--edited by Carl E. Reed on 12/17/2015, 1:07 AM--

In the beginning, I made about what you did for a quarter of sales. The books I had available were a poetry book and a book on fibromyalgia. Once I established a blog, plugged my book into as many free marketing sites as possible, made a Myspace page (YES I AM dating myself!), and wrote a second book on fibromyalgia, I started to see a steady increase in sales. I average about a book sale per week. Now, the second book had a catchy title and was an interesting subject for couples dealing with this beast and intimacy. It was and still is a pioneering book about the subject from the standpoint of a patient. 

Since then the book and my blog has been noticed by various doctors and the medical community at large. Health magazine even featured my blog as one of the best for fibro sufferers. 

BUT that took 10 years of socializing on the web, writing A TON of blog entries, marketing of the books to friends and family who in turn talked the books up, AND eventually getting out there face to face with other authors/agents at conventions and doing book signings. 

AM I SAYING IT WILL 10 FOR YOU? NO!!! 

This is just what happened to me because I was learning as I was going along. I started self-pub when self-pub wasn't what the cool kids did. I started back in 2006 when I "retired" from my day job due to my illness.

Now, my fiction faired a lot better out of the gate two years ago because I had already developed a nonfiction readership and many of my readers have read my fiction too.

I still average about 2 books sold per week or so, though because I don't do everything the way I'm "supposed" to. I don't always schedule a book blast for new releases, nor do I always do a book release party. I don't have a "street team" (group of fans that help me promote), I don't have an assistant, I don't always schedule social posts or blog entries either. 

I DO tend to gravitate towards large book bash events on FB and I will do what is called an "author takeover". In essence, you have an hour to chat with people on the party page and an hour to do a few giveaways. I like those because you can plan ahead what you will say. I schedule 1 giveaway every 15 minutes and do a mix of US only giveaways and International ones. 

A book signing is a little different since you are face to face LOL! Book signings are great too, though. You can meet new authors, editors, photographers, journalists, and agents at many of these events. I started out small and attended only local ones that were a 2.5 hour max drive for me. I'm expanding this year and flying across country for the first time. I'll let you know about that one.  

Advertising is still small for me. I do a lot locally and through Facebook-- that's where I see success. Advertising can be a simple press release in your local rag, buying space at a local church (or the like), passing out business cards with your website info, OR try Facebook. Facebook gives you the best coverage when you do at least $20 worth of ads. I didn't see a lot with $5. BUT-- a word of caution-- your first ad may only reach people you know-- happened to me. It SUCKS when you pay for your own friends to see your ads LOL! BUT it DOES help and it works!

Hope some of this helps! And if you need more-- like how to research your niche for book bash parties or where to advertise-- let me know!

@ Amanda Kimberley

WoW what great posts!

New writers publishing their first book can use your real-life experiences for their own marketing insights and ideas.

Thank you!

You're a rare person, Amanda. Honest and personally-open posts are hard to write. But they are the most useful to other writers. On a deeper level, you reminded me of the Dalai Lama telling us that we all have the right to be happy. Someone in the crowd wanted to know how could a person suffering illness be happy? He answered that even a happy person can experience illness.

Happy honest people are rare.