Feeling Swamped by Indie Author Marketing?

It’s pretty obvious that to be a successful indie author these days requires more than a little marketing skill. What I’d like to do here is tell you some of the things not to do when engaging in indie author marketing.

Don’t compare yourself to others. The best advice I’ve read recently is that you should never compare your beginning to someone else’s middle. You are where you are, and it’s pointless to want to be someone else. This is not to say that you shouldn’t keep track of your success (or lack thereof), but your idea of success may differ from someone else’s. In any case, if you want to do better, quit worrying about what others are doing and simply work on things that will make you better. In other words, focus on the thing you want to achieve and don’t worry if it’s not the same as everyone else.

Don’t compulsively check your book’s Amazon rank. The book rankings change from hour to hour. If you’re going to check in on your Amazon rank, do so at a set time on a regular basis, but don’t become so obsessed with the number that you let it rule your life. There’s more to success as an author than achieving a high Amazon rank.

Don’t spam your social media followers. I doubt that most authors are simply tweeting or Facebooking (is that a verb?) messages like: “Here’s my latest book. Please buy it!” But, on top of that, don’t make your social media exclusively about your book. Everything you put out there is part of your brand. Why clutter up an already crowded social media marketplace with repeated information about your book? It’ll simply numb people to your message.

Don’t rely entirely on Amazon sales for your income. Not only do I recommend going wide in terms of distribution, but it’s important to explore other ways to make income. These can include making affiliate income, creating online courses, and doing webinars. And those are just a few examples.

Don’t let your doubts stop you from trying new things. While something new may not come naturally to you at first, you may surprise yourself with how good you become after you’ve done it a few times. This includes things like video blogging, public speaking, and giving tutorials or courses.

Don’t do something just because you keep hearing about everyone else doing it. Focus on one or two new things, so that you can really delve into them.

Finally, don’t try to do everything at once. When it comes to social media marketing, there are so many options, but it’s important to remember that social media is a tool for you to use. Learn to use each tool to the extent that it helps you achieve your goals, but don’t let it drive you into the ground.