An author recently posted in an online group about her frustration with the timing related to her book launch activities.
She had pitched an essay about her book’s topic to a major (MAJOR!) daily newspaper hoping that the essay would be published when her book was released. The publication held on to the essay, finally publishing it — gulp — 15 months after the book’s publication date.
Woe is she, the author lamented. “It won’t help the book,” she wrote.
I beg to differ.
In my response, I told her, “It will help it now just as much as it would have if the article appeared the week your book was published. As long as the book is available for purchase, you should be promoting it and publicity like this should be a big piece of that effort.”
The author’s reaction to this significant book publicity success — responding sadly with “If only!” instead of clapping her hands together with glee — points out a common misconception among authors and many professional book marketers.
Most think that book marketing ends with the launch.
They’re wrong.
And if you’re smart enough to realize that and keep promoting your book as long as it’s available for purchase, you’ll be rewarded with ongoing sales.
Of course, PROMOTE! (ad nauseum)… Me, I just wet my finger with saliva and stick said finger in the wind! NOT! I’ve yet to find a key to promotion that sells my books with consistency, but I keep trying…and I have to remember the winds of tens of millions established authors (and, those who have found the ‘key’) blow and howl constantly in my face!
I write because I love to write! Because I have a passion to write! Because writing keeps me alive with its therapy! And, if it grows to worthiness, maybe I will be rewarded,,,MAYBE!!! But, then, which factors am I leaving out of the equation?
I’ll just keep writing, live on nice comments and good reviews, and wait til the fates are kind or the ‘grim reaper’ arrives and decides where to take me…
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 
This is a good way to look at it.
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Of course, PROMOTE! (ad nauseum)… Me, I just wet my finger with saliva and stick said finger in the wind! NOT! I’ve yet to find a key to promotion that sells my books with consistency, but I keep trying…and I have to remember the winds of tens of millions established authors (and, those who have found the ‘key’) blow and howl constantly in my face!
I write because I love to write! Because I have a passion to write! Because writing keeps me alive with its therapy! And, if it grows to worthiness, maybe I will be rewarded,,,MAYBE!!! But, then, which factors am I leaving out of the equation?
I’ll just keep writing, live on nice comments and good reviews, and wait til the fates are kind or the ‘grim reaper’ arrives and decides where to take me…
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Write for your own pleasure, Publish for your own satisfaction, Billy Ray, everything else is a bonus 😎
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EXcellent advice!
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😀
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Absolutely AGREE!!
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😀
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Great advice, Chris! It makes sense that if we want to continue selling we have to continue promoting. Thank you.😊
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Welcome, Vashti ❤
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