Sometimes you have to break the rules even in marketing. Had a realization about that today. Im all for studying the market for your books and understanding your audience - I do this a lot. The more books I write, the better I understand the market, and the various audiences within said market (audiences are very far from homogeneous). It helps me not only market better, but also understand WHY certain marketing works (or doesnt). It gives me perspective (its often more about the MARKET than about ME or my works). And I very much believe that most writers DONT understand the market or think enough like a reader. However. I also think that just because everyone else is doing something doesnt mean YOU should do it. But this can be a slippery slope: you can easily think youre a special snowflake and that youre exempt from the realities of the market. (HINT: you are not) How to understand this balance between following the market and being innovative? Its very much like understanding the rules in writing - you need to know them first, before you break them intentionally, with purpose. And you have to be willing to accept that some people may not understand that you put that extra comma in for a REASON. In marketing (by which I mean covers, blurbs, advertising, pricing, everything that markets your book), you have to understand how those things work, and WHY they work the way they do, before you can start to monkey with deviating from the norms. And then you have to accept that your monkeying may not be as effective as following the herd. Sometimes the extra comma needs to be there. Sometimes you need to follow your artistic vision for a cover, even if it breaks current trends. #thoughtsbeforewritingtoday
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 15:10:45 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015