Forget the accolades. No one cares.
Andrew Valenza
In the years since I first released “Empire of the Void” as a self-published work in 2023, I have seen just about every strategy employed to sell books, both by the authors themselves and by publishing assistant programs. And I find it truly devastating how many authors fall for the traps, and sometimes downright scams, that are laid out for them online. Even worse are the authors who self-sabotage themselves with AI-oriented marketing or publishing tools, but that is a topic for later.
Recently, I attended a book fair with a few first-time authors. There was a great selection of books and probably some really great stories within the books on display. Banners boasted wonderful reviews and awards received.
The problem is, most readers don’t care about the accolades. Which means these authors are putting their money in the wrong place, and you may be too.
Readers look for authenticity in what they read. Authenticity does not come from how much you’ve spent on it, but the inherent quality within the story. And authenticity does not come from paid reviews or accolades, which is what most of these programs are.
There are a million and a half “awards” for indie storytellers. Pay $100-$500 and you’ll be entered in a contest and your book is read by “professionals” so that if you win, you can slap a graphic on the front – which no reader likes to see take up so much space – and use as a talking point to sell your book.
The problem is, most of these are pay-to-win programs. I’m not saying your book doesn’t deserve praise, I’m saying these programs don’t care if it does or not as long as they get your money. And to make matters worse, these award organizations mean nothing to the readers. Unless it is a Hugo, or Saturn Award, or some other major organization that recognizes authors like Stephen King or Sarah J. Mass, readers will have no idea who is giving it praise or what, if any, weight it has.
They don’t know who else competed or the level of scrutiny it’s under. If I don’t know who you beat out, what do I have to compare it to?
For example, if I told you, “Empire of the Void won first prize for the ‘Ultra Best Sci-Fi Literature of the entire A.D. period’ by the South Eastern Rhode Island Society of Indie Sci-Fi Writers Conglomerate”, what would that mean to you? Especially if the South Eastern Rhode Island Society of Indie Sci-Fi Writers Conglomerate is a group of one who doesn’t want to read “Dune” because he can watch the movie instead.
The same goes for paid reviewers. Kirkus Reviews is only good for a small chance of your book being featured on their homepage for an afternoon. But other than that, telling people that you paid someone $500 and they loved your book doesn’t carry a ton of weight.
So, if you can’t buy success, how do you get it?
You earn it. You let the book speak for itself.
It takes time and a lot of patience. You have to build up your base organically.
If you don’t have money, start small. Request signing events at your local bookstore. Keep an eye on Facebook for vendor markets popping up in your area. When Valenza Publishing started, we attended town and county craft fairs and would make a few hundred dollars over a few hours.
If you have money, book higher visibility shows. There are book festivals for every genre going on all the time, with fantastic turnout. The Brooklyn Book Festival is pricey to get into, but authors earn thousands of dollars back. A good friend of mine complained to me about an event in California where making just shy of $2,000 was considered a bad day.
And when you can, give copies of your book away. Swap with other authors in the same boat as you, or ask for permission to send them out to book influencers on social media. And yes, get on social media.
The most successful indie authors are the ones who waste no money on the accolades and just be present.
Also, stay away from AI. Even if it’s just for your cover design. Don’t do it. It never looks good, and readers will want to keep their distance.
