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Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label marketing. Show all posts
January 5, 2018
The Importance of an Elevator Pitch
by C.M. North
I did a thing the weekend before Christmas. It was scary, exciting and fulfilling all at once. It took about two hours of my life and made me feel more validated as a writer than I’ve perhaps ever felt before.
I did my first ever book signing!
To many established authors, this is probably no big deal. To avid readers, it probably means nothing, either. But to me it meant a lot: I sold fifteen physical copies of my books, which is more than I’ve sold in the past year, and to top it off I made over $100, which is by far the biggest paycheck I’ve received for my writing, ever.
As rewarding as it was to sign books for complete strangers, there’s a part of me, nonetheless, that feels I could have done better. It was a cold, rainy December day and the stragglers were few, though the bookshop (a small, local independent one) was cozy, and I had quite a few moments of staring into the distance, waiting for someone to walk in.
But that isn’t what I think could have been better. Yes, it could have been a warm, sunny December day, but that isn’t what I mean. Instead, I’m referring to the actual interactions I had with customers—with potential readers of my work. The truth is, I think I could have sold even more copies had I been able to better convey the interest and the engagement of the books themselves.
The funny thing is that, by day, I work in a busy retail environment. I’m usually quite excellent at introducing myself, engaging with customers, and discussing relevant solutions to their needs. Selling a book oughtn’t to be that different … except that it’s my own book. It’s one thing to sell a product you have no personal attachment to; that washing machine, or those pair of jeans, or that hammer—you can speak to the features and the benefits all day, and probably sell a good few of them. But how do you talk about something you’ve spent years of blood, sweat, and tears crafting from nothing without sounding … well, arrogant, or proud? ‘This is the best novel since The Fault in Our Stars.’ ‘If you like The Lord of the Rings, you’ll love this.’
‘Please buy my book, I think you’ll really like it.’
It’s a difficult mentality to overcome, even though selling your own book shouldn’t be that different than selling someone else’s. After all, there’s no one in the world who’s a better subject matter expert. No one else knows it as well as you.
So why is it so hard?
I think part of the difficulty is that one’s own work is, in essence, a piece of one’s soul. It’s dangerous, selling your soul—it leaves you vulnerable and exposed. What if they don’t like it? It’s more than just a rejection of your opinion, but of your very self. It becomes a frightening prospect.
It’s also difficult to avoid falling into tropes and stereotypes when someone asks you what your book is about. ‘It’s about a boy’; ‘It’s about a young girl’; these are the things that, well, all books are about, really. After all, how many fantasy books are out there that follow the adventures of children and young adults? How many YA books pit their characters against social stigmas and mental illnesses? (I mean, all of them, it seems.)
And so it becomes important to craft your answer to the question, ‘What’s it about?’ To write it, practice it, and rehearse it. To deliver it so naturally that it sounds like you just made it up—but in reality, you were just waiting to hook a potential reader.
An elevator pitch is essentially a way of getting someone interested in you, your product or your writing, in a remarkably short length of time (the idea being you could sell yourself in the time it takes to ride an elevator). And I didn’t have one. I didn’t know how to sell my books. I committed all of the sins above, and, well … probably to my detriment.
It’s odd, of course, because I’ve been sending out query letters for some time for my recent YA novel, 22 Scars, (Amazon affiliate link) so you’d think I’d have some practice at pitching my book. (That being said, I haven’t received an acceptance yet.) But delivering in writing and in person are two very different things. You also need to have a few different options: do you give the plot synopsis including the twist or just the hook to whet the appetite?
My pitch essentially sounded something like this: ‘22 Scars is about a young girl suffering from depression, self-harming to help cope, and the traumatic experiences that led her to this point.’ Ugh. It’s bland, generic, uninspired, and totally lacking any form of hook to differentiate it from a thousand others just like it. But what if it had sounded more like this? ‘Imagine your best friend never smiles, never laughs, and cuts herself daily just to cope. What if she were your crush? Your own child? What would you do? 22 Scars explores the life of Amy—seventeen and severely depressed—from the points of view of those closest to her. Along the way, it delves into the mentality of chronic depression, and the reasons for it. It can be painful at times, dealing with both physical and sexual abuse, but ultimately—I’d like to think—rewarding and inspiring. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s ever been depressed, or knows anyone who suffers.’
Perhaps not a work of art, but certainly a little more engaging, right? Maybe makes you want to know more? It takes about 45 seconds to say, even at a slow pace. And it (hopefully) doesn’t sound like anything you’ve read before.
In the end, the book signing was fun, cozy and rewarding, and not just because of the sales. It was wonderful to talk to people about books, reading, and what they were getting for themselves and their loved ones. I just wish I had prepared myself better before going in, and felt more comfortable speaking to my own work. After all—no one knows it better.
Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today!. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
I did a thing the weekend before Christmas. It was scary, exciting and fulfilling all at once. It took about two hours of my life and made me feel more validated as a writer than I’ve perhaps ever felt before.
I did my first ever book signing!
To many established authors, this is probably no big deal. To avid readers, it probably means nothing, either. But to me it meant a lot: I sold fifteen physical copies of my books, which is more than I’ve sold in the past year, and to top it off I made over $100, which is by far the biggest paycheck I’ve received for my writing, ever.
As rewarding as it was to sign books for complete strangers, there’s a part of me, nonetheless, that feels I could have done better. It was a cold, rainy December day and the stragglers were few, though the bookshop (a small, local independent one) was cozy, and I had quite a few moments of staring into the distance, waiting for someone to walk in.
But that isn’t what I think could have been better. Yes, it could have been a warm, sunny December day, but that isn’t what I mean. Instead, I’m referring to the actual interactions I had with customers—with potential readers of my work. The truth is, I think I could have sold even more copies had I been able to better convey the interest and the engagement of the books themselves.
The funny thing is that, by day, I work in a busy retail environment. I’m usually quite excellent at introducing myself, engaging with customers, and discussing relevant solutions to their needs. Selling a book oughtn’t to be that different … except that it’s my own book. It’s one thing to sell a product you have no personal attachment to; that washing machine, or those pair of jeans, or that hammer—you can speak to the features and the benefits all day, and probably sell a good few of them. But how do you talk about something you’ve spent years of blood, sweat, and tears crafting from nothing without sounding … well, arrogant, or proud? ‘This is the best novel since The Fault in Our Stars.’ ‘If you like The Lord of the Rings, you’ll love this.’
‘Please buy my book, I think you’ll really like it.’
It’s a difficult mentality to overcome, even though selling your own book shouldn’t be that different than selling someone else’s. After all, there’s no one in the world who’s a better subject matter expert. No one else knows it as well as you.
So why is it so hard?
I think part of the difficulty is that one’s own work is, in essence, a piece of one’s soul. It’s dangerous, selling your soul—it leaves you vulnerable and exposed. What if they don’t like it? It’s more than just a rejection of your opinion, but of your very self. It becomes a frightening prospect.
It’s also difficult to avoid falling into tropes and stereotypes when someone asks you what your book is about. ‘It’s about a boy’; ‘It’s about a young girl’; these are the things that, well, all books are about, really. After all, how many fantasy books are out there that follow the adventures of children and young adults? How many YA books pit their characters against social stigmas and mental illnesses? (I mean, all of them, it seems.)
And so it becomes important to craft your answer to the question, ‘What’s it about?’ To write it, practice it, and rehearse it. To deliver it so naturally that it sounds like you just made it up—but in reality, you were just waiting to hook a potential reader.
An elevator pitch is essentially a way of getting someone interested in you, your product or your writing, in a remarkably short length of time (the idea being you could sell yourself in the time it takes to ride an elevator). And I didn’t have one. I didn’t know how to sell my books. I committed all of the sins above, and, well … probably to my detriment.
It’s odd, of course, because I’ve been sending out query letters for some time for my recent YA novel, 22 Scars, (Amazon affiliate link) so you’d think I’d have some practice at pitching my book. (That being said, I haven’t received an acceptance yet.) But delivering in writing and in person are two very different things. You also need to have a few different options: do you give the plot synopsis including the twist or just the hook to whet the appetite?
My pitch essentially sounded something like this: ‘22 Scars is about a young girl suffering from depression, self-harming to help cope, and the traumatic experiences that led her to this point.’ Ugh. It’s bland, generic, uninspired, and totally lacking any form of hook to differentiate it from a thousand others just like it. But what if it had sounded more like this? ‘Imagine your best friend never smiles, never laughs, and cuts herself daily just to cope. What if she were your crush? Your own child? What would you do? 22 Scars explores the life of Amy—seventeen and severely depressed—from the points of view of those closest to her. Along the way, it delves into the mentality of chronic depression, and the reasons for it. It can be painful at times, dealing with both physical and sexual abuse, but ultimately—I’d like to think—rewarding and inspiring. I’d recommend it to anyone who’s ever been depressed, or knows anyone who suffers.’
Perhaps not a work of art, but certainly a little more engaging, right? Maybe makes you want to know more? It takes about 45 seconds to say, even at a slow pace. And it (hopefully) doesn’t sound like anything you’ve read before.
In the end, the book signing was fun, cozy and rewarding, and not just because of the sales. It was wonderful to talk to people about books, reading, and what they were getting for themselves and their loved ones. I just wish I had prepared myself better before going in, and felt more comfortable speaking to my own work. After all—no one knows it better.
C.M. North is a trained musician, coffee addict and author of 22 Scars, a young adult novel about teenage depression and growing up with tragedy and trauma. He lives in northern New Jersey with his wife, son and cat Pia, who insists she take precedence over writing. You can find him at cmnorthauthor.com.
Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today!. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
July 21, 2017
Get Paid for Your Influence
by Donna Huber
You have worked hard to grow a following on social media. You take the time it needs to nurture a fan base that interacts with your content. Don't you deserve to be compensated for that time and effort?
I know you have seen the ads for workshops and classes on how to make a six figure full-time income blogging. If you are book blogging, it is unlikely that you will reach that goal. In the publishing industry, few are willing to pay for the social influence. Whether it is because they don't recognize the power of social or that enough people are willing to do it for free that they don't have to pay for it.
However, you can make a few dollars on the side by broadening your scope a bit beyond books.
Influencer marketing is a growing, effective segment of the marketing industry. Food, retail, entertainment, fashion, and fitness are among the top industries investing marketing dollars in influencer marketing.
If you are a parent or lifestyle blogger and have a significant following (typically defined as having more than 2,000 followers on a social media network, though one company required you to have at least 5,000 followers on at least one network) you are golden. I'm neither of the first two, but I have a significant following and companies have engaged me to promote their products.
I have worked with Audible, Grammarly, Sony, and CoffeeMate.
The deliverables in a campaign are usually a combination of social shares, blog posts, and/or video. The proposal will be detailed as to exactly what you need to do. Usually, graphics are provided, sample language, as well tracking urls, and how the brand wants to be tagged on social media. For blog posts and videos they will usually provide details on word count and main points to mention.
The campaigns I have done with Sony and CoffeeMate have involved 2 social shares. The Audible campaign required a blog post. I'm a little more open to the companies I work with when it comes to social shares. Outside of the Facebook page for Girl Who Reads, all my other social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, G+) are a mix of personal and Girl Who Reads postings. When it comes to blog posts though I want to be able to at least tie it into something bookish (like CoffeeMate could have been tied to enjoying a cup of coffee with a good book).
For influencers, these companies are usually free to sign up with (I haven't ran across any that charge the influencer since that is the service they are providing to brands who do pay).
I have signed up with a few and they all work little differently and I tend to work with one or two more than the others. You will just need to look try a few out to see what ones offer you the best choices.
Here are 3 I'm signed up with:
If you too want to get paid for your influence, then work on creating an engaged following and sign up with a few companies.
Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
You have worked hard to grow a following on social media. You take the time it needs to nurture a fan base that interacts with your content. Don't you deserve to be compensated for that time and effort?
I know you have seen the ads for workshops and classes on how to make a six figure full-time income blogging. If you are book blogging, it is unlikely that you will reach that goal. In the publishing industry, few are willing to pay for the social influence. Whether it is because they don't recognize the power of social or that enough people are willing to do it for free that they don't have to pay for it.
However, you can make a few dollars on the side by broadening your scope a bit beyond books.
Influencer marketing is a growing, effective segment of the marketing industry. Food, retail, entertainment, fashion, and fitness are among the top industries investing marketing dollars in influencer marketing.
If you are a parent or lifestyle blogger and have a significant following (typically defined as having more than 2,000 followers on a social media network, though one company required you to have at least 5,000 followers on at least one network) you are golden. I'm neither of the first two, but I have a significant following and companies have engaged me to promote their products.
I have worked with Audible, Grammarly, Sony, and CoffeeMate.
How does influencer marketing work?
Brands engage influencers with a proposal that details the deliverables of the campaign. Depending on who you work with, you will either bid on the job or the brand states the rate they will pay. Most campaigns pay between $10 and $50, but you can garner more money by having a greater sphere of influence (more followers!). Also the more involved the campaign is the higher the pay usually.The deliverables in a campaign are usually a combination of social shares, blog posts, and/or video. The proposal will be detailed as to exactly what you need to do. Usually, graphics are provided, sample language, as well tracking urls, and how the brand wants to be tagged on social media. For blog posts and videos they will usually provide details on word count and main points to mention.
The campaigns I have done with Sony and CoffeeMate have involved 2 social shares. The Audible campaign required a blog post. I'm a little more open to the companies I work with when it comes to social shares. Outside of the Facebook page for Girl Who Reads, all my other social media channels (Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, G+) are a mix of personal and Girl Who Reads postings. When it comes to blog posts though I want to be able to at least tie it into something bookish (like CoffeeMate could have been tied to enjoying a cup of coffee with a good book).
How do I find brands to work with?
While sometimes brands will come knocking, many works with influencer management companies to discover and vet influencers. There are a number of companies that connect brands with influencers. They provide campaign management and handle paying the influencers.For influencers, these companies are usually free to sign up with (I haven't ran across any that charge the influencer since that is the service they are providing to brands who do pay).
I have signed up with a few and they all work little differently and I tend to work with one or two more than the others. You will just need to look try a few out to see what ones offer you the best choices.
Here are 3 I'm signed up with:
- Activate (a partner of Bloglovin') - If you want to promote fashion, food, and family activities then you will find a lot of campaigns to bid on. A weekly email is sent out with open. campaigns. I have also noticed that their campaigns usually require you purchase the product being promoted. They also send out articles that will help you be a better influencer.
- TapInfluence - Helpful client service. They send out a monthly survey to connect influencers to brands. They have provided training on FTC compliance guidelines
- Find Your Influence - I really like this company. They are easy to work with and their reporting system is easy to use. I've done 3 campaigns with them.
The takeaway message
You don't have to give up your passion in order to earn some cash from the all the time and hard work you have put into it. I love book blogging and while I do wish authors and publishers recognized the efforts and influence bloggers have I recognize it is an industry that changes slowly. In the meantime, I will enjoy the free books and look to other industries for revenue.If you too want to get paid for your influence, then work on creating an engaged following and sign up with a few companies.
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
November 12, 2015
Are blog tours worth doing?
by Donna Huber
Recently in one of the writer groups I belong to online an author posed the question, "Are blog tours worth doing?" As an author of a book about running successful blog tours I believe that if done well tours are an important aspect of a book's media campaign.
The point that I think some authors miss though is the "well done" part. I have pretty much stopped signing up for all blog tours. Why? Because the content I receive is of low quality.
I did sign up for a tour because I was interested in seeing what a particular company was doing and it was an author I have worked with before. I received the materials last week. And well let's just say I was less than impressed. There are approximately 15 blogs on a 5 day tour and we all received the exact same materials. It is not a book tour but a book blast and as I've discussed before that is nothing more than an advertisement. At least there are excerpts provided (it is a "tour" for a series).
Read more: book blast
Now I am not against syndicated content, but it must be high quality like the interview I ran on Monday. But that's not the content I'm seeing on these tours. When I was organizing tours I often heard from authors that they didn't have the time to write guest posts and do interviews. My answer (even if I didn't actually say it to them) was "too bad". Marketing is as important to the success of your book as writing it.
Read more: syndicated content
Authors who ran tours with me always saw book sales either during the tour or in the days following the end of the tour. So if you are not seeing sales then you need to consider two things: the quality of the content offered and the quality of your book.
Let's discuss blog content first.
You and you alone are the foremost authority on your book. If you are not comfortable talking about your book then you probably are not ready to launch. To judge how well you know your book and get ideas of what to share during a blog tour talk with your editor and beta reader(s) and now that Goodreads allows "ask the author" you can find other ideas for topics. (Discussing character motivations and themes are always great topics.)
As far as time goes, the truth is all marketing takes time. However, spending a bit of time on quality marketing is much better than spending little time on crappy marketing. Truth - spamming social media takes little time. Yet, what kind of return are you getting on that? You are probably better off spending that 15 minutes creating quality content.
Think about it. A traditional press junket would require several hours of interviews with media professionals as well as public appearances with fans. It isn't unheard of for a traditionally published author to spend 2 - 3 months on the road traveling to book signings and talks and giving several rounds of interviews at each new city. Can you imagine the time involved?
The city tour is what a blog tour is suppose to be replacing. To be successful with your blog tour, you need to treat it the same way you would a city tour. Instead of arranging for flights and hotel rooms, you are booking blog stops. For a city tour you would be prepping for reading selections and answers to potential questions for readers and media professionals. For a blog tour, you are selecting excerpts (remember everyone can go to Amazon and read the first chapter or so of you book) and writing out the answers.
Now if you have put in the effort of putting together an awesome tour and you still aren't seeing sales, then you may need to take a closer look at your product - your book.
To decide if it is your book or the content of the tour that isn't connecting with readers, you will need to do a little investigating.
Are people liking your blog content but then failing to buy your book?
Most url shorteners allow you to track the clicks. So you can provide a shortened buy link to the blogs on your tour and see how many times it is clicked compared to how many copies were purchased. If you don't see a lot of clicks then it is possible that the content of the tour didn't entice readers enough. On the other hand if there are a lot of click through but little or no sales then it is likely your product that is the problem.
There are a couple of problems with this method of data collection with which you need to be aware.
One, many bloggers are affiliates and want to use their own links in order to earn a few cents on sales. A solution to this problem is to have bloggers self-report the number of clicks they receive.
Two, readers will bypass the links all together and purchase the book. I have been told by individuals that they purchased the book, but my affiliate link records show no purchases. They are bypassing my links and going straight to Amazon, more than likely looking up the book and purchasing the ebook on their Kindle. I'm not sure of a solution to this.
If you suspect it is your product, then you have some decisions to make.
One, is your price point too high? I often recommend running a discount during a blog tour. There is a psychological basis for discounts. People love the "Save $5 today" or "50% off this week only". People like getting deals. It increases the chances of capturing impulse buys.
Two, did you run a giveaway of an ebook version of the title? I almost always recommend to not giveaway ebooks during a tour. You lose out on impulse buys because the person entering wants to find out if they win it before buying the book. By the time the giveaway is over, the book has fallen off their radar and been replaced with the next title in front of them.
Three, does your book need work? I know you have spent countless hours going over your book with a fine tooth comb. You've hired editor(s) to check for grammar and syntax errors (you did hire an editor, right?). You have received feedback on plot and character development from a content editor or beta readers (that weren't friends and family). However, there could still be problems. You may even be aware of the issues, such as the plot builds slowly.
The reviewers of Girl Who Reads participate often in the 1st Chapter, 1st Paragraph meme. It is interesting to me how often the cover will be great and the blurb sounds exciting and then the opening lines fall flat. I have read several books that have had lackluster opening pages, but turned out to be great reads. If you suspect this is an issue (beta readers and editors can help you determine this), then during your tour provide excerpts that show more of the "meat" of the story. Or you may decide to do a second edition and add a prologue to the beginning.
Another problem may be that your book is too generic or swings the other way and only is of interest to a niche audience. If it is the latter then you may need to cast your net wider during your media campaign to incorporate more blogs as well as identifying sites and other venues that cater more to your audience.
If your book is a bit too generic (or has the appearance of being so) and you are worried about reader fatigue (the "not another teenage girl falls in love with a 117 year old vampire story"), then you should be doing everything you can to point out the uniqueness of your story. You can do this with your blurb and during tour appearances.
Lastly, the problem may be your book isn't living up to the claims you've made. It is great to be able to claim your book will be loved by readers of JK Rowling. But you better be super sure that the writing is on par with her caliber. For indie or first time authors it is helpful to be able to claim similarity with well known books and authors. When I take on new clients one of the questions I ask is where does your book fit on the shelf among other authors. I recommend you do your homework before making claims. Just because you want to be the next Stephen King doesn't mean your book measures up.
Listen to your readers, comb through reviews to see if anyone is making comparisons. Look through the "also purchased" section on Amazon to see what other books readers of your book purchased. Your editor and beta readers should be able to help you as well. Reading other books in your genre will be of great help too.
As I said in the beginning, a blog tour can be an important aspect of your media campaign. Hitting up 15 blogs in the span of 5 days isn't going to give you longevity in book sales. You need to be continually getting your name and book title in front of readers' eyes. It has been said that a person needs to see something 7 times before they will decide to buy it. Your tour is 1 time.
Read more: media campaigns
Blog reviews are a great way to continually get your book in front of new audiences. Yes, it is time consuming to pitch to blogs, but it is important. I also recommend authors doing one or two guest appearances on blogs or other media outlets (podcasts, radio shows, etc) per month.
Marketing is not an easy task and it is something you will need to find the time to do. Even the greatest novel ever written wouldn't find an audience if readers never hear about. Traditional publishers have publicists as well as marketing and sales teams to help books find their audience. As the indie author doing it all on your own it means you are taking on the workload of at least 3 people.
I wish I had a magic bullet that would shoot you to the top of the bestseller lists, but there isn't even the guarantee that you will see any benefits from your hard work in this lifetime.
Check out these 9 authors who found success posthumously.
Even with the uncertainty, I still strongly believe that blog tours done well are worth the time and effort you put into it. If you need more help planning a successful blog tour, pick up a copy of my ebook Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour for just 99 cents today (you'll save $3 off the list price!).
Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
Recently in one of the writer groups I belong to online an author posed the question, "Are blog tours worth doing?" As an author of a book about running successful blog tours I believe that if done well tours are an important aspect of a book's media campaign.
The point that I think some authors miss though is the "well done" part. I have pretty much stopped signing up for all blog tours. Why? Because the content I receive is of low quality.
I did sign up for a tour because I was interested in seeing what a particular company was doing and it was an author I have worked with before. I received the materials last week. And well let's just say I was less than impressed. There are approximately 15 blogs on a 5 day tour and we all received the exact same materials. It is not a book tour but a book blast and as I've discussed before that is nothing more than an advertisement. At least there are excerpts provided (it is a "tour" for a series).
Read more: book blast
Now I am not against syndicated content, but it must be high quality like the interview I ran on Monday. But that's not the content I'm seeing on these tours. When I was organizing tours I often heard from authors that they didn't have the time to write guest posts and do interviews. My answer (even if I didn't actually say it to them) was "too bad". Marketing is as important to the success of your book as writing it.
Read more: syndicated content
Let's discuss blog content first.
You and you alone are the foremost authority on your book. If you are not comfortable talking about your book then you probably are not ready to launch. To judge how well you know your book and get ideas of what to share during a blog tour talk with your editor and beta reader(s) and now that Goodreads allows "ask the author" you can find other ideas for topics. (Discussing character motivations and themes are always great topics.)
As far as time goes, the truth is all marketing takes time. However, spending a bit of time on quality marketing is much better than spending little time on crappy marketing. Truth - spamming social media takes little time. Yet, what kind of return are you getting on that? You are probably better off spending that 15 minutes creating quality content.
Think about it. A traditional press junket would require several hours of interviews with media professionals as well as public appearances with fans. It isn't unheard of for a traditionally published author to spend 2 - 3 months on the road traveling to book signings and talks and giving several rounds of interviews at each new city. Can you imagine the time involved?
The city tour is what a blog tour is suppose to be replacing. To be successful with your blog tour, you need to treat it the same way you would a city tour. Instead of arranging for flights and hotel rooms, you are booking blog stops. For a city tour you would be prepping for reading selections and answers to potential questions for readers and media professionals. For a blog tour, you are selecting excerpts (remember everyone can go to Amazon and read the first chapter or so of you book) and writing out the answers.
Now if you have put in the effort of putting together an awesome tour and you still aren't seeing sales, then you may need to take a closer look at your product - your book.
To decide if it is your book or the content of the tour that isn't connecting with readers, you will need to do a little investigating.
Are people liking your blog content but then failing to buy your book?
Most url shorteners allow you to track the clicks. So you can provide a shortened buy link to the blogs on your tour and see how many times it is clicked compared to how many copies were purchased. If you don't see a lot of clicks then it is possible that the content of the tour didn't entice readers enough. On the other hand if there are a lot of click through but little or no sales then it is likely your product that is the problem.
There are a couple of problems with this method of data collection with which you need to be aware.
One, many bloggers are affiliates and want to use their own links in order to earn a few cents on sales. A solution to this problem is to have bloggers self-report the number of clicks they receive.
Two, readers will bypass the links all together and purchase the book. I have been told by individuals that they purchased the book, but my affiliate link records show no purchases. They are bypassing my links and going straight to Amazon, more than likely looking up the book and purchasing the ebook on their Kindle. I'm not sure of a solution to this.
If you suspect it is your product, then you have some decisions to make.
One, is your price point too high? I often recommend running a discount during a blog tour. There is a psychological basis for discounts. People love the "Save $5 today" or "50% off this week only". People like getting deals. It increases the chances of capturing impulse buys.
Two, did you run a giveaway of an ebook version of the title? I almost always recommend to not giveaway ebooks during a tour. You lose out on impulse buys because the person entering wants to find out if they win it before buying the book. By the time the giveaway is over, the book has fallen off their radar and been replaced with the next title in front of them.
Three, does your book need work? I know you have spent countless hours going over your book with a fine tooth comb. You've hired editor(s) to check for grammar and syntax errors (you did hire an editor, right?). You have received feedback on plot and character development from a content editor or beta readers (that weren't friends and family). However, there could still be problems. You may even be aware of the issues, such as the plot builds slowly.
The reviewers of Girl Who Reads participate often in the 1st Chapter, 1st Paragraph meme. It is interesting to me how often the cover will be great and the blurb sounds exciting and then the opening lines fall flat. I have read several books that have had lackluster opening pages, but turned out to be great reads. If you suspect this is an issue (beta readers and editors can help you determine this), then during your tour provide excerpts that show more of the "meat" of the story. Or you may decide to do a second edition and add a prologue to the beginning.
Another problem may be that your book is too generic or swings the other way and only is of interest to a niche audience. If it is the latter then you may need to cast your net wider during your media campaign to incorporate more blogs as well as identifying sites and other venues that cater more to your audience.
If your book is a bit too generic (or has the appearance of being so) and you are worried about reader fatigue (the "not another teenage girl falls in love with a 117 year old vampire story"), then you should be doing everything you can to point out the uniqueness of your story. You can do this with your blurb and during tour appearances.
Lastly, the problem may be your book isn't living up to the claims you've made. It is great to be able to claim your book will be loved by readers of JK Rowling. But you better be super sure that the writing is on par with her caliber. For indie or first time authors it is helpful to be able to claim similarity with well known books and authors. When I take on new clients one of the questions I ask is where does your book fit on the shelf among other authors. I recommend you do your homework before making claims. Just because you want to be the next Stephen King doesn't mean your book measures up.
Listen to your readers, comb through reviews to see if anyone is making comparisons. Look through the "also purchased" section on Amazon to see what other books readers of your book purchased. Your editor and beta readers should be able to help you as well. Reading other books in your genre will be of great help too.
As I said in the beginning, a blog tour can be an important aspect of your media campaign. Hitting up 15 blogs in the span of 5 days isn't going to give you longevity in book sales. You need to be continually getting your name and book title in front of readers' eyes. It has been said that a person needs to see something 7 times before they will decide to buy it. Your tour is 1 time.
Read more: media campaigns
Blog reviews are a great way to continually get your book in front of new audiences. Yes, it is time consuming to pitch to blogs, but it is important. I also recommend authors doing one or two guest appearances on blogs or other media outlets (podcasts, radio shows, etc) per month.
Marketing is not an easy task and it is something you will need to find the time to do. Even the greatest novel ever written wouldn't find an audience if readers never hear about. Traditional publishers have publicists as well as marketing and sales teams to help books find their audience. As the indie author doing it all on your own it means you are taking on the workload of at least 3 people.
Check out these 9 authors who found success posthumously.
Even with the uncertainty, I still strongly believe that blog tours done well are worth the time and effort you put into it. If you need more help planning a successful blog tour, pick up a copy of my ebook Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour for just 99 cents today (you'll save $3 off the list price!).
Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.
January 29, 2015
Book Marketing 101
by Donna Huber
I've seen several posts on Facebook where first time authors have asked about marketing their books. I haven't had the time to answer any of the authors, but I thought a quick overview of first steps in marketing a book would be useful. I must tell you though, marketing takes time and you just as you had to put time in learning your writing craft, there is a learning curve with marketing. There is no magic bullet, just hard work.
Create Word of Mouth Buzz
The success of a book is dependent on word of mouth, regardless of the publishing route. General readers discover new books based on recommendations. What book are their friends talking about?
Every aspect of your marketing should be focused on creating word of mouth buzz.
Get Social
Our circle of friends has expanded beyond the ones we see in real life. It also includes people we've met and connected with online. Social media has also made it easier for people to talk about their favorite books. Before you even publish your first book, you should have a social media presence - Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc. You don't have to be every where, but be some places.
The first rule you should follow is BE SOCIAL. Be real, be a person, make friends. Talk about your favorite books, what you are watching on TV, parenting, etc. Build a repertoire with your followers and they will be more willing to listen when you publish your book.
When you are ready to starting marketing, provide your friends with graphics and teasers to share. Cover reveals and emotion-evoking quotes are examples of shareable content to start generating word of mouth buzz.
A word about quotes... Readers like to connect with the characters. Pick teasers that allow readers to connect with the character. Often you want them to think "I want to be that character. I've been there. I want a character like that in my life". If you write romance, you might want to choose teasers that make readers want to fan themselves. Horror writers - choose quotes that will send a chill down their spine.
If you are blogging, you can share larger excerpts to whole chapters to build interest in your book and to give readers something to talk about. Consider ending the post on a cliff hanger.
Reviews
You will want reviews for your book. Objective reviews are important. So you will need to ask more than just family and close friends to write reviews. The friends you make online may be good candidates. But also reach out to bloggers. You may get wrapped up in wanting a lot of Amazon reviews, but don't discount the power of bloggers. A mistake I see many authors making is contacting me (and I assume they are doing it to other bloggers) and asking me to write an Amazon review (the pitch doesn't even mention my blog). I spend a lot of time on my blog. I have put a lot of work into building a readership. It is more likely that readers will find my review here, than they will on your book page at Amazon. If readers don't know your book exist then they aren't searching Amazon for it and therefore won't see my review. However, if I post my review here, people are regularly visiting my page. They have signed up to get notified of new posts.
I automatically delete any review pitch that only ask for an Amazon review. You should be thrilled to get a review posted on a blog regardless if the blogger decided to also post on Amazon.
Generate Publicity
The third aspect of marketing of creating word of mouth buzz is generate publicity for your book. You may do this through interviews and articles. Again bloggers can assist you with this by featuring you on their blog. But don't over look magazines and news outlets. If you are a children's or YA author, check into local family magazines for possible article submissions or an interview. Depending on the size of town you live in, you may have access to a local news station or morning show (radio or television). Having a media kit will be helpful in making these pitches.
There are a number of award programs that your book could be eligible for. Keep in mind that not all rewards are created equal and there is usually an entry fee.
Events
Events can be a great way of creating buzz and getting people talking about your book. These events can be in person or online. Book signings and festivals are good ways to interact with fans. You can also check with local school and civic organizations to be a guest speaker. If you are a non-fiction writer (and in some cases even fiction writers) look into joining the speaker circuit. Even making yourself available to book clubs can help (get familar with Skype so you can virtually visit clubs that are too far for traveling).
Online events can range from Facebook parties or blog tours. With online events, you want to make sure you have a lot of shareable content for fans to post on their Facebook profiles and Twitter feeds.
I tried to provide an overview so that you have a starting point for creating your marketing plan. The specifics are up to you and should be tailored to your genre and personality. If you need more information about any of these, I have written separate posts (probably multiple posts) on these topics. I highly recommend you going through the Tips category to more how-tos. But also do your own research. There is plenty of info out there about marketing books.
Create Word of Mouth Buzz
The success of a book is dependent on word of mouth, regardless of the publishing route. General readers discover new books based on recommendations. What book are their friends talking about?
Every aspect of your marketing should be focused on creating word of mouth buzz.
Get Social
Our circle of friends has expanded beyond the ones we see in real life. It also includes people we've met and connected with online. Social media has also made it easier for people to talk about their favorite books. Before you even publish your first book, you should have a social media presence - Facebook, Twitter, blog, etc. You don't have to be every where, but be some places.
The first rule you should follow is BE SOCIAL. Be real, be a person, make friends. Talk about your favorite books, what you are watching on TV, parenting, etc. Build a repertoire with your followers and they will be more willing to listen when you publish your book.
When you are ready to starting marketing, provide your friends with graphics and teasers to share. Cover reveals and emotion-evoking quotes are examples of shareable content to start generating word of mouth buzz.
A word about quotes... Readers like to connect with the characters. Pick teasers that allow readers to connect with the character. Often you want them to think "I want to be that character. I've been there. I want a character like that in my life". If you write romance, you might want to choose teasers that make readers want to fan themselves. Horror writers - choose quotes that will send a chill down their spine.
If you are blogging, you can share larger excerpts to whole chapters to build interest in your book and to give readers something to talk about. Consider ending the post on a cliff hanger.
Reviews
You will want reviews for your book. Objective reviews are important. So you will need to ask more than just family and close friends to write reviews. The friends you make online may be good candidates. But also reach out to bloggers. You may get wrapped up in wanting a lot of Amazon reviews, but don't discount the power of bloggers. A mistake I see many authors making is contacting me (and I assume they are doing it to other bloggers) and asking me to write an Amazon review (the pitch doesn't even mention my blog). I spend a lot of time on my blog. I have put a lot of work into building a readership. It is more likely that readers will find my review here, than they will on your book page at Amazon. If readers don't know your book exist then they aren't searching Amazon for it and therefore won't see my review. However, if I post my review here, people are regularly visiting my page. They have signed up to get notified of new posts.
I automatically delete any review pitch that only ask for an Amazon review. You should be thrilled to get a review posted on a blog regardless if the blogger decided to also post on Amazon.
Generate Publicity
The third aspect of marketing of creating word of mouth buzz is generate publicity for your book. You may do this through interviews and articles. Again bloggers can assist you with this by featuring you on their blog. But don't over look magazines and news outlets. If you are a children's or YA author, check into local family magazines for possible article submissions or an interview. Depending on the size of town you live in, you may have access to a local news station or morning show (radio or television). Having a media kit will be helpful in making these pitches.
There are a number of award programs that your book could be eligible for. Keep in mind that not all rewards are created equal and there is usually an entry fee.
Events
Events can be a great way of creating buzz and getting people talking about your book. These events can be in person or online. Book signings and festivals are good ways to interact with fans. You can also check with local school and civic organizations to be a guest speaker. If you are a non-fiction writer (and in some cases even fiction writers) look into joining the speaker circuit. Even making yourself available to book clubs can help (get familar with Skype so you can virtually visit clubs that are too far for traveling).
Online events can range from Facebook parties or blog tours. With online events, you want to make sure you have a lot of shareable content for fans to post on their Facebook profiles and Twitter feeds.
I tried to provide an overview so that you have a starting point for creating your marketing plan. The specifics are up to you and should be tailored to your genre and personality. If you need more information about any of these, I have written separate posts (probably multiple posts) on these topics. I highly recommend you going through the Tips category to more how-tos. But also do your own research. There is plenty of info out there about marketing books.
October 30, 2014
Marketing Resources for Horror Writers
by Donna Huber
Some genres are easy to find promotional outlets to market books, while other genres are more difficult. Romance writers can find hundreds of thousands of blogs that cater to the genre. The horror genre is the opposite, at least in my experience. While there may not be as many blogs that focus on horror there are other resources available to horror writers. I will share 3 resources I ran across when I was organizing the blog tour for Night Chill by Jeff Gunhus.
1. Blogs
Many general book bloggers include horror among the genres they review, yet horror is only represented in a small portion of their reviews. They may do a feature in October highlighting books from the genre. I did run across a few blogs that were horror bloggers.
Ginger Nuts of Horror
Wag the Fox: Gef Fox's Den for Dark Fiction
The Geekdon of Gore
2. eZines
While searching for horror bloggers, I ran across several ezines devoted to the horror genre and many of them seemed quite active. Perhaps for dedicated horror readers, ezines is a more popular medium. If you are trying to reach your target audience, it wouldn't hurt to look into them. This site lists a number of ezines.
3. Groups
Again, maybe horror readers are not really into blogging like romance or fantasy readers. I found a couple of active groups; it is were I found the blogs that I pitched Night Chill to as well as some of the ezines. Goodreads has an active group - Horror Aficionados . BookBlog.ning also has an active group - Horror/Occult Reads. Please remember that groups are rarely about pure self-promotion. They are for building a relationship between readers and authors. Use the group more in the way that a reader would use it - talk about your favorite horror authors, make recommendations of great horror novels, etc. By doing this you will build your network and after being part of the community for a while (about 2 - 3 months) then you may be able to reach out to individuals who you have built a relationship with to ask about promotion assistance.
I hope you find these resources helpful. In the past few months, Girl Who Reads has featured more books in the genre since it is one of Claire's favorite genres. Visit her Facebook page for recommendations and possible review of your book.
1. Blogs
Many general book bloggers include horror among the genres they review, yet horror is only represented in a small portion of their reviews. They may do a feature in October highlighting books from the genre. I did run across a few blogs that were horror bloggers.
Ginger Nuts of Horror
Wag the Fox: Gef Fox's Den for Dark Fiction
The Geekdon of Gore
2. eZines
While searching for horror bloggers, I ran across several ezines devoted to the horror genre and many of them seemed quite active. Perhaps for dedicated horror readers, ezines is a more popular medium. If you are trying to reach your target audience, it wouldn't hurt to look into them. This site lists a number of ezines.
3. Groups
Again, maybe horror readers are not really into blogging like romance or fantasy readers. I found a couple of active groups; it is were I found the blogs that I pitched Night Chill to as well as some of the ezines. Goodreads has an active group - Horror Aficionados . BookBlog.ning also has an active group - Horror/Occult Reads. Please remember that groups are rarely about pure self-promotion. They are for building a relationship between readers and authors. Use the group more in the way that a reader would use it - talk about your favorite horror authors, make recommendations of great horror novels, etc. By doing this you will build your network and after being part of the community for a while (about 2 - 3 months) then you may be able to reach out to individuals who you have built a relationship with to ask about promotion assistance.
I hope you find these resources helpful. In the past few months, Girl Who Reads has featured more books in the genre since it is one of Claire's favorite genres. Visit her Facebook page for recommendations and possible review of your book.
June 19, 2014
Inbound Marketing for #Authors
by Donna Huber
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| Inbound Methodology. Source: Hubspot |
I've been applying for jobs recently and as most of my marketing knowledge comes from experience rather than an academic degree, I've had to do some research on industry jargon. One such topic is Inbound Marketing. It is what I do for clients, yet I didn't know the term. I found the above graphic to be quite useful in my interviews. When I first saw it, I automatically thought of authors. Many are doing some of these things, but like me, didn't have the background to fully implement it. So I thought I would take a few minutes to discuss how an author can use each step to convert strangers into fans (promoters). You may also want to read the article that accompanies the graphic on Hubspot (I also like their newsletters. They have some great templates available for free, which I have been using in my new position as Manager of Publicity and Development. )
Attract:
I'm pretty sure most authors area already doing this step to varying degrees. If you ask anyone veteran author how to gain exposure they are going to tell you that you need a blog and to be active on social media. Keywords is assumed with this advice. Keywords would be words people would search that could lead them to you. On social media they are often the hashtags you use. For example, if you are a romance author then you would use words that romance novel readers search for in your blog posts and social media posts: Romance, love, sexy, steamy, as well as titles of well known romances.
Your blog content is shared through social media to attract the attention of strangers to you. Continuing with the theme of romance authors, an example of a blog post would be "10 Best Romances EVER". A post such as this would feature famous romances through history like Charles and Diana. Now you may be wondering what that has to do with your book. Once you have attracted a stranger to your site as a visitor, it is time for the next step.
Convert:
Your article on 10 Best Romances EVER has caused a stranger to visit your site. Now you want to keep them there and gather a little information on them. The best way is with a Call to Action.
We are all familiar with the call to action of "BUY MY BOOK" and while certainly you want that option to be available, you may need to do a little schmoozing before that visitor becomes a customer. First, you will need to convert the visitor into a lead.
An intermediate call to action may be needed. This could be "JOIN MY MAILING LIST". This is different than subscribing to your blog (which would be another call to action to offer). I use Mailchimp for my newsletters and mailing list management. The sign up form you create can collect a bunch of details about the person. The more info you have on the visitor the better lead they are. Leads are people who have more than a passing interest in your content, otherwise they wouldn't have gone the extra step of filling out a form.
Close:
With the information you have gathered on your visitors, you have a solid list of leads. It is time to close the deal and make them customers.
One way to make them customers is by emailing them a free extended scene or free chapter. This could be something that was edited out or maybe a scene from a different POV. The point is to whet their appetite for more of the story. Always include the call to action to purchase the book.
If you are familiar with Google Analytics, tracking your visitors use of your site and how/where they come from and go to will help you tailor your actions to these leads.
Delight:
Once your leads become customers your work is not done. As you publish more books you will need to continue through this marketing cycle for each new title. But you also want your customers to become your cheerleaders. You want them to write reviews and talk about your books with their friends and families. The more customers you can transform into promoters the easier your marketing efforts will become.
How do you delight your customers? Don't forget them. Loyalty goes both ways. If you come out with a new short story or deleted scene to send to your leads, make sure your customers also get it. Also doing random giveaways of free books or swag that only go to your customers can be fun for them as well as keeping your newsletter up-to-date. You could also offer referral rewards. This will build your leads list while also delighting your current customers.
Your Plans
Has your marketing been a bit like throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks? Hopefully by using these steps you can form concrete marketing plans for each of your titles that will yield results.
February 12, 2014
The Masquerade Crew Basic Promotional Package: Worth it?
I recently signed up for the basic promotional package with 500 tweets from The Masquerade Crew. This was my first experience using a paid promotion for my ebook Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. Every author swears by BookBub promotion and eReader News Today (ENT). Because these sites are very popular and have proven to get book sold, it has become more difficult to get accepted by them. My ebook, at approximately 60 pages, does not meet their page length criteria.
My ebook has been out for a little more than 7 months and has done well. Early sales were fueled by word of mouth promotion. I did my own tour a couple of months after it was out, which boosted sales. I'm still selling several books a month, but I wanted to get my name out there more. But how to reach my audience? My niche is pretty limited, though the audience is growing daily. It is mainly authors, though publicists, small publishers, and bloggers thinking of organizing tours would benefit from the book. How many authors are signed up to receive notifications from sites like BookBub and ENT? The non-fiction category is pretty broad, yet it is usually among the categories least subscribed to. I'm kind of glad my ebook doesn't meet their criteria so I don't have to agonize over whether to submit my book to them.
But like a lot of authors, where would I get a deal and a lot of exposure? I had been looking around when I saw the post from The Masquerade Crew about their promotional packages. I'm in a tribe with him and know he has a pretty big audience. I also know that the blog is followed by a number of authors. For $20, I went for it.
I did not know when the promo post would go up. So it was a total surprise when I saw it come across Twitter on the evening of January 30. But if I had missed it then, I didn't have to worry about not seeing it. By Friday morning, the members in The Masquerade Crews tribes had started tweeting it. Every 15 or 20 minutes someone was tweeting it. Also I noticed many authors - yay! my target audience was being reached. By the time that the tweets from Triberr started slowing down, the first wave of tweets as part of the 500 purchased started. The Masquerade Crew operates 4 or 5 Twitter accounts. With them all tweeting there was a constant stream and most of them were being retweeted.
Buy Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour at Amazon
But what you really want to know: Was the promo successful? On Friday, I saw my first sales. By Saturday, I was on the bestseller lists in reference and advertising. I stayed on those lists for 5 days.
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| Best ranking at Amazon during promotion |
Between February 1 and 3, I sold my monthly average of books. During this time Amazon had my ebook discounted by 25%. On Tuesday the discount was over and my book was at $3.99. I worried that the bubble had popped. Buy no, I actually doubled my sales that day. I also sold some ebooks at Amazon UK, making the bestselling lists there for 2 days. In addition to books sold, I picked up two new reviews.
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| Amazon UK ranking |
There was a break in the tweets for a couple of days, but then a second round came out. I didn't find this second round to be as effective. I didn't make any sales, but the tweets were still seeing some retweets so my name was still getting out there.
I should mention that I didn't rely just on The Masquerade Crew for promotion. Just as those chosen for Book Bub and ENT, I let my network know when the promo was live. One Facebook group I'm in has a thread for people to post their promos and get help sharing them. Apparently a number of authors in that group did no realize I wrote how-to books for authors. So a few of them picked up book.
Also on Friday, two unrelated events happened. The PR group HARO tweeted my marketing plan post to their 80,000+ followers. And in another Facebook group of authors, a member recommended my ebook. I also had an interview on author Jennifer Loiske's blog scheduled for Monday. I'm sure these extra mentions helped.
The best part of the promotion is that it gave me something to talk about. One Facebook group I'm in no promotion is allowed. Yet, I could share my good news, which then lead to authors in that group to search my name on Amazon to find the best selling advertising reference ebook. I also had stuff to tweet about that wasn't just "buy my book". I shared my rankings, retweeted The Masquerade Crew's tweets, and let everyone know about this awesome review. I think it was the combination of all of these things that made the promo so successful.
If you are looking for an affordable promotional package, the one from The Masquerade Crew was definitely worth it.
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the blogger behind Girl Who Reads and author of the how-to manual Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made through the links above.
January 30, 2014
Pitch Perfect
I've been reading This Is How You Pitch by Ed Zitron (buy at Amazon). I'm a third of the way through it and I keep thinking "authors need to read this". I've been highlighting the heck out of this book. Recently, I highlighted a statement about the need for your pitch to make a personal connection with your audience. This may sound familiar since I said basically the same thing in my post about press releases.
You will give your pitch to everyone you speak to about your book: readers you hope will buy it, fans you want to spread the word about it, bookstores you want to sell it, event coordinators you want to host you, media professionals you want to interview you and write stories about it, and bloggers you want to review it. In some instances you will only have a couple of minutes and in other situations you may be able to do a full blown presentation. Your pitch needs to be easily tailored to fit the situation and polished to be ready at a moment's notice.
Let's look at a couple of examples that do NOT work... (paraphrased from emails I have received)
"My book is now available on Amazon. I hope you will review. LINK"
"I wrote a steamy romance you will love. I can send you a Kindle copy if you'll leave a review on Amazon."
In both of these examples, there is no personal connection. Often these types of "requests" are BCC to many people which is really bad form. How can you make a personal connection if you are mass mailing? If you want to do mass mailings of your pitches, work on building your email list and use a program like MailChimp so that you are not spamming your contacts. You can target your emails by breaking your subscriber list into potential readers, fans, and bloggers/reviewers.
Second, there is little information provided for me to decide if I would even want to read the book. When I worked with the publishing house I had authors provide three summaries of different lengths. While I know book summaries are not an author's favorite task, they are an important component of your pitch. Whittling your summary to just a few sentences will prepare you for when you only have a minute or two to hook your audience. Even this short summary may be different when speaking to different audiences. For example, if you write romantic suspense, you may want to showcase the romance side when pitching to chick-lit and romance readers and lean more towards the suspense when trying to reach that group of readers.
For pitches for interviews, guest posts, and news stories, you need to make the story important to that reporter and their audience. For traditional media a person self-publishing a novel is NOT news and if that's all you've got - you are wasting that reporter's or editor's time. Good news for you, many bloggers will still be interested in interviews and guest posts. If you want them to write a news piece on you though, you need to provide them with some news. Again, I recommend reading my post on press releases.
Third, these pitches have no desire for a continuing relationship. Every contact you make is an opportunity to expand your network. And you never know when someone in your network will turn out to be a truly valuable connection. The example pitches above in some ways treat me as just another reader. They have no regard for my publication, the name I've built, or the further connections an appearance on my blog could afford them. Just a note, if you are just interested in retail reviews then do not bother contacting reviewers who write for publications, including blogs. While bloggers love to help authors, their first priority is to their blog and there are plenty of authors who respect bloggers' talent and influence enough to only care if the review appears on the blog.
I really hope none of my readers have written pitches like the two I used as examples. They are pretty extreme. But there are plenty of middle of the road pitches that make the same mistakes. Sometimes they work and sometimes they don't. But you want a pitch that works more than 50% of the time. So what do you need to do?
Research! You need to know the person and/or publication you are pitching to. Read some of their posts. Read any submission guidelines or policies they have posted. Check them out on social media - you may even want to start cultivating your relationship by interacting with them there. By interacting, I don't mean talking about your book. Respond to their postings as if you are just a regular person and not an author hoping to get their attention. If possible, help them out even if you will not directly benefit from it.
Cultivating relationships can take time, and you need acceptances now. So while building relationships, build your reputation. In many ways these go hand in hand, but a good reputation can get you in the door quicker. You need to be professional in all your contacts - this includes your postings to social media. For those who you are pitching, be mindful of their deadlines and commitments. Provide a full press kit or at least a "quick media sheet" with your pitch. Note, it should not be a substitute for your pitch. Be a person of your word. If you set a date for an interview or guest post, honor it by getting your material in on time. I've had a number of authors who will schedule an appearance and then never send anything or the day before their post is to appear tell me they didn't have time. Take all aspects of your writing career seriously.
This post has turned into a bit of a rant. So let's end this on a positive note:
Perfecting your pitch takes practice. Just as each revision to your novel yielded better results so will your pitch.
Be comfortable talking about your book. Understanding how your novel fits the genre and target audience will make it easier to tailor your pitch. It will also help you identify opportunities as they arise.
Be prepared. You should be able to quickly provide cover image, author photo, bio, book summary. If you are pitching a guest post, interview, or news story, make sure you have time to meet deadlines which can be short.
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the blogger behind Girl Who Reads and author of the how-to manual Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small fee is earned when purchases are made through the links above.
January 9, 2014
Make a Marketing Plan
Many authors feel overwhelmed by marketing and not sure really where to begin. Others find marketing to be time consuming. And while we all know it is necessary, we often don't know if it is effective. Creating a plan to follow will help you feel more in control and thus less overwhelmed. The beginning of the year is an excellent time to make a plan. Knowing what you need to do will help you make the best use of your time and having it all written down will help you review what worked best.
Whether you have several published books or planning to release your first book this year, you will benefit from a marketing plan.
So where are you spending your marketing time and money this year? Here are a few things to consider making part of your plan.
Online Promotion:
Everyone is doing blog tours. The most successful tours are ones planned in advance. Pencil in the dates your are thinking about doing the tour. For more help planning your own tour, be sure to pick up a copy of my ebook Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
Want to be featured on Book Bub, eReader News Today, Pixel of Ink, etc? As these sites grow the competition for the dates you want becomes stiffer. Check their guidelines for how often a title can be featured and set your schedule accordingly.
You can't be touring all the time. When would you work on your next book? But that also doesn't mean you can't do appearances. Actually you should shoot for two or three appearances on blogs each month. While you might not be able to set dates for the entire year for guest blogging, you can put together a list of blogs you want to appear on.
Social media events can be helpful marketing tools. Options include being the guest on regularly scheduled chats, setting up a Goodreads Q&A group, hosting your own chat or read along, etc. These events can be great ways for readers to interact live with their favorite authors.
Creating a mailing list and putting together a street team may be other options to pursue this year.
Radio and Print Interviews:
I've mentioned RadioGuestList.com and HARO as places to find radio and print interviews. The key to getting interviews is planning ahead. Radio shows and monthly magazines are often scheduling 3-6 months in advance.
Awareness Event Participation:
Does your book deal with bullying, human trafficking, adoption, mental illness, or a children's book? Then you may want to find out when the awareness week/month is for that particular issue and see what community or online events you can partner with. Many schools and libraries participate in Read Across America Day by hosting authors (some places have made it a full week of activities). There's also Children's Book Week that include activities both online and locally. Karen Pokras Toz released her book Millicent Marie Is Not My Name during Bullying Prevention Month. Her book deals with bullying and it was a good tie in to a number of activities online including the hashtag #StopBullying.
Festivals and Fairs:
Now is the time to submit applications for summer and fall book festivals. Before you get overwhelmed by the price of a table at one of these events, look into if they have a regional author/new author tent. Often you are given a set hour to do a signing and it is free. Some events also offer a shared table; use the contacts you have in the author groups you are part of to find a partner. You may even want to check with the organizers to see if your entire writers group can have a booth (for those who participate in a local group).
Merchandise and Swag:
It's always good to have swag on hand and planning in advance helps you save the most money. Bookmarks, key chains, mugs, etc. with your book cover(s) and website info printed on them make great giveaway items. Does one of your characters have a catch phrase that readers have latched on to? Check with places like CafePress about selling shirts, mugs, etc. with that phrase. If you are going to events have some items available for purchase.
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the blogger behind Girl Who Reads and author of the how-to manual Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
August 22, 2013
Author Media Kit Components
by Donna Huber
Authors often hire me to create media kits for them. In the digital age it is so easy to put together a kit and every author should have one. If you are hoping to get media coverage - local news stories, magazine features, or radio/television interviews - then you need to have a media kit available before you start pitching your story.
What do you need to include in the media kit?
Cover Page
On this page you will list the title of the book or series you are promoting with this kit. It is also possible for the media kit to encompass all your work. In this case it would be just your name. For the purpose of this post, we are assuming the kit is for a particular book title or series.
Also on the title page you will want to include contact information - a telephone number and email address is best. If you are using a publicist or have someone else managing your schedule, you will want to provide their contact information.
On all the following pages you will want to have a header with your book/series title and name and in a footer your email address (in cases where the kit is printed out and passed around, it's possible that pages will get separated.)
Press Release
Even if you do not plan on using a press release on a news wire service, including a press release in your media kit can be helpful to journalists. In several news stories written for my clients, I have seen parts of my press release included. If you have a print ready "story", it is more likely for newspapers to include you. You will want to provide the basics - who? what? where? when? and how? You will want to include a couple of quotes from you. It best if you write the press release as if you are writing about someone else. PR News has some great tips you will want to check out if you are new to press releases.
More: Do you need a press release?
About You
Unless you are keeping your identity secret, include a photo of yourself. Embedding the image makes the kit look nice, but you will want to indicate that high resolution images are available. Or go ahead and attach the high resolution image as a separate file (jpeg and png are usually preferred), when submitting your media kit.
Include your biography. I recommend it being longer than a couple of sentences. Two or three paragraphs are usually good. You want to give them enough information for them to build their story or prepare an interview, but also be conscientious of their limited time.
In this section include your social media links.
About the Book or Series
Again, embedding book cover(s) in the document makes it visually appealing, but you will want to make sure high resolution file(s) is available. This is particularly important for print media.
Include a synopsis. This is not necessarily your back cover copy. Journalists are busy, yet they need to appear informed - especially for interviews. They are not likely to have enough time to read your book in its entirety; they may not even skim all of it. Your synopsis should give them enough detail that if seems like they read the book. If your kit is for a series, the synopsis can be an overview of the entire series or you can provide separate synopses.
Provide all the book information - formats available, number of pages, ISBN, release date, publisher, availability, genre, target audience, etc.
Praise
Media likes to use quotable material. Include 3 - 5 sound bites from reviews. You do not need to provide the entire review, just the best parts. Usually it is just a phrase or a sentence. IMPORTANT - correctly attribute the quote. While you can use reviews found on Goodreads and Amazon, it would be better to get bloggers or other publishing professionals (authors, editors, agents, etc) to provide the review. If you are having trouble getting reviews, then ask for just the sound bite you need. You may already have these if you included praise inside your book or on the back cover.
Awards and Honors
If you have won any writing awards you will want to include them. If you are a non-fiction writer, then awards and honors in your field should be included. Fiction authors who have won a national or international award or have received a prestigious honor should include them, even if it is not writing related.
Other Books
(Remember we are preparing a media kit for a particular title or series). Any other published works need to be included. If they are in different genres or have different target audiences, indicate it. If you write under several pen names list the titles by pen name, unless you are wanting to keep your identities secret.
Marketing Efforts
What are you doing to promote your book? Your media kit can also be used as part of your presentation to bookstores and they will definitely want to know what your marketing efforts are. Include any events you plan to participate in, if you have a national ad campaign, merchandising, book club guides, etc.
Include a links to your book trailer and any special online features in this section.
Suggested Topics/Interview Questions
Provide a list of topics you are knowledgeable about and are comfortable talking about. This list is particularly important for live interviews, speaking engagements, and when wanting to contribute an article to a publication.
You may also want to include a sample Q&A, which would include frequently asked questions. Where did you get your inspiration? What is your writing process? etc. This will help the interviewer prepare their questions and also provide quotable material.
Press Coverage/Media Appearances
If one media outlet gave you coverage, it will provide credibility and make you seem more newsworthy. If possible provide links to the stories and interviews. Guest posts on blogs can also be included in this section. Guest posts that demonstrate your ability to speak/write about specific topics are particularly important.
Are you a regular contributor to a website or been published in a magazine or organizational publication? Be sure to include titles and links if possible.
You can also include live appearances at festivals, conferences, and events where you were an invited or featured speaker.
This list does not have to be specific to your book or series.
Concluding Tips
It will take a couple of hours at least to compile this information. The press release alone may take a few hours as you revise and refine the language. If you have done a number of appearances and have not been keeping a list, then that section may take a while. Googling your name and/or book title will help you locate any news coverage or blog appearances you are unaware of or have forgotten about.
Be sure to keep your media kit up-to-date. You never know when you might need it. Media kits are useful for more than just media personnel. Festivals, conferences, and other events may request a media kit to aid in the preparation of their promotional material.
Make it easy to read. Journalists are always under deadline. When possible use lists and bullet points to draw the eye to important information. White space is important - when text is all scrunched together it can make one feel like they are going cross-eyed when reading it.
In addition to emailing your kit to interested parties, you may want to consider adding a link on your blog/website for people to download. If you use something like Dropbox, you can include your high resolution images in the folder as well. On occasion, media professionals may find you by referral. By having your media kit available online, you make it easier for them to locate all the information they need to determine if you are newsworthy or not.
Authors often hire me to create media kits for them. In the digital age it is so easy to put together a kit and every author should have one. If you are hoping to get media coverage - local news stories, magazine features, or radio/television interviews - then you need to have a media kit available before you start pitching your story.
What do you need to include in the media kit?
Cover Page
On this page you will list the title of the book or series you are promoting with this kit. It is also possible for the media kit to encompass all your work. In this case it would be just your name. For the purpose of this post, we are assuming the kit is for a particular book title or series.
Also on the title page you will want to include contact information - a telephone number and email address is best. If you are using a publicist or have someone else managing your schedule, you will want to provide their contact information.
On all the following pages you will want to have a header with your book/series title and name and in a footer your email address (in cases where the kit is printed out and passed around, it's possible that pages will get separated.)
Press Release
Even if you do not plan on using a press release on a news wire service, including a press release in your media kit can be helpful to journalists. In several news stories written for my clients, I have seen parts of my press release included. If you have a print ready "story", it is more likely for newspapers to include you. You will want to provide the basics - who? what? where? when? and how? You will want to include a couple of quotes from you. It best if you write the press release as if you are writing about someone else. PR News has some great tips you will want to check out if you are new to press releases.
More: Do you need a press release?
About You
Unless you are keeping your identity secret, include a photo of yourself. Embedding the image makes the kit look nice, but you will want to indicate that high resolution images are available. Or go ahead and attach the high resolution image as a separate file (jpeg and png are usually preferred), when submitting your media kit.
Include your biography. I recommend it being longer than a couple of sentences. Two or three paragraphs are usually good. You want to give them enough information for them to build their story or prepare an interview, but also be conscientious of their limited time.
In this section include your social media links.
About the Book or Series
Again, embedding book cover(s) in the document makes it visually appealing, but you will want to make sure high resolution file(s) is available. This is particularly important for print media.
Include a synopsis. This is not necessarily your back cover copy. Journalists are busy, yet they need to appear informed - especially for interviews. They are not likely to have enough time to read your book in its entirety; they may not even skim all of it. Your synopsis should give them enough detail that if seems like they read the book. If your kit is for a series, the synopsis can be an overview of the entire series or you can provide separate synopses.
Provide all the book information - formats available, number of pages, ISBN, release date, publisher, availability, genre, target audience, etc.
Praise
Media likes to use quotable material. Include 3 - 5 sound bites from reviews. You do not need to provide the entire review, just the best parts. Usually it is just a phrase or a sentence. IMPORTANT - correctly attribute the quote. While you can use reviews found on Goodreads and Amazon, it would be better to get bloggers or other publishing professionals (authors, editors, agents, etc) to provide the review. If you are having trouble getting reviews, then ask for just the sound bite you need. You may already have these if you included praise inside your book or on the back cover.
Awards and Honors
If you have won any writing awards you will want to include them. If you are a non-fiction writer, then awards and honors in your field should be included. Fiction authors who have won a national or international award or have received a prestigious honor should include them, even if it is not writing related.
Other Books
(Remember we are preparing a media kit for a particular title or series). Any other published works need to be included. If they are in different genres or have different target audiences, indicate it. If you write under several pen names list the titles by pen name, unless you are wanting to keep your identities secret.
Marketing Efforts
What are you doing to promote your book? Your media kit can also be used as part of your presentation to bookstores and they will definitely want to know what your marketing efforts are. Include any events you plan to participate in, if you have a national ad campaign, merchandising, book club guides, etc.
Include a links to your book trailer and any special online features in this section.
Suggested Topics/Interview Questions
Provide a list of topics you are knowledgeable about and are comfortable talking about. This list is particularly important for live interviews, speaking engagements, and when wanting to contribute an article to a publication.
You may also want to include a sample Q&A, which would include frequently asked questions. Where did you get your inspiration? What is your writing process? etc. This will help the interviewer prepare their questions and also provide quotable material.
Press Coverage/Media Appearances
If one media outlet gave you coverage, it will provide credibility and make you seem more newsworthy. If possible provide links to the stories and interviews. Guest posts on blogs can also be included in this section. Guest posts that demonstrate your ability to speak/write about specific topics are particularly important.
Are you a regular contributor to a website or been published in a magazine or organizational publication? Be sure to include titles and links if possible.
You can also include live appearances at festivals, conferences, and events where you were an invited or featured speaker.
This list does not have to be specific to your book or series.
Concluding Tips
It will take a couple of hours at least to compile this information. The press release alone may take a few hours as you revise and refine the language. If you have done a number of appearances and have not been keeping a list, then that section may take a while. Googling your name and/or book title will help you locate any news coverage or blog appearances you are unaware of or have forgotten about.
Be sure to keep your media kit up-to-date. You never know when you might need it. Media kits are useful for more than just media personnel. Festivals, conferences, and other events may request a media kit to aid in the preparation of their promotional material.
Make it easy to read. Journalists are always under deadline. When possible use lists and bullet points to draw the eye to important information. White space is important - when text is all scrunched together it can make one feel like they are going cross-eyed when reading it.
In addition to emailing your kit to interested parties, you may want to consider adding a link on your blog/website for people to download. If you use something like Dropbox, you can include your high resolution images in the folder as well. On occasion, media professionals may find you by referral. By having your media kit available online, you make it easier for them to locate all the information they need to determine if you are newsworthy or not.
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