To promote or not to promote
I have been inundated with messages and posts from advertisers swearing to make my novels the next international best sellers. They promise exposure all over the world, millions of copies sold, ebook downloads galore, and all within days of them taking over the promotion of my trilogy. It just sounds too good to be true, and probably, most of them are. There are plenty of scams out there promising big things or mirroring authentic retailers and publishers, who simply take your money and run, or in modern terms, ghost you. Once paid, the emails don’t get answered, the phone calls go directly to voicemail, and the “business” moves on to their next mark. So, how does someone know the real from the con?
I’d love to have a simple answer for you, but I don’t. In today’s publishing world, there appears to be so many online opportunities to publish and social media is one of the best ways to promote yourself, and since both of those are digital, they are easy for scammers to use to defraud you. It’s why I haven’t ventured too far beyond my comfort zone or too far beyond the familiar. I shy away from solicitations—often checking them out but never truly engaging. I hesitate and wonder if the deal is legit or a scam. It’s exhausting and I still have no real idea how to tell the legitimate from the fake.
Recently, I saw a call for authors to submit their books for an event in another state. It looked fabulous and I got excited. I started filling out their form, but halfway through, I began the what if discussion in my head. I analyzed everything I possibly could about their site, put the form on hold, let it run through my head for several days, and then finally, after a great deal of research and talking with a friend of mine who knew about the event, finalized the form. I was too late. The author spots at the event had already been filled. So, I missed another great opportunity because I don’t have the faith that I can tell the difference between a real deal and a con. Pathetic, right?
What I’ve learned, though, is the too good to be true is. There is no fast road to stardom. It’s not right around the corner and no promotion is going to quadruple or more your sales in a night or a few days. The process takes time, tenacity, and even a few wrong turns. Be smart. Do your research. Trust in yourself and your work. Good luck!