One author, one marketing plan

 by 

Luke Murphy

My marketing started with the writing of my book. I always had a plan, an idea of the plot, but now I had to think about the characters and setting, and I had to think about my target audience in this stage.

I wanted characters who readers could relate to. Characters that were real, not fictional to the point of unbelievable. My protagonist, Calvin Watters, is as real as they come, with faults and weaknesses like us all. Because of my sports background, I wanted Calvin to also have an athletic background. I was a pro hockey player, but I decided that hockey would be fine for a Canadian fan base, but I wanted to cater worldwide, so I chose football. I believe that more people follow football than hockey.

For the setting, I needed a major market in the United States that people would want to read about, so I chose Sin City, Las Vegas. Everyone is interested in this fast-paced, party-all-night lifestyle and city that is party-central.

In today’s society, most people don’t realize that writing a book is more than just putting a good story down on paper. I learned this quickly. Agents and publishers want someone with a “platform”, someone who already has a fan base and is guaranteed to sell books. It’s risky for a publisher to take a chance on a new writer, because there is no telling how many books they will sell, no matter how good that book may be.

In 1999 I graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology with a degree in Marketing, so I felt I had a running start at promoting my work.

It took me two years (working around full time jobs) to complete the first draft of my novel.

I’m going to skip through the writing phase and seeking and agent/publisher, because this post is about actually marketing my début novel.

Once my publishing contract was signed, then the real work began, building my “platform”. I knew that when I signed on with a smaller publisher that the bulk of the promotion load would fall on my shoulders, and I accepted that.

I did four things quickly: created my own website, started a blog, and opened a Facebook page and Twitter account.

Now, I have been fortunate to have had many jobs in my life, jobs that have created interest in not only myself, but what I do.

Here are some things I did next:

-      I scribed a letter to all of my email contacts (2500) and all of my FB friends (2500).

-      I scribed a letter for all of the media outlets (radio, TV, print) in the cities where I played hockey, or have contacts. One of the benefits of playing professional hockey was that I went through a lot of interviews with personalities in all forms of media.

-       I picked out the site for my launch party and spoke with the owner about it.

-       I played hockey for teams and leagues all over North America, creating a fan base in a variety of cities, and also worked in hockey camps, so I already had some followers that I contacted.

-      I was a reporter on the radio for a couple of years after retiring from hockey, and my radio reporting was a presence on the web as well as in radio.

-      My sports column (2006-2009), Overtime, which was a main feature in The Pontiac Equity, not only had a following but helped in writing concise and exciting prose.

-     I composed a list of local stores for potential book signings.

-     I compiled a list of local stores to sell my book.

Next I picked out my target audience and searched the web for them:

    -   Thriller readers looking for an atypical thriller hero—an African-American who is no saint.

    -   Sports fans will be fascinated by Watters’ struggle to recover his decency and win, a kind of Blind Side story with little sentimentality and few illusions.

    -   A Las Vegas setting—the world of The Hangover movies and many youth films like Bridesmaids—will appeal to 20s-30s readers.

   -   Watters’ romance with a former prostitute will appeal to younger female readers.The marital tension between Detective Dayton and his wife will interest adults. Both men and women will enjoy the twist on the femme fatale figure of the murderer’s lover, who has her own schemes.

  -      Lovers of history, as the term, “Dead Man’s Hand”, is a legend dating back to the Wild West of the 1800's.

I started creating relationships on the internet through Facebook and Twitter. I met not only authors, but fans of the genres I write.

When my book was released in October, 2012, I felt I had a solid foundation to stand on, but I still had a long way to go.

I contacted media for interviews, held book signings, joined shows and blog toured. I contacted anyone who wrote a blog and asked about being a guest. I joined Pinterest, Linkedin, and Google +, as well as sites created to support Indie authors. I did anything I could to get my name out there, get my book in front of readers.

My publisher set up special promotions where my book was FREE on Amazon for certain periods of time. All of this was done to increase my following, and expand the awareness of my book on a worldwide scale. This will hopefully lead to future sales with not only my debut novel, but subsequent books if I’ve fortunate enough to write more.

I’ve been happy with the result thus far, but I don’t have anything to compare it to. I feel that the more books I write, the more success I will have. The more I get out there, the more excitement and interest is garnered.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Are you waiting too long to market your book?

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by 

Cindi Maciolek

Your fingers tingle as they touch the very first copy of your newly published book. Your heart races, your head spins. Excitement rushes through your body. 

“I’ve written a magnificent tome. It will go viral and sell itself!”

Really?

I’m amazed when I speak with authors awaiting the arrival of a new book. Some are lucky enough to not only have an agent, but a traditional publisher. Very often, the excitement wanes when they realize the book will be here shortly and their thoughts turn to marketing.

“I’m not quite sure what will happen once the books are out.”

Yikes!

Marketing is more than wishful thinking, tweeting or blogging. Fact is, it begins before you even write the first word. The characters, the location, the era, the breadth or depth of content, even the cover design play a role in attracting your target reader.

Here are a few thoughts to put you ahead of the game.

•  Market far in advance of the release. Many authors, including myself, don’t like to share too much about their work until the first draft is complete. However, there must be something you can promote at least six months to two years ahead. If you don’t care to divulge too much, think of interesting teasers to keep your audience attentive.

• Market to a broader audience. It’s possible to reach beyond your intended market simply by making a minor change to your book. Or, expand your thinking and recognize the book as-is will appeal to an additional market. When I wrote Divatiel: Reflections of a bird’s companion, most people assumed I was writing it for other bird lovers. In fact, I want everyone who loves animals to enjoy the read, a much broader market, and I adjusted the content accordingly.

• Expand your circle of early readers to market your book. The novel I’m currently writing is clearly aimed at a female audience. Yet, I have a male reader who has provided valuable feedback. Not only has he helped to make it a better book, he will no doubt tell everyone he knows just how much he enjoyed it.

• Utilize the book cover to your advantage. I had the cover of my book designed over a year before I held printed copies in my hand. It attracted a lot of attention. A cockatiel wearing a tiara certainly piques interest.

• Forage for media contacts. It can sometimes take months to reach an editor, a celebrity or a producer. If you wait until your book arrives, you’re practically old news. Put together your media list far in advance, and work it, work it, work it!

 We writers are a passionate lot, but early marketing can lead to even greater success.

Marketing’s Not for Everyone

Self-Publisher’s Diary – Marketing’s Not for Everyone

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by

E S Lark

Most times, when I tell old friends that I write for a living, they say one of three things.

• It’s so cool that you get to write all the time.
• When can I expect my free copy?
• Or the dreaded “How much are you making?”

Whenever someone says one of the above, I cringe. While self-publishing has picked up some steam over the years, it’s not as glamorous as some might think. I’d love to just sit down and write all the time. I’d love to unplug from the internet for more than a day at a time. But unplugging means I’m not marketing. I’m not answering emails or responding to questions on Facebook or Twitter.

Writing’s what authors get to do as a reward for marketing. It doesn’t start out this way, but this is how it’s become for me. Especially as a newer author on the market, being active in various communities is a must. It’s important for me to interact with potential readers, make friends and network with other authors.

The biggest hurdle I think most authors face is time management. It’s so easy to get sucked up into the marketing side of this business that before you know it, you have little or no time to write.

So, how does a new author market herself? I’ll give you a few tips:

• Have an online platform you can direct readers to. I’m not talking about Myspace or Facebook, but an actual site that you own and have paid for. This is so no matter what happens to the other websites out there, readers can still find you through a Google search.

• Join discussion forums that attract readers in your genre. Be active in the community. Reply to posts, but don’t promote your book. Use forum signatures and avatars to attract readers to your website or Amazon page. Promoting yourself is an instant turn off. Instead, share what you know with the community. It’s amazing how much this can do for you and your online presence.

• Join a few of the networking communities. I mainly use Twitter for every day updates and chatting with authors. Facebook’s used for weekly updates. I use Goodreads to connect with readers and other authors. The main thing to keep in mind is to limit yourself. Two or three communities is more than enough. You can add more later one when you feel comfortable.

•  Don’t be afraid to give something away for free. Host a contest on your blog or have a giveaway on Goodreads for one of your books. Send electronic copies of your book to reviewers. Note, always check review policies and never pay for a review service. There are bloggers out there who love to read, so long as you’re patient. Most reviewers are booked for months at a time.

• Be yourself. Remember to keep a professional face, but don’t be afraid to be yourself. You don’t always have to talk about writing or about your books. In fact, readers enjoy learning more about their favorite authors. Share posts about the family dog or the awesome dinner you made last night.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. The main thing to remember about marketing is that it’s always changing. Google Plus recently came out. I wanted an account so bad, but never got one. And now that I think back, I didn’t need one. I have my small nest of networking sites. If I branch out much further, I’ll burn out. Know your limits and try to market a little every day.

E. S. Lark is the author of fantasy fiction such as The Waking Grove and Trueblood’s Plight. You can learn more about her and the worlds she creates by visiting her website at http://www.eslark.com

Trueblood's Plight - coming soon! 

Thirty years have passed since the clan’s flight from Tesmar, their beloved gryphon city. Three decades spent searching for safer shores, a place to repopulate and for some, to bury the truth of an age-old prophecy.

Until now.

Ava always knew she was different, from her pale plumage to her silver eyes, but being a Trueblood—a giphen who can use all forms of magic—takes ‘special’ to a whole new level. With overprotective elders and the enemy advancing from the north, Ava struggles to balance her time on and off the battlefield.

But when numerous attempts are made on her life—an attack on the clan, a rift storm and a mage controlling the minds of her friends from afar—Ava fears there’s another just like her, weakened and magic starved,  who’ll stop at nothing to use her powers as his own. She’ll have to hone her skills and exhaust her reserves close to death if she’s to go against him, even if it means forming a dangerous alliance with her enemy.