I'm on record as saying blogfests and the like are lame. I still think that but now reluctantly I have to actually start doing them. Why? Because I need to get off my fat ass and start trying to get more "followers." Most of them won't really follow because they're too busy "following" a million other blogs so the only time I'll hear from them is if I offer fabulous prizes. Anyway, the reality is that when you want to sell books in this day and age you need to have a "presence" on the Web, which means doing all this blogging and Tweeting and bullshit like that.
If you don't believe me,
Neil Vogler's blog has a link to an article about this subject.
So the gist of it is:
blogfests, blog hops, crusades, campaigns--BRING 'EM ON!!!
Got a blogfest, blog hop, etc. etc. let me know and I'll be sure to participate, no matter how stupid I think it is! I've already signed up to two Offutt mentioned on his blog, the "I'm Hearing Voices" and "Origins" one. So I'm off to a great start. (Sigh.)
Now, I'm not an expert about this, but I notice several Indie authors selling well who aren't doing all this blog stuff. So I tend to believe you don't have to go into a social media frenzy. But marketing is tough usually because we write what we love and then wonder how we will sell it. Rather than knowing how to sell it first.
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I've deciced that I can't do both and I want to finish more novels, so that's what I'm doing. I'm a single mom taking care of two kids (three if you count my Dad), so it's impossible for me to do both.
In the publishing contract I signed there are actually clauses requiring me to promote the work and have an Internet site and stuff. I think Offutt's works the same way too. I don't know how much of that the Big Six would require but I think that's kind of a given now with all this social media. Personally I'd rather just hole up somewhere like JD Salinger.
DeleteAwesome! Maybe I'll start a really stupid blogfest too. You know, one where everyone talks about pineapples or something.
ReplyDeleteTruth be known as much as I hate the idea of a blogfest, I've actually enjoyed participating in the ones I have.
I still think you need to change your name to "Affable Bulldog". Or if you really want hipster appeal, "Ol' Dirty Bulldog". You could monkey with your real name too. What about "P-Trick D."? P-TRICK D, IN DA HOUSE!
ReplyDeleteNo? OK. Point taken.
Let's all join Rusty & Grumpy's Stupid Pineapple Blogfest!
ReplyDeleteDoes your contract say anything about mentioning that all your public appearances are contractually obligated, Grumpy Salinger? You may want to read the fine print, although David Cross certainly got a lot of mileage for "Todd Margaret" out of complaining about how much he was paid to be humiliated in "Chipwrecked." And, of course, there's a certain genius to marketing yourself by saying "I'm only marketing myself because I have to market myself, since I hate marketing." It's an anti-marketing marketing campaign.
(I myself have chosen to market my books by having you and Offutt openly criticize them on Twitter. It's a controversial move, but I'm going for the crowd that looks for books that piss you both off.)
Anyway, since I take everything you say as a personal challenge and have actually written one stanza of an Ode To Cheeseburgers, I am now going over to my blog to announce The Stupid Pineapple Blogfest, which you are invited to participate in.
And it's up.
ReplyDeleteI actually think the two blogfests that I'm going to be doing WITH you are really interesting. I've been thinking of ways to make them colorful, so it's not like they are lame.
ReplyDeleteBlog Hops and Fests can be fun - depending on where you end up! Love Michael's blog - found him through a some sort of Blog Hop...Life is too short not to enjoy the internet and the connections you make!
ReplyDeleteAnd I see you've signed up for the IWSG and the A to Z Challenge as well.
ReplyDeleteBlogfests and the like have multiple benefits and the increase of followers is just one of them. You do get noticed. I credit the launch of the IWSG and co hosting the Pay it Forward fest, both of which received hits and visits into five digits, with launching my first book into the best seller list. (Because I sure as heck don't know what else I did and neither does my publisher!)