Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Writerly Musings: Marketing

Being part of the IWSG anthology (that would be Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime) has been an education for me. Not only did I pick up a new awareness of some minor writing issues I have (mostly in the area of comma abuse), but the whole marketing process has been educational. Probably not educational enough, but I have picked up a few things to contemplate.

1. Get the word out, early and late. The publisher, Dancing Lemur Press, started early with tweets and FB posts, and got all of us authors to set up a blog and do regular posts about our stories, writing process, whatever. And they started early to set up a blog tour, or at least appearances on a number of blogs, with interviews, reviews, and so on. The book came out May 1, and that publicity push is still going on (including a Rafflecopter giveaway of a cool Tick Tock tote bag running to June 6!).

This one isn't so hard. I'm learning how to get more people involved in a release, and I know that I can arrange a blog tour through Great Escapes. I haven't done that yet for Death By Adverb, but I had a number of very helpful blog posts about it, thanks to my fellow IWSG authors!

2. Don't be timid: the publisher sends announcements to all sorts of bookstores, and we writers are meant to follow up by suggesting we can come and do signings, etc.

This one's hard. I have an almost insurmountable reluctance to put myself forward in that way. It feels pushy, and I've not yet figured out how to cure myself of a well-brought-up modesty.

3. I didn't learn this one from the Tick Tock release, but push the backlist (well, I see them doing that some, mentioning the previous IWSG anthologies along with ours, which is #3--check them all out). I finally saw a benefit from having a series, as I put the first two Pismawallops PTA books on sale during the month following the release of the new book, and included that information in the post on release day. Sales picked up, and I hope some of those will lead to new fans for the series.

I'm planning to work on the backlist this summer, as I'll not be able to do much writing (I am still trying to do some submissions each month, though). I intend to do a special "Hero Month" promotion for Halitor the Hero, so watch this space--and watch for other special offers, as I need to clear out my inventory before we move! The Hero promotion is still in the planning stages, but let me know if you want to be involved--I'll keep it simple.

4. Finally, just from following so many other writers, I realize that I've been remiss about my newsletter. In fact, I can't remember when I did the last one, and I'm overdue. I also apparently need to update my sign-up to meet new regulations. I'll have to get on that, and encourage everyone to sign up once I do. But in any case, I need to send out a newsletter, and soon. You can bet that newsletter will have some special offers in it!

Oh, and I need to do some blog maintenance, because my sidebar is now 2 books behind! I never was good at housekeeping...

For the moment, that's about it for what I know about marketing. It's no place for an introvert, yet we writers have to overcome our natural tendencies and do it somehow!

Tick Tock: A Stitch in Crime
Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? 
Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? 
Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? 
Who killed what the tide brought in? 
Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?
Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting…
Release date - TODAY!
Mystery & Detective/Crime/Thrillers
Print ISBN 9781939844545 eBook ISBN 9781939844552
Get your copy today!




IT'S HERE!

Death By Adverb

  Available today.

 Genre: Cozy mystery
Ebook: 85,000 words
Paperback:   approx. 285 pages
He murdered the language, but who murdered him?  

JJ McGregor’s not having her best summer. Her arm’s in a cast, her jeans are too tight, and her son’s in Texas with his dad. To make matters worse, she hasn’t spoken to Police Chief Ron Karlson since June. What’s more, she’s gotten fired by the biggest bully on Pismawallops Island. 

JJ thinks her boss's vile prose and grammar are poisonous, but he's the one who turns up dead, and against all odds her summer gets worse. Now there’s a killer on the loose, JJ's on the suspect list, and she'd better make her peace with Ron before someone decides she's gone too far in the defense of good writing!
 
Purhase Links:
Smashwords
Amazon
 

8 comments:

  1. Sounds like you learned a lot of neat stuff. Thanks for sharing :-) I sent out my newsletter regulation update today -- nearly forgot! Let me know if you need help with your hero month. You have my email address ;-)

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    1. I'm learning. It's applying the knowledge that seems to be hard :p

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  2. I think it's smart to work on promoting your backlist when you know your writing time will be limited.

    Who knew housekeeping extended beyond the house?! Sheesh!

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    1. Yeah. I don't seem to be any better at my blog-keeping than I am at housekeeping.

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  3. I've been learning heaps about marketing lately, but not really sure how to apply it. It's a bit overwhelming at times and not something I'm naturally comfortable with. I think that's a great idea to promote your backlist. Draw them into #1 and they'll go on to buy #2 and #3.

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    1. That's the problem--we can read all sorts of stuff, but applying it is another story. Even things about social media--well, does it do any good to tweet up a storm if 3 people are following me, and they already read my books?

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  4. I think it's great you're in the anthology and that it's working for you on all sorts of levels. I also need to know what you learnt about comma abuse! Perhaps that's another post :D

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    1. I probably should do something on the comma abuse, but I have to admit that I'm not very capable of articulating the problem, just have an improved ability to recognize it.

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