I’ve done a lot of marketing, but marketing myself is difficult. In case this hasn’t been made abundantly clear over the last few years, I’m an artist—specifically, an author. My main joy in creating art comes from creating sci-fi and fantasy worlds, books, and series. Since 2020 I’ve published 10 novels. Two complete sci-fi series…
Tag: marketing
How Do I Reconcile the Creative Process with My Brand?
Being an indie-author requires being a brand and business, too. Not so long ago, the only way to publish a book and make money was via traditional publishing. To get there, the main path was to get a literary agent, who would then get you past the gatekeepers and through the doors to the publishers….
Does a Wide World Call for Wide Distribution?
I can’t see why not. But what does that mean? Once upon a time, stunningly not so long ago, there were exactly 2 ways to publish a book. You could do it via a major publishing house or vanity press for self-publishing. The former came with marketing and distribution. The latter didn’t. The latter also…
The Upside and Downside of Self-Promotion
I think it should always be shameless to promote your good work. As a self-published, indie-author authorpreneur, writing is the second and most involved step of the story and the business. The second step, you might question? Of course. That’s because the first step is conceiving the idea. Human beings have thousands, if not tens…
And Now For Something (Kind of, But Not Entirely) Completely Different
Something different for me and my writing/publishing game, at least. As I’m sure you’re sick of reading by now – I started writing sci-fi when I was 9 years old. Wildfire is a 50-page, illustrated book you will never read. After Wildfire, I started but didn’t finish a few other projects. Then, at age 13,…
The Business of Writing Only Begins with Writing
In the business of writing, writing – in many respects – is surprisingly the easiest part. As a child, I discovered that writing fiction – sci-fi and fantasy – brought me joy. I’ve always had an active (overactive, maybe) imagination. Channeling my imagination from playing pretend – imagining my swing set as a starfighter, creating…
Another “The End” Reached. What Do I Do Now?
After I reach “the end” of a project, it’s time to work on the next. I just finished writing the first novel in my new Savagespace sci-fi saga. There are 6 total novels plotted for this series. With Alliances done, there are 5 more to go. Not counting my non-fiction – this is my 16th…
10 Challenges Artists, Writers, and Other Creatives Know All Too Well
Most creatives I’m familiar with know these challenges all too well. Are you Neil Gaiman, Beyoncé, Banksy, Alex Guarnaschelli, or any other recognizable creative celebrity? I’m going to presume the answer is no (however, if yes, thanks for reading!) Unless you have reached a level of recognizable success as a creative – be it writer,…
Why Should You Pay for My Writing – Or Any Other Art?
Because we should always pay for literal things of value. Shameless self-promotion skirts a fine line between sharing, oversharing, bragging, informing, and annoying people. That one line covers a lot of space and detail. It’s important that we recognize and accept this truth: things of value are things that we pay for. Let me be…
What Does the Ideal Member of my Target Audience Look Like?
Exploring the process of homing in on my target audience. Realizing some of my limitations regarding marketing my brand – and taking a direction I’ve deeply desired to go for a while – I have a new coach. As we work on building some new tools to help me expand my brand and drive this…