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francesmthompson 's review for:
A strong 3.5 but I'm feeling generous. Furthermore the book is currently priced at $0.99 or £0.99 on Kindle which is a very fitting price tag.
Let me explain how I came across this book as it goes a long way to highlight Grahl's key messages and takeaways.
I'm a long time listener to the Self Publishing Podcast, on which the author Tim Grahl was a guest a few months ago. He shared worthy comments about Internet Marketing, a term that makes me feel both icky and inadequate as an independent publisher. So I clicked through to his website. Then I signed up for his free 30-day course. I probably read 50% of the emails he sent (which you'll learn from Your First 1000 Copies is significantly higher than average) and I downloaded a few of the free resources available online too.
Following the end of the 30-day course I continued to receive Grahl's newsletter and I continued to dip in and out of them, in other words, they weren't immediately deleted.
After reading 3 or 4 of his emails documenting his book sales - he has set himself the goal of selling 10,000 copies in one year - I received the email that shared a more personal story. He was openly acknowledging to us that he may not meet his target of selling 10,000 copies of this book in one year. And he asked his readers for help.
But still then I didn't buy or read his book. (I have to be honest and found myself questioning this tactic, was it as genuine as he portrayed, but I am one of the most cynical people I know!)
I only then bought and read this book when a friend of mine on Facebook shared it as a worthwhile read and also notified me that it was 99p.
That's when I downloaded it and read it in a quick single sitting.
This is the lengthy process of book buying. Here I am an independent author who wants to sell more books and I was not convinced this book could help me until many declarations and reinforcements later.
I MUST REMEMBER THIS: SELLING ONLINE IS NEITHER QUICK NOR EASY AND IT IS MULTI-FACETED. But it doesn't have to be cheesy or sleazy. It is a slow but methodical process of asking permission, being of value to those who give you permission, and being creative when it comes to the content I make and share, the platforms I use to share it on and the ways in which I think about outreach. Oh, and it's okay to ask people to buy things.
Your First 1000 Copies does give you many ideas and strategies on how to do this. I now have a list of actionable items and changes to make about how I approach Internet Marketing. In other words, it no longer makes me feel quite as icky. And maybe one day I'll also feel a little less inadequate.
A star and a half lost because I'm simply not convinced (yet!) about Pop-ups, and also I found myself wrinkling my nose at his claim that all the things he suggests are quick to implement and maintain. As someone who tracks a lot of my marketing efforts and takes time to consider guest posting and "outreach"; this does take A LOT of time when done write and when most independent authors are writing their books in their spare time, it's not realistic to say it doesn't take long or can be easily fitted around their writing. That's another book I'll have to look out for...
Let me explain how I came across this book as it goes a long way to highlight Grahl's key messages and takeaways.
I'm a long time listener to the Self Publishing Podcast, on which the author Tim Grahl was a guest a few months ago. He shared worthy comments about Internet Marketing, a term that makes me feel both icky and inadequate as an independent publisher. So I clicked through to his website. Then I signed up for his free 30-day course. I probably read 50% of the emails he sent (which you'll learn from Your First 1000 Copies is significantly higher than average) and I downloaded a few of the free resources available online too.
Following the end of the 30-day course I continued to receive Grahl's newsletter and I continued to dip in and out of them, in other words, they weren't immediately deleted.
After reading 3 or 4 of his emails documenting his book sales - he has set himself the goal of selling 10,000 copies in one year - I received the email that shared a more personal story. He was openly acknowledging to us that he may not meet his target of selling 10,000 copies of this book in one year. And he asked his readers for help.
But still then I didn't buy or read his book. (I have to be honest and found myself questioning this tactic, was it as genuine as he portrayed, but I am one of the most cynical people I know!)
I only then bought and read this book when a friend of mine on Facebook shared it as a worthwhile read and also notified me that it was 99p.
That's when I downloaded it and read it in a quick single sitting.
This is the lengthy process of book buying. Here I am an independent author who wants to sell more books and I was not convinced this book could help me until many declarations and reinforcements later.
I MUST REMEMBER THIS: SELLING ONLINE IS NEITHER QUICK NOR EASY AND IT IS MULTI-FACETED. But it doesn't have to be cheesy or sleazy. It is a slow but methodical process of asking permission, being of value to those who give you permission, and being creative when it comes to the content I make and share, the platforms I use to share it on and the ways in which I think about outreach. Oh, and it's okay to ask people to buy things.
Your First 1000 Copies does give you many ideas and strategies on how to do this. I now have a list of actionable items and changes to make about how I approach Internet Marketing. In other words, it no longer makes me feel quite as icky. And maybe one day I'll also feel a little less inadequate.
A star and a half lost because I'm simply not convinced (yet!) about Pop-ups, and also I found myself wrinkling my nose at his claim that all the things he suggests are quick to implement and maintain. As someone who tracks a lot of my marketing efforts and takes time to consider guest posting and "outreach"; this does take A LOT of time when done write and when most independent authors are writing their books in their spare time, it's not realistic to say it doesn't take long or can be easily fitted around their writing. That's another book I'll have to look out for...