I get emails from many companies mostly reputable urging me to do what they prescribe to sell my books more, to reach a wider audience. I read all of them and feel a bit sad.
Because the author or the seller of goods might know that he is following “tried and tested” marketing strategy. But the buyer does not. There lies the rub, so to say.
The point is there is no shortcut to good writing and no shortcut whatsoever to getting people to buy your product. In this case books.
A month after my first novel the lockdowns for COVID started. There goes book stalls and libraries.
Maybe these advices might work in a normal world. But not now.
Why do I write anyway. It is, as for most authors, an urge which refuses to die. My brain tingles and my fingers type. On my phone these days. (Beware of autocorrect). I wrote one book, a novel, at about 1750 words a day. These days my fingers are not so frantic. I keep to myself what I write.
Do you plan to live on what you write? Then follow all those advices and dissect Shakespeare. God bless you. Maybe it is possible to live on creativity but you also need food. Not suggestions.
The world is not what it used to be. Writing in the time of COVID is not easy. Living on writing is even more difficult.
So if you find an email asking you to listen to a video lecture at a nominal fee listen to it knowing that you have done that guy a favour and that it will not be returned.