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It seems there are two opposing camps in terms of author marketing.
On the one hand, there areΒ people who say “Just write a lot of books” and the books themselves will sell the other books and you don't need to do any other marketing. The evidence for this can be seen in Amanda Hocking's ebook sales numbers and other writers on JA Konrath's (brilliant) blog who basically write and distribute ebooks but do little hardcore marketing. It looks like they all do something but don't focus on it.
On the other hand, there is the “build your author platform” camp advocating blogging, social networking, speaking, podcasting, videos and more. Obviously all this marketing takes away from writing, so which should you focus on?
I try to be very careful on the blog to only talk about things I've done myself. I don't have a huge back-list of novels ready to load up into the Kindle store, I'm not making thousands per month on ebook sales. I have built a reasonable author platform and I have enjoyed every minute of it, so clearly I sit in the second camp at the moment.
BUT/ Amanda Hocking's sales numbers gave me pause so I thought we'd better discuss it here. Justine Musk also wrote a brilliant post over at Tribal Writer on the same topic.
Here's my thinking on the matter but please leave a comment as to what you think at the bottom as this is a critical discussion point as we all have limited time.
What are your overall goals for your career as a writer?
I want to be able to define myself as an author, speaker and blogger and I want to help people. I'm also an entrepreneur and sell my speaking services as well as online products. I make the least amount of money from fiction ebooks and the most from other products and services (at the moment anyway). Therefore my author platform gives me more than just a sales platform for fiction.
I speak at least once a month and last year spoke at a writer's retreat in Bali, all from my online presence. I couldn't do those things if I just had books. So my overall goals involve having a platform to run my online business from. I'm also passionate about sharing what I have learned in order to save you time, money and heartache so I have an inner drive to get the message out there.
What do you enjoy spending time doing?
Writing and being a blogger can be a solitary profession and as much as I love being alone, I also enjoy the community we have online as bloggers and also on Twitter and Facebook. I enjoy connecting on Skype and making my podcast and videos. I love being part of a group and improving my blogging/online marketing skills as well as my writing. So my author platform also serves a personal development and social purpose that goes beyond selling books. Blogging has given me so much joy in the last few years that I would continue doing it if I won the lottery! Writing a novel is a totally different feeling altogether.
What do you think is more effective for author marketing? Writing lots of books or spending time building an author platform? Why do you do what you do?
J. Daniel Sawyer says
I must admit, the further I get into this, the more and more I’m listening to the pros like Konrath and Dean Wesley Smith and K.K. Rusch et. al. I’ve watched enough social media and platform builders flash, then burn out–some of them friends–and I’ve seen enough success to see the wisdom of the pro’s strategy. Of the people making a living in the new business model, ALL of them that I’ve been able to find are very prolific with their writing and very disciplined in the amount of time they spend on platformish activities (i.e. they blog, or podcast, etc. but it is a limited portion of what they do, and even the ones who used to be publicity-mad no longer knock themselves out with self-promotion, gimicks, etc.).
I’ve never made a secret of the fact that I’m in this to make a living–and, like you, my endeavors are not limited to fiction. However, due to lessons learned I’ve also *really* backed off self-promotion and marketing over the course of the last year. Result: I’m writing LOTS more, and I’m building a backlog of properties of all sorts, so that when I come back to podcasting in May I’ll be able to carry on with the cast on a bi-weekly basis for *years* without taking the kind of time away from my writing that it used to.
If you’d asked me two years ago, I’d have come down on the platform side. Now? Other side of the fence, firmly so. A platform is great, and it’s worth having enough of one that people can find you if they’re looking. But beyond that? The best return-on-investment for time spent is creating new material, whether fiction, non-fiction, music, or audiobooks. Here’s why:
When you create a new property, you’re building a pyramid. When you do marketing, you’re pedaling an exercise bike. Each of those new properties are forever: they will pay out in streams of nickels for years or decades. On the other hand, every contest you run, ad campaign, fancy new gimmick, etc. will only last so long as you’re actively putting effort into it.
My 2c, for what it’s worth π
-Dan Sawyer
Joanna Penn says
Dan – I crazily read this on my phone before bed and have had a bad night’s sleep over it! I think because you have crystallized my thoughts for me. I need to make the shift and back off on the marketing side. Now I have one novel out there and successfully launched, the most important thing is to write another one.
I needed to build a platform so I could push this one over the top, but it should take a lot less effort to keep the ball rolling as such now it’s moving. Watch this space – I’ll be making some changes.
Thanks, as ever, for your wisdom.
Kristen James says
Well put, Dan. I write and promote, and I haven’t actually put a lot of thought into an either/or situation until now. After reading the blog and your reply, I think I write fiction, promote it, but am not focusing on a platform through blogging or speaking. I run fun promotions and giveaways from my author Facebook page and try to steadily promote all my books. They have all sold steadily since publication, starting in 2007. I want to think you’re right, that all my books will add up and promote each other.
Christopher Wills says
What you’re basically saying is the argument of quality versus quantity and I am firmly on the side of quality. But….
I want to be a full time writer and if I am able to generate enough income to do that (I have simple needs) then I might be prepared to sell my metaphorical body for a short time so I can get into a position where I can write full time and concentrate on quality.
Is that fair? Or am I going to end up selling my soul like the late great Robert Johnson did at the crossroads one night?
Joanna Penn says
I don’t think it’s quality vs quantity in terms of writing. The prolific guys like Dean Wesley Smith say they are not fast writers, they just write more hours than others do and produce more within a timeframe.
Ruth Fanshaw says
I find the idea that you CAN make a living on the books alone encouraging. I should think that if you go that route it takes longer to build up to the point where making a living is possible, though.
I think your questions are very pertinent. My writing goal has always been to be a novelist. I’ve now added writing non-fiction to that, but I want to make my living from the novels. And I don’t want to be rich and famous, I really do just want to make a living.
I enjoy blogging as well, but I find the idea of ‘hard core’ marketing intimidating, to say the least! That kind of thing doesn’t come naturally to me, and admit I do resent the idea of eating up my writing time! π
I think you’re right – each individual has to find their own path. We need to follow our own dream, not someone else’s. π
Joanna Penn says
I guess by hardcore marketing I mean doing a lot of it – making it a main focus. I think small amounts of marketing need to use the same devices, but the approach may be different.
ntathu allen says
So much food thought-you have to do what works best for you-sometimes you have to experience a process, see how it fits in with your life goals n be willing to adapt n adjust as you grow. We are human beings n its our nature to evolve and adapt to whatever environment/circumstances we are in. its that yin n yang balance we all seek-so, for me, its finding out, taking that chance to explore n see what mixture works for you n being open to change. Namaste
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Ntathu,
I think it’s also different at different stages. I think I’ll focus more on writing for large chunks and then ramp up marketing for book launch.
Galit Breen says
This is such an important discussion!
I wonder if like most things in life- balance is the key. You have to have an on-line presence, but it’s so easy to get lost in this time-sucking world and spend the majority of precious time actually here rather than writing.
For me, it takes A LOT of discipline and carving out time for each to to not spend my time blogging, reading, visiting other blogs. Speaking of… π
I’m glad that you put this one on the table and I’m looking forward to hearing what others have to say.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Galit. I’m not a balanced person! I’m definitely a workaholic – but I like to work – the question is, am I working on the right stuff?
David N. Alderman says
My dad and I were having a conversation somewhat similar to this one a few weeks ago. I told him I was going to be rolling out three new books this summer and he told me I should be more focused on getting my name out there.
I too have seen Amanda Hocking’s brilliant success with the sheer number of books she’s put out. But she did do a bit of marketing and social networking to make those sales happen.
I think to be a truly successful author in this digital age, you have to have a foot in each – social networking and platform building, and writing.
I just find it extremely difficult trying to balance them both out, and I do this full time. I can’t imagine how difficult it is for those who work a conventional job during the day/night and try to do marketing/writing in their spare time.
Joanna Penn says
I do have conventional job David! I work 4 days a week as a business IT consultant so I already have limited time, basically 3 days with maybe 16 useful hours. I’m currently spending those mainly marketing whereas perhaps it should be 80:20 – I’ve put in 3 years of brand building so I think it’s time to write more now!
Christian K says
“But she did do a bit of marketing and social networking to make those sales happen.”
But did she? She did do some social network/marketing but did that have anything to do with her success? My guess would be mostly no.
Lovelyn says
I started out trying half-heartedly to build an author platform, but the more time passes the more I lean towards the write tons of books camp.
Joanna Penn says
Hi Lovelyn – you’re right, half-heartedly gets you nowhere!
I’ve definitely whole-heartedly build a platform, now it should just need a little less feeding and more books have to be written!
India Drummond says
I do a bit of both, but lean toward writing more books. About 6 months ago I made a business plan for the next 10 years because I wanted to start treating my writing like a small business–not just something I was doing in hope of someday maybe making some money.
When I did that, it focused me in a way nothing else ever has. I categorise ‘platform building’ as part of my promotional efforts, and I have a set amount of time I spend on that every week at a minimum, and periods where that amount of time increases by necessity (pre-release).
But when it all comes down to it, it’s the books people want. Having more books a happy reader can buy is more important than having x blog posts per week.
To people who say you can’t put out quality work in that time, I say two things: 1. Experience makes it all much, much faster. The first book is the slowest, by FAR. 2. You’d be surprised what I can do when I get motivated. =)
Joanna Penn says
Thanks India. A 10 year plan is exactly the right thing to do. Last night I went over what I want to achieve in the next few years and realized I need to speed up the writing as well.
Amy Rose Davis says
Terrific post, and lots of food for thought. I’ve been thinking about what I want my author platform to look like, and while it’s tempting to just hang out with other writers and keep writing blog posts on craft or being an indie author, I don’t particularly want that platform. Other people like Konrath and Smith are already doing that part so well that I’m not sure I need to. I’d rather be seen as a terrific author of fantasy and adventure stories who always gives her readers something fun and entertaining. I think in order to do that I have to channel my prolific writing nature into more stories and content and less social networking.
The time issue is very real, too. When my kids are in school, I have about six hours in a day to work on content. While it’s tempting to use that time for blogging, tweeting, and facebooking, I can’t really justify it. I need to focus on writing stories while I have the time to write! π
Great post!
Amy
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Amy – yes, choosing your niche is a hard one but it kind of finds you as well when you write passionately.
Linda Nagata says
I would really like to believe the “write it and they will come” model, but I’ve had most of my backlist up since early December and sales have remained at roughly the same low trickle the whole time. I’m not sure the author platform is the solution either. We fiction writers tend to spend too much time talking to each other instead of seeking out actual readers. Getting your name mentioned favorably by someone with a lot of people listening still seems to be the best way to get momentum–but how to do that? My vote is for a little of everything, but don’t stop writing!
Justine Musk says
Hi Joanna, great post! Great discussion!
Wanted to say:
Amanda Hocking is a great example of someone who has done both — the platform & lots of books. As she put it, she does a lot of marketing that, to her, “doesn’t feel like marketing” — blogging & social networking, etc. I think that’s key. It shouldn’t feel like marketing, to you or to anybody else. And Konrath has always had a huge, cutting-edge online presence, sharing information that has been enormously helpful to other writers.
Another important thing about Hocking: she was writing for a readymade audience *easily found online* (YA paranormal digital natives).
Also, marketing isn’t about “gimmicks” or “contests” but about PROVIDING USEFUL CONTENT about what you’re passionate and informed about (and that relates back to your writing).
The problem with the “lots of books” theory is that the bookstore chains order your new book according to how many copies your last book sold. So if they order 10 copies, but you sold 8, they’ll order 8 copies of your new book, and if you sell 6 of those, they’ll order 6 books of your new book, and so on. The numbers don’t go up, they actually go down, until you’re downsized out of a book contract altogether. Obviously this works different if you’re going indie, but keep in mind that indie publishing is still extremely difficult. Very, very few people are going to achieve the success of an Amanda Hocking, whether they platform or not.
Also: can you keep the quality consistent if you churn out lots of books? Some writers might do better to give their fiction mind a chance to recover and fill up again while they blog and reach out to readers in the interim.
And if you look at where publishing is going — and how much content is now expected to be free — and how cluttered & competitive the marketplace will be — and how ebooks are so much cheaper than traditionally published books — there is that question of how even successful writers are going to be able to support themselves. What I (and others) think will happen is that access to the writer’s physical presence will become more and more important because that’s the one thing that isn’t scaleable or download-able (Neil Gaiman getting $50,000 for a recent speech, for example). So we could be entering an era where writers will actually support themselves through speaking, seminars, etc. — where the most successful writers will not only be great writers but have a compelling message that they want to communicate to people through their platform as well as their books. This is just a new spin on an old formula — writers have always had to support themselves through teaching, for example — but the Internet and the idea of ‘platform’ have opened up new, entrepreneurial ways to do this. So I think you’re exactly right — those of us who are developing platforms are working out of a long-term vision that is about more than just (“just!”) selling books.
I don’t think one way is better than the other, it all comes down to the individual, her goals, strengths & abilities, as well as what she writes & who she’s writing for. The important this is to develop into an excellent writer producing excellent manuscripts — and let’s face it: it’s a small percentage of people who stay in the race long & deep enough to manage to do this.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks for the long comment Justine!
A few things in response – I know this is a general discussion but I am taking everyone’s advice personally right now π
* I made the title polarizing but I know it takes both. I just need to cut down the % of time I spend on marketing. I ramped it up for launch and am now struggling to ramp down so I am not writing at all. I’m up at 5am most mornings before day job answering emails, doing interviews and then on my other 3 days, I’m doing podcasts, blogging, writing guest posts etc. It’s not sustainable as I’ll end up having the best platform and just one book!
So I’m thinking of dropping to blogging every 3 days instead of every 2, podcasting every 2 weeks instead of weekly and saying ‘no’ more often. If I have 16-24 productive hours for this business a week, then I need to spend 75% writing and 25% marketing – then switch % again for launch.
* You’re right about the author’s physical presence and I want to continue speaking, especially at cool writer’s retreats! But again, those authors are more sought after when they have more books.
I’m not suggesting I dash off a fast book but as I planned it out last night, I have to start now on Prophecy or I won’t have it done to launch next Feb.
and I want to be one of those people who makes it long term!
Thanks – your own blog continues to be a source of inspiration and renewal for me.
Justine Musk says
Good lords, that *was* a long comment on my part, wasn’t it? I was responding to some of the stuff in the comments, but I hear & appreciate your response.
I think writing the book should be the first priority, no question! To everything there is a season — times when you focus more on the platform stuff….and times when that focus isn’t quite as intense…I just think the crucial thing is to find a way to make the platform a meaningful entity in its own right…Judging from some of the comments, it seems that ‘platform’ means, to many people, some tweets here and some blog posts there that take time away from the “real” work. But look at what you’ve done: taken the idea of a platform and built it into something that stands on its own. You’ve established yourself as an expert. You’re helping lots of people. That’s pretty damn cool. And in my mind that is way superior to what book/author marketing used to be (and which I hated hated hated hated hated).
So congrats on all you’ve accomplished — the book, the platform! You’re amazing. And inspiring!
Wolfgang Kolb says
I think it’s really about priorities and goals. A lot of bloggers and online types are creating buzz and audience first, content second. I think this is a tricky thing because you’re really building anticipation followed by product. This is a nuanced difference from creating product and then gaining audience. I think it’s harder to pull off and the downside costs are much greater. Writers write. Their work is a product sell. What I mean by this is that it’s put out there for trial and if it’s good it will grow into a success (of course there are things to help this along). In the meantime, ideas are always fermenting in the writer’s brain for later production possibilities. It’s like being an inventor of sorts. It’s about the drive to create and express. Bloggers and social media types are relying on a different form of sales, the relationship sale. This is only successful if the product being offered dovetails the developed relationship. So, the question to ask one’s self is what is the basis of the relationship I’m building. If you’re a writer, the writing always comes first and the rest just follows. It takes time, patience and constant work. This is why so many writers that are successful never regard their writing as a career, it’s deeper than that. If you’re going to write, you’d better love the process of writing and constantly striving to improve because everything else is secondary, including whether or not it blossoms into a career. So, are you a writer or a marketer that writes? Answering this question honestly will lead a person to the best answer for your posed question.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Wolfgang – this inventor is feeling suppressed by marketing efforts right now π but I still love blogging and social networking! If it was hard to enjoy, it would be easy to give up π
I want to be a writer, not a marketer that writes – but I do want to be a writer that can market π
Cliff Feightner says
I’m not a big fan of writing lots of books, basically because I’ve only written two, and started a third. Who cares that you carry a large variety of fruit, when no one know that you have a great fruit store?
I too am building a ‘Tribe” because I’m a great speaker with a wealth of experience, information and stories to share. This is unknown to most, because the ‘Author’ website is not yet live. Soon Com Mon’
For the time being I’m writing to build that all important following.
Continue to love your work Joanna!
Cliff
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Cliff – very good metaphor – you do have to get some customers into the fruit store, and then you can expand your fruit offerings. Unfortunately, I only have 1 fruit in my display and I’ll get more sales if I have different kinds π
on behalf of Wendy Keller says
Congratulations to those of you who chose “Build your platform” because it is the right answer! Most publishers couldn’t care LESS about whether or not you prefer to write than build a platform – they will ONLY purchase your manuscript/proposal if you have one. We are agents and over and over, we hear publishers complaining that the author either didn’t really have the platform he/she promised in the proposal OR they stopped building it once the book was sold. NO! NO! NO! Build your platform BEFORE, DURING and AFTER publication – self or real. You MUST. Like it or not, it’s the reality of the industry today. We can’t represent and sell ANYTHING without a platform anymore – a big and growing one.
This comment is left on behalf of Wendy Keller, literary agent.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks for this from the agent perspective – that’s interesting to know. Agents can’t sell without a platform and indie authors can’t sell without a platform – so everyone has to do some marketing!
Justine Musk says
Just to add, I had dinner a few nights ago with a New York literary agent who was visiting LA, is a vice-president at a cutting-edge agency (cutting edge in terms of how they market their authors and are adapting and responding to the changes in the industry), and he also stressed the importance of platform in the eyes of the major publishers. “It’s all about platform now.” (Keep in mind that the book still has to be excellent, but that’s a given.)
Jamie D. says
I think there really has to be a balance, personally. I can only speak from the indie side of things (and I have no desire for a trad. contract, so my goal is to create a career selling books, not attract an agent/publisher), but from my perspective, platform building and content creation is more of an “ebb and flow” sort of thing. Sometimes you’ll be in a place where marketing and socializing takes priority, because you have a new release out, or you’re in between books and need a break, or you’re still working on that first book. In my experience, when you do a good job building your platform in the times you’re actively working on it, it will carry you through those times when you need to devote more to content creation. And I do think after you have a sizable backlist out, marketing becomes less important. Your books really will start selling themselves (I only have three out, and I’m already starting to see that effect on a small scale).
Basically, if it’s a question of only having time to write or market in any given day, I write. Most days, I can squeeze in a little of both, and do. It doesn’t have to be “either/or” all the time, IMO.
Joanna Penn says
Thanks Jamie – that ebb and flow is definitely what I want to move to. Right now, it’s high tide on marketing π
Roy Pickering says
Writers don’t write in spite of the fact that they’d much rather be marketing/promoting. If publishing more books is a big part of what draws people to those you’ve previously written, consider yourself a success. Of course the main reason to write another book is because you WANT to write another one, not because it may attract attention to earlier works. The latter is simply a happy benefit. As for the comments made above about prolific writers, I don’t feel that quantity and quality have any relationship to each except in cases where writers force themselves into bad prose by trying to write faster than comes naturally to them. Whether one writes a book a year, a book a decade, or a book a lifetime has little to do with the quality of those books so long as writers pace themselves to their own liking.
J. Daniel Sawyer says
A slight niggle with that — writing takes practice. It’s far less likely that a writer with one or two books under their belt will be writing wonderful, well-crafted stories than a writer with 50 or 60. Sometimes, very rarely, it happens–but then, some people can do differential equations at the age of ten.
Most of the time, quality and quantity go hand-in-hand–the big exception is the one you mention, where the golden handcuffs go on. Piers Anthony’s “Xanth” series is an excellent example of this–Anthony is a consistently entertaining writer who sells very, very well, but his early Xanth books were so much fun, and got so popular, that for twenty years he’s been unable to say “no” to writing them (the publisher keeps offering too much money). But, after the ninth book or so, his pleasure in the series started to wane, and the books themselves became less and less fun–he’s now finally given them up, because he doesn’t need the money and he really is sick of them.
But Golden Handcuffs are pretty rare. Most writers who are remembered a hundred years in the future are the very prolific: Poe, Dickens, Hugo, Doyle, Dostoyevski, Woolf, Shakespeare, etc. were all insanely prolific in their day.
Quality comes from quantity, with one caveat: the more you write what you’re enthusiastic about, the better your stories will be, always.
-Dan
Alan says
There’s a big difference between someone that publishes the first thing they wrote and someone that’s written for 20 years but only had one book published. They’ve both got one book out – who’s is going to be better? Quantity of what’s out there is no indication how much someone has honed their craft.
J. Daniel Sawyer says
I meant quantity of what you write, not of what you release.
Adam iwritereadrate says
Hi Joanna. Great post – enjoyed reading it. In my personal opinion, in this age of the Internet, I think there has to be a balance between profile building and time spent actually writing.
However, there are more options than ever for motivated writers to get their work out into the world, and this may take some of the pressure away from their independent efforts to develop a following themselves.
So, I guess my thoughts are that both are important to ensure a writer has maximum exposure and potential to find their readership.
All the best
Adam
iwritereadrate.com
Alan Baxter says
As with most things, the best path is the middle one, I think. Build a strong platform and keep producing work. Quality is important to me and I’m working on my third novel now. I’ve got two books out there doing okay and I hope to see sales of all books improve as my backlist and platform grow.
But I also have a fair amount of short fiction out there and I’m always working on getting more of that published. Plus I blog a lot and spend a lot of time on social interaction.
I don’t think any one focus is the answer.
Joanna Penn says
@Adam & @Alan – I am just struggling with the balance aspect. I know there has to be one but as the blog grows, more and more time is spent feeding it, responding to emails.
I feel like I’m at a tipping point – but I need to also focus on earning at the day job so have to make do with limited hours on this business.
I always feel guilty when I see you’ve written another story Alan, because I know I should be doing it too!
Alan says
For me, the fiction *always* takes priority. That’s what I do, so it’s always my main focus. But my blog is a lot less popular than yours! π
Adam iwritereadrate says
In the end, as Alan says, you’re not a writer unless you ‘write’. However, you’re not an ‘author’ unless other people read your work! I keep reading articles about time management for writers – if it is your job you should treat it like one and plan activity/time spent on each aspect of the job appropriately.
I don’t think there is a magic solution – however, larger writer/reader platforms (like ours) to help get your work out there will take some pressure away from promoting your own blog/site (although still think some effort on this is necessary to interact with your readers).
I’m personally quite regimented when it comes to carving up the limited hours in each day, however, as we all know ‘creativity’ doesn’t necessarily march to the same beat…my recommendation is to try different ways of doing it/different splits of balancing your time to see what works best for each individual.
All the best
Adam
iwritereadrate.com
Jo Vraca says
Hi Joanna,
From what I can tell about the way you go about things, I think you strike a really good balance. I mean, you have a published book and the way you market yourself is quite “invisible”. There’s marketing and then there’s marketing. You don’t just push yourself in your marketing; you offer information, and thatβs the best sort of marketing, in my opinion. You build your voice and that becomes who you are. It seems more natural that way.
Marketing in the age of web 2.0 and eBooks it CRITICAL. So many books out there, how do people find out about them? I believe that if one stays out of the way a little, then people will come. I hate to say this but it’s that whole law of attraction principle – know what you way, do things towards getting it, but clear out and let it happen without fear or desperation.
I reckon you have that…
Joanna Penn says
I appreciate that Jo. I do prefer the content marketing approach – as espoused by Copyblogger.com and others – which is low key marketing. I hate pushy stuff π