Hello friends! I hope all is well with you. Here in Samantaland it still hasn't sunk in that I have a 300-page comic for sale. It still seems a bit surreal that my comic has finally been finished and it's out there, being read (I hope!). In fact, last hours of pre-sales, with a more affordable price and some freebies, take a look!
Then after finishing a long job you think: that's it, that's it, let's focus on the next one! But it needs to be sold. And selling is much more complicated than making the comic.
I'm really bad at this marketing thing. But if we want people to read our comics and books, we have to know a little about it. Knowing how to sell is a talent that I certainly don't have.
So off I went to YouTube: “how to promote a book”. And then this author appeared saying what she did: she called 100 friends (who has 100 friends??), sent them the PDF of her book and asked them to write a review on Amazon (she says that did not ask for compliments, but sincere reviews). As if that alone wouldn't be forcing the friendship, she went further: she asked them to pre-order the book. Then she explained that Amazon counts pre-sale sales as if they were launch day sales, so what happens is: 100 people bought it during the pre-sale (which lasts, I don't know, a month?) and Amazon will be like: this author sold 100 books when it was launched! Look what a success! This increases the chances of her book getting on those bestseller lists. She also spent 10 thousand dolars (TEN THOUSAND) on Facebook ads. I spent about 50 bucks to boost a post. Everyone invests what they can, right?
But back to the reviews, because that's what matters most in my case. Whenever I'm walking through bookstores, if a book or comic book catches my attention (because of the cover or title) the second thing I do (the first is leafing through, of course) is to read people's opinions about that book. Personally, I don't use Amazon that much for this, I prefer Goodreads or Skoob. Reviews on Amazon tend to irritate me a little because they focus too much on the package or the delay in the delivery, I've seen one-star reviews because there was a wrinkle on the cover (!!) but anyway, focus, Samanta. What I mean is that it's often the reviews that make me decide to buy it or not, especially when it's from an unknown author. And this applies even more to reviews on blogs, podcasts, etc. If a review from a stranger on the internet influences me to buy a book or not, imagine if it was someone I follow on their blog, YouTube or Instagram? Books don't sell themselves.
I don't even know 100 people to ask for reviews. But here's my request, for the 366 people who signed my newsletter: did you buy A Canção Fantasma? Then, please, Write a little review on one of those sites Goodreads, Skoob, Amazon or on the DarkSide website itself. Or write in all of them!! And have my love forever!
In fact, here's an idea: if you liked a book or comic by an independent or somewhat unknown author: write a review on one of those sites. It's quick and you help more people get to know that person's work, allowing them to produce more and more, etc. In fact, my other works are on these sites too, wink wink
Here's a haunted tattoo flash:
Thank you for reading!