books after watching my weird life, you're awesome. I am not a "follow the rules and trends" kind of marketer and it shows haha. But I'm happy and my non-branded Instagram may not be beautiful but it's me. And my pets. And my music. And the funny memes my PA helps me find.
Writers shy away from selling because the idea of "selling" just implies some sort of false dealing. Top sales persons are utterly genuine, they want you to be happy to have bought from them. They want to be able to come back and receive a welcome when they do. Social media is wholly unrelated to genuine selling it is a machine to use free content of any stripe to attract enough attention to display an ad. Marketing, (which is not selling) powered by a justified pride in the item being marketed is powerful, writing a story and putting in a dark cupboard is a valid way to be a writer. I want people to know what I have written, I am very proud of it, I think strangers will enjoy it. Marketing should be enjoyable. You are talking about something you are proud of, work you did yourself. Why would you not want to tell other people? Hype puts people off, real pride in an achievement is contagious, people like to share in the pleasure you have in doing something. If you are being made ill by your marketing efforts, pleases stop, you are wasting your time and consuming your life for nothing. Writers have sufficient ego to write and imagine engaging strangers. Take the time to find the marketing process that can harness that ego without friction and you will find the way to an audience. It will take time which will not matter because it will not be killing you.
Tech marketer here, and former marketer in a publishing company, and I completely agree with you. I have taken a step back from instagram for the same reason. Marketing should be fun and authentic and I’m just of done with trying to ‘hack the algorithm’. I miss the good old days when IG was genuinely about community. It’s why I’m getting such good vibes from Substack I think.
For now, Substack feels different! It soothes my little blogging heart, and the author conversations are so thought-provoking. Less algorithms and more actual insights!
exactly this! I love it!
Amen! But of course I’m still doing some of these things. Probably out of fear 😩
It's that scarcity mindset! What kind of marketing would you do if you didn't put so much pressure on yourself? Get weird with it!
This. Starting my substack. It feels... like a breath of fresh air. 💕
The best advice I ever heard on marketing was: make marketing content that YOU would enjoy engaging with. That's the best way to find YOUR customers (in this case, your readers). It takes away the OMG I'M NOT DOING IT RIGHT panic and hustle/grind misery and just lets you create social media marketing that you personally would enjoy seeing, listening to, or engaging with. Whatever you are marketing, it's not possible for it to be right for everyone. So just focus on attracting people who like what you like, and let the rest be.
Amen, I completely agree! :)
Ugh the way this resonated with me today. I have been so lost in the marketing side of indie publishing. Everything feels so incredibly inauthentic and as a result, I've also just stepped back. My book sales are suffering but I would rather have a shitty rank than burn myself out trying to keep up with marketing tactics that feel unethical and loserish at this point.
It's completely valid to take a step back! I hope you can find a way to market your books that feels authentic and fun for you. We deserve to enjoy the ride!
Thank you for this. Every time I take a class on book marketing, I walk away thinking I’ll never be able to do enough or do it right. It’s so overwhelming. I have a background in marketing for non-profits. But book marketing is so different. I like the idea of only focusing on the parts that bring me joy. And Tik Tok is not my thing.
Thanks for commenting! I agree—marketing books is very different than the marketing I'm used to. But if we focus on what we enjoy, the whole process will be easier to maintain for the long haul!
I’ve been agonising over the TikTok of it all for days. My debut just released and I’m really stressed that no one will find it😅 And all this stress has me unable to focus on writing the next book. I kinda hate it here.
That fear is very real! But I try not to have a scarcity mindset. Audiences take time to build, and it takes years and many, many books for most authors to gain traction. Just keep writing, and don't give up!
I can so relate!!! Doing book promo is the worst and sometimes makes me want to quit the hustle altogether
I'm realllllyyyyy trying to break my brain of its all-or-nothing thinking, but it's so hard!
So hard. And! All the promo on all the channels ... it's keeping me from focusing on The Work! I have scaled back but I do feel pressure when I see writers who can seemingly do it all. Do they have more hours in their day then I do? When do they sleep?!
I agree with so much of this and feel the same as a debut trad author!
The pressure to perform online is suffocating, but we're all in this together. I'm only a year into publishing, and I always have to remember to HAVE FUN!
Honestly this is one of the things I worry about the most as an aspiring author. I’m not a marketing person, and back when I was an IG yogi, the whole landscape burnt me out so badly that I haven’t been on my mat consistently for nearly a decade (which is a whole other can of worms). Thanks for giving your insight about how you CAN make book marketing work for you!
Oh man, the burnout is real! I got so overwhelmed by the advice to post on TT multiple times per day from multiple accounts that my brain went, "Well, if I can't be perfect, I won't do it at all." I'm definitely trying to unlearn that toxic mindset!
Early GenX-er and career-long digital marketer here, born at just the right time to have witnessed the complete arc of digital everything from invention to rise to overload - and maintain perspective by remembering what life was like BEFORE the madness and certainly before social media. I have not and will not adopt TikTok because 1) never giving my data to the Chinese (sorry, not sorry!) and 2) granted, no audience I'm interested in for work or personal life resides there anyway. But I've seen the botification of Twitter/X, Facebook, and all the rest. I can only conclude that as AI becomes commonplace, genuine human connections and human-authentic content will be at a premium and hopefully rise in value. Here's to doing what works for you and resonates with your authentic self. IMHO, never get back on TikTok if you have better options!
Yes, that's a great reminder that obviously marketing has always been more than social media! There are so many other options. Thanks for sharing! :)
I have no idea how I found your books, but I’m so glad I did. As a millennial myself, I don’t understand social media trends and algorithms so I don’t participate.
I love finding indie authors who feel ‘real’ online and you fit that! I love how you are marketing your book with the tie into Armenian heritage month this month. Learning about the culture is getting me more hyped to immerse myself in the book.
I find a lot of indie authors through word of mouth on socials. There are certain creators I love who really drive hype trains for the indie authors they love. I aspire to be that, but as I already stated, I don’t get social media enough to participate at the level they do.
Thanks for being real and not a bot 🥰
Aww, thanks so much, Brooke! I'm so glad we got connected—it's proof that social media works when you're a real person with relatable interests. I really appreciate your support!
Josh Johnson is hilarious. I'm loving The Bondsman. Kevin Bacon, Demon Hunter? Yes please. Still on a loop with Papa Roach and Rise Against after the concert. And yes to the bot is not it mentality. I'm a goofball, I love to post my weird life on Facebook and Instagram, so if you buy my books after watching my weird life, you're awesome. I am not a "follow the rules and trends" kind of marketer and it shows haha. But I'm happy and my non-branded Instagram may not be beautiful but it's me. And my pets. And my music. And the funny memes my PA helps me find.
My husband just started watching The Bondsman! And amen to posting about our weird lives, that's the content I want to see more of :)
Thx for the Book Journey shout out! Can't wait to chat then!
It's going to be such a fun convo!
Writers shy away from selling because the idea of "selling" just implies some sort of false dealing. Top sales persons are utterly genuine, they want you to be happy to have bought from them. They want to be able to come back and receive a welcome when they do. Social media is wholly unrelated to genuine selling it is a machine to use free content of any stripe to attract enough attention to display an ad. Marketing, (which is not selling) powered by a justified pride in the item being marketed is powerful, writing a story and putting in a dark cupboard is a valid way to be a writer. I want people to know what I have written, I am very proud of it, I think strangers will enjoy it. Marketing should be enjoyable. You are talking about something you are proud of, work you did yourself. Why would you not want to tell other people? Hype puts people off, real pride in an achievement is contagious, people like to share in the pleasure you have in doing something. If you are being made ill by your marketing efforts, pleases stop, you are wasting your time and consuming your life for nothing. Writers have sufficient ego to write and imagine engaging strangers. Take the time to find the marketing process that can harness that ego without friction and you will find the way to an audience. It will take time which will not matter because it will not be killing you.
Thanks for the comment, and I agree that marketing should be enjoyable!