[heavycat]

This is just this week.  (Paraphrasing other threads here)

1. Select has run its course.
2. Twitter and Facebook are time sinks (as is all social media, presumably)
3. Paid advertising is a waste of money (Except Bookbub, but only if you're one of the few and anointed in advance)
4. Book review sites don't drive sales (So don't bother soliciting reviews)
5. POI and ENT are too clogged with submissions to care about your free book (see above)

So, for the author who is just starting out, there's no reliable way to market their book, no matter how hard they work.  Every marketing option is followed up with a credible "don't bother" from someone on this board.

What am I missing?

 

[heavycat]

#1 Marketing Tool...write more great books.

Are there any examples of authors who did not avail themselves of any outside marketing and only published book after book until they increased their sales to where they wanted them?

 

[heavycat]

If anything, indie is starting to mature.

Meaning what? Indie is weeding out the riff-raff?

Yeah, it's definitely run its course. Let's all quit and go home.

There's a lot of closed doors where marketing opportunities used to be. What do you suggest for new authors?

 

[heavycat]

Anyone who quick published a book because they "heard" it was a hot, new way to make it big should be running out the door by now.

So perhaps the reported dearth of marketing opportunities is less an objective view of the market and more propaganda designed to reduce the pool of authors and create a rising tide for the boats remaining in harbor?

 

[heavycat]

I think the above is too pessimistic, heavycat!

Don't get me wrong, I'm just quoting what I've seen in other threads. I don't necessarily agree with everything on that list.

 

[heavycat]

was the one complaining about nothing working

I didn't say that. I said that's what I have read in other threads recently. I was struck by the fact there was a naysayer for every marketing strategy.