Last week I hastily assembled a Youtube video to formally launch my book, and I have thoughts on the experience.

Because of course I’m ruminating on what can be improved, and how it can be improved, to better get the message out there that my book is worth a look — and a couple of hours to boot.
Before we continue, hello! My name is Alfonso, and I’m a self-published author. Be welcome!
With introductions out of the way, let me direct you to the video in question:

When I say hastily, I mean I spent a whole day recording and editing. There was no script behind it (cardinal sin) and I improvised most beyond a few bullet points that provided a bare-bone structure. Before I go into dissecting the experience and learning from this first foray into marketing, let’s actually provide a sense of what this is about… which I just did. We’re here to see what I did wrong, and how I can get good. So, if you’re into marketing, books, and a healthy dose of schadenfreude, read on! You’ll have a blast.
And if you’re really into marketing, your thoughts are more than welcome. Demanded, even.
Before going into the video, let’s address the process itself. As I mentioned before, this was a one-day job. At one point, I fumbled my words so much that, in frustration, I smacked my head with my book. Gently, don’t worry. I’m not out here to kill my own neurons. Anyways, as the day wrapped up, and as I watched the video at least three more times, many ideas began to bubble in my brain (where else?) These ideas are essentially all that follows, so I won’t start enumerating them now. I don’t tend to edit these posts, and it probably shows, but it’ll make it common practice to wait a day and go over everything I publish at least once to prop up quality.
That being said, I won’t hesitate when it comes to getting the message out there. Analysis paralysis will stop any and all momentum, and I’ll be left ruminating over the perfect post when such a thing does not exist. Good enough is what I’m aiming for to balance quantity and quality. Both are needed to succeed here.

Next in the chopping block: the thumbnail!
Face of the video, main marketing device in my prospective viewer’s feeds, you know the spiel. Admire it, but try not to drool.

First, I like the concept of half the text hidden behind me and the other half imposed before. It’s cool, and the rule of cool reigns supreme in this house. That being said, the colors and the typography are more reminiscent of a sports drink rather than a book launch. They don’t pair well with the genre, or the industry at large, and clash against my own personality. I’m someone that’s rather smiley, and while I enjoy exercise and have a decent history with several disciplines (taekwondo, bouldering, swimming, etc) I’m far from a jock. They also don’t mesh well with the Merki logo, which is the brand face I’m utilizing. A more elegant typography similar to the book’s title, and a color reminiscent of forest greens or browns would’ve worked better.
Same with my shirt. It’s blue, which doesn’t necessarily fit. It’s casual, which also doesn’t denote the clean poise authors are purported to have (some, not all, and probably not me either.) And it’s perhaps too niche in the Chainsaw man imagery (it’s cool, and you know the rule.)
In the future, I won’t compromise much on my attire, as I like dressing casually — ironing shirts is such a hassle, and they’re a tad too constricting versus the alternative. That being said, if the occasion demands it, I’ll button up.
When it comes to titles and backgrounds, I won’t follow a set of guidelines. I recall, back when I worked under an international school conglomerate, that marketing had this booklet that delineated everything. I mean every single thing. What typographies to use and when? Booklet. What colors to use? Booklet. Where and when it’s appropriate to use the company’s logo? Booklet. Everything under the sun, when it came to marketing and communications, was in the booklet. All for the corporate image. Whimsical precision is my corporate image, and if the words need to be blocky or curvy, let the situation guide my hand.
These last paragraphs sound more like excuses than adaptations, but these are a different sort of lessons of, I’d say, equal value.
Onto the content of the video.
I won’t go over all the details; otherwise, we’d spend the day here and both of us have stuff besides this blog. I’d say there are three main areas of improvement — only three because having more will dilute my focus and hamper growth.
First, scripts are god-sent! I have a background in debate and public speaking, and that made me cocky. I figured I could wing it, and the results are poor, to say the least. Don’t get me wrong, I’m quick on my feet, but I wasn’t even standing — the setting is quite different compared to competitive debate, and I wasn’t prepared for the detrimental effects such change brought. I’m a bit averse to reading off the screen, for it doesn’t look natural and diminishes the video’s quality. Going back to debate, I was trained to take a bullet point and expand upon it, all to avoid staring at a piece of paper while people watched. I’ll find my bearings, reading off a screen, with enough practice. Furthermore, I’m a debater, but I’m also a writer, and I like to think I’m better at the latter. Scripts make the message more succinct, which leads me to…
Be succinct! Second area of improvement. I yapped a lot when it came to character introductions and ended up not making much of a point. There was much left at the table, and after hearing myself talk, trying my best to listen without relying on the context I know, there was not much that convinced me to pick up the book. The character description was superficial, repetitive, and overall ineffective. I’ll strive to be direct and impactful in the future.
Lastly, don’t underestimate editing. I need to take the time to properly edit the video. Otherwise, quality suffers. For example, I ended up rushing the parts that pan through the map, and even though I recognized it wasn’t a good idea to begin with, I soldiered on because I had a self-imposed deadline. One day to edit and one day to rest and think/improve on said edits is needed to make sure the videos are at least decent.
Those are the three main lessons: be prepared, be direct, be patient.
The last one is particularly anti-me. If I was patient, I would still be querying agents. To exemplify, let me meander with a short story.
One of my most memorable MUN (Model United Nations) moments was when I was staffing under an incredible mentor called Suhail. It was my second year at the conference (MIMUN, the best ever) but my first in the department in charge of creating and executing the political simulation the students enjoy. That year, staffing was particularly tight as the department was comprised of two seniors and three new volunteers. But out of the three, one dropped out last minute and the other had to leave for a family emergency an hour into the conference. I was left alone to execute the often-competing-vision of Suhail and Rehan. Both incredible, made a trial by fire of the whole experience. Learned plenty during those five days. Anyways, Suhail and I were waiting for the elevators to deliver critical news to one of the cabinets, and the elevators at this hotel, as in many others, were slow and finicky. I proposed rushing five floors through the stairs. Understand that I was a young eighteen-year-old staffer with adrenaline for blood. I jumped around and reacted immediately to any and all events, often without giving it much thought. Suhail must have seen a suited-up squirrel on caffeine or crack. He smirked and gestured with his palm for me to calm down. The words are lost to time, but he said something related to us being the masters of time, and that nothing happens unless we deign it so. If they wait, so be it. They can entertain themselves. The lesson goes on, but the point of the story remains: By my nature, I’m not a patient man. I’ve reined in my habits, but when the starting gate opens, it’s hard to hold the urge to rush.

Before wrapping up, let’s explore audience and messaging!
I spent some time going through my marketing notes (I had a class in my MBA) and came up blank. Let me explain.
Products are meant to deliver customer value, basic. The value is clear, entertainment. Consumers consume the product that gives them the highest perceived value.
Alright, good. So my task is to convince you that my book stands supreme. That I alone am the honored one.

Except… art is subjective. Value, therefore, is also subjective. I can convince you to give it a go with a pretty cover, an enticing book title, and a concise and hooking blurb. The verdict is still out on how effectively I’ve managed to succeed in these three tools, but biased as I am, I’d say I did a good job.
But what else?
The conclusion I have, and I won’t tiptoe around it by throwing marketing concepts at you — such as ACCORD which is not really applicable as this is not a new product in terms of innovation but ACCORD sounds fancy and I sure studied it last year through a rather murderous fever — (back on track, the conclusion) is that I lack data. I don’t know which ones are my customer segments, and therefore, I can’t position or target my book.
Of course, I need to solve this. I’ll get a sense of who my readers are, what they like, and why they like my stuff as I go along and engage with them. Right now, my clientèle are family members and friends who bought the book as an act of compassion, for which I’m incredibly grateful even though I doubt they’ll read it. But if they do, I hope they tell me. I want their thoughts. Anyways, I won’t waste my time elaborating a marketing plan when I don’t know my customers, and going out asking around random people doesn’t make sense because they haven’t picked up my book (be it finished or dnf, both equally valuable).
All of this to say, I’ll build up my marketing as I gather data and experience, and in the meantime, I’ll pantomime successful fantasy authors.

That’s that!
A postmortem on my first foray into marketing. Hope you enjoyed! I’ve written 1,994 words (now 2,030, but I was born in 1994 so leave me to my superstitions) for this and my stomach is grumbling, but before I can go eat, I have a class-related event to attend.
Back to the idea of editing at least once, I probably should delete that last part (I will not.) But I take pleasure in meandering, even if just a bit.
Before leaving, let me know what you think and all that spiel! (You know the script: Like and subscribe, blah blah blah.) But as we established, I want to know my readers, and how can I if we don’t speak?
Speaking off speaking, thank you for reading! Greatly appreciated!
I’m terrible at goodbyes, to the point that if I don’t see a clear exit from parties or social circles, I just stand there, slack-jawed like some sort of zombie while pondering why I’m not elsewhere.
So forgive me for being curt.
Goodbye!