SCAMS writers fall for - How to avoid getting caught in the web of lies & promote your work safely

 

There are so many scams aimed specifically at writers theses days. They know we aren't good at sales and distribution. It's our fatal flaw. Sadly, there is no short cut in this process. What I am finding, after writing fantasy and scifi for 25 years, is that this market is very difficult to have success with down here in Tassie and that libraries etc are difficult to break into without a contact. With my new book, the farming journal/cookbook, Crumbleton Farm - Recipes for Life, it is appealing to a much wider audience and  people are approaching ME to do talks now. Word is spreading. I sat at the Daffodil and flower fair yesterday for 7 hours and sold $400+ books and cards and stuff. It was a lot of work to buy the stock and set up and I did have wonderful help, but that is the downside. All the effort comes from YOU. 

My advice, after almost getting conned by a book selling/distribution deal recently, is:

1. Don't believe any hype you see on social media. Nothing that good comes that easily. Someone has to make money to 'help' you. There are several Goodreads scams at the moment, for example. Be careful! Goodreads NEVER charges you to review your books.
2. If you do find a legit distributor/promoter, always use paypal. There is insurance to get your money back and a documented procedure for dealing with sellers. And the best part is when you use it to pay someone, their ACTUAL name and details comes up. Handy, when the person is nothing like the one in the ad and a quick search on google and social media shows a Nigerian man with dubious online presence.
3. Never hand over money before you have thoroughly checked out the person/organisation, including on scam watch websites and google searches asking the right questions. Treat them with suspicion. Gather evidence.

In being successful with selling your precious work:

1. Think about your audience for your book. Who do you imagine will want to buy it? What community groups attract these people? How can you tap into that? I find official newsletters for writers does very little for actual sales. It merely gets your name out there among other writers. This may POSSIBLY bear fruit down the track at conventions etc.
2. Approach local places such as post offices, bookshops etc but its the personal recommendation that will get you in, every time. This happened to me at a local post office. A friend who had seen my work elsewhere suggested my name to the management because they were wanting to promote local writers. I was given the details. I then rang and organised to visit and show my books. The manager chose some of them. I followed up several times, in person to see how it was going, if she needed more copies and to show her my recent 2 books. I sent invoices promptly. I came to an arrangement whereby I sell to her at wholesale. This isn't ideal for me, as the profit margin is much smaller, but hey, its turnover and that's the important thing here. 
3. Design a really good website (or blog which functions as one). I have this blog as my main site, plus have recently set up a payhip site to take local orders. 
4. Devise an invoice form that looks professional, as well as business cards. These make a BIG difference to how you are perceived and are a way to keep you front of mind for people. It is also a crucial record when doing your tax.
5. Organise a really good book launch. Spend months planning and promoting it. It doesn't cost a lot, but it takes time and effort. Make it professional and fun.
6. Have a media release flyer handy to send to people and organisations with all the details of your book. This makes you look more professional and makes it easier for people to see at a glance the basic info they need. I used to review books for Scholastic - 20 books a month - so I am familiar with what they look like. Always send it as a PDF so it can't be altered by a third party.
7. Have a flyer prepared for your book launch with all the important details. Send it to the right people and places. Advertise in local papers etc.
8. Always have copies of your books on hand. This has become a bit of a problem for me now, with 17 titles. I need a storeroom! It's a big financial investment, but its the only way to make personal sales and people love to chat to you and have you sign their copy. Physically, I find it challenging at events, as I have a significant disability which makes lugging books very painful, but I am learning to ask for help. ;-)
9. Treat your writing as a business, because that's what it is. Unless you get a contract, you are writer, publisher, book designer, distributor and agent. It's bloody exhausting, but success doesn't happen by whingeing about the issues. Even when I get a contract, I still buy copies myself, at author discount, to sell at events.
10. One day I will crack the agent thing! But probably not until I write a book that has the potential to earn an agent pots of money. Who knows when THAT will be!

In the meantime, friends, keep at it. Write because you love it, because its a compulsion and makes you feel happy. It's only the selling part that is a business. If you aren't interested in selling, go for it and just enjoy learning the craft.

cheers for now,

Dawn