No Man’s Land is now set for pre order, and the first one is coming out September 9. With the other two at two week intervals. (I have now published two sets of earcs for subscribers to my blog, and will release the next one Sunday after next.
And I’m trying to figure out how to publicize.
Normally I don’t bother, because it seems like a thoroughly unprofitable business.
Look, I’m neither too shy, too artistic, or too pure to advertise my work. It’s just when it comes to indie sales everyone is very confused about what actually works, and every webinar “teaching” you to do it has the feel of an old-style “how to get published” talk. Those were usually 10 years out of date (at least) and often likely to be counterproductive. At best they were innocuous, or you could backengineer what they were teaching to cobble something that worked for you.
The best selling indy authors I know have not done publicity, and in fact had no idea why their books sell well. I recall having a conversation with the late Doug Dandrige in which he said he couldn’t even understand why one of his books outsold all the others by 10x.
Perhaps kindle ads and google ads would make a big difference. I don’t know. The reports I get are mixed, and it seems as though the books that sell best with ads are the ones that are easily pigeon-holeable.
What I mean is, as a binge reader, I’m most susceptible to kindle ads when it hits what I’m binging on at the moment. I think I’ve bought two books from Kindle ads, because I was on a Jane Austen fanfic tear, and they put two ads for JAFF on my screen. But I’m not sure how these are targeted, since when I’m on that particular tear, I get everything from Mafia Romance (never in the eve of ever, with sprinkles of ever have I read a Mafia Romance, nor do I want to) to Woman in Peril thrillers.
They target a little better when I’m on a thriller kick, but even then it’s not very good.
And science fiction… oy vey. For one science fiction is apparently just horror and mil sf. Or at least those are the ads I get.
Now these are just the ads on the kindle. I think they’re better on the “sponsored” search links.
Again, I hear people having good luck with those, but I think it’s because they have, not exactly more conventional properties (no MGC writer is conventional) but more easily classifiable than what I tend to write.
I heard of people getting facebook ads, but not getting any movement through them.
And yeah, google ads might work. Who knows.
May I confess at bottom-level I have a very strong dislike of the idea of giving money to companies like meta and google, though not so strong I’ll cut off my nose to spite my face.
I just don’t have an idea where to start, and everything pretty much sounds like … people who are teaching you to publicize because that’s where they actually make their money.
Yes, I have some money allocated to publicize, but I really would like to know it will have a return, and not eat my time, my attention, and return nothing.
Given enough time, I’ll do what I did to break in. Study around what is out there, pay for a few courses, and figure out what I can do of them and how to get around them.
Until then, I’m trying to figure it out. Might not be in time for the release of this book (in three parts) but it will be in time for the release of the next, hopefully in six months (look, I’m working.)
Meanwhile I’m trying to find my own erratic pathway.
I’ve got at least two AI “how to promote” plans, one of which was absolutely hilarious because it wanted me to promote this book in all the “gender” activist podcasts. (It’s not that kind of book.) It also kept talking about how stunning brave I am. It’s really not that kind of book.
It’s an exploration of… cultural clash where the cultural differences stem from physical differences and aren’t easily waved way with “if only you understood.”
The other is more useable, but the things it tells me to do were things I was going to do anyway.
The most successful I’ve ever been at promoting a book was Darkship Thieves, where I did a blog tour and at the same time got into a small add outfit which I think at the time was something or other smile. They put ads in tiny blogs, like mine at the time. Blogs that had a couple hundred hits a piece. I think it did well, mostly because people were not used to seeing ads for science fiction books on those blogs, only ads for fake Chineseum stuff.
Anyway, I think that outfit is gone, and the fact I can’t remember the name and that blogs like those back then now rarely have ads doesn’t make it viable.
I am perfectly willing to do a blog tour, though, and if you want to write a blog review, and want access to the earcs, call me.
Meanwhile, my assets are as follows: A blog that gets around 4k hits a day. (Sometimes 10k) But they are only so so my FICTION readers.
At the same time I also have the keys to instapundit, and that does help with the campaigns.
Other things: As you guys know, I’ve been playing with image renders and animation, and that’s maybe useful. (I have NO idea, honestly.)
I have mostly because I end up fried been doing a lot of videos from Elly. (Consider the challenge of portraying them as what they are.) And I’ve written little stories to go with them, even.
I’m thinking of posting these, here and there, to keep the buzz going.
But mostly? Mostly I’m open to any interviews, podcasts and such. And I’d appreciate return promo if you’re comfortable with the book and I’ve promoted you in the past. (Note the begs in there.) The book is actually ridiculously wholesome but we live in crazy time.s
Those of you who have read the earcs, might appreciate two takes on Nikre Lyto, aka the Archmouse, aka Archmagician in waiting. One of him with Eerlen when he’s little (I can’t get it to not put at least a hint of facial hair on Ellyans. Ah well. I figure Eerlen is part Drakshall and probably has as many issues with facial hair as Mediterranean women 😉
Anyway, open to ideas. In the meantime, have cute videos of the Archmouse, at age 6 and then as an adult.
Of course, these videos are mroe compelling if you’ve read the ARCs. Hence, my wanting to do the little stories to go with them. (Which might or might not work. The world is very complicated.)
Mad Genius Club 
27 responses to “Teaching the Horse to Sing”
Kindle ads and Amazon ads go, for me they are generally useful only for rediscovering old books I enjoyed and can now get cheap. (Oooh! All of Philp McCutcheon’s Halfhyde series in a bundle for $9.99! Max Hennessey’s Martin Falconer books! That sort of thing.)
That said I am not the audience for your promotion campaign because I already know of Sarah Hoyt and you are trying to reach those who don’t know you from Adam’s off ox. Maybe the best strategy is to try everything that is cheap and see what works best.
Or get in a time machine, do a “try everything” campaign on some books from three years ago and then use whatever worked best for those books on this publicity campaign. I mean, you’re an SF writer. You should be able to get hold of a time machine, right? (Or maybe write.)
My younger son told me that he’d build me a time machine if I bought him another bucket of K’nex. This was…. 22 years ago. Still no machine. I’m gonna get his wife to hassle him about it.
A writer I know is making music for her upcoming release.
There’s a whole playlist, it connects to the story itself… but mostly I just really like this Ominous Latin Chanting vibe. (There’s several songs that sound like good modern hits, too.)
Well, I would like the songs in the book set to music.
The ominous Latin chanting is the best. The one in Russian is pretty amazing, too. And today’s release is a charmer.
I kind of like the lady singing the sort-of romance song.
FB ad clicks are way cheaper than Amazon ad clicks for me.
David Gaugran shows how to set up a FB page for ads here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGl8hbkPzG8
I no longer follow his advice on targeting because it’s outdated. The best teacher I’ve found for FB ads is Matt Holmes. He is constantly testing ads for his wife’s books, releases regular updates as part of the original purchase price, and is super clear in his instructions. I learned a lot from him, and my FB ads are profitable. I still can’t scale them up, but I don’t test new visual creatives often enough, so that’s on me.
He’s here: https://www.matthewjholmes.com/facebook-ads-mastery-for-authors
Also, I’m looking forward to the book. The Elioud Legacy is a fun series.
You may not like what I have to say, but NML puts a very large foot out of genre and into LitFic, just by its subject. So you need to get genre readers into LitFic and Lutefisk########LitFic readers into genre.
I have a very small hope this might help.
It won’t. Litfic is a genre. This doesn’t fit it.
Then “Concept” SF? The structure elements that make me think LuteFisk may actually be Concept SF. And you’ve got elements of a slow thriller mixed in, and of a mystery. This has more connections than a NJ highway interchange. (Examples on request …) Maybe that’s the difficulty, and the thing you should make into a selling point?
But that is just science fiction, right? It’s what it used to be. Look at Heinlein.
For mystery, it’s Asimov, mostly. You’re exceptionally versatile, and gather all to yourself.
Let’s try to nail some jelly to the flagpole. Whose story is it? Skip’s? Elly’s? The rulers of Elly? Or is it solely about the culture? What’s the secondary answer?
Now, how do you expect readers to answer those questions? Survey, anyone?
Oh. Heinlein also had mysteries.
This story? Skip’s and Eerlen’s. The next one…. is far more complicated.
How much of today’s SF is Concept SF and how much is Conestoga Wagons in Space or Jim Rockford in Space or (especially) McGyver in Space?
Real High Concept SF novelists are pretty rare, and most built their following after a sudden, early flowering. You’re working in some thin air, and doing beautifully.
Side note: If you’re looking for a short story teaser concept, how about one of Skip’s almost-survived merciless school mersi sessions? Or one he does survive, perhaps after his success at Valhalla (so you can mention it). “But nothing at the Academy prepared me for the day I fell out of a world.”
Most “modern scifi” is really badly copied over modern setting stories. To the point I halfway expect to see someone walk through with a “Central Perk” coffee mug.
I have…. five novellas in the world plotted. They are mostly to keep the algorithm going.
Short stories these days are weird for me. I write them — very rarely — for friends anthos. But I don’t get much publicity out of them.
I read a Mad Amos Malone story in an anthology, then bought the collection because I liked the character and his battles. How many people have done the same with Correia’s Monster Hunter world?
I don’t know. I do contribute to those, and to the Black Tide ones, but those are by invitation only.
Magazines now have truly weird contracts. (Not safe.) In most of the anthos I contribute to, I’m the best known name. It’s a calculus, but right now not worth it.
I do agree that anthologies are a good way to get known, but that pay off is much, much higher if your’e a beginner.
I did the same with Mad Amos. 😀
Only time I’ve done something besides go “Oh good lord this person is on my never buy list” from short story collections, actually– I was always told that it was how to find good stories, and I kept trying for a long time. (Kept getting ones where folks were being clever, but my English Teacher had already taught me the twist they were going to do.)
For Elly, I do’nt think you *can* do a short story.
Mad Amos, getting enough to have it Make Sense was easy; a ton of modern scifi is “oh, this is Star Trek, but” or “this is Star Wars, but” and “This is Stargate, but” so the world building is already done.
We don’t have the same shorthands in place.
Note, this doesn’t require being “inspired by” anything.
Like, GATE is Japanese anime stargate to a fantasy world.
Dune is politics and religion Star Wars.
I think it is possible, and I picked the mersies to place the character in his starting point. But Sarah’s placement question would have to be answered.
Yeah, from Skip’s POV it’s possible. One of the novellas is The Princess and The Pirate, which is about his parents meeting while they’re BOTH covert operatives. BUT the market is a bigger barrier.
To be absolutely blunt, yes, at my point in my career I should have a ton of antho invites from all the houses, but those stopped when I came out of the political closet… 12? years ago? The only ones I still get are Baen, but now that I’m not their author they are sporadic.
The other anthos I write for is because the editor is a friend or I love the theme, but they’re unlikely to further my reach.
And writing to submit on spec is just a waste of my time at this point, besides magazines having yucky contracts now.
Let me add that your view of this book has flattered me enormously, something I really needed today, as I think I’m having a post-prednisone crash, because the number of annoying people can’t have doubled over night.
Collections are also a thing.
Also, you can just publish novellas. They do sell.
yes, but have to be careful with spoilers.
And I think one of them only Catholics will GET.
:gestures elsewhere to her reviews:
I think it’s specifically not modern scifi.
It’s scifi from when it was fun, and if it was zany, it wasn’t the carefully written for declared market type zany.
It goes back before the “chop the stories into itty bits” push. Like how the DC movies all only have little chunks of the characters– they can’t even write both parts of the flippin’ Joker!– but the kid’s show of the Justice League in the 90s could.
No Man’s Land hits different because it’s not chopped into little bits.
Which is why it has a “That seventies cover.” It’s intentional