Book Marketing Experiment #782: Wattpad

For me, book marketing has been one experiment after another. I hear of or think of a new idea, then give it a try. Some things have worked. Some haven't, but I'm always willing to try something new.

For the past year, I've been thinking about and researching Wattpad. I've heard of people having success there, but I've been in this business long enough to know that for every wildly successful author out there, there are about 10,000 others who haven't achieved the same results.

I had a few of misgivings about Wattpad.

1. There are thousands and thousands of stories available which means it's yet another platform where competition is fierce.
2. It's free. I work very hard on writing and editing my novels, and I feel my time has value. No one would give away a house they built themselves, and we're talking about a similar number of hours invested.
3. If the novel didn't do well, I ran the risk of never getting it traditionally published because it would be available online for free, which technically means it was previously published.

However, I have this manuscript that I wrote during the 72-Hour Novel Contest (yes, you have 72 hours to write an entire novel). The Typhon Project is a YA Sci-fi apocalyptic read that is complete at 35,000 words, qualifying it as a novella, not a novel. I loved the story, so I'd considered weaving in some subplots to beef it up but, after a lot of thought, came to the conclusion that the story was best served at its present length. 

As I considered trying out Wattpad, I thought of The Typhon Project, a manuscript that I would probably never pursue traditional publication for because of its length. I wanted to share that story and since it was just going to languish on my computer anyway, I decided that Wattpad might be an excellent way for me to get it in front of readers, especially since the platform is hugely popular with teen audiences. 

So, I designed a cover and posted the first couple chapters. I've committed to posting a chapter per week until it is complete. This experiment is well underway, and I'm excited to see how it turns out. If you're curious, you can find it here: The Typhon Project

Since I'm still learning this new platform, I'd love tips from the OA community. If you have any tips or best practices to share with a Wattpad newbie, please post them in the comments below. Thanks!

****************

Melinda Friesen specializes in writing teen fiction. Her first novel, Enslavement, has been nominated for a Sunburst Award as well as a Saskatchewan Young Readers Choice Snow Willow Award.

Book Marketing Chaos and Shortcuts to Success

I've been on a documentaries kick lately. One in particular sparked my interest. It was about chaos mathematics. Doesn't sound very writerly, does it? However, believe it or not, it really gave me something to think about in terms of book marketing.

First, we're word people, so let's get a definition down. We usually equate chaos with complete randomness, but this is not the case.

Chaos theory:the branch of mathematics that deals with complex systems whose behavior is highly sensitive to slight changes in conditions, so that small alterations can give rise to strikingly great consequences. (Google) This is commonly referred to as the butterfly effect.

Book marketing and, therefore the success of a book, is one such system. Hundreds if not thousands of systems combine to create an extremely chaotic system that Joe Writer is plunged into and told to swim once he has a published book. This is why there are no 7 keys to making your novel a New York Times bestseller. Anyone who claims to know the secret to this is trying to take your money. Certainly you can do a number of things that will increase your success, but you can't forecast trends, you can't dictate what movies are produced, you can't foresee what people's disposable income will be, you can't predict what other books will be released, or any number of other variables. 

While this could be discouraging, I find it encouraging. If you've worked hard at marketing and your book hasn't gone viral, don't feel bad. As authors do all they can to get our books noticed. We keep plugging away, in hopes that at some point this chaotic system will work in our favor. The longer and harder you keep at it, the better your chances. The more books you have in the marketplace, the better your chances. Don't give up just because your initial efforts aren't met with success. And please be extremely cautious about anyone who promises instant success, whether it would be vanity publishers, publicists, or marketing gurus. The system is just too complex to reduce it to a step-by-step process. 

One Secret to Writing Success

A hearty welcome to Jodi Carmichael, today's guest blogger. She is the author of two fantastic books for young people--Spaghetti is Not a Finger Food and Forever Julia, which was recently nominated for a Manitoba Book Award. Today, she shares one of the secrets of her success.

* * * * * * * * * 

They say it takes a village to raise a child and I say it takes a writing community to raise an author.
I have said that repeatedly, because I strongly believe that behind many successful authors is a strong support group of fellow writers. I can’t help but look at my writing group, The Anita Factor, for proof of my hypothesis. When we first met we were all unpublished developing writers. Less than 6 years later and between us, we have 9 books published, with 6 of those titles released in the past 18 months. Last time I checked, we have 2 more under contract.

What is the secret of that success?

Support. Commiseration. Furthering our writing craft through ongoing education.
Surrounding yourself with others who share the same love of writing, makes you feel like you are a part of a team in what truly is a solitary endeavor. These are the folks who will celebrate with you over coffee, wine, or Chocolate Sin Cake on landing your first magazine article. They will also help drown sorrows and lift spirits when the 4th, 10th, or 21st, “No, we’d rather not” letter on your 150,000 word World War 1/sci-fi/zombie romance pops into your letter box.

When the rejections are flying in faster than a chocolate addict can inhale an extra-large Belgian chocolate bar, your writing support team is there to encourage you to go back to your desk/coffee shop/cave and work harder.

Writing groups are particularly good, if you follow a format that not only gives you a sense of belonging, but also offers useful feedback on your work as well as an opportunity to further educate yourself on the craft of writing. Sharing tips, techniques, and articles about style, grammar, voice, writing tools, resources, conferences, workshops, publishing are just some of the “teaching component” of my writing group.

How to run a critique group session ala The Anita Factor:

This is how a regular meeting of The Anitas goes down:

•  Every second Thursday, we Anitas meet in McNally Robinson Bookstore where we get tucked away amongst the stacks. (This is truly the best bookstore in all the land. So says me.)
•  We rotate the role of leader and that person keeps us aware of time, leads the “teaching component”, and ensures all who want to read their work for critique get a chance.
•  We begin - somewhat promptly at 7:00.
•  The Anita in charge shares a topic. This can be on anything related to writing such as; writing craft, publishing, marketing, or presentation skills. We’ve discussed voice, POV, plot structure, grammar, social media, book launches, networking, publishing, query letters – everything and anything.
•  Next, if you have work to share, you read a short section – no more than 4 pages – double spaced. Each writer states the type of feedback they seek. Sometimes it is a general, “Does this work?” and other times a writer is seeking quite specific critique like, “Is my lead character’s voice consistent?”   
•  We then work around the circle giving our thoughts. We strive to always provide some positives which can be words or phrases that are stand outs or characters that are perfectly crafted, as well as any sections that may not be working well and need to be rewritten. Often, we point out what we call “heads up moments.” That is when we hear something that is so abrupt or out of place in the writing that it pops our heads out of the story. These can be either minor, like a word that is from the wrong era in a historical fiction, or major like a section of text that contradicts something already established in a previous chapter.
•  Once all readings have been complete we share our writing news; the good, the bad, and the horribly ugly. Many nights this is done in The Prairie Ink Restaurant over a deep and deliciously baked masterpiece.  

Where to find a writing group:

•  Writing associations often have member boards where you can find other writers in your genre. A full list of organizations can be found here at Writers and Editors: http://www.writersandeditors.com/major_writers_organizations_57410.htm. 
•  Attend conferences and network to find like minds. 
•  Join your local writing guild. They often run writing group sessions.
•  Consider an online writing group.

Good luck and keep on writing!

Thank you for the great advice, Jodi! You can learn more about Jodi and her books at her blog, Writing . . . and Other Life Lessons.