Creating a Marketing Plan: Part 2

To get started on your marketing plan, check out Part 1 HERE. Once you have your goals set, it’s time to start preparing.

Preparatory Marketing

Networking with Bloggers

Bloggers are authors’ friends. Not just the ones with thousands of followers. Sometimes the smaller bloggers will do more to promote your post and become an ally for future books. Don’t just spam every blogger you find. Build a relationship by checking out their blog, commenting, and interacting.

Types of posts to prepare for bloggers: Guest posts, interviews, excerpts, Q&A, Top Tens lists, writing advice, etc.

KEEP TRACK of which bloggers you work with for future releases.

Social Media

Regular posting on 2-3 platforms.

Share teasers such as quotes, images, character bios, etc.

Share sneak peeks of content.

This helps you build a fan base and interest in the projects you’re working on.

Branding

Establishing expertise through content, i.e. columns/articles/blogs, sharing useful information/articles, etc.

You want readers to know what they can learn/expect from you. Do you share writing advice, post about your own reading, talk about your hobbies, blog your thoughts on a variety of subjects, etc.

Pre-Release/Launch Marketing

Blog tours

Need to be set up 2-6 months in advance. Bigger tour companies will require more time. It also gives more time to bloggers to read the book and review. Blog tours are for EXPOSURE, not sales, so reviews are really important during blog tours.

Book Trailers

Post release date in video or description to help promote the release date and/or pre-order status.

Don’t just use your blurb for the script. Create a script that fits your video/photos and gives a unique look at the book through this format. Some book trailers use text only, voiceover narration, or live action.

Resources for making book trailers include: Free Music Archive for music, Windows Movie Maker, Animoto, Stupeflix, etc. for video compilation.

Reviews

Reach out to bloggers, beta readers, friends, and other authors who are interested in your genre. If they are new to reviewing, explain the process and how easy it is to leave a review as well as how important reviews are to the success of a book.

DO NOT PAY FOR REVIEWS! It’s against most sites review policies and is considered unethical.

When dealing with Amazon, family and close friends are not allowed to review your book because they may have a financial interest in your success. Same goes for authors affiliated with the same publisher you are with, street team members, or anyone else Amazon deems may have too close of an interest.

Goodreads does not limit reviews from friends and family.

Reviews can’t be posted on amazon until the book is LIVE, but encourage posting on Goodreads pre-release. It’s easy to copy and paste later.

Pre-Orders

A discounted price is usually offered during the pre-release period. Make sure to add the links to your website/pre-order page.

2-4 weeks is a common time period for pre-orders but trends have recently been leaning toward longer periods.

The Benefit of pre-orders is that ALL pre-sales are tallied on release day = big boost in rankings.

Launch/Release Marketing

Email Blast

Mailing list! Start building your mailing list early. This is a captive audience of readers who are interested in your books. Targeted Marketing=Better Click-Throughs

Release Party

In-person &/or FB event, Twitter chat (specifics to come…) Gather your fans and readers in one place to celebrate the release. It’s great to get other authors involved for games/prizes.

Media Appearance/Interviews

Podcasts, blogs, radio, YouTube, etc. Explore local media outlets like radio and TV, but don’t be afraid to branch out and talk to online sources like internet radio shows, podcasts, bloggers, Google+ shows, etc. There are many book and writing related media outlets interested in talking to authors.

Incentives to Buy

Freebie w/ purchase, email receipt for gift, etc. Be creative with your incentives. If you have another talent like music or drawing, pair them up for a bonus gift after purchase. These types of incentives are usually offered during the first week after release.

Add cover art to Social Media images to help announce the release and get people interested in the book.

Update your bio with release info/links so readers who are already following you will have the most current information about your books.

Putting your plan into action requires planning, but the time and effort can pay off with a great release.

To listen to the full podcast on Creating A Marketing Plan That’s Actually Doable, check out the Write. Publish. Repeat. Podcast Part 1 and Part 2.

The Only Shark in the Sea Cover Reveal

Thanks so much for sharing the cover reveal for The Only Shark In The Sea, Amber!!

It’s a Journey…Sometimes a long sucky one @Mystereah

Yes, that is borrowed from The Croods for anyone who watches as many kids movies as we do 😉

What can be a long sucky journey? Pretty much anything that requires developing a talent!

My sister and I were chatting the other day and talking about where we both started out with what were at the time “hobbies.” Me with writing, Kass with photography. I started writing as a teen and my sister is one of the few people on the planet who read part of the first novel I ever wrote. My sister got into photography, I believe, in her early 20s-ish. Don’t hold me to that. She was also doing modeling at the time, which was more her focus.

Kate 1 — Kassondra Sturtevant @ Mystereah Photography

What brought up how dreadfully painful it can be to try to develop a talent and turn it into something more?

My sister has gotten back into photography recently and was awesome enough to find some models who were willing to pose for several book covers I was having a difficult time finding stock art for. I haven’t had time to figure out what to do with Memory’s Edge yet, so while that cover is done, it’s not up for anyone to see it anywhere yet.

I am getting ready to publish The Ghost Host though and the pics Kassondra took for me turned out awesome! This is what spawned the conversation.

(PS, this is the lovely model who will be on the cover of The Ghost Host)

That first book I wrote that I let me sister read part of was…horrible. I still have a paper copy of it somewhere in a box, and that’s where it will stay. I seriously gag thinking about it now because it just sucked. Bleh.

Now, I won’t say my sister’s pictures sucked when she started out, because they didn’t, but the more she’s been out there clicking away with her camera, the more awesome she’s gotten! I’m really blown away by what she can do. She says the same thing about me, because she’s my sister 😉 but we got into a discussion about how much both of us have improved and how much we’ve accomplished since first starting out.

Both of us started and stopped working on our favorite hobbies multiple times over the years. Family, work, marriages, etc. It’s not always the right time. Sometimes you’re too drained or stressed out to even think about picking up a keyboard or camera. Sometimes you do everything you can and it’s still not working out. Sometimes you think everything you do is crap and it will never get better. Sometimes people tell you you’re stuff is awful! It happens to all of us, but instead of giving up we take in what criticism is helpful, improve, and go back to work.

Sometimes your stuff really isn’t very good. And that’s okay. It will get better.

More from Mystereah Photography. These two will be on the Memory's Edge cover next year! — More from Mystereah Photography. These two will be on the Memory’s Edge cover next year!

For me, starting out at sixteen years old writing about stuff I had no clue about and mostly just venting, it’s a small wonder I now have 16 published books with a few more in the lineup for this year and 2016. I look back at my first writing attempts and cringe, but that’s what it took to get me to where I am now. It’s been years of comments from critique partners, my husband going over books with me, and lots of work with editors to develop my writing skills. I’ve learned a ton over the last almost fifteen years and I think it shows in my writing.

I’m super proud of the fact that over the next few months my sister is having something like 18 of her photos published in different arts and photography magazines, too!

No matter where your are on your possibly long, sucky journey, keep going. The journey doesn’t really ever end, but that’s kinda how it’s supposed to work. Keep learning and growing.

And just in case you want to see some of the awesome photos my sis has been taking lately, check her out on Facebook. And look for her skills being put to use on the cover art for Memory’s Edge and The Ghost Host!

Mystereah Photography

A Flash Interview with New Lighthouse Instructor Angie Hodapp

I met Angie Hodapp at Denver Comic Con this past May and she really knows her stuff! Great advice and great reading picks 😉

The Lighthouse Writers Top-Secret Blog

I first met Angie Hodapp at her Query Letter Bootcamp workshop at Lighthouse last spring. I learned that she works at Nelson Literary Agency—and that I knew far less about the publication side of novel writing than I ever could have dreamed. Notice the past tense, knew, because after taking her enlightening, hearty, and well-organized workshop, I know far more. I know the formula for a successful query letter, the importance of preparing your elevator pitch, where to find pub tips, the difference between genres from a publishing perspective, and where to submit my novel (when it’s finished) for publication. All from a four-week workshop. Every serious writer should know these things! Which is why we’re happy to bring back Angie Hodapp this September for two workshops: Query Letter Bootcamp, and Writing for the Web—Crafting Content that Sells. Learn more about Angie in the interview that…

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Write. Publish. Repeat. Podcast is Back! Query Letters and Social Media with @SeriouslyGina

I was finally able to sit down with the lovely Gina Larsen aka SeriouslyGina and talk some shop. Query Letters and Social Media particularly!

Check out the second episode of Write. Publish. Repeat. Podcast to hear about Gina’s experience with writing her query, cutting down her manuscript, and using Twitter as an avenue to connect with agents and pitch her work.

Listen Now!

(Click on the WPR button below to start the podcast!)

Get a peak at Gina’s experience on her blog: http://seriouslygina.com/2015/08/10/how-twitter-led-to-my-best-rejection-letter-to-date/

You can also find Gina on Facebook and Twitter at:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Seriously-Gina/129454477147580

https://twitter.com/seriouslygina

Writing a Query Letter: Part 5

To find the first part of this series, Click HERE. For Part 2, click HERE. Part 3, click HERE Part 4, click HERE. To listen to the full discussion on the Write. Publish. Repeat. Podcast, click HERE.

Blurb Writing Tips

Research
Reads blurbs for popular books
Not a guarantee, but helpful

Direct to your reader
Different readers require different approaches

Give it time
Rewrite, revise, start over
This is important, so take your time

Cut unnecessary words
Don’t waste limited space

Get an outside opinion
**Someone who’s read the book
They can make sure you’ve include the pertinent details and stay true to the feel of your book
**Someone who hasn’t read the book
They can make sure it makes sense to an outsider

Professional resources
Paid services
Free services like Query Shark

PROOFREAD IT!!!

Keeping Track of Your Queries

QueryTracker.net
Most options are free, but you do need an account

Trusty Notebook/Word File
Sticky Notes
My personal favorite

Whatever method you choose, know the agent’s normal response time.
**Once you pass that, consider it a “No”

Follow up?
Depends on agent. Most usually have instructions on their website about whether or not to contact them for follow up. Follow their directions please!

Pacing?

How many agents should you query at a time?
**Most recommend 3-4/week

Why?
If it’s not working, you may want to change things up

Starting point?
Top or bottom of your list? — Totally up to you, but a lot of authors will recommend not starting with your top choices just in case you find out later your query needs more work.

Good luck with your query writing process and if you have any tips to share, please do!

Listen to the full discussion now on my new podcast!

Write. Publish. Repeat. Podcast: How to Write a Query Letter Without Going Completely Crazy

The Invisible Initiative #InvisibleInitiative

Authors always get asked about idea inspiration and where they came up with concepts for their books. I’ve gotten that with “Invisible” and I haven’t really had a good answer because there wasn’t anything particular that sparked the idea. It was more of a musing or random thought that stuck and morphed into a story.

Almost two years later, when I think about “Invisible” now and the reasons behind writing it and what I put into it on a personal level, it’s more about the message than the inspiration. Growing up, there were plenty of times I felt invisible in my own family, in school, and in church even. I was quiet, shy, and not very outgoing unless I new someone well. The initial idea for “Invisible” may be vague, but as I was writing Mason’s side of the story in particular, I felt myself putting a lot of my own feelings and experiences into the book. It’s painful to feel invisible. It affects you.

It often takes someone else to pull you out of that bubble and show you what you can’t see about yourself on your own. I had that experience with a good friend of mine as a teenager and I can honestly say it made a huge impact on my life. Amy Brimhall and I are both back living in the same town, and even though work and busy family lives don’t let us get together very often right now, I often think about her and how she impacted me by the simple gesture of offering to pick me up for school in the morning and being a friend when I needed one.

Thinking about this a lot as I was getting the Aerling Series box set put together this last week, I wanted to pass on how much other people’s support has meant to me so they know that their friendship hasn’t gone unnoticed, that they aren’t invisible either.

My challenge is for you to do the same thing. Pick a few people who have made a difference in your life and share that with them. Feel free to use the image below to share on their Facebook wall or Twitter feed along with why your sharing it with them. Let them know their presence in your life has made a difference. They may have no idea and it may be your chance to return the favor when they might need it most. No one should feel invisible.

#InvisibleInitiative Share this image with someone who has impacted you so they know their friendship hasn't gone unnoticed. — #InvisibleInitiative Share this image with someone who has impacted you so they know their friendship hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Not So Wordless Wednesday: D. Nicole King’s Always Series @dNicholeKing

I don’t typically share a lot of promotions on my blog, but I couldn’t help sharing D. Nicole King’s new bookmarks I just finished up for her Love Always Series.

Is Summer Over Yet?

The family and I have had a lot of fun this summer…

Those who follow me on social media have probably gotten sick of pictures from our Denver adventures, hiking, frisbee golfing, camping, dinosaur bones, and working on our basement. I’m sure they’re glad I held back on photos of the splash pad, weeding the monstrous weeds that keep springing up thanks to the unseasonable rain, or all the other random activities. It’s been a crazy busy, but fun summer, but it’s winding down and I think we’re all just about ready to get back to our regular schedules.

This is what we all feel like by this point, lol!

What’s on the schedule for fall?

An equally busy schedule. My son is joining track and First Lego League, my daughter will be back into soccer soon, they both need swimming lessons, my husband is planning to start a podcast (which I’m really excited about!), I’ve got classes to teach, plus our usual day jobs, and hopefully a family vacation to Disneyland!

What’s on the writing schedule?

Finish up the final details of the AERLING SERIES BOX SET (releasing August 15th).

Finish and prep THE GHOST HOST for release (Sept 2 pre-order, full release Oct 13th).

Get to work on (AND finish) WICKED REVENGE.

Pre-Order (Sept 22) and Release (Oct 6) of THE ONLY SHARK IN THE SEA.

Turn in final draft of SHARK IN TROUBLED WATERS (first week of August, release date pending).

At some point work on various other projects like “Eliza Carlisle Mystery,” “Humanity Chronicles,” unnamed paranormal NA book I will eventually figure out a name for, and probably a few others I’ve forgotten about by now.

What are your plans for the fall?

Not So Wordless Wednesday: Aerling Series Box Set

I’m still working on the final details, but I have exciting news for my Aerling Series Fans!

If you want more Mason and Olivia, get ready for the Aerling Series Box Set. I’m releasing all three books PLUS three exclusive short stories all together!

The Aerling Series Box includes all three books in the series, Invisible, Intangible, and Invincible. As a bonus, this box set includes 3 EXCLUSIVE short stories Aerling fans will only find in the box set. Curious about how Mason and Olivia first met, or about how the Parker family turned out, and what about Mason and Olivia’s future? You’ll only find out in the Aerling Series Box Set!

For those not familiar with the series…

Invisible:

Olivia’s best friend is not imaginary. He’s not a ghost, either. And she’s pretty sure he’s not a hallucination. He’s just Mason.

He is, however, invisible.

Being invisible won’t keep him safe for long.

Intangible:

Mason is not imaginary.
He’s not a ghost, either.
And he’s most definitely not a hallucination.

Mason is an Aerling, and the Sentinels’ number one target.

Invincible:

Mason is not imaginary.
He’s not a ghost, either.
And he’s definitely not a hallucination.

Mason is the one Aerling capable of saving an entire world.

He thought he was going home, but surviving Sentinel attacks and making it back to the Aerling world is only the beginning of Mason’s fight to protect the ones he loves.

The Beginning (Short Story)

Ever wondered what was going through Olivia’s head when she spotted a dirty, crying little boy in her front yard at five years old? See the day she met and took in Mason, and experience everything she saw and felt the day her journey truly began.

First Step (Short Story)

The end of the Aerling war leaves every Aerling on Earth with a choice to make. Stay on Earth…the only home they know…and remain unseen by nearly everyone, or give up the familiar and embrace their new home. The choice isn’t easy for Conner Parker, and an emotional connection to his new neighbor Serena complicates it even more.

The Epilogue (Short Story)

Every Aerling fan wants to know, what happens to Mason and Olivia after the war? Where does Molly end up? What about Shane? Catch up with your favorite characters ten years after the end of Invincible to see what an irrevocable bond between worlds and people has created.

The Aerling Series Box Set will be available on most major ebook platforms August 18th, 2015.

Smashwords