... Because we have chosen to try and stand out from the rest of the publishing crowd.
I figured out the other day that I have twenty-three books published and available. It's a good back catalogue, especially as I am always coming up with more ideas for worlds and stories than I could write. I have another three books coming out this year - Teacups & Time Travel, The Lych Mistress, and Tales from the Hall of The Worlds. There is a strong chance that I might be able to get the next in the Arking Down series out this year, too.
The Daemon's Will was a difficult book to write; it brought back a lot of childhood trauma, so it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's as essential to the overall story arc of The Secret of Arking Down as the first three books were.
I'm also hoping to get my first SF book out - Cosmic Shadows isn't what I would consider Hard SF, but it is considerably more solid than The Secret of Arking Down, which has a mere hat tip to science.
Getting your book out to people is only half the problem when you're an indie author/illustrator/publisher. I publish through Draft2Digital for both electronic and print formats. I've dipped my toe into audiobooks. I'm planning to put Hardbacks through Lulu, and my graphic novels may go through them, too. D2D distributes my books widely, which is what I wanted - I didn't want to be exclusive to Amazon, especially as it brought me very little in the way of royalties.
The next part of the job is to sell your books to readers.
Going to Barry Card & Collector Con was a good idea - I sold a few books. Not enough to cover the cost of the set-up for the event, but it was a success. I'm looking to get a stall at some of the other events that happen around Cardiff, to try and build on that success.
I have two shops - one on Ko-fi, which is already up and running, and one on Shopify, which isn't. Shopify is a lot more complicated to do, and with the current heatwave, I can only work in the evenings! I'll use the Ko-fi shop descriptions as a base for the Shopify ones to keep them balanced. Shopify has more advertising gumph than Ko-Fi, though, which just gives you a spot to sell from.
Marketing these days means social media, and being a regularly posting face upon it.
I have a Linktree - linktr.ee/teigrbooks8designs -, and it tells me that I have over a thousand followers on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. This is news to me!
On FB, as my main pen name - www.facebook.com/AuthorKiraMorgana/-, I have 411 followers. As TBD on FB - www.facebook.com/TeigrBooks - I have 82.
On Patreon - www.patreon.com/c/Teigr_Books_8_Designs -, I have a single, lonely free subscriber *waves at Iridyscenzia*. Free because I don't have paid ones; I don't use that site as much as Ko-fi.
So, including Ko-Fi, where I have 11 followers, I have a total of 1,548 followers...
It's a drop in the ocean compared to some authors on social media, and I guess I need to up my posting game!
I have a newsletter subscription list here on the website. You get a free e-copy of Blossom and Kitsune for signing up, but I am considering changing it to one of the short story collections. I am also on Substack (I have 9 subscribers there, taking the follower count up to 1,557!)
On Ko-fi, if you join one of the membership tiers, you get all sorts of benefits...
Orange Tiger
$5
per month
Orange Tigers will get access to all private posts, a book-buying discount of 10%, a yearly Christmas card, exclusive discounts, and social media shout-outs!
Everyone who supports, donates, or buys will also get my undying love and gratitude! And I do mean undying....😉🤣
- Book buying discount
- Christmas Card
- Social media shout-out
- Exclusive discounts
White Tiger
$10
per month
White Tigers are a rare genetic mutation in the wild.
A bit like my dedicated fans - rare and loved. If you pick this tier, that's what you are...
White Tigers get all the membership perks that Orange Tigers get, but with the bonus of being eligible to get an entry to the yearly commission draw for an artwork or short story purely for them, as well as a birthday card from the Author & Designer.
Everyone who supports, donates, or buys will also get my undying love and gratitude! And I do mean undying....😉🤣
- Book buying discount
- Social media shout-out
- Christmas Card
- Exclusive discounts
- Entry into the yearly commission draw
- Birthday Card
Rainbow Tiger
$20
per month
Rainbow Tigers are a fantasy creature.
They exist in my imagination, and while I would love for them to be real (unless I can get a 3D printer that prints DNA), I doubt I'll ever see a real one.
These supporters are the type that turn up to every book signing with their whole collection for you to sign, or have been reading your books since you started publishing... If you pick this tier, that's what you are...
Rainbow Tigers get all the membership perks that White Tigers get, but with the chance to get a free book every year.
Everyone who supports, donates, or buys will also get my undying love and gratitude! And I do mean undying....😉🤣
- Book buying discount
- Social media shout-out
- Christmas Card
- Exclusive discounts
- Entry into the yearly commission draw
- Birthday Card
- One free book per year
Remember, these tiers are only available through Ko-Fi.
So far, no one has taken me up on my offers, so I guess they're wasted - a bit like signing up for the Newsletter.
It's frustrating.
I know I'm doing everything that the marketing people suggest - Website, Blog, Shop, Memberships. But I rarely get any interest in me or my books... I can't afford to do FB ads or run a BookBub campaign without selling books.
I'm in a Catch-22.
I can't sell my books without the marketing, but the marketing isn't selling books.
I guess I need to try and overcome my video phobia somehow - I'd be happy if I could get some easy ideas for selling myself through book videos. Ones that are easy enough to do through my phone, and don't involve too much of me being on the screen.
I'm considering creating a VTuber character to be "me" and animating it through Adobe. But then, I run into the Podcast/Audiobook problem - I live in a house that is rarely quiet, and I can't shut myself away from my family to record voice-overs.
AAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!
If you've made it this far through the post - THANK YOU.
To reward your dedication, here's a sneak peek into a Story Collection I am working on.
This is a little story I rediscovered from my hard drive. It'll be in the story collection, which consists of several longer stories not connected to my usual worlds, and a few small ones like this. Not sure when it will be published - I do have a The Tower & The Eye Story Collection to publish as well...
...So I hope you enjoy this.
The tide receded, and the door in the centre of the ammonite popped open. A head darted out, followed by a slithery body and silver tail. The creature shook itself and spotted a glistening shell on its front door step.
“For you, my Love.” The creature read aloud from the attached label. With a swift shudder and shake, the creature changed form, legs becoming tail and upper limbs appearing where none had been, reaching out to the shell.
Which grew legs itself and scuttled away.
“A pet? Or a hunt?” the Sea Pixie asked the air.
Nothing answered her, apart from the scrape of claws as the shell got further away. She scrambled over the outer edge of the ammonite and followed it. The label blew away in an errant gust, which rocked both shell and Pixie.
At the edge of a rock pool, the shell made good its escape, dropping into the depths with a tiny squeak of happiness.
The Pixie sat down and stared after it. “Now what do I do?”
“Nothing.” A face poked up out of the water, and another Sea Pixie climbed out of the pool. “I sent it to you.”
“Why?” She asked.
“To bring you here.” He held out one hand.
She smiled and took his hand. “You could have just knocked.”
“After all these years, I thought you might want a replay of our first meeting.”
She giggled and kissed him. “Let’s go then.”
They slipped into the rock pool and disappeared.
M
PS: If you click through the links in the post, it'll take you to that site. If the links don't work, just copy and paste them into your browser, and that should work too. Please come and follow me on whichever sites you're on... I'm on a lot of them, and I get lonely!
PPS: If you've finished the post and want a 5% discount on your order from the shop, please use this link!