Wednesday, March 12, 2014

What's Luck Got To Do With It?

SELLING eBOOKS

What's Luck Got To Do With It?




             During March, the month of four-leaf-clovers and little green leprechauns, we celebrate the luck of the Irish. Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and we can all have that luck! The word luck, beaten and bastardized, gets tossed around like a day-old doughnut whenever Indie authors discuss success (or lack thereof) in selling our books.
            The first time I took advantage of KDP’s Select promotion and placed my suspense eBook, She’s Not There, free on Amazon, I only had 8,202 downloads at the end of the two days, compared to a friend’s 26,000 downloads using the same promotion. She told me, for her, there had been a lot of luck involved, and it was due to the fact that a popular eBook site noticed her promotion and highlighted it for their readers. I know firsthand her success is not all due to luck. She’s a devoted marketer, and spends every available moment working to maintain her book’s sales momentum. Me, I’m addicted to things like golfing, playing bridge and watching The Young and the Restless; my marketing ethic is not nearly as fierce!
Luck is more likely to happen to those who go after it.
How to get lucky:
1. Expect the Best
Lucky people believe they will be successful. Research shows that if you believe you’ll succeed, your odds of hitting a lucky streak go up. There’s no magic involved—expectancy is a real driver of behavior. Expecting something as opposed to wanting or hoping for it, will affect your decision-making and you’ll put in more of an effort than you may normally have.
 Writers—find ways to stay positive and expect success—it works!
2.    Notice What Others Miss
Lucky people are more open to random opportunities. They notice chance situations and act on them. Lucky people are flexible in their thinking, and it’s that relaxed, open attitude that allows them to see what other don’t.
         Keep your eyes open for opportunities—they’re out there!
3.    Say “Yes”
 Lucky people do not remain passive. Instead, they seize opportunities as they come without endless second-guessing.
   When chance encounters occur, don’t over-think them, act on them.
4.    Switch Things Up
Lucky people increase their chances of getting opportunities by meeting new people and trying new things. Luck won’t come looking for you or knock at your door.
      The more you put yourself out there, the more likely it is you will find luck.
5.    Practice Bouncing Back
Lucky people don’t let one failure sidetrack their road to success. When you let a bad break get you down, you close the door on new situations that could lead to a lucky break. Closely linked to the first trait, expecting the best, bouncing back means you will have a greater chance of success with each failure, because you’ll be trying more often.
     Regard every bad break as an opportunity to find the right course for you!
           
Dear readers,
So many of us, myself included, wait for the magical “break,” that will mean success for our novels. You know what magical thinking does—it delays success. Practice the habits of lucky people; they work!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day,
Marla
Note: I seldom repeat a blog, but with St. Patrick’s Day only days away, and the luck of the Irish on our minds, I thought this one would be an excellent repeat! Hope you enjoyed it!