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!
Thanks For The Encouraging Words.
ReplyDeleteHi Tamylee,
DeleteI'm happy to hear you found them helpful. Have a nice weekend,
Marla
Your points on Luck are well received.
ReplyDeleteSeize the Day and Be Bold and Mighty Forces will come to your Aid!
HI Dave,
DeleteThanks for reading. Did you celebrate St. Patty's Day with a green beer or two?
Hope the book sales are doing well. Have a great week,
Marla
I really liked your article, I found it quite inspiring. Your right luck is made up of hard consistent work, never give up, believe it will happen and invariably it does. The timing might be a little off , that's when you have to hang on in there.
ReplyDeleteHi Mike,
DeleteIt is so easy to develop a write-it-and-they-will-buy attitude. And to envy other authors when it is up to us to keep going. Good writing and hard work is what it takes!
Nice to hear from you,
Marla
A good post, Marla. The same advice also applies to traditionally published authors like me. Unless you're a big name publishers do little to sell your book, so you've got to approach promoting it with a positive mental attitude, although it can be easy to get disheartened as competition for sales is fierce.
ReplyDeleteYes, the competition gets stronger every day! That accounts for how promotions that are wonderful one day, are not successful the next as everyone jumps on that particular tool. That's why we have to (like you) try to stay positive and keep trying new things.
DeleteThanks for stopping by,
Marla
Great post. I feel like one of the lucky ones. I have remained positive for them most part. I wrote what I knew best at a time when nobody else was doing it. Cozy mystery with senior citizens... oh yeah. I made them very unique with boyfriends and a little on the naughty side. Was I hated, you betcha, lol, but I did land on the USA Today Bestsellers list twice with a BookBub ad. Oh yes, you can't expect to just sit there and not spend money to find your place. My books never do well from the get go, but I crawl my way there with ads. Does it always work out, not, but the single best thing you can do is write, publish and repeat. I had the best things happen to me when I was the lowest, truly. Won't bore you with those details, but staying positive and believing in yourself and your books is so important. I've re-edited, changed covers, you name it. Stay in the game, it's so worth it. One more thing I want to add is that I joined a Meet Up writers group and was pulled into a writers circle with a book signing. I asked for none of it, but I'm so thankful I was invited by a published author in my home state. May all of you stay the course and stay positive.
ReplyDeleteHi Madison,
DeleteGreat to hear from you! Love your attitude. Yes, I've heard the bookbub ads work great and I just did one for a free promo, but haven't gotten accepted yet for a "discounted" ad. Yes, we have to keep trying new things and not be afraid to spend money to make money.
Congrats on getting into the Writer's group. They are a wonderful way to get support.
Have a super weekend,
Marla
Yes. I agree with the saying, 'there's no such thing as luck.' Thanks for the thoughtful advice!
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteGlad you found this blog useful. Learning one has to make their own luck is a tough lesson. Always helps to try something new!
Thanks for stopping in,
Marla
Reblogged! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteThanks for reading and glad you liked the blog. Stop in again, and have
a great week,
Marla
Just came across your tweet for this article - and so glad I did. I'm not as far along as the others who have commented, but found your post one of those which reinforces perseverance - a much needed quality for the business side of writing. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you, Teagan! My number one piece of advice for new writers is to find and join a writer's group. I've been in one for more than 5 years now, and without it, never would have written two, self-published novels. It is the very best way to stay motivated.
DeleteEnjoy the day,
Marla
Such a good post - the last one in partic is so true. Too many people allow one experience to blight their lives for years!
ReplyDeleteYou're so right, Terry. One bad experience, or even one bad review can put a writer like me in the doldrums for days. But the real plus from staying active is that there are always new doors that open and new friends who come into your world. Just the other day, an email from a woman who'd read my books, loved them, and taken time to tell me about it, really pulled me out of the bad place I was in at the time.
DeleteNice to see you here, have a good week,
Marla
Encouraging, thoughtful and fun article. I'm glad you re-posted it!
ReplyDeleteHi charli,
DeleteThanks for visiting and so happy you enjoyed the article. It's so easy to get discouraged, either about our writing, or any other life issues. I always need to
remind myself that action is so much better for the soul than sitting here worrying
about it.
Have a nice weekend,
Marla