Katina M. Davis' Blog - Indie Author Tips

Building traction as an indie author takes real grind. For me, everything came down to consistency and self-promotion. I call it “trunk trapping.” I was out there selling my books straight from the trunk of my car in Walmart parking lots… until one day, those same books ended up being sold on Walmart’s website. And even now, I still trunk trap from time to time.

So how can you start gaining more traction for your book?

1. Don’t be afraid of rejection.
Nobody will know you wrote a book if you don’t open your mouth and tell them. Approach people. Talk about your work. Share your story. And most importantly, don’t get discouraged by a “no.” Everyone won’t be interested, and everyone won’t say yes—and that’s okay. Keep going until you get that yes.

2. Stay consistent—but keep it fresh.
Posting the same promo over and over gets old fast. You’ve got to switch it up. Find creative ways to promote your book without always making it feel like a sales pitch. For example, I once had a few books with messed-up autographs and misspelled names. Instead of throwing them away, I used them as part of my promo—giving them to bookstore owners when I was pitching consignment opportunities. That content? People loved it.

Yes, Katina M. Davis has built her success as an indie author through consistency, creativity, and hustle—and she’ll be sharing more gems like this every week. Stay tuned.