What Works in Book Marketing, and What Doesn't?
My publisher has asked me for suggestions on how they can best market the next book in the Sebastian St. Cyr series. I've come up with a few ideas, but I thought I'd ask what you think works.
Time was, publishers pushed their authors to be active on Facebook. But now that Facebook only shows an author's post to 3-10% of the people who follow her, even publishers are admitting it's really not very effective. (I'll swallow the rant I'd like to insert here.)
I usually make a book video for my books, even though I doubt anyone has ever watched one and bought the book because of it. I make them because they're fun and because they make my publisher happy because it looks like I'm doing something to promote my book. Which is a really stupid reason to do something, but the truth is, I suspect a LOT of what authors do falls into that category.
I have asked them to drop the price on What Angels Fear and run a Book Bub Ad right before the next book's release. They don't seem too enthused, but I plan to keep pushing the idea.
I just had the book tour for Who Buries the Dead, so that isn't in the cards again, at least not this soon. I did a virtual blog tour last March, but I'm not sure how much good that did and it took a lot of time to write all those posts. Who saw them? Did anyone try the books because of them? Who knows?
I am in the process of revamping my website, but that is more because after eight years I'm tired of looking at it myself, and because Google is being a pain (swallowing another rant here; if you don't have a special page for mobile devises, your site's ranking is now knocked way down on a Google search).
So, any suggestions? What makes you decide to buy a book--other than having someone whose tastes you respect say, "I read a great book you should try!" What have you seen authors/publishers do to promote a book that actually worked?
Ideas?
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May 28, 2015 02:25PM
First, of course, friend recommendations will pique my interest in a book, but it's not enough to make me buy, just seek it out. But aside from that it has to fit my very particular interests (mostly historical stuff, biography, drama, etc. I won't go into the whole list) But when I'm out just scanning shelves, I'm first attracted to the cover, if I can see it. There will be something in the art that compels me: a famous historical figure on the front, a historical painting, somber/rich colors. The cover is like the piece of cheese in the trap. Once I get closer to see the picture, I have to see there's a catchy title, though that's not quite as important but the title and the image combined make me say: "What's this about?" Then, of course, the snare: the blurb. If I can't see the cover then I rely on titles, but sometimes the spine of a book offers a hint at the cover image and I've become quite adept at spotting those history/biography based books! So if all I can see is the title on the spine, then I pull the book to see the cover art. Then read the blurb. If it seems interesting to me based on my tastes for fiction then I will buy it--IF it fits my budget. The blurb really does sell it to me. But I wish I could pinpoint WHAT about a story is compelling enough to make me want to read it (outside of what I've already stated). I guess that's another post :)
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Michelle wrote: "First, of course, friend recommendations will pique my interest in a book, but it's not enough to make me buy, just seek it out. But aside from that it has to fit my very particular interests (mos..."Yes, I think the loss of so many real bookstores, where we can scan the shovels looking for a book, is a big part of what has publishers scrambling to find some other way to interest readers in a relatively unknown author.
The number one thing that works for me these days and gets me to try a new to me author/series is if the first book in the series is offered for $1.99 on amazon in ebook format. So yes, push your publisher on that. Because that gets me to try new to me authors more than anything else these days. For $1.99 I will take a gamble. Not so much when the ebook costs $11.99.This spring Naomi Novak's Uprooted seemed to be everywhere months before it came out. It seemed every author I read and love had gotten an advanced copy of it and was buzzed about it and they wrote and posted reviews on goodreads, on twitter, etc. I hadn't read her books before or even heard of her but that constant buzz from other authors got me to buy the book.
Otherwise I look to reviews from some book blogs I follow or posts from people on some message boards I participate in. So book blog tours can work I think.
Indiana wrote: "The number one thing that works for me these days and gets me to try a new to me author/series is if the first book in the series is offered for $1.99 on amazon in ebook format. So yes, push your ..."Thanks, Indiana. Do you mind if I ask what blogs do you follow?
First, I want to say how much I love the picture you posted - that's my daughter, who was in NOLA visiting her boy friend (now fiance), getting an autographed copy of When Maidens Mourn for my birthday!There are two main reasons for me to try a new book/series - price of the (first) book and recommendations from my friends (ie Goodreads friends or Facebook reading groups). If I'm scanning Book Bub or Goodreads and the synopsis sounds interesting, the cover catches my eye and the price is right (say 1.99 or less) then I will make a purchase. Even if I gush to my friends that a book is "the best thing ever" they are not going to take a chance unless the ebook is priced 3.99 or less. There are very few ebook above 3.99 that I purchase (like the St Cyr series...because I am so invested in it already). I think it's a REALLY good idea to offer the first book for 1.99 or less when the next book in the series comes out!!!! I also like seeing advanced reviews posted on Goodreads from ARC's...get's the buzz going for the book. Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter and Blogs - I use them all to find new books. Good Luck!!
Jo Ann wrote: "First, I want to say how much I love the picture you posted - that's my daughter, who was in NOLA visiting her boy friend (now fiance), getting an autographed copy of When Maidens Mourn for my birt..."Thanks for this, Jo Ann. It's very helpful.
No problem. I currently follow a lot of genre specific blogs such as YA and urban fantasy. I used to read a lot of romance and it was from that community that I first learned about the St. Cyr series. But I still read the Dear Author and Smart Bitches Trashy Books blogs daily. I also still look at reviews on All About Romance. Then I follow some of the joint author blogs. For example Mary Jo Putney participates in the Word Wenches Blog with a number of other authors. Similarly Charlaine Harris participates in Femmes Fatales with a number of other mystery authors. Then there are quite a number of authors whose blogs I follow who are always very generous about promoting other authors. Sharon Kay Penman is one.Other thoughts, I know you were at the RT Booklovers Convention last year...getting your publisher to give away copies of the first book in the St. Cyr series at next years convention might be something for them to consider. I've gone to it for the past few years and I've found a lot of new to me authors through those give aways. I like that convention because it has such a variety of authors and genres and I think its a good fit for you as the readers there read romance, historical fiction, mysteries, etc.
Also, I saw a comment of yours about how you have been neglecting your blog for facebook...unite your social media so you capture your readers no matter where they are. I don't have a facebook account, I had no idea you were active there and was missing posts of yours. Most YA authors I follow have it so when they post on tumblr or facebook, it links on twitter and goodreads as well. So unite your social media so that if you post on facebook, it automatically posts a link on your blog (or vice versa) and your twitter, etc. That way you increase your presence online without having to spend more time online.
Does your publisher participate in NetGalley or other e-galley distribution programs? It's a good way to push books out to book bloggers, booksellers, and librarians prior to publication for review. The idea is to get the reviewers to generate buzz for books they like. On NetGalley, reviewers are expected to provide information about where they post their reviews (like Goodreads/Amazon/personal blogs). As a librarian, I'm also asked whether I plan to buy the book and promote it through reader's advisory and programming, as well as whether I would recommend it for the LibraryReads list (a list of top 10 books published monthly recommended by librarians). There's data out there suggesting that exposure to books through libraries helps drive books sales, so using a site like NetGalley to get librarians engaged with your book is a good marketing tool.
I will join on the bandwagon with the "mark down Book 1 in the series". Like previous responders, I am far more likely to take a chance on a new author if I'm not paying out a large amount of money to do it. It's noteworthy that Baen books often prices the first book in the series free for just this reason - apparently Jim Baen was mocked when he started doing it, and other people in the publishing industry predicted he would go bankrupt. He didn't. It worked.
This should not have come as a huge surprise, as drug dealers have been operating this business model for years: offer them the first hit for free, to get them hooked.
Book Bub is a pretty good idea. Admittedly, I rarely buy anything via there, but that's only because a lot of what it sends me appears to be stuff I wouldn't waste precious minutes of my life on. But I do read the emails, just in case there's something I'm interested in - so if something similar to Sebastian came up, I'd probably strongly consider it.
Covers are important - but yours are always good (Baen's are almost always awful - very garish and cheap looking, as if the writing is also going to be garish and cheap).
Blurb is also important. Other than the cover (which we all know is something we shouldn't judge a book by), it's pretty much the only way if finding out what's inside other than reading the thing. A blurb needs to give me a good idea of what genre of book it is, what the basics of the plot are, and what the style of writing is. A Cadfael historical mystery is a different animal to a Sebastian one, and both are different from Falco - and not just because of the setting. Different authors, different feel.
Words cannot begin to express how much I do not care about what various newspapers said about the book or, worse, about other books. Do not fill up the cover with other people's opinions at the expense of telling me what the d*mn book is about. This is one of my pet hates. So I'm expected to buy a book I don't know anything about just because some journalist thinks it's good? Forget it.
I don't really regret the demise of the physical bookshop, at least partly because I rarely had time to visit one. The internet, on the other hand, I can visit whenever I like - and it gives me recommendations based on what I've already bought, or rated. So make sure, as far as you can, that your book is linked to other books of the same kind, so it comes up on people's lists of recommendations. I've come across several authors that way that I might not have found otherwise.I will join on the bandwagon with the "mark down Book 1 in the series". Like previous responders, I am far more likely to take a chance on a new author if I'm not paying out a large amount of money to do it.
Consider, if you haven't already, making the first chapter or so free to read. Personally, I generally know whether I'm going to like an author or not within the first few pages.
Gee your UK publisher up, if you can. Many of your books are not available on kindle - not everyone wants to buy a 10-book bundle up front. Speaking for myself, if an author is not providing books in the format I want, I will not read that author. There are plenty more fish in the sea, and authors in the bookshop. Plus, I resent being dictated to. My free time: my choice of reading format. Also, not having ebook editions is a flat-out invitation to piracy. If you don't give people a way to get what they want legally, they are more likely to decide to take it illegally.
Plus, something weird is going on with your Amazon indexing: Amazon seems to think you are twins.
Spending time online is good. People are people, and fundamentally illogical. If they like a person, they are more likely to buy a book written by that person, regardless of actual content - or, conversely, if they dislike someone they wouldn't throw a rope if they were drowning, let alone buy a book. Plus, interacting with an author (or watching an author interact with others) gives a good idea of what their writing style might be like. I theorise that it may help also cut down ebook piracy: if you're a real person, not just a name on a cover, it may increase the guilt factor.
I suppose marketing falls into two distinct camps:
1: Persuading people who have already seen your book that they want to buy it (cover, blurb, reviews).
2: Bringing your book to people's attention (links, recommendations, blogs).
You need both: people can't buy it if they don't know about it, and they won't buy it if they don't like the look of it.
I second Indiana's comments about Dear Author, Smart Bitches/Trashy Books and All About Romance. RT magazine is great too. These blogs and RT post on Facebook so there's double coverage for new books and sale books. I think they would jump all over a sale on the first book and promote it if you bring it to their attention (although they are great at finding sale books on their own too). These blogs are great go-to sources for readers to find new authors.The St Cyr series has come up again and again by readers on Smart Bitches/Trashy Books - I'm sure they'd be happy to do a review of the new book and promote a sale of the first book.
Indiana, thanks for all this. I think the only reason they did anything with RT last year was because it was here in New Orleans; no one has suggested giving away books there. And now I need to figure out how to unite everything....Sherry, I know they did Netgallery once, but I'm not sure they kept it up. I will ask.
Theophania, thanks for all this; you make a lot of good points. Unfortunately, I don't have a UK publisher, so that's why there's the delay. But I thought they were all available; which ones aren't? And what is Amazon doing with my indexing?! Oh, dear!
Jo Ann, thank you; I'm going to definitely ask them to look into those blogs. I don't think they approached them last time.
Jo Ann wrote: "First, I want to say how much I love the picture you posted - that's my daughter, who was in NOLA visiting her boy friend (now fiance), getting an autographed copy of When Maidens Mourn for my birt..."Oh, and Jo Ann, I meant to also tell you that I remember your daughter very well! Glad to hear she's doing great.
This is you: http://www.amazon.co.uk/C.-S.-Harris/...Why Kings Confess, When Gods Die and What Angels Fear are available on kindle.
Here is your twin who wrote Who Buries the Dead:http://www.amazon.co.uk/C.S.-Harris/e...
Who Buries the Dead is available on kindle.
The 6-book and 10-book bundles are marked as "unavailable" with no author listed. Maybe you are, in fact, triplets - and the third is just really shy?
I just checked the Kobo site, and the same four books are available there, so it's not just an Amazon problem (although Kobo thinks you are one person, not two or potentially three). The bundles aren't listed at all.
So, if you were wondering why your ebook sales in the UK were a bit anaemic, the fact the books aren't available may go some way to explaining it...
Theophania wrote: "This is you: http://www.amazon.co.uk/C.-S.-Harris/......"Pardon me while I bang my head against the desk....
Theophania, thanks so much for this! I'll get on my editor right away. I had no idea. So thank you, thank you, thank you.
No problem :-) Good luck with getting it fixed.
I agree with the many comments about marking down the first book in the series. I've gotten hooked into series so many times that way. I don't know much about the publishing world but I read a lot (about 5 books a month). My two main sources of info are Amazon and Goodreads. On Amazon, I pay attention to the Kindle Deals and Kindle Unlimited books. I've tried so many new authors that way. I don't want to spend more than $3 on an ebook unless it is a author/series I love. I also look at what others have read for my favorite books on Amazon. With Goodreads, I watch what is coming through on my feed and often click on books that look interesting to learn more and maybe add to my "To Read" list. The ratings on Goodreads are also important to me. I'm finding that I'm often best off not choosing books with less than a 3.5 score and I like finding books with an over 4.0 (assuming there is a significant number of raters). The other thing I use to find books on Goodreads are the lists - Best Historical Fiction, Best Books of 2014, etc.
Good luck - I love your books!
Terri wrote: "I agree with the many comments about marking down the first book in the series. I've gotten hooked into series so many times that way. I don't know much about the publishing world but I read a lot ..."Thanks for this; I keep telling and telling my publisher this, to the point I feel like I'm getting hoarse. Other publishers "get" it. It's so frustrating. And thanks for explaining how you use Goodreads to find books. I've had so many people tell me they find books through Goodreads, but since I don't use it myself I don't know how it works.
BookBubs is an excellent idea. I've purchased way too many books from that site. :)I've also found two new "favorite authors" through them. I purchased the e-books, then bought paperback copies of each book in both series, and convinced a friend to try them. She now follows those two authors herself.
Reducing the copy of the first book in a series on Bookbub can mean more than one sale if readers love the book.
Nancy wrote: "BookBubs is an excellent idea. I've purchased way too many books from that site. :)I've also found two new "favorite authors" through them. I purchased the e-books, then bought paperback copies of..."
Thanks for this. I keep telling my editors, but they do of want to hear.
