I've just published a new book: Damn the Rejections, Full Speed Ahead: The Bumpy Road to Getting Published." Lots of writers love it. I've gotten wonderful reviews on Amazon.
The book is written--there's nothing else I need do. Except sell it. Well, hey, that should be easy? Right?
Wrong. And here's where it gets interesting. Somehow, all the promoters in the world know I've written a book, and now all of them want to help me sell it. And I'm not exaggerating. I get new offers almost every day. Let us take your book to the libraries. Let us take your book to the media. Let us take your book to New York. Let us teach you how to sell on the internet. Let us sign you up for a class. Let us introduce you to TV producers. To your neighbors. To all the other writers in the world. We'll do it all. You'll soon be famous. Even more, you'll be rich.
Well, hey, I do need help.
But then I patiently scroll through the testimonials, and FINALLY, FINALLY reach the bottom line. This will cost me only $500. $700. A thousand dollars. Five thousand dollars. Enough money so I'd have to sell thousands of books just to come out even. Somehow, no one offers a money-back guarantee that this will happen.
What they DO offer is a guarantee that THEY will get rich. It only takes a few of us, at five thousand dollars each, to make the promoters famous. No, wait . . . they don't care about famous. They care about RICH.
By now, my five thousand dollars is gone. And yes, I've probably sold a few books.
But my husband is reminding me it might be another few years before I've sold enough books to pay myself back all that promotion money. I've finally seen the promoter's catalogues and realize my book is one of hundreds--or thousands. NO ONE will single me out to purchase my book.
A writer friend recently bought a $2000, full-page ad in a catalogue. She has yet to see a single sale.
If any of you out there know some way to promote yourself the slow, old-fashioned, inexpensive way, please let me know. I'm all ears. But for now, my wallet is closed
