How to Market Writing When Clueless
I’m no expert on this so I will tread extremely gently. Over the years, I’ve learned how important marketing is whether it’s for a novel being self-published or traditionally published. Traditional publishers tend to spend the most time, effort, and money promoting and marketing their big named authors. Ironically, these authors are so well branded and established that their name alone is all that is need to sell, and lots of marketing may not be needed. New and unknown authors who need promotion the most often won’t get as much from publishers—at least, not as much as the author would like. But even the big-name authors did a lot of self-marketing in the beginning. Therefore, self-marketing is critical. Don’t underestimate the importance of it.
When I realized the projected publishing date of my upcoming romance, Defending the Net (DTN), I knew I had to start getting the word out. Experts recommend that marketing a novel begin three to six months prior to publication. That’s not a lot of time, considering everything that must be done during that period. For me, that included editing, cover design (or awaiting it), and developing a marketing plan—all of which are time-consuming. I knew multi-tasking was my only option.
The first step was my pre-edit. A pre-edit is when a publisher requests an author go through the manuscript for a final self-edit before the manuscript is turned over to the publishing house editors. Fortunately for me, my publisher provided a pre-edit checklist. This allowed me to become aware of and look for specific errors in order to speed up the editing process. By taking this step, publishing editors can focus on more critical issues. For example, if the checklist caused me to realize I’ve consistently used a comma incorrectly, I can make the correction instead of the publishing house editors having to spend the time checking for the mistake.
So, what does this have to do with marketing? While pre-editing, I found a way to begin my marketing plan. As I went through each chapter, I made notes of things that I could do to market my book. I allowed the text to be my inspiration. Sometimes, the notes were brief and other times extensive. My goal became to have at least one marketing strategy or idea per chapter.
In addition, I considered what valuable content information I could extract from each chapter to use in my blog. Being busy with a new novel doesn’t mean blogging can be pushed aside. In fact, continuing a social media presence, which includes blogging for me, is essential in marketing. It keeps readers already following you in the know and excited about what is to come. The obvious content to write about is DTN. However, there was far more content than story synopsis and character histories that I thought readers might find interesting. And believe it or not, sometimes while noting future blogs, it cued me into an edit that needed to be made (e.g., I didn’t answer this question for readers).
While I did research common marketing strategies, I also tried to find unique ideas. For new writers, being different isn’t bad. The entire idea is to be noticed. If everyone is doing the same thing in same space, it’s difficult to be noticed.
Above all else, I learned that one must be bold and not afraid to take the leap. Marketing a novel can be scary because it puts an author out there in a major way. It also can be costly if not properly constructed and developed. There’s nothing worse than a failed book signing or online party. These things do happen, and it’s part of the learning process. Remember, sometimes, it’s the failures that generate the biggest successes. If something doesn’t work, try something else. Be flexible and always have multiple backup plans.
Do spend time planning. I’m a panster; so, this is really difficult for me. However, with marketing, definite goals and deadlines need to be established. Organization is a must. Lists can be a writer’s best friend. Establishing a budget can make each dollar stretch to capacity. View and use everything around you as a resource. Now is a time to be creative and view the world through the eyes of an artist. Look beyond the surface for marketing opportunities that exist. However, in doing this, it is important not to become obnoxious or a zealot. Be careful not to wear out your welcome with your audience or burn bridges with contacts.
Don’t forget to visit Creole Bayou again. New posts are made on Wednesdays. If you have any questions or suggestions about this post or any others, feel free to comment below or tweet me at @dolynesaidso. You also can follow me on Instagram at genevivechambleeauthor or search me on Goodreads or Amazon Authors.
Enjoy sports romance? Check out my new adult romance, Defending the Net, being released in November. It is the second in my hockey series and guaranteed to melt the ice. Preorder at: https://books2read.com/defending. Crossing the line could cost the game.
Missed the first in my hockey romance series? Don’t worry. Out of the Penalty Box, an adult romance where it’s one minute in the box or a lifetime out is available at http://amzn.to/2Bhnngw. It also can be ordered on iTunes, Nook, or Kobo. For more links where to purchase or to read the blurb, please visit http://bit.ly/2i9SqpH.
Life’s Roux: Wrong Doors, my steamy romantic comedy, is available at Red Sage Publishing. To order, follow the link to Amazon at http://amzn.to/2lCQXpt.
Copies of all my books and stories are available in paper, eBook, and audio on Amazon, iTunes, Kobo, and Barnes & Noble. The links are listed in my Writing Projects page (http://bit.ly/2iDYRxU) along with descriptions of each of my novels or stories.
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