Being frugal as a author doesn't mean "everything is free" nor should a author attempt to become a online marketing expert when it comes to frugal author promotions. Being frugal as a author simply means "applying wisdom" and "getting the most for your dollar".
It seems these days that authors believe or have somehow come to believe that the best author promotions and book marketing is free. Consider the following:
How many million seller books became million sellers books around free online marketing?
How many of the top ten selling books became what they are around free online marketing?
Just recently I was contacted by a marketing agency to market a particular author. The author has sold millions of copies of books, has a mass following in the millions and also the funding to pay for television programming and commercials. Yet here I found myself with a marketing project before me for this very author.
My point being is this. If as a author you believe that you going to market your book through free marketing by joining this site and that site coupled with networking with other authors in authors groups, clubs and forums. You are and have been misled.
You must find ways to professionally promote and market your books and this will require setting aside a marketing budget to work with. Besides I thought authors, authored books. I mean after all, you didn't start out to become a online promoter or marketer did you?
Let the marketing experts handle your marketing needs and as a author focus on writing, doing local book signings, attending book conferences and being a author.
