by Cami Walters Nihipali
I’ve been making a bunch of Tik Toks. Experts say it’s the go-to “tool” right now. I can see the appeal. It’s fun when it’s done well, not that I’m doing it well. I’m just doing. The power of the tool in publishing, however, is undeniable. Every time I open up my latest issue of Publisher Weekly, there’s a spot, an article, a graphic devoted to the power of TikTok.
It’s interesting to see how the different social media tools vary. Mixtus Media’s “Book Marketing Simplified” did an interesting podcast on social media marketing and where you should spend your time (link here). They cited SproutSocial and the power of the demographics as they relate to the varied means of social media (be sure to check their links in the show notes). Very useful when you’re putting together a marketing plan that connects with your target audience.
When I was first starting out, I didn’t think about social media, marketing plans, business plans or target audiences. I thought about writing stories. Then I thought about getting an agent and a publisher and when that didn’t happen, I thought about doing it myself. It wasn’t until I was in the midst of publishing my fourth book that I realized I couldn’t look at this business through the author's lens and be successful. I was jumping into a business.
It was terrifying.
It was exhilarating.
I’m a creative wordy artist not business savvy numbers-oriented in any way. It made the leap daunting and the fall quick and subsequent climb very steep.
Over the weekend I listened to the Book Marketing Tips & Author Success podcast. Their first episode of the year was “How to be a Profitable Author” (link here). What really resonated and I think connects to my rambling here was when one of the hosts said, “You must fail fast.” Her premise was that failure is a part of business and growth, but remaining in the valley of that failure isn’t an option. Instead, use it to fall forward claiming your resilience to learn and grow.
The Maci Aurora book line feels a little like that. I’m looking back over the journey I’ve completed with the last 8 books, using what I’ve learned to diversify, but I’m starting at the bottom again. It’s daunting and a steep climb, but also exhilarating. I suppose it’s also a little like my Tik Toks… I’m just doing.