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!
