When I started writing back in 2020, I had no idea what I was getting into. All I knew was that I wanted to write the story that was brewing in my head. During the lockdowns, I was presented with more free time — aka more time to read… again. It didn’t take long for my love for literature to rekindle, not that the flame ever died… small children can just take up most of your time, but I digress.
During that time, I came across a type of literature I didn’t normally read. I was more of a thriller, religious sci-fi, epic fantasy girl — and then I fell in love with romance. The spicier kind. That’s when my characters really started to form in my mind. Fast-forward to now, I’m a romance author with multiple titles under my belt (some even recognised in the literary world), but one thing has remained the same since I started this journey… BOOK MARKETING struggles.
I don’t know how to market or promote my books to save my life. That would be fine and dandy if I were writing as a hobby. Although I appreciate every copy sold and every review I’ve received, at this point, writing really is a very expensive hobby. Like many other indie authors, I’m using the platforms that are supposed to showcase my work in the most budget-friendly way — but I haven’t cracked the code of “going viral”. Don’t get me twisted, this is not a pity post. I’m not here crying over my inadequacy or social-media illiteracy… I did and still do put in the work to understand the algorithm. But as for getting visibility — I just don’t know what to do or how to do it.
“Writing is expensive when no one sees you.”
One thing I am confident in is my stories. I’m not cocky, but I know I’ve got something good going on here… if only people would see it. And yes, I hear what seasoned authors say: “invest in Facebook ads, run Amazon ads…” but the issue? I can’t. I don’t have the budget. Not generating enough sales, page reads… revenue. Because let’s be honest — KU doesn’t always pay off, and we need to sell hundreds of eBooks just to cover the basic costs of our publishing process (no, sorry… publishing is not free, even if the platform uploads your book for free). People are also more likely to invest in physical copies only after they’ve read something of yours they already like… and with the cost of living doing what it’s doing? Yeah.
“We need to understand that we are all in this together. There’s no reader without the author, and there’s no author without the reader.”
So where does that leave us as creatives? We’re paying for everything — editors, cover design(Yes, pre-made covers are cheaper), formatting (be that software or a person) — and sometimes there’s just nothing left for anything else. So what do we do as indie authors who have depleted our finances and still haven’t cracked the code to going viral? Do we keep going and accept that our stories might only ever be read by a few (and risk not being able to afford the quality editing and art we know those stories deserve), or do we give up and live with the voices of our never-written characters?
It really is a cold world out there. I haven’t decided yet… maybe because I haven’t hit rock bottom and still have a few coins — and a bit of hope — to spare. But here’s what I do know: there are so many writers out there with incredible stories who will disappear into the ether not because they’re not talented — but because they just don’t know how to market. If that’s you… Don’t bow out just yet. Keep writing. Keep showing up, even if it feels exhausting, even if it feels like no one cares. Keep learning. Keep experimenting. Because maybe we don’t need to go viral — maybe all we need is for the right couple of readers to find us… the rest can grow from there. And who knows — that whisper could still become a roar.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this post are based on my personal experience as an independent author. I am not sponsored by — nor affiliated with — Amazon, Facebook, or any of the platforms referenced, and individual results may vary.
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