Marketing: Managing the Cruel Mistress
- Laura McAsh
- 22 hours ago
- 3 min read
In the thick of the holiday season, everyone and their dog is bombarded by ads day in and out. And here I am, on my laptop, creating content to advertise my upcoming book. I'm no better than Coca-Cola (although I am better in that I'm staunchly anti-AI in the art space).
Despite being on the Programming and Marketing team at the Library, I actually don't enjoy selling things. I suppose it's helpful, then, that we're basically "selling" free items and services, but I digress. My only prior experience with selling--or rather, attempting to sell--something was my brief stint working for commission selling ad space for the local paper. I must have been horrible at my job because I wasn't able to earn a single "yes" from the multitude of businesses I reached out to. Despite the newspaper staff offering support and encouragement, I decided to leave the position, figuring that if I was going to work without pay, I would rather be writing my book instead.
What I like most about marketing is the artistic side of it. I love creating beautiful content that draws the eye. It is thus this aspect of marketing my debut novel that has been very mentally stimulating. Unfortunately, as the clock ticks closer to launch day, my heart has become increasingly heavier; this is my first foray into the publication industry, and thus my first experience with the feeling that no one is listening.
Right now, all of the posts on my dedicated Insta are liked by the same tiny group of people (I see you, I love you, I appreciate you). Even when Contrarian shares my content to their story, I'll be lucky to get more than 5 likes. I ask myself, "Are my posts trash?" I honestly don't think so. They are very similar in concept to the extremely successful indie authors I follow, and I think they look pretty decent. "Does that mean that my story is trash?" I ask myself next. It's not Shakespeare, but I still think it's worth reading. Even if my writing was heaven-sent, though, I would still low-sell myself because self-depreciation is my M.O. Why then am I advertising into the void? I'm learning the hard way that good content doesn't equal strong traction.
I want to make very clear that this is not me saying "My book is too good for this world, no one understands me!!!" or "My marketing materials are the best on the planet, and people have no taste!!!", but rather that I don't know how I can be successful in getting my story out there short of turning into an influencer. I assure you that that won't be happening anytime soon for two distinct reasons: I don't want that hustle life, and I'm waaaaay too uncool to generate a significant following.
Am I expecting to make a ton of money on my work? Nope. I'll be very lucky to break even. What I really want is for people to read my novel and enjoy it. Sharing my story is what will make my heart rich. It's very corny, but true.
On that note, Alison's Adventures in Time is available for pre-order on Contrarian's website!
Stay tuned for a stunning pre-order perk that should be revealed soon. Until then, be sure to follow Contrarian, Contrarian Young Readers, Tales of the Archivists, and me (laurathelemur) on Instagram!
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