#WednesdayWisdom Google Docs Saved My Sanity #WritersLife #MarketingTip

Happy Hump Day!

Today, I wanted to share something I learned about last week...

Google DOCS!!

While I've been using the sheets for a few years for blog tour sign ups and all other sorts of sign up events in need of spreadsheets, I hadn't browsed any further than what I'd needed. 

Well. Enter some random marketing blog post in my inbox. Google Word Docs? Seriously?!? I jumped over to my Google Drive and what do you know...I could create a Word Doc to share with the world. I did a serious head desk.

Why was I SO thrilled? Because every time I make up a media kit for a new release and email it out, I have to update it a few times. No biggie, but when said doc has already been sent to blitz / tour hosts, I need to RESEND the stinkin' thing to every host. I also have to send out a separate mass email with purchase links once they're available.

Now, while this might not seem so big of a deal for a little old author like me with a half dozen or so releases each year (my alter ego's releases, that is), I also act as the marketing director for Roane Publishing. Yeah. I send out a couple of these suckers a year to say the least.

Also, these docs are accessible to you regardless of being home on your PC or laptop. On vaca and someone needs your media kit ASAP?? Send them the link. Easy peasy. 

~~~oOo~~~

How 'bout you? Use Google Docs? Are they new to you?

Check them out...you'll be glad you did.

Online Marketing - What Works? #WritersLife #MarketingTip

Hosted by Arlee Bird, Yolanda Renee, Jeremy Hawkins, and Alex J. Cavanaugh.

While I haven't had great success - or thank God a major failure!!! - in online marketing, I know one thing.

Be YOURSELF. 

If people connect with YOU, they'll be more apt to support you.

Click on the button above to hear other stories / tips of those who've gone before.  :)

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Marketing in the cyber world is not an easy thing. Sure, there’s Twitter and Facebook pages, Pinterest, Google+, Goodreads, and a dozen or so other sites to lurk, but how many people who ‘follow’ you are you really reaching? How many people actually see your posts let alone read them? Share them??!?

I saw a statistic a few weeks ago that stated only around 7% of all tweets are seen. Sad, isn’t it? Totally true, though. I follow a few hundred people and I can honestly say that I rarely (never) sit in front of the computer for longer than 20 seconds to see what other peeps are tweeting about. I’ve got TweetDeck, so I’m able to keep an eye on people of ‘note’ IMO –other authors, bloggers, & publishers I have connected with, but that’s it.

Only ONCE have I ever followed an Amazon link to purchase a book because the author tweeted about it.

TWICE have I gone to Amazon to nab a copy of a newest release someone on Facebook posted about.

Sad, isn’t it?

So what about all those virtual book (blog) tours we authors strive and stress over to put together? Do they work? I’ve done / overseen a half dozen or so, and honestly I’m torn about their effectiveness. The purpose of said tours isn’t just about gaining sales—it’s about the author gaining exposure. It’s about letting readers get an insight into your mind, your muse, & your life so they’re able to connect with you. And hopefully follow you faithfully!

While I can’t say I’ve sold a million (or even a hundred!!!) copies of any of my titles, I have gained a few cyber buds along the way. The faithful few who’ve connected with me as a person, not just my writing style.

THESE are the folks who will help get the word out about my next release. THESE are the peeps who will Tweet & Facebook share to their own followers when I need them to.

My take on marketing in the cyber world? Do as much as you can, whenever you’re able to. Meet peeps along the way & hope they’ll like you for YOU and help promote your babies.

I wrote a post a while ago - Setting Up A Blog Tour 101 if you're interested in learning the how of virtual book tours.

And finally ...

Don’t forget to cross your fingers & pray to whatever god floats your boat. Perhaps you’ll get lucky.

#

And on another note ... book signings.

Last week I finally ventured into a little indie store, trembling in fear, to ask if they would be interested in hosting a local author for a book signing. 

I didn't even get to pull out a copy of my fantasy debut novel, Eye of the Soul. When I said 'fantasy', the arms went up and it was a big NO.

While I was thoroughly bummed, I had to remind myself of the WHY it was a no.

The store is tiny and has a certain clientele. Fanasy? They no likey.

So was this a failure? Depends on how one looks at it. I made my first attempt at booking a signing. I've gained experience, something I plan on expanding upon either this week or the next! Not EVERYONE will say NO right?!?

Done a virtual book tour? Hosted one?

Booked a signing? 

Any tidbits or tips to share? I'm all ears.  :)

#WeeklyWriterlyWisdom : Linda Caroll-Bradd, Romance Author

Welcome to this week's WWW where fellow Wild Rose Press romance author, Linda Caroll-Bradd, will share a bit about today's marketing on freebie sites. 

Stick around after her guest post for an excerpt from her latest release, Dipping In A Toe.

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Book Promotion on Free Sites

In today’s book market, even more than a year or two ago, authors must put in a significant amount of time to promote their titles. Used to be an author only needed a website. Then reader interest went to blogs where the author was expected to be entertaining and share more personal information. In some instances, authors banded together and created group blogs to capitalize on cross-promotion opportunities.

 Next stage was creating an identity on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, reddIt, Tumblr—and undoubtedly more that I haven’t heard of). Articles presented by various experts on social media warn about trying to be everywhere and that authors should concentrate on two social media platforms and focus their energy and time there.

Every author should create an author page on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This allows readers who find one of your titles to go to one location where all your titles are listed. Another place to be established is on Goodreads. Both of these places have a maximum 24-hour delay from application to approval.

Since Thanksgiving 2012, I have had 5 titles release and learned of various places to create a specific author page. Once you’ve invested the time to create an author account on the following sites for free, you connect your individual titles with your author page and only need to return when your next title releases. Viola, another place where you have an online presence.

Specifically for sweet to sensual titles:

Classic Romance Revival      http://www.classicromancerevival.com

Story Finds                              http://storyfinds.com

For all heat level of titles:

Book Daily                              http://www.bookdaily.com

Coffeetime Romance             http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/

Manic Readers                       http://www.manicreaders.com

Romance Novel Center          http://www.romancenovelcenter.com

Story Findsx                            http://storyfindsx.com

The Romance Reviews          http://theromancereviews.com

Also, here’s a monthly newsletters where you can submit a free listing of your upcoming title

The Book Breeze                    http://www.thebookbreeze.com

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Dipping In A Toe 

Contemporary Romance

by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Jessa Landers has a secret crush on her teens’ years-younger swim coach. A widow for three years, she’s managing her life and enjoys her freedom—except for long, lonely evenings when she craves an attentive man.

Coach Rick Grant loves being a high school teacher and swim coach. Surrounded by families has him yearning for his own romantic connection—and his eye is on Jessa.

Will Jessa protect the balance of her family life, or take a second chance on love?

Purchase Links:

Amazon   /  Barnes and Noble  /  The Wild RosePress 

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Excerpt:

As if pulled by an invisible thread, my gaze went to the tall, fit man with the ever-present clipboard in one hand and a stopwatch in the other. Normally an adult wearing tropical-print board shorts and a faded surfboard tee-shirt looked like he clung with desperation onto his youth. Instead Rick Grant wore the attire like a medal of honor—like he’d earned the right to promote a Hawaiian surfing competition from a decade earlier.

Maybe he had. The image of his tan, lean body balancing on top of a surfboard flittered through my mind. I pictured him, thinner but still muscular, body sparkling with water droplets, wavy hair streaked with blonde highlights, outlined against a cerulean blue sky. A heartfelt sigh escaped.

Christy stopped to turn in her ascent up the metal bleachers, and cocked her head. “You okay, Jessa?”

Caught. I whirled toward the bleachers and set a foot on the lowest step. “I’m fine. Where do you want to sit?” Heat burned my cheeks and I ducked my head, pretending the need to focus on placing my wedge sandals on each step. I didn’t want the other mothers to learn about my pathetic infatuation with the swim coach.

An infatuation I kept telling myself was wrong. Didn’t I have enough to do between my paralegal job, keeping up the house, managing the kids’ activities, and arranging visits with their grandparents? How could I possibly add dating to this hectic lifestyle?

Even if by some wild chance the man in question were to show interest…

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About Linda Caroll-Bradd

As a child, Linda was often found lying on her bed reading about characters having exciting adventures in places far away. Upon reaching a landmark birthday, she decided to write one of those romances she loved so much. Easier said than done. Perseverance paid out and twelve years later, she received her first call from a publisher and a confession story was published. Now Linda writes heartwarming contemporary and historical stories with a touch of humor, and many have a tie to her previous home of Texas.

Linda enjoys writing from her cabin in the mountains among the cedar and pines with her husband of 34 years and their two much-loved dogs. 

Links:

Website  /  Blog  /  Goodreads  /  Facebook 

What's The Number One Marketing Method? #MarketingTip

WORD OF MOUTH!

  

Sure, the internet has given us authors a global reach, but who are you more apt to listen to? A fellow writer you met in a forum, a cyber-space genre-loving-reader who recommends a book, or your best friend who rants and raves about the latest release from their favorite author?

I'm going to go with those around me. Those who know me. My friends, family, & acquaintances. 

THESE are the people we need to use ... er ... have help us promote our books. Let's face it folks, it's not all about who you know - it's about who you  know knows. Confused??

Look at it this way ... your neighbors or neighborhood friends might have contacts where you don't - a local bookstore, the library, a coffee shop who enjoys hosting book signings. Perhaps they work at a local newspaper, or their cousin does.

Why NOT ask these peeps to help us out? The more people you have talking about your book, the more exposure it gets. 

Make a list of people you know, those nearby and those not so nearby. I'm new to my neighborhood, so I don't have a lot of local contacts. While that makes my local tasks a bit more daunting, my hometown contacts rock. Surely you have a few in your back pocket if you think hard enough. 

Small business owners who might have a rack of books for sale?

Neighborhood newsletters? Local papers? Library reading groups?

And let's not leave other authors off this list. Think of those online and offline. Writing groups you're involved in? If you're a debut novelist like me, you'll be relying a bit on those who've gone before to help get that ball rolling. Surely they know LOTS more peeps than you.

There's nothing wrong with asking for help. The worst that could happen is they'll say no, but that's no biggie. You've written a novel and doubtless been told 'no' countless times, yet you stubbornly pushed onward to publication. 

Now it's time to take the next step and make that publication successful!

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Have other people or places to suggest we hit up for help? 

If you're one who's gone before, is there a particular person who helped you the most?

#WWW : Publishing for #YA readers ... who are we really marketing to? by @emijgayle

Welcome to WWW where every week a guest will offer some insight into the world of writing and publishing. 

Today I'm thrilled to have Emi J. Gayle, published YA author of The 19th Year series,  share about publishing for YA readers. You definitely WANT to look into her kick bum series - be sure to check out the latest release at the end of the post! Check out my 5* review of book #2, Day After, HERE.

But onto the goods ...

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Publishing for Young Adult readers ... who are we really marketing to?

There's a designation in publishing for young adults that says a young adult is 14-19 years old. I'm pretty sure, though, that voracious 14 year old readers aren't actually going out and buying the books we're writing. Sure, they may be getting them from their libraries, or maybe in some small cases, from school. In reality, it's Mom (or Dad) who's plunking down that money for that book.

That makes me wonder ... first, are mom and dad reading these books? Second, are mom and dad approving of these books? Or are kids doing the, "Buy this book and I'll read it!" thing while holding the covers tight up against them? 

In all honesty, I think it's a mix. Moms in particular, are reading YA books, not necessarily with their kids, but as something enjoyable too, which makes marketing to the YA crowd, not the only way to go. We reach Moms, we might reach kids and if we reach kids, we might reach moms. No, that doesn't mean 2 copies and 2 sales, it means a wider audience and hopefully future fans.

So what does that mean to the author? To the publisher? To the marketer? It means a cover has to draw in more than one kind of person. No, kids and parents are not the same, despite the apple not falling far from the tree. Parent = tree. Kid = apple. Different being, same flavor. So a cover has to draw in both people. How does that happen? Well, have you noticed the 'sex appeal' of some YA novels? There's one way. How about the intricate design and attention to detail? It seems these facets are even more pervasive in YA books than in adult books (not always, but sometimes). These are things all the people working on a book have to think about. 

Of course the cover isn't all of it. It's the story inside. What's most popular with adult women? Translate that to younger adult women, and downplay some aspects (i.e. sex ... or in some cases, don't - that's the author's call). What story lines catch the most attention? Mirror them in YA. It's like good animated films both amuse kids and keep parents happy to, right? Pixar is wonderful at this ... there's adult humor that kids won't 'get' and the kids are super happy too. Same concept applies. A YA book isn't just for the YA audience, it's for the parent(s) too and marketing to them both should, in theory, reach a wider audience than just marketing to the 14-19 crowd alone.

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Ms. Gayle's newest release!

Click on image to add on Goodreads

Day After

The 19th Year

by Emi Gayle

Release Date: May 6, 2013

Target Reader: Young Adult

Keywords: Paranormal Romance, Romance

Demon crypts. Vampire lairs. Glowing angels. Sexy sirens. The stuff of fiction.

Or so Winn Thomas always thought.

Since being accepted into the fold of the supernatural, he knows better. None of what he imagined is true, but everything he feared is, and binding himself to his Changeling girlfriend until her nineteenth birthday will give him an education far beyond what he’d get at his human high school.

Luckily, Winn’s not giving up, he won’t back down, and he definitely isn’t going to run away with his tail between his legs. After all, only werewolves have tails. Right?

In this, the second of the 19th Year trilogy, Winn’s facing the challenge of one lifetime. If he doesn’t learn the truth about mythological creatures, his girlfriend Mac Thorne won’t either. That means, in six months, when she chooses her final form, she won’t know what to pick.

Winn, though, has his own ideas about Mac’s final selection—plans she knows nothing of.

He intends to have her pick human.

Whether she can or not.

Purchase Links:

Amazon.com  /  Barnes & Noble

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About Emi Gayle

Emi Gayle just wants to be young again. She lives vicariously through her youthful characters, while simultaneously acting as chief-Mom to her teenaged son and searching for a way to keep her two daughters from ever reaching the dreaded teen years.

Ironically, those years were some of Emi's favorite times. She met the man of her dreams at 14, was engaged to him at 19, married him at 20 and she's still in love with him to this day. She'll never forget what it was like to fall in love at such a young age — emotions she wants everyone to feel.

Links:

Web  |  Blog  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads

Branding YOU. And I don’t mean hot iron pokers or rings through our noses.

So what DO I mean?

According to Wikipedia a brand is: 

‘a name, logo, slogan, and/or design scheme associated with a product or service.’ 

Think of some of those biggie companies everyone knows … Coke, Nike, Budweiser. Each of these brand names brings a picture to mind, do they not? 

Statistics show it takes an image & associated name to cross our vision 10 – 15 times before we’ll remember it. Those companies have accomplished that, and we as authors need to brand ourselves just as they did.

How?  

We need to choose images, logos, colors, & fonts that reflect who we are & what genre we write.

Horror writer?

Don’t use tweety birds & flowers of every pastel color imaginable in your websites header.

YA writer? 

I certainly won't 'get' that if you use whips, chains, & handcuffs.

Romance writer? 

Sure – use those images mentioned above if you tend toward the kinky side of the genre.

Whatever public information you use reflects on YOU, so be sure it all fits your brand. Pictures – weather it’s a head shot, email siggie, or logos. Colors. Fonts. Stories. 

Need some ideas to get your brain moving? Check out your favorite authors and their websites. Learn from those who have gone before us - and became successful.

The real key? Be consistent. Then get your brand out there as much as possible, but I'll save my tips on how to do that for next week.

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What genre do you write & what's your brand? As a reader, what nabs your eye? As a consumer, what words entice you to purchase?

#WriterlyWisdomWednesday : Social Networking isn't the secret to success? #MarketingTip by @AimeeLaine

Welcome to WWW where every week a guest will offer some insight into the world of writing and publishing. 

Today I'm thrilled to have my Scribo Pen Sister, Aimee Laine, published author, photographer, business owner, full time employee, mother, wife (and the list goes on and on and on) share about social networking.

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Marketing : Social Networking isn't the secret to success?

According to Wikipedia, Marketing is the process of performing market research, selling products and/or services to customers and promoting them via advertising to further enhance sales. We spend countless hours promoting, but are we promoting to the right people?

Marketing has a lot of psychology behind it. You know, how, when you tell someone they canʼt have something, thatʼs when they really, really, really, want it? The act of marketing is kinda like that. It teases the potential buyer enough that they just canʼt do without your product — in this case, your novel/novella/short story, yard sale, excess fruit ... whatever it is.

With psychology though, comes the need to understand a key piece of the marketing puzzle: your audience.

The fan bandwagon is the secret to success. If the ʻitʼ generation is using social networking, then you must, too. If your audience is blogging, then you must, too. If your audience reads only through book clubs, then you gotta find those club.

Who is my audience? 

Well, for novelists and writers, it’s readers, of course.

The problem isnʼt in knowing you want readers, though, but WHO those readers ARE and how to reach them. Here are a few steps to identifying them.

Identify attributes of your target audience like demographics and psychographics (personal characteristics).  

Write down all the attributes you think are applicable to your target audience.

Now, think about who this represents, in terms of the type of people youʼre familiar with. Think about groups of people who fit the profile for the attributes list you thought of (because I know you didn't actually write it down). Did you say youʼre book would be great for Momʼs with kids? Then list Momʼs with kids. Is your book great for people who like nature? Perhaps then, naturalists. List these people by group, not individual to help keep the scope wide by narrow at the same time.

Now that you're narrowing down, look at these groups in terms of social networking.

Where can you find people that would be apt to participate in the groups you listed above? What websites or physical groups cater to the interests youʼve mentioned?

What might come next?

Start spreading yourself into places where that audience is.

See, social networking isn't enough by itself. It works when it's done to the target audience. That's a key element of marketing and hopefully that little tidbit will help you!

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Ms. Laine's newest release!!

Click on image to add on Goodreads

Silent Echoes

Games of Zeus

PNR / Thriller

by Aimee Laine

Release Date: March 11, 2013

Target Reader: Adult

For years, Ian Sands has enjoyed his life as a bachelor, taking advantage of singlehood and exploring his own definition of passion—whoever she may be. Blonde. Brunette. Tall. Short. Hot. Not. Five months ago, all that changed.

Ian’s been celibate, frustrated and desperately seeking answers to why one woman, who doesn’t play by girls’ rules, haunts his every waking moment.

As a renovations specialist, Taylor Marsh lives, works and breathes construction—a profession her southern belle of a mother would rather Taylor not touch. The same goes for Ian; Mama Marsh would never approve of him.

Like Ian, though, each time he and Taylor draw near, something compels her to get closer.

Something else tells her to run away.

Fast.

As much as their histories suggest they shouldn’t be together, neither Taylor nor Ian can deny the pull, and the two succumb, indulging in a relationship that brings pleasure to body, mind and soul.

Doing so, though, also ushers in a series of events both should have foreseen as well as one final outcome neither expected.

Purchase Links

Amazon.com  /  Barnes & Noble

My 4* review can be found HERE.

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About Aimee Laine

Aimee is a romantic at heart and a southern transplant with a bit of the accent (but not a whole bunch). She's married to her high school sweetheart, and with him, she's produced three native North Carolinians, two of whom share the same DNA.

With an MBA and a degree in Applied Mathematics, there's absolutely no reason she should be writing romance novels. Then again, she shouldn't need a calculator to add two numbers, either ... but she does.

Links:

Website  /  Facebook  /  Twitter  /  Goodreads