I am a publisher writer which is astounding and I am deeply grateful. This is the link to my Amazon page: amazon.com/author/conorhcarton
As a writer I am some in search of readers, I have to find ways to let as big a group of people know that my stories exist in the hope that a sub set of the group will be interested enough to want to find out more. Then I hope that a further subset of those people will be interested enough to buy the story. Finally, I hope that a final selection of those readers will be engaged enough to retain an interest and buy more of my stories. Over time I would hope to grow the subsets of interested and engaged readers so that I will actually make some money from my writing.
All the work above is covered, more or less, by the umbrella term of marketing. Any check on what marketing means will reveal a huge number of answers, the one that struck me as the most relevant to my situation is from Russel Nohelty (The Complete Creative), who said it was about finding people who liked what you liked and jamming with them. Since everyone involved was talking about something they liked and enjoyed it was not work. It is a substantial and sustained effort, not work.
I have been thinking a lot about marketing as I try to find the way to do it that works for me. I have been looking at what I think are instances successful marketing in the hope I could use their ideas and processes. The two most successful pieces of marketing I have ever seen are not really suitable, they are really, really good. They both manage to establish a clear idea and present it in a truly memorable way to the viewer and have the sort of reach that any marketeer would deeply envy.
Hitchin is a small market town in Hertfordshire, UK there is a beautiful old church, St Mary's which houses the memorial for Thomas Skynner,Esq. Placed high up on a wall it proudly declares that Mr Skynner had the virtues of Primitive Christianity, and most importantly “was a Husband to Widows and a Father to Orphans”. This memorial was raised by his friends. Hundreds of years later the only readily available about Mr Skynner is that provided by his memorial. Successfully marketing himself for centuries, he is still capturing hearts and minds.
Youghal is a small port town in Co Cork, Ireland and hidden in the town is an astonishing cathedral that is full of wonderful nuggets of history. Out in the rather overgrown graveyard, which houses a Black Death plague pit, is the headstone for Cedric. On the white stone is a bas relief carving of a fisherman in a boat and the immortal word, “Cedric. A Fisherman. God reeled him in”. The whole narrative of Cedric’s life organised and expressed with an economy any writer would deeply envy.
Thomas Skynner and Cedric have established enduring brands that present themselves exactly as they wished to be seen. It is triumphant marketing. I do not want to have die to establish my brand and engage my audience, I do look at these examples and find them inspiring, know what you want to say and say it directly. Make sure that the message can endure, survive repeated scrutiny, capture the engagement of the readers one by one as they encounter it.
Long way to go, I think my stories deserve my substantial, sustained efforts, I think readers deserve engaging and enjoyable stories.
As a writer I am some in search of readers, I have to find ways to let as big a group of people know that my stories exist in the hope that a sub set of the group will be interested enough to want to find out more. Then I hope that a further subset of those people will be interested enough to buy the story. Finally, I hope that a final selection of those readers will be engaged enough to retain an interest and buy more of my stories. Over time I would hope to grow the subsets of interested and engaged readers so that I will actually make some money from my writing.
All the work above is covered, more or less, by the umbrella term of marketing. Any check on what marketing means will reveal a huge number of answers, the one that struck me as the most relevant to my situation is from Russel Nohelty (The Complete Creative), who said it was about finding people who liked what you liked and jamming with them. Since everyone involved was talking about something they liked and enjoyed it was not work. It is a substantial and sustained effort, not work.
I have been thinking a lot about marketing as I try to find the way to do it that works for me. I have been looking at what I think are instances successful marketing in the hope I could use their ideas and processes. The two most successful pieces of marketing I have ever seen are not really suitable, they are really, really good. They both manage to establish a clear idea and present it in a truly memorable way to the viewer and have the sort of reach that any marketeer would deeply envy.
Hitchin is a small market town in Hertfordshire, UK there is a beautiful old church, St Mary's which houses the memorial for Thomas Skynner,Esq. Placed high up on a wall it proudly declares that Mr Skynner had the virtues of Primitive Christianity, and most importantly “was a Husband to Widows and a Father to Orphans”. This memorial was raised by his friends. Hundreds of years later the only readily available about Mr Skynner is that provided by his memorial. Successfully marketing himself for centuries, he is still capturing hearts and minds.
Youghal is a small port town in Co Cork, Ireland and hidden in the town is an astonishing cathedral that is full of wonderful nuggets of history. Out in the rather overgrown graveyard, which houses a Black Death plague pit, is the headstone for Cedric. On the white stone is a bas relief carving of a fisherman in a boat and the immortal word, “Cedric. A Fisherman. God reeled him in”. The whole narrative of Cedric’s life organised and expressed with an economy any writer would deeply envy.
Thomas Skynner and Cedric have established enduring brands that present themselves exactly as they wished to be seen. It is triumphant marketing. I do not want to have die to establish my brand and engage my audience, I do look at these examples and find them inspiring, know what you want to say and say it directly. Make sure that the message can endure, survive repeated scrutiny, capture the engagement of the readers one by one as they encounter it.
Long way to go, I think my stories deserve my substantial, sustained efforts, I think readers deserve engaging and enjoyable stories.
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