Done Whining

I don't know how I got myself into this spiral, but the second I uploaded my novel to KDP, the whining began. I think it was borne of insecurity; as much as I personally like my story, I suspect that others won't, and thus instead of blaming myself, I lashed out at the injustices of publishing a novel that I don't have the funds to advertise and/or potentially getting reviews that are subpar.

The fact is, while "success" is something I can't control, I can either do everything within my power to push this book or I can curl up into a ball and cry. (Or maybe both, depending on the day.)  

What I need to do is formulate a plan. New, unfamiliar circumstances are scary. I'm going to have a medical procedure done soon, and the first time I went in for a consult, I practically hyperventilated over the prospect. But once things were explained to me and I knew what to expect, my fears were at least mitigated. I'm someone who needs to prepare myself; not go into something blind. 

So, yes, I need a marketing plan. And luckily, I have a couple of weeks to create one. I've done exhaustive research on pre-publication marketing, and it's just not possible. Creating buzz on social media isn't logical, either. Who am I, and why would anyone on social media feel compelled to place a pre-order? No, I need to plan for marketing once the book is available for sale.

What I also need to do is lower my expectations. The inexpensive promo sites aren't going to generate a bunch of sales, but they might produce one or two. Shoot, if I manage to net twenty dollars in sales, I'll consider that a win. 

Authors in my financial situation have to be realistic. We need to do what we can do. Thus, I'm going to begin winnowing my ad choices. I know from experience the sites that produced some return and those that fell flat. I'll do my research on sites I've not yet tried to learn which genres sell well and which are lost causes. I will need to discount my book, something I've stubbornly refused to consider up 'til now, but the fact is, only discounted books stand a chance on these promo sites. What that means is that I'm going to need to do all my promos at the same time, because I'll never remember to reduce my price on KDP to correspond otherwise.  

I'm not going to belabor the process. New books can sell, whereas older books simply won't. (Apparently they have a sell-by date, like eggs.) That's actually a plus for me. I'll do my campaign and be done. 

As I said, I've got two weeks to prepare. Better than going under the knife completely clueless.