By: Staff Writer
August 31, 2021
A Trinidadian author had to up her social media marketing to beat the COVID-19 drag on book sales and it is paying off.
Shellyann Patrick, author of “The Thief that Stole My Time,” told Caribbean Magazine Plus that while sales for her book in Trinidad have “declined” after she was showcased on the Caribbean Literary Conference in June of this year, things have picked up in the last few weeks after having relaunched her social media marketing efforts.
Pondering the possibility that the lingering COVID-19 pandemic may be the reason behind the decline in sales, she said: “Yes! I believe that COVID-19 has impacted sales significantly. In Trinidad we have been experiencing a nationwide shut down for quite some time.
‘Bookstores and most non-essential retail stores have only recently started operations again. Even as they open up, people have been without employment for quite some time forcing them to use their money to meet the essential needs only.
“While COVID-19 has been a real factor that has influenced the decline in my book sales, it is not solely responsible. There was a decline in my marketing efforts over the last couple of months due to other priorities. However as I reconvened with my social media efforts in the month of August, there has been an increase in book sales.”
When her book was selling, however, Ms Patrick said that it was a mixture of both men and women who bought the book. “Based on the feedback received, the book has impacted both men and women, young adults and the more mature. However, the lion share of my sales with the greatest impact most importantly has been with young women in their twenties and thirties who have been and are currently experiencing some of the challenges that I had,” she said.
Ms Patrick added: “I have received such positive feedback from these young women which was such an encouragement to me. While I would like to have more sales I am happy about the substantial impact that it had on those that read it. I was given the opportunity to form great friendships and divine connections. As I fearlessly shared my truth, these young women felt comfortable sharing their truth and I was given the opportunity to be a lifeline for them in their dark moments. That to me was the most fulfilling.”
Ms Patrick also said: “I am actually in the middle of writing my second book. I started writing this shortly after my first book launch as there was a message in my heart that was too much for me to articulate verbally. Even the process of writing has taken me through an unimaginable journey with my Lord. It’s been emotionally challenging yet very exciting. The launch date of this book though remains undetermined for now.”
She has sold over 200 copies of The Thief that Stole My Time thus far and is confident that sales “will continue to increase as she gets the testimonials coming in,” but she refused to put a target amount on her sales. She added: “With regards to the target, I honestly never really gave myself a target. When I wrote this book, I was really just a novice writer that had a message in my heart that I thought would help someone. I was more caught up in the message and gave little attention to the sales and marketing element. Now that I’ve seen its impact on those that it actually reached, I’m more diligent in my efforts to reach the multitude and affect more lives.”
Hi Shelley, lovely interview. You were very eloquent.
Congratulations on a fantastic job. I’m happy to see the audience that is being impacted.
You’re an inspiration.
What a great article! Ms. Patrick’s book is a must read!! Her honesty that came through this article is even moreso in the book. I absolutely loved it!!!!