What I've Learned Recently about Book Marketing

I’ve attended some Sisters in Crime chapter presentations recently, and I’m loving that I can experience speakers and workshops from all over the country. Here’s what I’ve learned recently about book marketing from Chessie, Grand Canyon Writers, and Central Virginia chapters.

From Brian Paone’s session on effective marketing, I learned:

• You cannot wait for readers or sales to come to you.

• If you decide to write in a new genre, be prepared that it will be almost like starting over with your marketing and platform-building.

• Your website, headshot, and social sites need to look professional. You also need to look professional on virtual calls and in-person events.

• For in-person events where you have an author table, you need to make it unique and attractive. You want people to approach you. Make sure to take a look at how your table looks to the audience before the doors open. Make sure that all book covers face the audience (and not you).

• Have a good elevator pitch about your book(s). You need to practice this and be ready, but you don’t want it to sound too rehearsed.

• When you are at in-person events, stand as much as possible. Stay off your phone and smile. You want to be approachable.

• When someone approaches your table, be the first to speak. At in-person events, readers want to connect with authors. Be conversational.

Nicolette Lemmon had some very helpful advice. You also need to check out her book for writers at any stage. It’s called Write. Market. Succeed. An Author’s Marketing Playbook.

• Know where your readers are. Know what social media platforms they prefer.

• If you are trying to figure out who your reader is, go on social media and find authors that are similar to you. Look at what they are doing and look at their reviews. You’ll get an idea of what their fans like.

• Start your marketing plans BEFORE your book is out.

• You have about 8 seconds to get someone’s attention on social media.

• You have about 30 seconds when you talk to someone about your book to get your key points across. Make sure you have a short elevator speech ready to go.

• Your audience has to see your message 7 times before they remember and recognize you/your work.

• Make sure you stay visible on your website and social media.

• Your website is your online office. Make sure that you update it regularly.

• Google yourself to see what comes up.

• Pay attention to your writing business.

Happy Groundhog Day! - Ways to Get out of Writing Rut

I am a beach girl. I like A (one) good snow every now and then. But by this time in February, I am counting down the days until spring and warmer temperatures. And Punxsutawney Phil never sees things my way. It is like the Bill Murray movie…the same thing over and over…

Consistency is good in your writing life. It helps you stay on track and complete projects, especially if we’re talking about writing goals and daily quotas. But sometimes writers get stuck in a rut. Here are some ideas to spark your creativity and ward off the doldrums.

• Work on another creative project other than writing. Cooking, baking, decorating, painting…They all will exercise the creative side of your brain.

• Exercise, do yoga, or go for a walk. Once you get those endorphins going, you’ll see a new surge of energy.

• Grab your camera and go to places around your town for a photo safari. Use these on your blog and social media to share your adventures.

• Volunteer. There are so many worthy organizations and causes that could use your help. You’ll meet new people, try new things, and give back to your community.

• Schedule a library day and do some research on topics that interest you or would make a great story idea. Give yourself some free time to explore the stacks. You’ll be surprised at what you may find.

• Set aside some time to start a new project. Work on that project that you keep meaning to do, but never get around to.

• Plan some friend-time. Take some time to get away for lunch or coffee and enjoy each other’s company. Writing is often too solitary a sport.

• Make a list of twenty marketing things you’d like to do for your book. No idea is bad in brainstorming. When you’re done, use your list to plan some new activities and ways to promote your writing.

  What would you add to my list?

You've Written a Book. Now What?

All the tasks that go into writing, revising, and marketing a book can be overwhelming. I’ve broken down some of the key tasks with some ideas for new (or seasoned) writers.

What You Need to Get Started

• A Professional Headshot – Selfies won’t give you the quality you need for these to appear correctly in print or digitally.

• Your Biography (For your website, you may want to have a short one and a longer one.)

• A Short Description of Your Book (Back cover text)

• A URL and a Site to Host Your Website

• A Newsletter/Email Marketing Service

• Digital Images of Your Book Covers

While You’re Writing/Revising Your Manuscript

• Make your work the best it can be.

• Create a list of book promotion ideas (e.g. blog tours, blogs to guest on, Facebook reader sites, etc.).

• Start collecting email addresses for your newsletter list.

• Build your social media following. This takes time.

• Build or update your website/blog.

• Find your crew. Writing is solitary, buy you need collaboration from time to time. Find a writers’ group, critique group, or writing partner for feedback and networking.

Remember the Social Part of Social Media

• Update your key sites regularly. If possible, schedule your posts to ensure that you have fresh content.

• Be Social/Be Active. Celebrate with others. Make sure to like and comment. Respond to comments on your page.

• It takes time to build a following.

• Be genuine.

• Remember the 80/20 rule. Only 20% (or less) of your posts should be about “buy my book.”

• Don’t let your social media time take over your writing time.

While You’re Querying

• There is a lot of waiting while you query agents or publishers.

• Work on your next book.

• Build your social media platforms and followers.

• Collect email addresses.

• Update your website.

• Start your blog. You don’t have to have a book published to start this, and it’s a way to drive traffic to your website.

• Work on your newsletter.

• Build your connections.

Before Your Book Launch

• Create a calendar with all your due dates.

• Contact book reviewers when you have your ARCs (Advance Reader Copies).

• Schedule blog tours.

• Schedule Facebook takeovers/parties online.

• Reach out to libraries and bookstores.

• Write press releases and target media outlets to send them to.

• Create a list of newsletters that have member news sections and make sure to announce your new book (e.g. alumni, neighborhood groups, and places of worship).

• Tell everyone you know

• Plan your launch on social media.

• Update all your bios.

• Add book cover to your sites.

• Make bookmarks and other swag.

It takes a lot of energy and creativity to write AND market a book. Figure out your schedule and your budget and find a way to keep the myriad of tasks and due dates organized. What would you add to my list?

In Honor of International Hat Day - The Many Hats of a Writer

Happy International Hat Day! When I decided that I wanted to be a writer in elementary school, my vision was to write books and cash royalty checks. Until the first book contract arrived, I had no idea of all the aspects of the job. Here are a few things I learned along the way…

Always Wear Your Helmet

• Vet all publication and representation offers.

• Make sure you have a contract (even for work for hire).

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Research Is Important

• Even fiction writers need to do research.

• Do your homework for your writing and your business.

• Check all your facts.

• Keep good notes.

• Vet your resources.

Just Write

• BICFOK (Butt in Chair - Fingers on Keyboard)

• Focus your attention and write.

• Set writing goals that work for you to help you stay on track.

• Finish your first draft.

Editing is the Most Important Part

• Proofread and then proofread again.

• Fact check your work for inconsistencies.

• Read as a reader. Is the story captivating? (If you’re bored reading it, your readers will be, too.)

• Find a critique partner or group for feedback.

• Use your word processor’s read aloud function to listen to the text, especially dialog.

• Edit. Revise. Repeat.

• Make sure that your work is the best it can be.

Marketing is Expected

• Create your platform (website, blog, socials, newsletter).

• Build your social media and newsletter list followings. It takes time.

• Know who your readers are and what social media platform they use.

• Promotion is expensive. Figure out what works for you and set a budget.

Find Your Crew

• Network with other writers.

• Join writers’ groups.

• Volunteer.

• Go to conferences and workshops.

• Join online groups.

And always celebrate your wins!

Don't Be That Author!

I will always remember the story the HR Director at my first job told me about why people should always be professional. One day, he came back from lunch, and a young woman cut him off and slid into his parking space. Then to add insult to injury, she flipped him off when he honked his horn. The pair would meet again inside the building, and I would have loved to have seen her face when she discovered that he was conducting her job interview.

We all know the divas, the complainers, the control freaks, and the hangers-on. They are in every group. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from so many different people that they treasure authors who are easy to get along with.

Here are some things to remember, so you don’t turn into that author.

• Always be professional. People talk, and you don’t want to get a reputation for all the wrong reasons.

• Pick your battles and stand up for yourself, but do it in a way that doesn’t burn bridges. I always ask myself how big a deal something is. Sometimes, things are nonnegotiable, and other times, they really don’t matter. I try to save my energy for the important things.

• Make sure you read your contracts and know all of your deadlines and obligations. Figure out the best way for you to manage your calendar and your time. You don’t want to be the unreliable one.

• If you volunteer for something, do your best to meet the commitment. Put the date/time/location on your calendar as soon as it is confirmed.

• Learn how to say no. It’s hard. You want to be included and don’t want to disappoint people, but you can’t do everything.

• Make sure you’re a contributor. We all know the lurker who reaps all the benefits, but never puts in any effort or takes on any of the work.

• If you find out you can’t make a deadline for some reason, reach out and communicate as early as possible. Sometimes, you can reschedule.

• Remember that the administrators of many Facebook groups, book reviewers, bloggers, and bookstagrammers are usually volunteers, and this isn’t their day job. You may need to extend some grace if your email isn’t answered as quickly as you would like.

Playlists for Your Books

Music is such an integral part of my writing process and my life. I listen to jazz or classical music when I’m writing or revising, and I like songs that remind me of the characters, the era, or the setting while I’m plotting. I always have background music on.

If you haven’t already, you should consider making playlists for your books. My sister mentioned that her book group always asks visiting authors if they have a playlist to share. What a great idea.

I used YouTube links for my early playlists. (Search for the song and copy the link. Then link the song title in your blog post to the music video.) I recently started listening to Spotify, and it has a lot of my audio books and podcasts available, so it was a perfect platform for me to create song lists. I named each one for a series and added all the songs that reminded me of those books. Now I can share the link with book groups and readers.

Check them out:

• The Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries

• The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries

• The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries

Do you set writing goals?

My day gig is in IT, and we track a lot of performance metrics to see where we have gaps and where there are areas for improvement. I use some metrics to help me in my writing life. Here’s my list. Let me know what you would add.

Writing Goals - When I’m working on the draft of a book, I set daily writing goals. This helps me stay on track. I try to write 1,000 words on days that I work and 3,000 words on the weekends. If I know that I’ve got plans or can’t make a goal, I try to write ahead. If I stick to my schedule, I’m able to produce a first draft in 2-3 months. Make sure that your goals are doable and realistic. I use them to keep me on track, so that it doesn’t take me five years to finish a book. But, I’ve also learned to give myself some grace if I don’t hit a goal. There are just some days that you don’t feel creative.

Social Media Analytics - At least weekly, I check the analytics on Twitter/X, Facebook, and Instagram sites. I look to see what posts resonate with my followers and which ones don’t. You can learn a lot from these numbers. Who is looking at your page? What is the best time to post? Are you posting too much of one type of content?

For Twitter/X, click More > Creator Studio > Analytics to see your metrics. For Facebook and Instagram, you need a professional page to access Meta Business Suite. It will appear in the left menu for your business page in Facebook.

Scheduling Your Writing Work - If I’m not writing a new book, I try to do some writing, editing, or book marketing every day. Here are some of the things that I do to help me meet my goals:

• I schedule my Instagram and Twitter posts for the week. That way, I can target times when my users are most active.

• To keep up with all the blog deadlines, I try to write posts in advance and schedule those, too.

• Make sure you build in some time in your schedule to peruse your social media sites. You need to be active on your sites (e.g. post regularly, answer comments, and comment on others’ posts). I check my major sites each morning and during lunch. I also check them later in the evening. People are now using Meta’s Messenger as another way to communicate, and I get a lot of messages.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

I am a beach girl, so September is always a little bittersweet when the season ends, and the tourists go home. When I was little, the stores would board up, so it was sad when the strip looked like a ghost town until next year.

But, as a writer, I love back-to-school time. I am all about the school supplies. It’s time to get more notebooks, pens, and sticky notes. One of the office supply stores had a commercial with the parent singing “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and the kids looked so forlorn. It heralds the school shopping season, and I do love when the stores bring out all the crayons and colored pencils.

I have a stack of notebooks for plotting and writing down cool stuff that I encounter. Sticky notes are a must for my desk. They are my go-to scratch pad. And pens. Like books, you can never have enough good pens. I like the brightly colored Paper Mate felt pens for editing. And I use fun mugs that I’ve collected through the years to hold all my pens. Right now, there are two full ones on my desk and three on my worktable. Did I mention highlighters? Writers need those too for color-coding outlines and a myriad of other things.

It’s also the season to help fill teachers’ wish lists for their classrooms and donate to back-to-school drives. All, wonderful causes that let me share my love of writing supplies.

What are your favorites that you have to every year when school’s back in session and it’s time to write?