Today on my blog I have the fabulous Mary Smith!!!!!
Mary and I became friends while she was a blogger and I was just starting out. She was one of my biggest supporters and I remember being so blown away by all her love! She is still that amazing person today but now she's added Author to her resume!!!
I can't wait for you to meet her and fall in love with her just as much as I have!!!
The Greatest Secrets
to Success in the Indie Author World
Since my first book, every question (whether author or
blogger) is the same: How did you sell so many books?
Well, here it is people. Here is my Holy Grail secret (and
it’s a two parts)…wait for it….wait for it…
Part one: Social Media.
You know I’m right!
That is my secret. I talk a lot. I post a lot. I put up
pictures of my food, of my swag, of my books, of other author’s book, of
my…well…everything. Okay, maybe not everything,
but a lot.
Social Media is what runs the world. It helps you connect
with people all over. If you put a post-up or a picture, you need to remember
that it’s THE WORLD THAT SEES IT!! So, if you don’t want people to see your ham
sandwich, don’t post it.
This brings up another topic. Don’t write mean and hateful
things on your timeline or in tweets, because it only causes trouble. If you
want to be successful, remember that there are more people in the world than
just you!
Let me tell you a quick story. When I published my first
book, an author friend contacted me
and said that I would never be successful if I didn’t make the USA Bestseller
on my debut novel. She blasted me, and yes made fun of my book, in her private
street team, forgetting that I was in it. Was I hurt? Very much so. But, it
reminded me of this: you are the only one that can measure your success.
However, try to remember that words hurt, and you should be
respectful of everyone’s work.
That leads me to Part Two: Honesty.
I broke into the Indie World as a Blogger. I co-founded Book
Nerds Across America, and was instantly pulled into this amazing world. I
started making contacts right away. Anytime an author would want me to read
their books, or help with a cover reveal, I did it. If I wasn’t able to, I told
them so. If they asked for an honest review, I gave it. If I didn’t like the book, I gave the author
a detailed review.
Did I love every book I read? No. However, I didn’t give it
a one star and write: just because,
on the review. Like traditional authors, Indie authors rely on their audience
for feedback. It’s what makes them better.
When I made the decision to become an author (and yes, that
word still scares me) I called on my friends, and fellow authors to help. Did
all of them help? Nope, but that’s okay.
Does everyone love my book?
Nope, and that makes me happy. Yes, I said
happy, because I want real reviews and honesty, just like I give to the authors
I read.
When I received my first one star, I literally jumped up and
down. Crazy, I know. However, I was happy to see that someone gave it a true
review. The person laid out everything that was wrong, and I learned from that.
It wasn’t just a bunch of blah blah blah,
or nothing written at all.
Sidenote: I reached out to that person, and gave her a copy
of my second book. This time she gave me three stars, and noted that I was
growing as an author.
That meant the world to me!
So, here is my big ending: be kind, honest, and remember
that only you can measure how successful you are.
It doesn’t matter if you sell
1,000 books or 10 books, you’re an author, and someone loved your story. And
yeah, you can screen shot this, and post it!
Mary Smith was born in Chicago, Illinois, but raised in Princeton, Illinois. She now lives in the hills of West Virginia. She is an avid reader, co-founder of Book Nerds Across America, and co-author of The Penalty Kill Trilogy. She goes nowhere without her cell phone or Kindle. Mary loves anything to do with Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Sharp, and hockey related! She is also an avid Chicago Bears and Chicago Bulls fan.
Check out Mary on her Facebook Page or her Twitter.
Pick up the first book in Mary's The Ice Series, Breaking the Ice for FREE!!!!!
Thank you for this post. I have recently started to write my first book and I never realized how important it is to go and put yourself out there. I am no introvert. But it is something I have never really done before so it can be a little intimidating.
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