As a blanket rule I have begun only "fanning" authors that I have read and am actually a fan of on Goodreads. The readers on this sight are savvy people and they are serious about their book reviews and who they choose to fan. As an author you can lose face with them if you try marketing ploys like fanning other authors indiscriminately. You must also NEVER outright suggest they read your book. Don't even hint at it. Some of them are nice and just ignore you. Others will unfriend you and tell their friends how annoying you are.
I know it's a big thing to spend a lot of time engaging other authors. Don't. Some time is fine, but not the majority of it. Engage potential readers. Who do you write like? Go to that author's page and friend request their fans, those people obviously already enjoy that style of writing. DO NOT solicit to these people either. Take an interest in their posts. Be sincere. Respect their intelligence.
Secondly, a book giveaway is the best thing you can do as a new author. List a giveaway, it can be small. Five books. Blog about it, post links to your blog on twitter with the hashtag #bgrt #bookgiveaways. In two weeks my unknown book gathered 1100 entries. Be relentless, be engaging. Drink a lot of caffeine.
If you have $30-40 to spend create a carefully targeted and worded Facebook Ad. Do you have a Facebook Page? You should. Not a profile, a page. You can advertise your page to drive up numbers but often times people will like your Facebook page and never buy your book. That's a waste of money. I run one ad for Barnes and Noble and the other for Amazon. Make sure to include the price, that way people already know what they'll be spending and you don't waste any clicks (it's pay per click). For targeting, again, list authors similar to you, this also helps ensure that you'll have people who are a good fit for your book clicking on your ad.
It takes time. It's frustrating, I know. Hang in there. Don't throw your energy into things that don't work. These readers don't care if you have a zillion fans, they care if you write well. I use to do the tag my book and fanning other authors...it doesn't work. Do a giveaway, run an ad on goodreads or Facebook (which is really cheap, just make sure to set your overall spending limit AND your daily budget so your ad doesn't run off with your wallet). The best advertising is free. Word of mouth. Get those first, excited readers and you'll slowly be off and running! Blog, facebook, twitter, goodreads...link everything. And somehow find time to keep writing and revising. When you don't have the big bucks to dump into big, flashy ads that are constantly running, YOU have to be the one that is constantly running. Make sure you're spending your energy wisely.
And do not try to hop on the coattails of other indie authors. It's rude.
Good luck.
Showing posts with label e publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label e publishing. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Sweet Sixteen Princess~Meg Cabot
Insatiable brought me over to the Meg Cabot side.
She's like Tina Fey in prose.
And OMG she is like so funny.
So when I went to our woefully inadequate library in search of her Princess Diaries series (sorry Meg, that was a little after my time, didn't realize that was you, but I loved the movie even if I wouldn't admit to watching it while no one was home) I only found Pants on Fire and Sweet Sixteen Princess.
For the first couple pages I was all like, "No way! I am so not reading this." I was put off by having to get this book instead of the first and I hadn't realized how very bubblegum they are.
But apparently I like me some bubblegum reads.
I didn't know this about myself until this book. It took all of an hour to read and I was so let down when I didn't find out what JP was going to say to Mia because I so totally wanted him to like her and wanted her to drop Michael (that horndog) and go out with the brooding JP instead and then I cursed my stupid library and resolved to start at book one and read the entire series (in order) because it could so be done in a good lazy day. *breathe*
I was embarrassed as I placed the cutesy pink book on the librarian's desk for checkout...we live in a small town...she knows who I am...she knows I usually read Gabaldon and Grisham and various historical fiction series. My 9 yr. old son would not allow me to check Super Sweet Sixteen out with his card. A man has his limits. But when I took the book back I looked that librarian in the eye and said, "I need to reserve the first book in the series, do we have that at one of the branch locations?"
Well done Meg. I'm going to have a shirt made that says, "Unashamed Fan of Meg Cabot." It's hard to write funny and she writes it well.
She's like Tina Fey in prose.
And OMG she is like so funny.
So when I went to our woefully inadequate library in search of her Princess Diaries series (sorry Meg, that was a little after my time, didn't realize that was you, but I loved the movie even if I wouldn't admit to watching it while no one was home) I only found Pants on Fire and Sweet Sixteen Princess.
For the first couple pages I was all like, "No way! I am so not reading this." I was put off by having to get this book instead of the first and I hadn't realized how very bubblegum they are.
But apparently I like me some bubblegum reads.
I didn't know this about myself until this book. It took all of an hour to read and I was so let down when I didn't find out what JP was going to say to Mia because I so totally wanted him to like her and wanted her to drop Michael (that horndog) and go out with the brooding JP instead and then I cursed my stupid library and resolved to start at book one and read the entire series (in order) because it could so be done in a good lazy day. *breathe*
I was embarrassed as I placed the cutesy pink book on the librarian's desk for checkout...we live in a small town...she knows who I am...she knows I usually read Gabaldon and Grisham and various historical fiction series. My 9 yr. old son would not allow me to check Super Sweet Sixteen out with his card. A man has his limits. But when I took the book back I looked that librarian in the eye and said, "I need to reserve the first book in the series, do we have that at one of the branch locations?"
Well done Meg. I'm going to have a shirt made that says, "Unashamed Fan of Meg Cabot." It's hard to write funny and she writes it well.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Live Interview
Dang! I'm going to miss the live interview on Twitter between @ninatypewriter and @goodrandomhouse at 11 this morning! Maybe I can direct and follow??? No my multitasking skills are not fired up due to my current bout of the plague! Well, if you have time between 11-12 hop on Twitter and follow the interview. There's supposed to be a write-up at http://www.independentpublisher.com by 4pm. It will probably be the highlight of my day!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Butterface
I just finished reading a short story (on my Kindle for Mac software) (so sad it wasn't a whole book!) by Gwen Hayes at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/13621 It was phenomenal. Hayes is a master at honest dialogue and in the short time we have with them she made Lucky and Beth into real flesh and blood people. That takes skill. Mad skillz. Apparently Ms. Hayes has been fortunate enough to secure an agent and a deal with Penguin books. She has a paranormal love story coming out in Spring/Summer 2011. I for one am going to buy. If it's anything like Butterface, she'll shoot to the top and stay there for quite some time.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
The Downside of ePublishing
It must've been easier to be a writer when you weren't constantly plugged in to your numbers. I remember the good old days of stamps and envelopes and waiting in silence for so long that you forgot you even mailed something to a publisher. Of course those were also the days when you relied on a publisher or agent actually opening your envelope and giving it a fair chance. Those were also the days of high prices for self-publishing.
Right now Filter is lost in a sea of ebooks and I am fighting tooth and nail to get it noticed. That's why it's free right now at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957 At least if it's free people will read it and, I hope, enjoy it and leave a favorable review. I might have to wait until the next book to actually charge some minimal amount.
If writing does pan out I'm going to have to get a 9-5 which is NOT what I want. I've accepted my June Cleaver fate and I love being home to take care of my boys and shuffle them around. But I need my own home. My parents have been good enough to let us live with them for some time now while we get our degrees and establish our careers but I want my own home with my own decor and my own rules. I also need to get my broken tooth fixed. My Mac book attacked me. Broke my front tooth. And we're too poor to get it fixed.
I've spent the last week shamelessly self-promoting my book and I'm not very good at it. I don't want to just say, "Hi, buy my book." That's not me. I was never good at small talk. I like to be invested in people and hear their stories and know their thoughts. Problem is, that takes up a LOT of time. And that's time I should be spending working on Book Two and reading. I haven't had time for lazy days of reading because I'm busy peddling my free ebook. Ridiculous. And don't even get me started on Amazon. I've only sold two copies there because you can't find it. Everyday hundreds if not thousands of new ebooks are uploaded for the Kindle format. I'm only charging $2.99 and have only sold 2. That is not going to fix my tooth. At least I know at Smashwords people are downloading my ebook and I pray they are enjoying it. If they aren't I want to know why because I know I have a lot of growing to do as a writer. Sometimes I think I was a better writer back in high school before my adult ADHD kicked in (I don't actually have ADHD, it's just called an overly busy life).
I need coffee.
Right now Filter is lost in a sea of ebooks and I am fighting tooth and nail to get it noticed. That's why it's free right now at http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/20957 At least if it's free people will read it and, I hope, enjoy it and leave a favorable review. I might have to wait until the next book to actually charge some minimal amount.
If writing does pan out I'm going to have to get a 9-5 which is NOT what I want. I've accepted my June Cleaver fate and I love being home to take care of my boys and shuffle them around. But I need my own home. My parents have been good enough to let us live with them for some time now while we get our degrees and establish our careers but I want my own home with my own decor and my own rules. I also need to get my broken tooth fixed. My Mac book attacked me. Broke my front tooth. And we're too poor to get it fixed.
I've spent the last week shamelessly self-promoting my book and I'm not very good at it. I don't want to just say, "Hi, buy my book." That's not me. I was never good at small talk. I like to be invested in people and hear their stories and know their thoughts. Problem is, that takes up a LOT of time. And that's time I should be spending working on Book Two and reading. I haven't had time for lazy days of reading because I'm busy peddling my free ebook. Ridiculous. And don't even get me started on Amazon. I've only sold two copies there because you can't find it. Everyday hundreds if not thousands of new ebooks are uploaded for the Kindle format. I'm only charging $2.99 and have only sold 2. That is not going to fix my tooth. At least I know at Smashwords people are downloading my ebook and I pray they are enjoying it. If they aren't I want to know why because I know I have a lot of growing to do as a writer. Sometimes I think I was a better writer back in high school before my adult ADHD kicked in (I don't actually have ADHD, it's just called an overly busy life).
I need coffee.
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