Writing Tips, Part 5: Exposure

Like any dreamer, we just want the world to see what we see, what we feel, what we experience. “If they would only just look at it!”

Writers are dreamers. Whimsical story tellers. Sharers of imagination. But how do we get our work noticed and chosen to grace the mailboxes or Kindle screens of hungry readers?

1.  Social Media. Of course, this is huge. But it’s really just a flash or wave at people. Video clips, images, and even snippets of your work. In today's world, people are drawn to quick clips and HD images. Get creative and use those few seconds to capture people's attention. I have also found it important to engage with people. There you will find readers, fans, beta readers, reviewers and other writers. All these will be resources you can use to grow your brand and gain wisdom as a writer embarking on your journey.

2.  Podcasts and magazine interviews. I've done several of these over the years. It’s a wonderful way to reach readers. A platform where you can talk about your work, how you developed your stories, the struggles, the inspiration, and the process. Here's a little tip: chose your podcasts wisely. I've been lucky to be interviewed by two great podcasters, who actually took the time to read my work and had thought-provoking questions, rather than just your run-of-the-mill ones. They were also writers themselves and could relate to or add to the conversation.

3.  Amazon Content Page. Time and time again, I see authors on Amazon not taking full advantage of the features KDP offers. In particular—Author page and A+ content. Sadly, I have seen it with publishers too. Which is a huge disservice to their clients. Having the Author page means you can link all your works together and include a short bio. A+ content allows you to add images related to your book to the landing page. I use various banners, created using Canva.

4.  ISBN. I see a lot of writers go the cheap route, and that’s fine. None of us have stacks of cash sitting around; I certainly don’t. But I chose wisely where I spent my money. I believe buying your own ISBNs is a smart move for two reasons. First, if you use Amazon’s free ISBN, then it will say “Independently Published” on Amazon. Which is fine, but in order to look a little more professional, having your own ISBN will allow you to have a publisher’s name. I use Silly Lilly Publishing. Although it’s still self-published, it shows readers that you have invested money into your art because you feel it’s worth it. Second, having your own ISBN allows you to publish your books via Ingramspark, which has a huge distribution platform. Making it available to bookstores, schools, libraries, and online stores. Although I will say, Ingramspark upload process is a little finicky and their ship lead times are very slow compared to Amazon, but still very much worth it. Their quality is also a little better than Amazon's.

A word of advice: it’s cheaper to buy a group of ISBNs than just one. Don’t buy one thinking you will only ever write one book. Buy a group. Also, if you chose to make a hardcover as well as a paperback, you will need two separate ISBNs.

YOU DO NOT NEED YOUR OWN ISBN FOR EBOOKS. Wherever you publish the eBook, it’s only available there, so just use the platform’s free one. Don’t waste one you’ve paid for.

5. Ads. Some people swear by Amazon's, Book Bub's, and Facebook’s ads. I've found that only once you spend a ton of money on these services do you actually see a profit. But one of the best options I've found is Pinterest. You can pay by the day. It means for around $11 for a day you can get around 5-7 impressions. But again, it’s fickle; those impressions need to turn into sales. But for $11 per day, it’s worth experimenting with various images and even video clips.

6. Book cards. It’s like a business card, but with your book cover on the front and a QR code on the back. I use Vista Print to make the cards. And I pay for a QR code per month. Around $7. The QR code can take people right to your website or Amazon. I have found these to be a great tool and provide data on location. You can narrow down where people have scanned your QR code. That’s good data if you have it stuck to a board in a coffee shop or jammed in a lamppost. Yes, a lamppost. Leave them everywhere.

7 . Free books. Authors cringe at this one. But when starting out, reviews are better than sales. Take advantage of Amazon’s free deals and sales options. I have found running these deals along with a social media blast works best. Check out Book Barbarian, (around $50 ). They are a legit service for reaching readers. How do I know? I gave away one of my eBooks once. 900 people downloaded it in one day from a Book Barbarian email and a social media blast. I wish they were all paid. You can also run the promotion and charge 99c. That way you make a little cash. Even if it’s a loss, remember, at this point you want reviews. You want legitimacy.

Anyway, thank you for reading Writing Tips, Part 5: Exposure, with a few of my tips to get your books into readers’ hands. Have fun and comment on ways that have worked or not worked for you.

Robbie Sheerin is a Scottish-born author currently based in the United States. He has written six books, along with numerous short stories, published across a range of print and digital platforms. His books are available on Amazon, Waterstones, Walmart, Books-a-Million, Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org and many other locations. Find out more at www.robbiesheerinwriter.com.