Take care – and good luck!

I'd like to specifically address two things he said:

1. "for authors with small publishers, or self-published authors, all forms of Internet promotion by necessity take on a much more important role."

Well, that is what, 95%+ of authors? I definitely think we should read this with that understanding. In some ways, I'd LOVE to have the problems he has.

2."That’s how authors build the fan base which will ultimately ensure their career – by writing books that people read, enjoy, and recommend to others. It’s not quick, and it’s not easy, but it’s the only form of book promotion that truly works."

I have to say no, he's wrong. I agree that if you don't write books that people enjoy, read and recommend, you won't be successful. But that by itself is not enough. And that's why it's at best disingenuous to say it's the only form that truly works. Authors can stimulate this word-of-mouth through their own actions. At its simplest level, look at the simplest promotions used by podcast authors – getting fans to distribute flyers, postcards, etc. And also look at just the basic idea of being accessible to your fans (twitter may be the best overall tool there is for this). The author-fan interaction does not end when the fan reads the book and recommends it. I'm more likely to recommend a book from an author I "know" on twitter.

So, this really was a great post, I just think the author missed some important things. He sounds bitter – and that's completely understandable. But sometimes bitterness can color our judgment. He equates "an internet presence" with Google search results. I suspect he didn't intend to, but I also know that sometimes we say things the way we're thinking about them, even if we don't really mean it. A lot of the post is simply focusing on the frustrating things, to the point where some of the details are not as useful to the rest of us reading it. Believe me, I've written posts like that. And I've started and abandoned far more of them. I certainly wouldn't wish this frustration on anyone, and I hope the author has more success with future book promotion.

Ultimately, I came to much the same conclusion that ended this interview. There are only two reasons most people will read, let alone buy, a novel: either they have read (and loved) other work by the same author, or someone whose opinion they trust has recommended the author or better yet the title.

You can create this situation in a number of ways, including on-line. But I do not believe it is optional.

What I am now doing is exploring the net in ways that will allow me to become a known quantity to potential readers BEFORE I make them a book offer, so that when I do, they will be grateful for the opportunity.

If I can do that, it will sell books. And if they like that title, the next one will be MUCH easier to sell.

Thanks for the confirmation that my take, albeit belated, was at least correct.

Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com

It's not about getting your name in the search engines, it's about getting your author platform in the search engines. I concentrated heavily on "relationship expert" and that's what this guy put in the search engines and how he found me. I had worked hard for a year getting my author platform together and this was before social networks as we know it.

So, it's not all about sales. It's about being recognized and then being memorable. It might not happen today. It might not happen a few weeks from now, but if you continue to market YOURSELF, you are going to sell books.

People don't care if you've written a fiction book. Do you know how many people out there have written fiction books? But if you develop your author platform so that you are recognizable and not forgettable, they will want to buy your books.

Word of mouth is the #1 way to sell books. How many reviews did you get and were the reviews favorable? Online reviewers aren't what you think…they are a tight tight group. Remember high school when someone had something everyone else wanted? That's the way the reviewers are. When one likes a book, they all feel they need to go out and buy one…they live and breath books. That's why we concentrate heavily on those reviews.

It can get overwhelming and you can think that you covered all the bases and nothing seemed to be the answer to sales, but if you concentrate on developing that platform and making yourself – not your book – memorable, likable, and unforgettable, that makes your book look even better in their eyes.

The issue is locating the best bang for your investment of time, though I believe that with online marketing, it is a continued presence that will draw people.