Thank you Meg for sharing your honest experience with us and the different publishing routes you have taken! We wish you continued success.
1 Comment
1. See how below I have my facebook page, website, other accounts, etc? Do the same in your emails.
2. Part of a group? Add your info including book info in it where you can. Do this in forum posts, etc. to get your book noticed. 3. Hand out those business cards to everyone and anyone. Leave them at coffee shops & restaurants when you sit. Give it to the cashier at the check out. 4. Local businesses have boards to pin things up? Pin up a business card. 5. When you are ready to do a book signing, get a press release, a sell sheet and whatever other promotional material you have. Send them out to the press and media. 6. Blogging/posting - Doesn't all have to be about your book. In fact, it can bore people if it is. Share things that fit with your theme. You write romance so maybe a pretty picture quote with "love" themes. Share other romance books, especially if you have read and rated them. Share love pictures or a little bit of things you love. Share a little personal stuff but not too personal. People like knowing more about the authors they love. 7. Review Trades. Many authors out there (especially in LinkedIn groups) look for review trades (especially if they are placed on Amazon). Read their book and give an honest review for one back. Blog about it on yours while they blog about it on theirs. 8. Get readers to tag your page/account with a picture of them and your book. You could always offer a free e-book contest for them doing this. 9. Make sure your readers know your social links & website address so they can follow you everywhere. 10. Ask fans to post their reviews on Goodreads, Shelfari, Amazon - important book review locations. 11. If you have a lot of fans, you may want to host a hangout on Google or a Twitter chat. 12. Make sure to answer and interact with your fans. 13. Offer fan incentives. 14. Ask fans to post character spottings. 15. Link with an activity that supports your cause and sell books there while donating some of the money to them. 16. Offer free book readings at a hospital, local community college, library, church, retirement community, coffee shop, school, locally owned bookstore, rehab center or the type of place your story is set. 17. Donate books to women's shelters, hospitals, homeless shelters, retirement homes, libraries, doctor's offices, hotels for their lobby, rehab centers, schools, or anywhere else you can think of. 18. Share information about your book on other pages similar to yours on social media. 19. Set up a book launch/reading and make sure to provide enough advertising. Event flyers in malls, libraries, bookstores and other places that would be interested in your genre of book. 20. Attend trade shows, events and sales that are around Christmas and that would benefit your genre. 21. Make sure to keep your testimonials and reviews up to date and go ahead and mention them in your posts. You have every right to be proud. 22. Identify your target audience and create an elevator pitch. This is a brief and focused message about your book and then summarize why it would benefit them. 23. I can't tell you how important it is for word of mouth to get out there. 24. Keep everything professional including you. Remember, it is not just the book and marketing materials that sell the book but you as well when in person. 25. When speaking to someone, be clear, calm and consistent. Be confident. If you have no confidence in your book, yourself or your writing skills, why would anyone consider buying your book? 26. Understand that not everyone is going to be interested in your book. Don't press them. No one likes pressure sales. 27. Always follow up when asked questions or when getting leads. 28. Enter contests. 29. When promoting your book to the media, don't just promote your book. Think of reasons why they would be interested. What makes you and your book unique? Remember, they get stories sent to them every day. It is only the interesting ones that make the cut. 30. Marketing has it's ups and downs. Don't give up hope but don't set yourself up for a let down by having too high of expectations. I've said this before and I will say this again. Always research before you sign on with someone. I've heard many tales of people who were sorry they signed with certain publishing companies. I started out research as well.
Originally, I had sent out a few queries to places that didn't require an agent, need to see a market for my book or wouldn't take talking animals (yes, some refuse). I got accepted by three companies right away. I can't tell you how excited I was. I then thought maybe I should be checking things out more and I was correct to do so. I found a lot of these companies had complaints or were listed as scams. Now I will not mention names but I will tell you that one company was said to make money from the authors who had to buy the books at a high price. The others, they were in it for the money and results weren't always good. One apparently didn't pay it's authors their royalties, many had unsatisfied customers and the list went on and on. It was then that I began looking into print-on-demand services and found one I liked. It doesn't matter where you go or who you go through, look them up, research (keywords after their names: scam, complaints, etc.) because signing up with them could be the biggest mistake of your life. The same goes for traditional publishers. It doesn't matter who you go through, look into EVERYTHING! Even if there name doesn't show a scam, doesn't mean they are good. Be careful and do your homework. What kind of things should you look at:
|
Tips, Tricks and ArticlesPublishing and Blogging information. Copyright 2015-2021 All Rights Reserved Archives
March 2018
Categories
All
|