Are you outstanding in a field? or just out standing in a field?
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| my grandparents' Maplevale Farm--yes, that's a plane! |
Not that I'm a pro at this, but I do have some suggestions:
- Have an incredible, impeccable COVER - it has to be eye candy, but not too detailed or busy. The title has to shine and the font/graphics should give readers a feel for the genre. It's hard to be unique, but not impossible - and worth a pro.
- Be more SOCIAL - I'm not good at this. I don't want to post too often for fear of being obnoxious. But I've noticed people who are posting regularly and as long as it's not "buy my book" twenty times a day, it's good press. If what you say is funny and relatable, you'll get noticed and retweeted. I just wish I had more time to think up cool things to say... But that's where scheduling tweets and posts comes in handy. When I do get some spare time, I prepare several tweets/posts and spread them out over a week or two. I'm working up to more postings, but I still have that nagging - don't nag! feeling!
- Be more VISIBLE - This one, I do. And I talk about it a lot because it's where I connect with the most readers and sell the most books. Get out there! Whether it's a book event, genre-con, or even a craft/vendor show, people want to meet the author! I just did an event this past weekend - see my NEWSLETTER for pics and details!
- Reach out for Reviews and online Guest Appearances - This can be difficult, but you are your own publicist. There are many review websites, but most are clogged with a backlog of books to review, so ask early as you can. Other people to ask: people who liked your other books or that are friends with you on Goodreads.
- SALES and GIVEAWAYS - I've had good response on Goodreads and Amazon with raffles/giveaways and putting books on sale, but less so with giveaways on the blogs. This is something that needs constant promotion and outreach to get people to sign up... Hit or miss, but if done once in a while, worth a shot! The best way is to do a group giveaway, then there's cross-promotion!
If you have any thoughts or additional ideas - fire away!
And now for the results of our little #writerslife survey 16
Have you ever won a writing contest?
How many paper books do you own?
How many ebooks are on your device right now?
What percentage of your books/ebooks are unread?
How many story ideas do you have waiting to be written?
What is your go-to book/movie/place when you need inspiration (of any kind)?
- Harry Potter - still popuar with multiple entrants!
- Music, music, and more music - my guitar, or music that jives, but sometimes sad music
- My mind - Brain space!
- By accident
- The Prince of Persia, plus Star Wars, & Kevin Costner movies!
- Youtube
- Barnes and Noble
- Nature!
Some results were surprising, some were not, but all were fun to tally!
This month's survey will be about MARKETING - and to boost responses, I'm adding a GIVEAWAY for all participants! Look for it on April 16.
Lastly, I mentioned my Newsletter earlier, but it also has a sneak peek of the PRINCESS B cover. I finally found the perfect illustrator to represent her...
Got any outstanding advice? Can you relate to the survey results?
Enjoy the Spring! Happy Writing!
And Happy A to Z Blogging Month!! Tell me your theme if you're playing!
And Happy A to Z Blogging Month!! Tell me your theme if you're playing!
There is a lot we can do to get noticed.
ReplyDeleteWhere are those crazy people who have read all of their eBooks? how is that possible?
I need to send your list of suggestions to all of my newer authors.
ReplyDeleteI'm slacking at all levels in my writer life. So much to do. I need to make a list.
ReplyDeleteI'm shocked the Harry Potter franchise is still a thing! I always thought it'd end up on bargain tables within a few years, and then plunge into obscurity.
ReplyDeleteIt's tough to stand out, but we have to do something. I loved seeing that most of us own many print books and ebooks! If I don't watch out, soon there will be nothing other than books in my house. Hope you're having a lovely week!
ReplyDeleteH Tara, we can do a lot to get our books noticed. Thanks for these suggestions.
ReplyDeleteThe social aspect is still going to be hard for me. I'm not good at social media at all.
ReplyDeleteYou mean I'm not the only one with tons of unread books on their Kindle?
Being social is hard for me because it uses so much of my energy and can completely sap me.
ReplyDeleteReading all that social made me tired probably because I was tired when I read it, lol. Overwhelming. Great Survey as always.
ReplyDeleteYour advice is good. I so not funny though. I need to be more entertaining. I really relate to the results.
ReplyDeleteOoh, fascinating results. I was surprised by a couple of 'em, too!
ReplyDeleteAlso, love all your tips for getting noticed. That's definitely something I seem to struggle with, as an artist. (I'm always afraid I'm annoying people whenever I attempt to be social online!) And I think it's awesome how you regularly do events the way you do. I wish I had the bravery for that!
And your new cover looks great! Many congrats!
Fantastic advice! I'm not sure I understand the "By accident" answer to 'What is your go-to for inspiration'.
ReplyDelete