Well, that’s disappointing. This has been the third month of my social media expansion and although I now have 7800 followers across 5 platforms, my return on investment has been… far lower than I wanted.
Okay, this is going to sound like whining, and… maybe it is. Thankfully, I haven’t spent any money yet (although maybe I should), but I have invested a significant amount of time into Albigensia Press and getting its name out there. How much? It takes me about 20-30 minutes each day to write these blog posts and another 30-60 minutes each day to grow followers. I do this 6 days a week, so let’s just call it an hour a day. So I’ve spent 78 hours of my life building this up.
So I was estimating a 1% return on investment. The hope was that 1% of the people who follow me would actually be willing to buy one of my books. That’s a hideously low number, but considering the miniscule amount of marketing I’ve absorbed over the years, I thought that was significantly conservative.
<whine mode> Turns out I was way over estimating. I’ve sold (drum roll please) exactly 9 books in three months! Are you #*$&@#($ kidding me?! That’s a tenth of a percent! Exponentially smaller. What the #*$& do I have to do?! </whine>
Am I concerned with the money? No. No one becomes a writer (or teacher… and I’m both!) to become rich. The investment I want is for people to actually read my work. Now if you’re reading this (sigh), I guess that counts. After all, this blog does force me to build up my writing ability, and… that’s investment, right? But it’s hard to be hopeful. Especially since this takes a significant amount of time out of my day.
Now here’s the positive spin – nine books is more than I have ever sold than in the last 10 years I started publishing my own books. So I guess if I look at it from investing a significant amount of time, I get a significant increase in readers, then… I’m on the right path. But man, it’s hard to be positive.
Now… am I about to stop? No, because as I explained above, I am making progress. But Lord, I was hoping to make more progress. Are you on the same path as me? Did your grounded expectations turn out to be woefully optimistic? Let me know in the comments below!
Albigensia Press 
I can commiserate on the desolation of roi. However I’m more interested in lauding you’re doing it! That’s discipline and it will build even if you’ve not your exact magic a chance towards attracting you to the journey to that you seek.. what a gift of action towards dreams making them dates in a way set so the dreams become goals not dreams….we all dream we don’t all work making the dreams become reality.
Now to cuss a smile into you! 7800 across 5 platforms for a 1/10th%??? Thanks man! Heeeeee thanks!!!! I take around 2-3 hours as much of my blogs are heavily information loaded and that includes a new emphasis growing my base with the simple here I like you you like me click that subscription! Method of maybe not lasting friends but at least some yay on my ways…. And here you go showing business models as truths to the percents whereits a new layer of false stats of 100 social media to interest to 10 for the 1 to buy telling 3 of good experience or 10 how much we suck to rebuild the pools of wow it takes 1000 buying to begin the security in consistent success… Or g we thanks the mountains will move! I’ve faith in you! But thanks for showing it’s a decade of work to become that overnight success! Thanks Oodles! For being that voice of for most of us it’s a journey about the life and world for a candy bar or two reward! Hee hee. I want from 230’s to 310’s growing me after 8 years keeping deeper connection up and sold 3 of my book in its hot hardback I’ll phase. But interesting to your cuss is it seems a slog but it is w o r k and it will occur in our lives thrills…. I continue to believe in tostada’s as a fun filling bit of a smile to keep us smiling on journeys success.
Yeah, it’s NOT a fun situation. You’re hardly alone though. Cristian Mihai runs one of the most sucessful blogs out there on blogging (including marketing), and has something like 78,000 followers on his main. He’s said he’s broken the 1000 “true” fans mark after years of hard work. True fans being described as the folks who will buy anything you produce.
It’s a grind but like everything in life it’s building momentum. Me, I’ve slacked off at a few points and abandoned social media due to it’s toxic nature. I’m sitting at just under 600 followers after 2 years. Of those, I’d guess 20 actually read my posts.
Marketing seems to be your main issue FWIW. I’ve only been following the blog for a short time, but I’ve never seen a single promotional post about the books. Granted there’s the other extreme too… DirtySciFiBuddha spams “please buy my books” posts every day. Somewhere in the middle is a balance 🙂
Thank you – that was a very good thought! I try to say “please buy my books” every two weeks… so maybe I could make it every week. However, I should realize that I’m still trying to build a following, and that readers will come later.
Keeping in mind that you’re taking advice from a foot dragger who hasn’t even self-published anything yet… Once a week, highlight one book, do a brief overview of it, and say “get this and my other great stories at these spots” 🙂
man you have just made best beginning.. now its time to get you a return for whatever you do. and things are going Slowly and finely. hope is the best thing i guess.
Neil Gaiman once said that self-publishing is like throwing a handful of rose petals into the Grand Canyon and listening for the crash. 😦