We’re a little over halfway through the year, so I thought I would provide an update to the marketing goals I set earlier in the year for my book and this website.

To be fair, I haven’t given much thought to my book marketing goals since Awesome Con in April. Granted, I was much more focused on finding a job most of that time, but this will be a good refresher for us all.

Here is my original post setting out my marketing goals for this year.

The 2019 Book Marketing Goals

As with my monthly write days, it behooves us to reflect on our goals and perhaps reevaluate given their status now.

Here are my original book marketing goals for this 2019:

1. Sell 100 books between multiple convention appearances
2. Earn 600 Reads on my Wattpad story
3. Hit 600 followers on WordPress
4. Connect with more authors and figure out the deal with my defunct newsletter

So, how have I done?

Sell 100 Books between Multiple Conventions?

Not even close. This goal was so wildly out of bounds, I actually chuckled when I reread it the other night preparing for this post.

I’ve attended one convention — Awesome Con — and I sold 12 books there. I don’t even have plans to get a table at another convention (yet). 12 is an amazing number considering I only had one book to sell to people, and I had never been to a convention before.

However, there are a couple of important qualifiers here. The first is that I made that goal assuming I would have two books to sell, mine and Jessie’s. Jessie’s novel has been stuck in Editing Hell (her words) for months now, and that’s just something I couldn’t anticipate.

Secondly, I also had plans to do multiple conventions. It’s nearly August, and I don’t even know if I can do more than Awesome Con at this point. I’m actually going to Comic Con with a couple friends when we visit L.A. in October, but I won’t have a table or any books on me. The best I can hope for there is to meet a couple authors and maybe hand out some bookmarks or something.

So while the initial goal was way too high, there have also been extenuating circumstances. I’ll look into some other conventions, but either way, I’d honestly be ecstatic if I sold 30 books this year, total.

Earn 600 Reads on Wattpad?

No, but I’m not losing hope just yet. I currently have 39 reads on seven chapters, and I learned pretty quickly that unfinished stories just don’t get a lot of attention on Wattpad. Readers there typically want to read a book knowing they’ll get to read an ending.

Also, this is my first story on Wattpad, so no one knows who I am. By participating a bit on the community forums, I’ve connected with a few authors, but I really don’t think I’ll see reads increase until all 12 chapters of my mythology are published. I am also in the running for an awards contest on Wattpad, so we’ll see how that goes.

Hit 600 Followers on WordPress?

Not yet, but we’re well on our way. In fact, we’re at 550 followers at the halfway point through the year. I’m holding fast on this one.

Connect with Other Authors and Figure Out My Newsletter?

Yes and no. These are an entirely vague goals anyway, so I’m not too worried. I met a fellow author at Awesome Con, and as I said above, I’ve connected with a couple of authors on Wattpad.

As for the newsletter, I’ve given that nary a thought, and my stress levels are probably better for it. I just don’t know what to do with a newsletter aside from a blog rundown, and I hate newsletters like that, even from websites I actively follow.

My writing efforts are focused on WoEL right now, and I just don’t have the time or energy to cook up unique content for a newsletter that no one has expressed interest in to this point. On the back-burner this will stay.

Second Half Adjustments

I feel alright about most of these, considering how things have changed recently. Longer-term goals always deserve reflection and adjustment, so that’s what we’ll do.

Adjusted Goals for 2019

1. Sell 30 books. Print, Kindle, convention, or otherwise.
2. Earn 600 reads on my Wattpad story. I was tempted to hedge, but social media is unpredictable. Maybe I’ll find my readership later this year?
3. Hit 600 followers on WordPress. I’m tip-toeing into Overconfident Territory here.
4. Connect with other authors. This is more like ongoing motivation for me to make more author friends. I have my sights set on L.A. Comic Con. The newsletter can wait for its turn.

Steve D