Marketing and More Than My Usual Share of Arrogance

Ready?

Since I created Ranunculus Turtle the Facebook Page (am I bringing back memories of Spaceballs yet?), four other authors have created FB pages.

It is entirely possible this has nothing whatsoever to do with me. I suspect it's really because of the appearance of PYP's FB page and their emphasis on author-driven marketing (including FB specifically) and not my stunning example that has prompted the rush to self-promote. It does make me wonder if those 4 authors and I will be competing come October. So be it. I'm a free market gal. Competition improves the end product and benefits everyone.

I do hope Ocilla's Mommy (that's your new name, Diane) will be submitting in October. Seems a shame to have a book and a potential audience and not submit. Hint, hint, nudge, nudge.

I'm reading Thou Shall Prosper by Rabbi Daniel Lapin. It's a Dave Ramsey recommendation. For once, I'm reading an Introduction and finding it fascinating.

Dare I admit a possibly unflattering fact about myself? Why not? I've done it before and with less intention.

As I read this book, I hear the words in a Bronx accent, like that blue aardvark from The Pink Panther or Crusty the Clown's father from The Simpsons. I have no idea what Rabbi Lapin actually sounds like, but that's how he sounds in my head. Rabbi + New York references = Bronx accent. Stereotypical? Undoubtedly. A bit distracting, too, but I can't seem to stop it. To be fair, I have the same problem with British books. Anything written by Jane Austin is narrated in British as I read. Stuffy British, too, like John Cleese.

Anyhoo, I have to figure out how to express a marketing plan in one or two paragraphs. Not that it's a huge, complicated marketing plan. Seth Godin says all you really need are x number of faithful fans and then you just produce what they want in the quantities necessary to support yourself. For example, 200 people willing to spend $20 bucks on anything I write means I automatically get...ooh, I hate math, even with zeros....$2000? dollars per book/story from that fan base. That is some very simplistic boiling down there. I don't expect to make $20 per book, for starters, even if that ended up being the sticker price, which it won't. Personally, I'm hesitant about paying more than $7 for a book, but I remember when a thick paperback cost $4.95, too. I'm a dinosaur.

The hard part is finding those faithful fans, but you won't find them if you don't look for them.

I'll be posting a TUTAW about fans and production later, maybe tomorrow. It's been rattling about in me brain pan for a bit now.

So, on the day I post a flattering review (flattering for me, anyway) of The Lioness's critiquing skills on FB and potentially drive completely new readers to this site, I decide to write an arrogant, self-involved and potentially bigoted post about myself.

Yep. Sounds like me.

Now you know what The Lioness puts up with. Kinda makes you admire her more, doesn't it?