We’ve all faced the marketing conundrum at some point. In order to get noticed, we have to sell ourselves. Yet, the time we must invest in marketing our products means less time to create. It can be a tiring (and vicious) cycle. I’d like to welcome back Rick Pipito for another guest post. Let’s see what he has to say on the topic.
How to Balance Marketing Efforts with Creative Endeavors
Have you ever said to yourself, “I don’t have time to promote my work and complete my next book?” Maybe those aren’t your exact words, but if you are a writer or any creative person then I’ll bet you’ve said something along those lines; or at least thought it. I know, because I’ve been there.
As impossible as it sometimes seems there are ways to juggle marketing efforts effectively, while maintaining your creative goals. I’ll use myself as an example. I’m currently writing my seventh novel, brainstorming the one after that, laying out storyboards for my fifth comic book, recording the audio book version of my second novel, and playing a music gig a month. Oh, there’s also the fact that I work a full-time job, have two amazing little kids, and am assisting my wife’s celebrity culinary career. It may look like an overwhelming schedule and to most it is, but the key is time management.
The creative juices are always flowing. When I brainstorm for my projects I often place my phone on the car seat while I’m driving and talk to myself to get my ideas down. Work days are full. I go to the job for 9 hours, come home and do homework with the kids. Play, eat dinner and talk with the family, then read them a story before bed. Once that 8:00 pm mark hits its time to kill off favorite characters, make people laugh and cry, and unleash the monsters in my books for a thrilling literary ride.
You must narrow down one day a week to marketing, but never hesitate to do more. If all of your time is spent on “selling” your ideas then you won’t have time to create more, which for us authors can be a curse. On the other hand, what is the point of creating if there is no one to share it with? No one will know of your work unless you get it out there.
Here’s what works for me, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is trying to do the same:
#1: Social Media
Let’s be blunt. Facebook is great for family and friends as well as the few acquaintances we meet along the way, but is it a good place to market? Yes and no. Your friends will share your status and products on occasion when you post, but your audience is limited. Twitter, while somewhat annoying to learn at first is an amazing platform for spreading the word and making connections. Instagram also works well. You need to learn the hashtags (I still call it the pound sign) for people with the same interests, but you’d be amazed at how quickly people gain respect for you. It’s a much larger market than limiting to one place. Of course there are other social media sites but these are the ones that really bring in the audience. Make sure you also follow and like other people, and the courtesy they return will be unequaled.
#2: Multiple formats
Don’t limit yourself to print. I’m old fashioned and want a copy of a book in hand, but let’s face it. The future and current generations are reading on Kindles, iPads, and other electronic devices. I tend to always have a print, digital, and now even audio book versions of my books at all times. I realize that isn’t something that everyone can do, but anything you can utilize as a format should be.
#3: Blogging
Having a website or some sort of blog that focuses on what you do is a huge step toward success. It is a point of reference where people can see a full progression of what you’ve done and where you are headed and allows them to relate.
#4: Collaboration and seeking new avenues
Working with other writers or creative minds is a doorway to wider audiences. Jeri allowing me to write this guest post is beneficial to each other because all of you will have been exposed to me to a certain extent, and my followers will do the same with Jeri. Never limit yourself to your ego in other words. Branching out and finding common goals among peers can be a great learning experience, marketing tool, and a lot of fun.
#5: Watch what you say
Unless you are running for office or are a person deeply rooted in a certain belief try not to bring your personal views on politics and religion into your daily remarks. You will limit yourself to less than 50% of your potential audience. There are proper ways to go about getting your ideas out there. Putting characters in your writing for example that have strong opinions is good. Then people can love or hate them instead of you. You want your audience to be vast and like you. Negativity on ANY level will weigh down your opportunities.
Managing time is the main ingredient to evening out the scales. It may take a few tries, but once you figure out a good routine and keep going with it, you’ll be thankful in the end.
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What works for you when it comes to how to balance marketing efforts with creative endeavors?
Permission must be granted by Rick Pipito to use the images in this post.
Why not take a moment to also check out his guest post on Nurturing Artistic Talent?
Ugh….I just about passed out simply from /reading/ your schedule. I agree that time management is key, but as you said, it assumes a constant supply of creativity. Mine goes downhill from about 10am onwards. Good luck with all your endeavours. 🙂
lol I’ve learned to juggle it well, yet I still cannot juggle… a talent I hope to one day acquire just to say I could do it. 🙂 Thank you and best of luck to you as well. As far as the 10 am downward slide, remember that coffee works wonders.
lol I’ve learned to juggle it well, yet I still cannot juggle… a talent I hope to one day acquire just to say I could do it. 🙂 Thank you and best of luck to you as well. As far as the 10 am downward slide, remember that coffee works wonders.
Any entrepreneurial endeavor requires a crazy commitment of time and dedication. I think writers sometimes start off thinking that the hard part of writing is the writing. While that is an Olympian sized task it’s just one of them. I have a lot of admiration for authors who publish, whether its self published or with the assistance of a publisher it takes enormous dedication. I looked at the list above and thought, I have to do all of those things for my employer and it takes time energy and focus, thank goodness I didn’t have to write a book first. 🙂
Debra, I think you are correct. Many writers do start off thinking that the hard part is the writing. To me that never was the issue, but finding the time to do so was. Once I figured that out, then the realization of the rest of the process (marketing etc) came into mind. It was overwhelming to say the least and now that I feel I’ve got a decent hold of what I’m doing I’m still eager to learn more through experience and help others wherever I can. Best wishes 🙂
I am approaching that dark shadow of marketing with my first novel, and to say I’m terrified is well, not even close to how I’m feeling about it. It’s exciting, too, but I do feel as though my writing has been placed on the back burner with everything that goes into getting the book ready for publishing. I miss writing and can’t wait to dive back into it. Thank you for some excellent tips on how I can do just that. Jeri is genius with her guests.
Mandi, best of luck with your first novel. Don’t worry… Everything will fall into place as long as you don’t lose sight of your goals. All writers have their moments of self doubt or anxiety over the overwhelming nature of the whole process, but I think that is what keeps the great writers in check. I’m glad the article helps as I love talking about writing and offering assistance where I can… I also agree that Jeri is a genius with her guests. 😉
Thanks Mandi. I do like to keep good company around here 🙂
I can completely relate to this. I am a very prolific writer, and I really do try to schedule myself when I’m on a project. Right now, I’m in 100% marketing mode and I’m not doing ANY real writing. I’m brainstorming the next books and so it’s not like I’m not being creative at all, but I feel like all I’m doing right now is trying to sell my book.
Helena, I know the feeling well, but like you mentioned as long as you are brainstorming then it’s still part of the writing process. Unfortunately (fortunately) for me I’m brainstorming 3 books ahead of where I’m at constantly. I think us writers need more hours in a day.
Thank you for sharing your expertise and advice. Time is not an issue for me. I’m retired and can create and market 24/7 – which I almost do. Three years ago when my first novel was published I lacked experience and understanding of ALL social media venues. I’m still catching up, even with facebook. Lately, my project has been to ensure I’m getting full value from my websites and blog sites. I’ve been diving into the murky world of google analytics, SEO, plugin, etc. It feels like I’ve been tagged by a hungry animal that I’ve begun to almost worship as if I’m afflicted by that Stockholm syndrome. Tell me, does anyone ever get a full grasp of these marketing levers? Does it matter if I get the meta tags in the right places and obtain enough back links? Please help! I haven’t been able to create for months just hoping I’ll get my websites coming up on the top Google searches.
I don’t think anyone truly ever gets a full grasp of the marketing niches; at least not unless marketing is your prime position. Technology and social media seems to be endlessly evolving, which is a good and bad thing. As far as how to get into the top google searches etc I know there are tricks for that as well. This link might help you. Obviously the first paragraph doesn’t apply to you as you’ve been doing it a while, but it does give some great tips. http://www.inmotionhosting.com/support/edu/website-design/search-engine-optimization/how-to-get-your-site-into-search-engines Best of luck 🙂
Thank you, Rick. Much appreciated.
Excellent post and you are truly a miracle worker in terms of time management. Not for the faint hearted!! I think Twitter is the best social media platform to reach out to a broader audience, tho to be honest I’ve done virtually nothing with Instagram. And I completely agree that you really need to somehow keep on making time for your creative endeavors. The longer you are away from them the harder it is to go back.
Thank you, Andrew. Glad you agree 🙂 Now if only I could figure out other aspects of the “miracle working” I’d be set.
Thanks Rick for putting this sage advice out there on Jeri’s site; a destination I find myself at once a week without fail. The marketing aspect of even a blogger is time consuming and draining but once a routine is formulated, as you say, it becomes much easier to maintain. I also look forward to the day when I have this down.
Tim, I’m glad that so many people find the advice helpful, and yes, Jeri has an amazing blog full of wonderful and helpful information and insight. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Sound advice!
Because some of my freelance writing is promotional, I often “experiment” with my own social media marketing messages. Believe me, it’s been worthwhile in my mistakes alone! One of the worst mistakes is simply expecting too much from a limited time campaign. Marketing my own fiction has taught me many share-worthy lessons.
Thanks, Candy. I agree with what you said. Expecting too much is enough to burst one’s bubble so to speak. Then again, expecting too little will cause doubt, so finding the middle ground to effective marketing is where it’s at. Best wishes with your endeavors.
Sound advice here, Rick, and thank you to Jeri for having you here to share the information with us all. For me, it was a big turning point when I realized that social media marketing of my book and blog posts was best used as a tool rather than being a focus. In other words, social media marketing strategies complement my writing rather than being the go-to task of my day. It is so easy to lose track of time on social media! I can see from the comments here that many authors struggle with achieving balance, so I’m glad you’ve been so helpful for us!
Thank you, Christy. I know what it is like to struggle all around, so sharing my experiences has been a pleasure. 🙂
I feel ya, Rick. Two kids, full-time job… I’m right there too. Problem is I suck at marketing. Or, at least I think I suck at marketing. I don’t sell many books outside of signings, so I’m assuming that’s a true statement. But hey, the fact that I sell books at signings means I have personality, right? If only I could translate that to social media. Hmmm. Then again, I had a lot of facebook people say, “I didn’t even know you wrote books,” after I posted pictures from my signing.
Maybe it’s my rambling that turns people off? Who knows. 🙂 Anyways, great post on balance. Heaven knows I need some.
Lol… Loni, don’t change who you are. People can relate to personality. Social media is strange in the way you are speaking, and I know. I still have people come up to me (that I know, mind you) and say, “Hey, I saw this awesome zombie book you might like.” They approach me in a manner as if zombie stories are what I write. In reality it was only my first novel (and the comic spinoff) that involved the undead. Since then I’ve delved into much more thoughtful scenarios, threats, and characters in my books and include mysteries and legends. So in a way I’ve been stereotyped by the standard passerby who may have stumbled across my first book. It could be worse though… lol… Breaking out of that mold is really the hardest part of the marketing because you aren’t just marketing your books… you are marketing yourself.
ohhhh this is a very timely post for me! My first novel publishes April 7, and I’m in the thick of marketing right now. It is incredibly difficult to make time for writing during publishing/marketing, not to mention keeping up with my blog, which is a whole other animal. I’m barely staying afloat; however, I joined camp nano for April in hopes of forcing myself to make a big push on book 2. I must admit, I don’t use instagram for book or blog stuff, but I should. Awesome advice. Thanks for a great guest post!
Beth, Congrats on your first book and good luck with it. There is a limit to what you can do on Instagram as far as marketing, but it does get your name out there and makes it easier to link to the other social sites as well, so if you decide to, make sure to look me up and I’ll be sure to return the favor and follow you!
These tips are great! I help small businesses market their stuff on social media but kept forgetting to market my own so I got into the habit of adding the task to my calendar as a reminder. It works pretty well. Thanks for sharing!
Sabrina, sounds like you know what you are doing already! 🙂 Just remember that despite the fact that you help others market their own businesses, it isn’t selfish to remember and define your own brand.
Crazy busy! You’re the very definition! Completely in awe that you manage so much and do it so well at that. Time management is tricky for me as a writer/author. But that’s mostly because of the zone I have to get into to write fiction. I’d refer to it as the Twilight Zone, but that’s such an ugly cliche:) That part, however, is different for every writer. My opinion is that social media is important for branding I am not entirely convinced that an author can see a ton of real sales from Twitter or Facebook. But I have to say that I bow to thee:) Impressive!
Jacqueline, everyone needs to use a good cliche’ every now and then. It’s what makes us writers 😉 I value your opinion too, and you are correct… twitter and facebook won’t bring you a ton of sales, but it gets your name and work recognized so that when people are looking for a good read or reference that you suddenly find yourself with unexpected fans. It’s rewarding in its own way.
Rick, I’m not sure I could up with your schedule anymore, but I do appreciate the advice on time management. It’s important for a writer to find a schedule that works best for them and allow time for creativity, writing, and marketing.
Donna, that’s the key. I used my schedule as an example because of how extreme it is. I only hope most people don’t have that sort of intensity all of the time, but it does keep me on my toes. lol. Thank you.
I am massively impressed with Rick’s productivity. I certainly understand the point of setting aside one day to do marketing. Important to be organized. Marketing in social media for example can be done in one day but scheduled to spread across a full week.
Ken, I’d say yours is sound advice as well, and a great addition to the article. Marketing done in one day across a full week. It definitely has to be spread out to hit the various audiences out there, so doing a little each day would be the key.
Hi Jeri and Rick, great post and tips on time management and managing our creative skills and our marketing. One thing that really stood out to me was #5 watch what you say. I try to stay away from religion and political issues. Like you said, no sense in offending half the people out there. Not worth it. Can make all your other marketing efforts for nothing. Try to stay middle of the road whenever possible.
Susan, I’m glad you agree. I’m VERY opinionated with politics and have my own section reserved for religious beliefs, but I also don’t want to doom my own efforts. It took me a while to learn how to let certain things slide. Besides, a lot of people don’t know how to discuss things like that with a level head on their shoulders (which is why I wrote my book about arguing). lol. Best to, like you said, appear neutral but stand up for what you believe behind the scenes. Thanks for commenting.
I was happy to read this, as I feel I’ve grown in knowledge on Social Media in the past year or so. I have to disagree on one. Sure, Facebook is limited if you use it solely to keep up with family or friends but I think most of those people don’t take it seriously at the end of the day. That opens up an opportunity for you to exploit that powerful tool to max capacity. I feel like the groups I’m in right now are the tip of the iceberg.
Pinterest and Twitter are certainly useful, I feel. All it takes is creative modification of photos, some added text, and you’ve got something worth sharing. I used to be an active Linkedin participant and with the imminent death of G+ on the horizon, I might have to dig back in there.
It’s certainly hard, balancing creative versus marketing activities. I just had to put this read on hold before finishing up a post, and that was hard. So much good stuff comes from Jeri’s blog. I’m happy to have read this. Thanks for sharing.
Duke, thanks for your input. I didn’t even think of the whole G+ slipping away. It was a great avenue while it was in its prime though. You are correct too about Facebook. It can be very useful especially with the groups, but its because of people not taking it as serious that I make the observation. 🙂 Either way, bottom line is, not to eliminate an avenue if it takes you at least somewhere.
Wow – just reading everything Rick gets done has made me tired LOL. Seriously though, while I personally couldn’t keep up such a schedule, these were great time management tips. It is important that you spend time finding ways to sell your product as it is to create it, otherwise what’s the point. I do like the blogging part and must say I have learned more from blogging and reading posts like this than I could ever have learned anywhere else. Thank you both, Rick and Jeri.
Lenie, thank you. I’m glad that the article is helpful. Best wishes with your own endeavors. 🙂
I need to get into the habit of limiting my time getting an audience interested in what I write, especially running around the blogosphere reading and commenting on posts of the blogs I subscribe to. I think it may actually be cutting into my creative juices. My problem is doing the cut without hurting people I’ve come to admire through their posts.
Glynis, I completely understand this problem as well. When my wife started doing things on national TV her local name became really well known. She tried to continue “appeasing to the masses” and building a following that way by actively following and interacting on many levels, but once things started moving she had to back down. It was a sacrifice and one that was fought with the “I don’t want anyone to think I’ve disrespected them or am ignoring them by pursuing my own endeavors” thought. Of course there were lots of other things that came with the price of fame as well, but the overall result was that she became surprised at what had happened. The people she thought she’d offend actually came and supported her more than even some of her family and these were people she didn’t know in real life. In other words, all of your efforts so far have probably been greatly appreciated. No one is going to hate or unlike you for doing something for you… 🙂 Chin up, smile, and keep at it. Best wishes.
Nicely said. I consider myself to be pretty organized but every day is a balancing act, especially when it comes to social media. I certainly agree with you about Facebook – for the most part. I have found that groups are the exception. It took me awhile to find a few that were worth my time – and I’m not talking about author groups but groups that actually consist of your audience. If you can find them they are seriously a gold mine and well worth the time to build relationships.
Marquita, I’m just starting to get into the facebook group involvement. I will certainly pay more attention to that aspect now as well. Thank you 🙂
Yes–Facebook groups are definitely worthwhile. I’ve not been at this blog/self-marketing game for long, but have recently experienced exponential bumps in my page views from paying attention to where my “weak tie” acquaintance Facebook friends (different generations especially, since FB is very segregated in that way) were sharing the links to my posts and discovered two very active groups of about 2,000 people apiece. It took a bit of courage up to share to those groups myself, at first, but it’s been worth it. FB refers at least half my traffic, sometimes more.
And Twitter hashtags really do help! I often forget to add them. I would also recommend experimenting with the days and times of day you share. I’ve found Sundays and weekdays (Thursday in particular, for me) from 4-9 pm to be pretty good for Twitter and Facebook.
Rick you are one busy person! I got exhausted just before you got to your main points. haha All points well taken. My downfall is #5 so I appreciate this reminder. I’m really a big believer in collaboration as one of the most effective and creative marketing ideas. It always amazes me of its effectiveness.
Jeri thanks for introducing us to Rick.
Patricia, #5 is the most difficult to maintain. Glad you enjoyed the article.
What a great post, it’s like you read my mind! Although I must say, I’d go bonkers trying to keep a schedule like yours! This is great advice, and I’m heading over to read about nurturing my artistic talent too…
Meredith, I lost my mind long ago, that’s where I come up with the great ideas, from the many voices that have taken its place. 🙂 Thank you, and glad you enjoyed.
Hi Jeri & Rick! …
Tips numbers #3 and #5 stand out …. I second your statements regarding being aware of our own words… I think bloggers are even exposed to practice self censure… It is not a conscious act but even as a blogger I try to be careful… For instance, I have recently posted on Leda and the Swan, a greek myth in which Zeus raped Leda, metamorphosed in the shape of the swan… There were some paintings I had to put aside even when I would have liked to include them… It is odd.. mainly because I am making reference to “subtle artistic depictions”… but I guess audience is a sort of “extensive concept’… qualitatively different, so… well… we’d better consider that point…
I love the expression time management… I find it quite omniscient, If I am allowed to say… Even when I believe we can’t manage time… I think that we can try to deal with it though… Unquestionably, at least we do our best!~
A very interesting post… thanks for sharing and best wishes. Aquileana 😀
Aquileana, It’s a difficult decision at times, especially for me. As far as putting the art aside, I understand your decision, but in my opinion art such as you are speaking is educational. Glad you found your line between educational and offensive. It must have been a difficult decision to eliminate them from your post, but well warranted. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
Excellent post, and the proper way to balance marketing efforts. As hard and cumbersome as it is, it simply has to be done. Thank you for your insights!
Thank you for being a part of it as well. Glad you agree. 🙂
You have a lot on your plate. Time management is something I need to start doing. When I worked full-time, I managed my time, but being responsible for my own writing, work, housework, dog, etc., I just am not that disciplined.
I should really learn Twitter. Maybe.
Thanks for sharing Rick and Jeri.
Denise, Twitter isn’t too difficult to learn. I fought it off for a long time and then realized what a benefit it was to sales and connecting with others. 🙂 Best of luck.
Jeri, I want to thank you again for having me as a guest. Your readers are as awesome as you! I’m loving the feedback and points of view. 😉
I think marketing is the same for everyone, not only authors. We’d rather be doing something else — anything else. It isn’t as daunting if you set aside a period of time every week. That relieves the daily guilt of “what am doing today to promote my book?!”
This post made me smile. My husband is writing a comic book. More accurately, he not only wrote the comic book, but the entire series. Now, while his artist does his work, he has to start working on social media and other business aspects. What do I find him doing? Writing the sister series to the comic book. Creative types have to really discipline themselves to do the business end, because in their hearts, they are happiest when they are creating.
I could not have said it better. 🙂 Best of luck on his comic endeavors.
What a full schedule! I guess when my kids were home I had one too. You made me feel like my very full days are a walk in the park. I don’t do any work after 5:00! I do get up about 5 too though.
Beth, it’s full, but I’d never trade away any of it. Especially the kids and writing. Okay, I’d trade the full time job for a full time writing position, but that’ll come eventually. 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
Those are some great marketing tips. There are so many people who don’t follow #5. In business it’s a must that you watch what you say.
Jason, I know and it’s sad that it has to be that way too. People are so opinionated that if us as writers (or in any business profession) begin speaking out of context with controversial issues, we lose some ground with audience. That’s not to say you can’t stand up for what you believe, but to make it public or try to influence others through it can have negative effects (at least in a lot of cases). Thanks for your input. 🙂
As a new author, I enjoy these types of post about marketing. I have done everything, Facebook, Blogs, twitter, etc, and am still not getting the results I want. Thanks for sharing more ideas about marketing.
Just don’t give up, William. Keep plugging away. It might take some time, but with some patience and dedication it can be done.
I can’t imagine the craziness of being a writer on top of all the content that needs to be created to sustain a blog. I don’t know how you do it! The approach of assigning specific days for each task is the only answer. My question is what if it’s a creative writing day and you don’t feel creative? I’m overwhelmed by the marketing and social media upkeep. I’m going to try your advice of selecting a marketing day. Right now, I’m doing a little here and there and it’s not very productive. Thank you
Pamela, I’ve run into that issue. In that case I just swap out days. Schedules and rules are meant to be bent and broken, so while you may have it set up a certain way, you can always change it. After all, you are the boss of your own marketing and writing. 🙂 Best of luck.
Rick, I really need to use Twitter more. I now know it’s not a fad. I can’t imagine leaving Facebook and I’m still trying to harness the power of Linkedin. Then there is that pesky life thing. That’s where the real timesuck is. Jeri, thanks for the guest post.
Kire, I thought it was a fad at first too but then I saw it used properly and it made me wonder. Now I’m glad I did because while I haven’t made millions off of it, I can honestly say it has helped sell some books and get my name out there.
I love this post! It’s a #struggle to maintain the balance between home and work and more specifically the specifics of work… when do I market my brand? when do I connect with my customers? when do I create more contacts… the list goes on and on… but I do believe you are right on the money.. time management is key! Thanks for the post! —-Brandi
Hi Brandi, I’m glad you can relate and find it helpful. Thanks for commenting 🙂
Thank you so much to both of you for writing this great post full of advice and information. I suffer a lot with time management and I think it is very crucial thing that we have to learn in our life to be successful.
With blogging, social media etc. we hardly have time to give to other things.
I will definitely try to practice more #5 as I feel that it is very important.
Jerri- I really can relate to this article. I would change for me “I don’t have time to promote my work and complete my next book?” ” I don’t have to work on all the social media and promote my website”. I guess you need to be more organized then I am to do it all. I can never narrow it down and pick a day to do one thing, as there is always something that comes up in my business. I work on what is the most important at the time. I wish I could do what you suggest. Sometimes it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks