by Dan Walsh, @DanWalshAuthor

Last month I began a new column here, primarily aimed at equipping authors either already on the indie path or seriously considering it. I talked about how to cope with a reality that affects all authors today, but especially indies. That is, dealing with uncertainty. Today, I want to shift my focus to the subject of Marketing, a huge area of focus in the indie publishing world. Mainly because…most indies are wearing “all the hats” in their publishing experience.

They can’t rely on their publisher’s marketing and/or publicity departments to get the word out about their books. All such tasks fall on their shoulders. Even those who’ve signed with a small indie press know these smaller houses don’t have the revenue to market their books effectively.

It’s up to them.

Most indie authors get this. It’s baked into the cake. So, they’re always on the lookout for great tips and new marketing ideas that will help increase book sales and grow their audience. I certainly am. And there’s a lot of material out there to digest. Lots of writing blogs and entire FB groups are devoted to this topic. I plan on talking about many of these marketing ideas in future columns on this blog.

So, I decided to lead off today with My #1 Best Indie Marketing Tip. Are you ready? Okay, here it is: WRITE A GREAT BOOK.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some of you are a bit underwhelmed (“That’s it? That’s your best Marketing advice?”). But really, it is. I suppose a hundred different things could be said about marketing books. And many of them are not only helpful but important things to grasp.

But to me, none are more important than this. WRITE A GREAT BOOK. What I’m saying is, amidst the myriad of things to learn about marketing, none will have a greater impact (in terms of books sales and growing your audience) than writing a great book. The kind of book readers can’t stop reading once they start. And one that leaves them thoroughly satisfied when they turn the last page (and sad the story ended).

Some may think I’m merely stating the obvious (“Duh…who doesn’t know that?). But I rarely see this point emphasized when I peruse blogs and FB groups about marketing. Everyone regularly discusses the best or latest trends for increasing book sales. I often read a ton of comments/complaints from indie authors bemoaning their lack of sales or their frustration at how their latest marketing attempts failed to meet expectations.

But I’ve yet to read an author say: “I think the real problem is me…I wrote a mediocre book.” But what if that’s the real problem (if not all of it, a big part)?

Think about it, before the meteoric rise of indie publishing in the past few years, 95% of the novels submitted to traditional publishers were rejected. Certainly, some of these rejected books were “good enough” and totally ready to publish, but they didn’t meet the publisher’s goals or expectations. But I believe the primary reason most were rejected was that the books didn’t measure up from a quality standpoint. The writing and/or the story failed to grab the attention or fire the imagination of the agents and publishing staff who reviewed them.

Back then, where did the focus shift for these rejected authors? To self-publishing? No. Back then, it wasn’t an option. The primary focus shifted to figuring out what was wrong with their book and rewriting it (sometimes many times), until the quality of the story and their writing passed muster.

To me, one of the downsides of this surge in indie publishing success is…there isn’t anyone serving in this “Gatekeeper” or quality control role anymore. Everyone and anyone can choose the route of self-publishing, and assume that the only thing needed for success is mastering the marketing task.

But the truth is…there IS a Gatekeeper in this brave new indie world. It’s the READER (next month we’ll talk about the Power of the Review). And because of this shift, the most important marketing component for any indie author is…

WRITE A GREAT BOOK.

When I teach workshops these days on indie publishing and marketing, one of my key points is: “The better the book, the easier to market.” Unfortunately, the flip side of this is also true. No amount of money, marketing effort or great packaging can save a mediocre book.

Think about how you feel while reading and after reading a great book. What do you do? I know what I do. I look to see if the author has written any more books and tell my friends, “You’ve gotta read this book.”

That, my friend, is marketing. The most effective and the least expensive kind of marketing there is.

Unintended Consequences (Jack Turner Suspense Series Book 3)