"My Epic Life" Launches; Anxiety Follows

As of today, My Epic Life is available to the public (just paperback, initially). I'm offering it for purchase on Amazon sites around the world. For the first time, I'm also offering it for sale on Etsy.com, a site which will allow me to offer signed copies, the purchase of the three books as a set and, soon, other special packages.


So, everything is in place.

I have now completed what I've recently taken to calling the Alexander Adventures Trilogy. The overall concept, that of a boy's journey from fearful kid to being a self-assured teen, seems to have appeal.

I've also achieved my objective of writing a professional, well-edited work that touches readers emotionally. The books have received positive reviews - for which I'm happy and grateful.

Now I'm facing the next challenge: more effectively bringing Alexander to his intended audience. Putting aside advertising for the moment, I'm hoping to distinguish this marketing effort from those of my previous books by focusing on several areas. These are the ones on my mind right now:

• Coverage across social media platforms, including YouTube, blogs, and podcasts. I had some success in this area with my first book, but not so much with my second. I'm hoping to increase my online presence this time around. I'll also be returning to more frequent blog updates. 
• I need to encourage more reviews than those I have currently. As a relatively unknown indie author, reviews are a great tool, both in number and my ability to quote readers in my marketing efforts.
• Personal appearances at book fairs, events and other venues. These appearances offer two opportunities: I can bring my books directly to potential audiences, and I can share these efforts with my social media followers, which in turn helps further develop further awareness of the trilogy.

This is a period of great excitement mixed with great anxiety—in many ways, this is an important chapter in a process I began with the publication of My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain in 2013.

I like to think of my book-related efforts as akin to kicking off a tech start-up. Right now, I need to capture the imagination of my potential readers. 

I welcome your suggestions and feedback!