So, you’ve written a book. What now?

“I wrote a book.”

This statement does not define your career as an author. It is the point at which your career really begins.

As indie authors, we all are in the business of selling. It’s not just about writing a great book. It should not be a one-way street. Give and take is golden.

There has to be humanity in this “social” media world.

Practice makes practice, like a doctor who practices medicine. They do their best but there are no guarantees. There is no exact science in marketing a book. There is no “perfect” because we are human, which makes us vulnerable to making mistakes. All we can do is our best. There is something notable about that.

Being an indie author leaves us vulnerable.

We put so much of ourselves into this and so much of it we can’t share with the people closest to us. Friends and family who want to hear about the books are rare. It can feel like “my books” are a dirty subject. Writing is still our job, but you can’t really talk about it. It’s not unlike having an elephant in the room. Most people work jobs where they are asked about them. In our case, most of the time the subject is avoided and it is intentional.

Sad but true. 



What I have learned ever since I started marketing my first book is don’t expect your friends and family to be interested. Expectations will lead to disappointment.

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For the full article by novelist and returning contributor, Brenda Perlin, please visit The Official Prose. Blog later today at: blog.theprose.com/blog.