To get attention, one must be loud. To get recommendations, one must be worthy. Being loud enables the potential for impulse purchases. But earning recommendations is worth more than any impulse sale. And so I must wonder, does being loud degrade a reader’s opinion of an author from being worthy?

But the lack of recommendations drives an author toward gimmicks, promotions, and generally just being loud. So how does one rise above? How can a self-published author earn the respect of his readers without surviving the gauntlet of traditional publishing? The answer seems simple: Write a really good book. But then we’re back at the beginning. How is the self-published author supposed to make the masses aware of his/her really good book? This is the vicious swirl that independent authors have to deal with.

If you’re a reader, look above at the photo. Do you like any of it? The internet is a wealth of information – too much so – and websites are now filtering the content to our own individual preferences. This means that we are getting even less exposure to things outside of our “preference-bubble”.

I’ve recently submitted The Soul Smith for consideration to be promoted on Humble Bundle and BookRiot. My goal is to spread awareness, but marketing doesn’t come with a recommendation. Readers do that. We need more readers to give and write book recommendations these days. It’s the only way that a self-published author can come “alive” in this day and age.

What are your thoughts?