Most self-published authors write because it is our passion. It is not about the money although it would be nice to make a full-time living out of writing.
It takes so much time and energy to publish just one book. For some of us, it can take years to go from concept to the first draft and then the final edition ready for publishing. This is especially true if you are juggling a job, family commitments and an end number of other responsibilities along with trying to self-publish a book.
It is therefore quite unfortunate that there are scenarios and situations where self-published authors can feel so demotivated after publishing their book online. We are not talking about writer’s block or publisher rejections. We are talking about things that happen after the book is released for the reader community.
While these situations can definitely lead to a loss of morale, but they really shouldn’t. In this article, I am going to discuss five such things that are mainly responsible for demotivating self-published authors but it shouldn’t do so. You need to be aware of the bigger picture and control your emotions accordingly.
1) Bad Reviews
Of all the possible scenarios that can demotivate an author, this one probably stings the most.
Our books are like our children. Most readers cannot comprehend how closely we attach ourselves to the books we write. They can’t experience the sleepless nights, tirelessly going through multiple drafts, all those days working on the best possible plotlines, character development etc.
Unfortunately over the years reviews have been getting a bit nastier with people not simply stating they did not like the book. Sometimes reviews follow up with a lot of well thought out personal attacks.
Now, if you are a self-published author and have experienced negative reviews or are about to publish a book, please do one exercise for me.
Think of the best book you have ever read. The one that you feel is an absolute must-read. It is a masterpiece. Now go to the listing of that book on Amazon. See the number of one or two-star reviews for that same book.
Chances are there are a few negative reviews. If the book is extremely popular with thousands of reviews, then the percentage of negative reviews will also be high.
The point here is that each reader has their own unique perspective on a book. We all have our own personal tastes and preferences. It is foolish to believe your book will appeal to the senses of all readers on this planet.
Once you know and understand this point, you will realize negative reviews are nothing to get you demotivated. It is expected. You can even grow as an author if you follow constructive criticism and simply ignore the nasty ones.
2) Poor Sales
At the end of the day, we are giving up so much to publish a book online. Time that could have been spent on a job or with family. After all that hard work, poor sales can definitely demotivate an author.
Here you need to keep in mind that the average reader has a choice of thousands of new books each month. They typically would opt for an author they already know well. You need to be patient and grow your audience. Sales will not come to most of us immediately. It is a slow process especially without the backing of a publishing house.
Continue writing and build yourself as an established author with multiple books. This will eventually lead to readers opting for your book. Time is precious and readers do not want to waste their time on fly by night authors online. If they feel someone is genuine, trying to bring out stories with unique perspectives and is committed to the craft, they will buy.
3) Rejected by Book Review Sites
One of the best promotional tools for self-published authors is to get reviewed on established book sites or blogs. However, it can be frustrating dealing with these sites leading to demotivation considering you do not always get a reply.
Each site has its own criteria for book reviews and even if you follow each and every guideline, there is no guarantee that your book will be picked up for a review.
Self-published authors who are on the verge of quitting due to this should keep in mind the competition numbers. Can you imagine the number of authors who are publishing books each month? Book sites get flooded with review requests and it is not humanly possible to read all books each month.
Book reviews are a numbers game. All you have to do is keep at it and request for reviews where possible. Maybe only 1 out of 20 will reply but that is a good thing. It is not about hundreds of reviews but a few quality reviews that will get your book in front of readers.
4) Lack of a Marketing Plan
It is only after publishing our book that most of us realize how tough it is to market our work. Established publishing houses typically have an army of marketers working behind the scenes to get book reviews, send shout outs to their huge mailing lists, arrange for book signings, tie-ups with bookstores etc.
However, for a self-published author, all they have access to is themselves. While there are a number of successful authors who have been able to promote their books by themselves, there are a large number of authors who simply have no idea what to do next after the book launch. Lack of a genuine marketing plan is another factor that demotivates self-published authors.
Just with any other business, service or product sales, marketing is tough. It is the same for everyone. Ideally, you need to start working on your marketing plan much earlier than during the book launch. The good news here is that there are a number of really helpful articles as well as videos online that layout a robust marketing plan for authors who are on their own. Search for such content and make notes to create a viable plan that gives you a decent shot at success.
5) Budget Issues
Large scale promotions need a good marketing budget. Without adequate finances, authors end up with a basic marketing plan that usually leads to poor sales. So budget, marketing and sales are all connected and together can quickly demotivate an author.
Let’s face it. Most of us self-published authors are doing this part-time for the love of it. We do not have large bank balances to fund ambitious marketing plans. We do not have the backing of large publishing houses and their enormous promotional tools.
Budget is a genuine issue and this is not counting the money spent on creating professional covers, illustrations, book formatting etc.
While I know it can get really demotivating but patience is the key here. You need to take the time to research all content possible online on creating a low budget but effective marketing plan. It is not easy but can be done. Also ideally you need to keep pushing for reviews or mentions at book blogs, websites, forums, social media etc. to gain as much exposure as possible for your book.
At the end of the day, just remember you are doing this for the love of writing. Do not let certain situations come in the way of enjoying your journey as a writer. It is one of the most fulfilling things you will do in your life.
