Wish I'd Known Then . . . For Writers The Truth About Book Marketing: Ads, Social Media, and Discoverability Myths
311 / Think you need to be on every platform, spend big on ads, or release a book every month to succeed as an indie author? We’re busting some of the most common publishing myths.
✨ This week’s sponsor is Vellum: http://tryvellum.com/wish
But first, we catch up on life after a writing retreat: the post-draft crash, newsletter plate-spinning, and the genuine weirdness of evaluating promos when the market keeps shifting
- Honest BookBub promo numbers and why results look different now
- Why discoverability matters more than "good enough" writing
- Why you don't need every social media platform to succeed
- Newsletters, Goodreads, and BookFunnel as practical visibility tools
- Why direct sales and Kickstarter can work even with a small audience
- Why rapid release is optional and genre dependent
- Why ads don't require huge spend, and how AI is changing targeting
- Genre zeitgeist: how trends like cozy and romantasy impact your strategy
💙 Become a supporter of the podcast https://wishidknownforwriters.com/support or https://wishidknownthenpodcast.substack.com/subscribe
- Access to backlist of exclusive supporter episodes
- Shoutout on a future episode
- Thanks to long-time supporter Delaney Smith 💜
⚡Links:
- http://tryvellum.com/wish
- Alessandra Torre on Goodreads: https://open.substack.com/pub/wishidknownthenpodcast/p/alessandra-torre-on-goodreads-movie-10c?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web
🚀 Jami’s Consulting and Workshops: https://www.jamialbright.com/authorworkshops
❤️ Jami’s books https://amzn.to/3wSraA5
🔎 Sara’s books https://www.sararosett.com/bibliography/
📚 Sara’s How to Write a Series book and audiobook: https://www.sararosett.com/how-to-write-a-series/
The Big List of Craft and marketing books mentioned on WIKT podcast episodes https://bookshop.org/lists/recommenced-resources-for-writers-from-the-wish-i-d-known-then-podcast