Why didn’t you say? That makes all the difference.
Said no one with a brain, ever.
The scammers are running rampant in the publishing arena. Yeah, still! You’d think they’d give up, right? I guess there are enough people falling for their nonsense that it’s lucrative for them. Currently, it’s cold calls from “digital marketers”. Every social media platform is rife with them.
They can make you a best seller. They can do so much for your book.
They can’t understand why you don’t have zillions of reviews because clearly you’ve written a wonderful book. Of course they haven’t read it. They’re going solely off the cover and blurb they found online. Maybe, if they’re keen, they’ll hit your website as well and then contact you via your contact form. That’s always fun.
All you need to do is pay them and they’ll guarantee reviews and a huge reach. You’ll be rolling in dosh before long. *Shakes head*
So easy.
If it was that freaking easy we’d all be millionaires. Don’tcha think?
By all means create a marketing plan, if that’s what you want to do. But I’m not paying anyone for it. The whole thing with being a starving artist is LACK OF MONEY. It’s not like we’re making much.
They’re targeting the wrong people. We don’t have disposable income to hand over.
And that is where the author catch 22 lies. You need money to make money in this industry because ads are the only way to get your books in front of the people.

Word of mouth still works though, just not when people read you, LOVE your work, but then hold that close because THEY discovered you and they don’t want other people getting in on that. And yes, that’s a thing. Sad but true.

Then you have the true fans who shout from the roof tops, hit the libraries and ask for your books to be stocked, read every word you’ve ever written … but don’t write reviews. 🙂
It’s an odd thing, it really is. Doesn’t matter how short the review or how easy they are to write, it’s a step too far for most people. I get that.

And then the scammers start … why don’t you have many many reviews?
Because I WILL NOT buy reviews.
It’s not ethical, it’s against most platforms rules, and most authors I know don’t have disposable income.
I love the scammers who say for only USD$25 when they’re targeting NZers. (Good chance they don’t even know where NZ is.) We don’t use USD. Yeah, that’s right. We have our own currency. And that amount you think is so small … well that’s $41 in real money (putting in perspective that’s a third of my grocery budget for the week). I can’t afford to hand over that kind of money to someone I don’t know and don’t trust.
Anywho, if you think you can market my books and make me zillions – fuck off. You can’t. You’re a scammer and we all see through that nonsense.
Don’t let the door hit you.

Rant over. 🙂