Vicky Dreiling's Blog, page 17
August 5, 2011
Q&A with Gerry Bartlett and Giveaway!
REAL VAMPIRES DON'T WEAR SIZE SIX
Curvy vampire Glory St. Clair kicked out the demon that had set up shop in her body, but she had some serious fallout, mainly to her relationship with longtime lover Jeremy Blade. Before Glory can win him back, she has some issues of the hellish variety to deal with.
First, some visitors from the Dark Side want to make her their hell-buddy, and they definitely like to fight dirty. Second, the local vampire council is after Glory to clean up her act, or they'll run her out of town. To pacify them, she has to mentor a vamp fledgling, a computer whiz with a fashion phobia. And to top it all off, Lucifer himself offers Glory the ultimate temptation: work for the devil and he'll make her the size six she's always lusted after.
Glory's not sure if she can resist such an offer, but there are a few things the full-figured vamp knows for sure. Somehow, she's going to get back the man she loves, keep the business she needs, and teach her nerdy newbie that size doesn't matter.
Welcome to fun! Gerry Bartlett is a friend of mine, and I'm a huge fan of her Real Vampire series. I just love that she set her vamp world in Austin, TX because it's such a cool place. The best part about Gerry is her hilarious sense of humor, and boy does it shine through in her books. Her character, Glory, is so relatable because she's like most of us ~ minus the margaritas and Mexican food. 
By the way, if you haven't read the previous installments of the REAL VAMPIRE series, don't let that stop you. Gerry is a master at writing standalone books. Warning: Once you read one, you'll want them all.
Gerry graciously agreed to answer a few questions for me. Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of REAL VAMPIRES DON'T WEAR SIZE SIX (US & CA only). I've read it, and believe me, you don't want to miss the fun. So on to the Q&A – and feel free to ask Gerry questions while you're here.
Q&A with Gerry Bartlett
You wrote a Regency historical under a pen name, then switched to vampire contemporary paranormals. Why the big change? At the time the market was soft for historicals. Thank goodness that market has heated up again and I wish I had the time to go back to the Regencies, I absolutely love that time period. I tried my hand at the vampire thing at the urging of my critique partner, Nina Bangs. She was doing really well with her own paranormals and I enjoyed reading hers. I was lucky that my proposal helped me snag my first ever agent and a contract with Berkley for the first two in a series that's now on book 7 with REAL VAMPIRES DON'T WEAR SIZE SIX, out this month.
What do you think makes vampires so popular? It's the mystery surrounding the vamp male for one. He's usually totally alpha and dangerous and what woman doesn't have a secret fantasy involving one of those bad boys? As for the women, well, having a pair of fangs and kick butt abilities is very empowering. I like the fact that Glory, my heroine, is able to take care of herself. The immortality thing is a huge fantasy for all of us, I think. I love being able to add a bit of history with my ancient vampires.
Any advice for new writers trying to break into the market now? It's tough and you have to stand out in a crowded field. The problem is, the publishers want new and different but not too far out there. What they really are searching for is a strong voice that tells a universal story that readers will want to buy. Confusing? I hope not. If you pick up any popular author's work, you can usually tell it's his or her book by the style, the tone and the topic. That's voice. If you haven't found yours yet, you haven't written enough.
Tell us about Glory, your plus size vampire. Glory is over four hundred years old but she was bloating when she was turned and got stuck that way. So she has figure issues. I keep in mind that she's a product of the 1600s when women weren't independent. So it's been a struggle for her to pull away from her sire, who is a typical controlling Highlander. She loves him, but she knows she needs to make her own way in life. Readers seem to relate to her and her problems and I love that. Even when I wrote historical romances, I tried to keep in mind that I was writing about people with human emotions and problems and that those are universal. If I can't feel what my characters are feeling when I write a scene, I throw it out and start over.
Last words? Perserverence is the key to success in this business and paying attention to what readers are buying. I switched to vampires and never looked back. But if vampires became a no sell? I'd move on in an instant. The bottom line is that I want my books to reach readers and I'll do what it takes to make that happen. Book 8 in my series, REAL VAMPIRES HATE SKINNY JEANS, comes out in April and we're negotiating for a book 9. So far each book has hit the bestseller list for trade paperbacks at Barnes & Nobles and Borders . As long as that keeps happening, I hope to keep the series going. It's been a great ride.
Thank you so much, Gerry. I'm looking forward to REAL VAMPIRES HATE SKINNY JEANS in April and have my fingers crossed for a ninth installment.
If you want to find out more about Gerry, click on the hyper link: Gerry Bartlett. Don't forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of REAL VAMPIRES DON'T WEAR SIZE SIX! Cheers!
July 17, 2011
Writer Sunday: Branding & Perception
Welcome to my second installment of Writer Sunday. The purpose of this weekly post is to share information with other writers that pertains to the marketing or craft of fiction. If you read last week's Writer Sunday post, you know that I've spent ten years in corporate marketing. I also interned at Ogilvy & Mather, the international advertising agency. So now you understand why I'm so interested in marketing.
During my internship at O&M, I first encountered the topic of branding. The American Marketing Association defines brand as "a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller's good or service as distinct from those of other sellers." Brand can pertain to a single product or service or a family of products and/or services. Another way to think of brand is as a personality. Essentially, brand managers seek to create certain perceptions of their product or service that the target audience identifies with.
Increasingly, companies seek to create emotional connections with their brands. This is known as experiential marketing. I have, in fact, conducted experiential market research, which seeks to understand the perceptions of end-users with a particular product. Those perceptions can have a marked effect on the success or failure of a product. Ideally, the company will use tools to position their products in such a way that they positively influence the perceptions of their target market. So what is positioning? Positioning defines the way in which a product will compete with similar products. More important, positioning differentiates your novel from all the others in the category. In the case of romance, the categories would include historical romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, contemporary, etc. If you position your novel or a series as having qualities unique among the crowd, you're more likely to get a positive response when submitting to agents and/or editors.
Brand management in a corporation revolves around a consistent, core idea that reflects the image of the company as a whole. Not all major corporations successfully manage their brands. I'm a pc girl, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point to Apple as a company that truly gets branding. While most F500 corporations support causes and community involvement, Apple connects with people on an emotional level. Have you ever noticed how consumers who own Apple products are super loyal? They feel they are a part of that brand. In a sense, Apple has created a tribe that acts as a positive voice for the company. Wouldn't you like to have that kind of endorsement from readers? Well, this does happens with certain authors who deliver compelling, emotional stories again and again to their fans. Who are are few authors who manage their brands well?
How do those authors create these Mega Brands? To some degree, their ability to produce manuscripts quickly and consistently make them available to readers helps increase their awareness (this is particularly helpful in the early part of their careers). However, the most important aspect that differentiates these stars is their ability to create that emotional connection in the same way that Apple creates connections with its consumers. We're talking about a lot of hard work and yes, talent.
Let's say like me, you're a new author or relatively new. What can you do to start off on the right branding foot? First, identify the emotional connection you wish to make with readers. You communicate that through your novel, but you can also use slogans and even logos to help create and/or increase awareness of your brand.
The following are some famous slogans. Do you remember any of these?
Got Milk? (1993, California Milk Processor Board)
Don't leave home without it (1975 American Express)
Where's the beef? (1984 Wendy's)
You're in good hands with Allstate (1956 Allstate Insurance)
Dude, you're getting a Dell (Dell Computer, 2003)
Just Do It! (Nike, 1988)
We try harder (Avis, 1962)
Melts in your mouth, not in your hands. (1954, M&M Candies)
Takes a licking and keeps on ticking. (1956, Timex)
When creating your slogan, choose words that reflect that emotional connection you wish to have with readers. In my case, I wanted readers to know that my books are sexy and have a humorous tone. I also wanted the slogan to be memorable. To be honest, I was a bit dubious that anyone would notice my slogan: Wickedly Witty Historical Romance. I certainly didn't have the resources to test that slogan, but something happened with the publication of my second book HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL. Reviewers used the "wickedly witty" part of my slogan in their descriptions of my novel. In other words, the slogan positively reflects the emotional experience I wish readers to have when reading my books.
If you think a logo is a strange idea for a novel, look at the top of this page. I commissioned an artist to paint and create an image of that waltzing couple for my website. I use that same image on my e-newsletter, stationary, and my Romance Trading cards as a visual branding tool.
Finally, I create marketing copy at the request of my publisher that reflects the witty and fun experience I aim for in my novels. These are blogs and articles that appear in online fan magazines and other relevant places. So what are some of the activities you've undertaken to create and/or strengthen your brand?
The following is a commercial that cracked me up in 2008, even though I was working for the competition at the time. What do you think Dell was trying to achieve with their brand in these commercials?
July 10, 2011
Skyrockets in Flight Blog Hop Winners!
Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by on the blog hop! I hope you all had a lot of fun. The two winners of my prize packages are Pam S and Michelle Bledsoe. I'll email both of you for your addresses. You've each won a copy of HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL, plus a set of Romance Trading Cards for each book. Congratulations!
While you're here, feel free to check out the rest of my website if you haven't already. There's some cool music on the Fun Page, along with interesting facts about Regency England and some recent photos I took at the RWA conference in New York at the end of June. Also, you can find excerpts of my books on the booklist page and links to places I hang out. Feel free to contact me at any time with questions or comments.
Cheers!
Vicky
New: Weekly Writer Sunday – Promotion and the Purchase Process
I'm starting a weekly Sunday blog for writers. Because so many published authors shared their knowledge with me, I also wish to pass on what I've learned to other writers. This week, I'm discussing Promotion at a high level perspective. Having spent 10 years in corporate marketing, I think it's important to understand marketing concepts prior to embarking on any promotional campaign. This is as true for a giant consumer corporation as it is for a self-employed author.
One of the biggest misperceptions I've noted is that authors think of promotional efforts as a one-to-one equation. For example, Wanda Writer decides to create a banner ad and put it up on a well-known reviewer site. Wanda is hoping this banner ad will increase sales of her book. But Wanda is missing several steps in readers' decision-making processes.
Looking at promotion from the consumer's viewpoint, and smart marketers do, you must consider the purchase process. One marketing model for the purchase process is called the Purchase Funnel as shown below.
The model makes sense, particularly for new products, new companies, revamped products, and for our purposes, debut authors. The first step is to create awareness of your brand and product. You, the author, are the brand. Why not the book? Because you will have more than one book. Your brand is the perception you create of the experiences your readers will have and come to expect when reading your books. Brand is also a promise, one that means you will consistently deliver a novel that reflects what readers expect to find in your novels. Those expectations will encompass tone, voice, characterization, and plotting. Certainly, authors can and do write in more than one genre, but in the beginning of your career, you may find it easier to establish a strong brand by first focusing on one subgenre. Whether you write in one or multiple subgenres, it's crucial to deliver a consistent reading experience.
So how do you create awareness? In my case, this starts with the publisher, specifically sales and marketing. Distribution is key as the availability of my books in key accounts is critical. My publisher also advertises in fan magazines, holds contests on Goodreads, distributes e-Newsletters to readers, and does out of the box promotions on Facebook and Twitter. Other promotions include blog tours and interviews. In turn, I create marketing pieces for them to pitch to various online sites and have an active presence on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and various writing blogs and groups.
Once readers become aware of your books, the consideration phase begins. Think about your own decision process when buying a book. Factors that may sway your decision include buzz about the book, the cover, reviews, and possibly recommendations from a trusted source such as a friend. Authors can influence the consideration phase by posting excerpts of their books on their websites. Also, many publishers, such as mine, post excerpts and dear reader letters in the backs of the novels to help with the consideration phase.
The purchase phase occurs next. Obviously, the whole universe of romance readers is not your target market. Your potential target market first consists of readers who enjoy your subgenre. Other factors include tone, voice, pacing, plotting, etc. We all know that the reading experience is highly personal. Have you ever recommended a book you loved to a friend, only to learn she wasn't as blown away as you? That's the personal factor that accounts for the wildly different reactions you may see in reviews for any particular book.
Preference is the final step in the purchase process and is about loyalty. I love Loretta Chase's books and am a devoted reader. I recently told a friend that Loretta Chase could put the Tasmanian devil on her cover, and I'd buy the book, regardless. That's the power of loyalty. However, I should add that loyalty depends on delivering a consistent experience that aligns with the author's brand.
Next Sunday, I'll address branding and perception in more detail. Meanwhile, be thinking about how companies influence the perceptions of consumers. Here's an old Apple iPOD commercial to consider. What emotional experience is Apple hoping to evoke in the consumer? Write down your top of the mind responses and leave them in a comment for this blog. Cheers!
July 3, 2011
Skyrockets In Flight Blog Hop Delight!!!
Fun and prizes in the Skyrockets In Flight Blog Hop starting July 4th through July 10th. I'll be giving away book packages to two commenters: HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL, HOW TO MARRY A DUKE, AND Romance Trading Cards! (US and Canada Only Please)
There are no rules to enter on my blog, other than to leave a comment plus a name such as ILoveblogsATOhboyDOTCom – so I can let you know if you won a prize. Of course, I would love it if you followed my blog, but it's not a condition here. I'm making it EZ for you, since I want it to be your choice. If you're interested in checking out other places I hang out, check out the info here. I love connecting with readers and welcome everyone!
Below is the info to hop over to the other blogs for chances to win great prizes. Have fun and thanks for hopping by my blog.
June 20, 2011
RWA National Conference – New York Here We Come!
So I've been to New York more times than I can count for business, but I haven't traveled there since 2008. I'm super excited about the RWA conference because I'm participating for the first time at the RWA Readers for Life Literacy Autographing. I'm signing both HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and my new release HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL (officially out on June 28th). When my editor told me that HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL shipped in time for the signing, I was thrilled. There will be 500 authors signing books at this event, which is open to the public. So if you happen to be in New York, come visit me at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square!
I'll also be giving away Romance Trading Cards I had made for both of my books. If you can't make the RWA Literacy signing and would like some, just email me: vicky@vickydreiling.com. Take a look!
June 17, 2011
Blogging & Contest
http://jauntyquills.com/
Good luck!
June 10, 2011
June 6, 2011
Winner of WICKED IN YOUR ARMS Plus a Bonus Giveaway!
Congratulations to Sarah! You won the Advance Reading Copy (ARC) of Sophie Jordan's WICKED IN YOUR ARMS! Email your snail mail address to vicky@vickydreiling.com and put WICKED IN YOUR ARMS in the subject line.
WICKED IN YOUR ARMS will publish on July 26th. Pre-order information can be found on Harper Collins website.
Now for the Bonus Giveaway. Why a Bonus Giveaway? Well, I love nice surprises, and also I happen to have extra copies of my debut historical HOW TO MARRY A DUKE. So, congratulations to Leisa Prater who won a copy of HOW TO MARRY A DUKE. Leisa, email me your snail mail address and put HOW TO MARRY A DUKE in the subject line. In addition to the book, Leisa will also receive Romance Trading Cards (RTC) for both HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and my upcoming historical HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL (June 28th).
What are Romance Trading Cards? They're new and fun trading cards readers can collect for your favorite romances. Go here for more info on RTCs!
Here's a sample photo of my RTCs for HOW TO MARRY A DUKE and HOW TO SEDUCE A SCOUNDREL.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by and left comments for Sophie! May the Magic Romance Fairies be with all of you! 
June 3, 2011
Friday Giveaway – Sophie Jordan's Wicked in Your Arms
TGIF! Today, I'm giving away an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of Sophie Jordan's upcoming historical WICKED IN YOUR ARMS to one lucky commenter. Sophie is a fabulous writer, and her books have made both the USA Today and The New York Times bestseller lists. She's also a friend of mine. Naturally, I just had to feature her newest release. Check out this blurb for WICKED IN YOUR ARMS.
One of the most notoriously eligible bachelors in Europe is finally ready to marry . . .
For fiercely independent Grier Hadley, being the illegitimate daughter of one of London's most unsavory characters has only one advantage: an enormous, ill-gotten dowry.
Prince Sevastian Maksimi knows where his duty lies: he must find a well-bred young lady—one with a considerable fortune to her name—wed her promptly, and get to the business of producing an heir.
The last thing Grier needs is some unattainable prince curling her toes with his smoldering glances and wicked suggestions. As far as Sev is concerned, she lacks the breeding to become a princess. And yet one kiss from this arresting female is all it takes for him to realize that anyone else in his arms would be unthinkable . . .
Now check out this gorgeous step-back cover! 
And take a look at the back cover!
Are you dying to win the ARC of WICKED IN YOUR ARMS yet? Leave a comment for a chance to win! (US & Canada only please)
P.S. Sophie also writes Young Adult and Paranormal novels. You can learn more about these books on her website.
