There is a moment in every indie author’s life when you realise that writing the book was the easy part. You think the hard work is chapters, characters, plots and deadlines. You believe finishing the final draft is the end of the journey.

Then you publish your first book.

And from that moment on you become, whether you like it or not, a full time, unpaid marketing department.

For ten years now I have written stories, novels and trilogies, all of which I am proud of. I have created worlds, timelines, historical mysteries and characters who are now more real to me than some people I have met in actual life. But the truth is this. Every time I finish a book, the world does not stop and applaud. It does not fling open its doors, invite me in for a hug and a glass of champagne, or the odd slap on the back and a hearty, "Well done, old chap."

No. Instead, the world folds its arms and says, without the slightest concern for your feelings, “Go on then. Sell it. I dare you.”

And so begins the daily dance with algorithms, platforms and social media schedules. You learn very quickly that if you want people to read your work, you cannot simply shout about it. In fact, shouting about it is the worst thing you can do. You must whisper, tempt, tease and wait. Then you must do this again tomorrow, and the day after that, and every day for the next ten years.

Some days you are rewarded with a handful of clicks. Other days you might get a like. Very occasionally a reader will send a message saying how much your book meant to them, and in that moment the marketing grind feels worthwhile. But between those rare bright sparks lies a great rolling desert of silence.

Over the years I have learned the odd truth that authors must become their own circus. We are the ringmaster, the clown, the tightrope walker and the person sweeping up after the lions. We write the books, edit the manuscripts, design the adverts, respond to comments, analyse traffic charts and attempt to understand social media behaviour that makes less sense than quantum physics.

And still we persevere.

Why? Because hidden inside all this noise and nonsense is the quiet joy of seeing someone choose your book. Someone, somewhere, decided to spend their time (and their money) in a world I built. That is the reward. That is the reason.

Ten years a slave to indie author marketing.

 Yes, it can be exhausting.

 Yes, it can feel like shouting into a void.

But it also means ten years of passion, persistence and creation. Ten years of learning, adapting and refusing to give up. Ten years of readers who arrive out of nowhere and stay with you long after the book ends.

If this is slavery, I suspect it is the happiest kind.

Because in the end, it is not really about marketing at all. It is about stories, connection and that stubborn little spark inside all writers that keeps saying, “Write the next one.”

And so we do.

Copyright © Tom Kane December 2025

If you're wondering what all the marketing fuss is about, then click this link, to see my books in all their glory.