I often see these great debates explode over what part of
self-publishing is more difficult. I don't think it's something to be
generalized, but instead is individual to each person. Writing might be more
painstaking for one while marketing is laborious for someone else. Much like one person excelling in Math while another does English, there're going to be things about the self-publishing platform that everyone will have trouble with.
For me, marketing slogans are my weak point.
Language has to be handpicked for the message it's going to convey, and with
only a limited word count to work with, it gets frustrating.
So like everything else, I take it a piece at a time.
Sometimes I'll read over what I wrote, cover my screen, then type a second copy
from memory. The "from memory" usually results in some phrase changes—rarely
for the worst, frequently for the best. Do it enough times, and I get the best
possible marketing spiel I can manage.
The problem is: starting.
I can have all my materials in front of me—the story itself,
the story summary, the blurb, the Twitter pitch, the cover art, the marketing
pictures—and draw a complete and utter blank. The only way I can seem to push
past this is to get my "Eureka!" moment, 'cause once I have that
first phrase (no matter where it falls in the marketing spiel), I can shape the
rest around it.
"But how do you get the Eureka moment?" you
wonder.
For me, it's seeing all my materials, then stepping away and
doing something else. I switch objectives, do something hands on (any crafters
out there? Knitters? Crocheters? Painters? Laundry folders?), and let my mind
clear. The right words will compose themselves for me when I hit the border of
"No longer at the forefront of my mind".
Now with that being said, I'm off to sort laundry and hunt me
down a few Pokémon to clear my head so I can work out this new marketing slogan!
