5-Minute Marketing Tricks

One of the greatest feelings of being an author is finishing your book. After editing and publishing it (whether indie or traditional), we think the hard part is over. Wrong. Now it’s time to enter the realm of marketing. How do you sell yourself as an author as well as your book? How much time do you need to spend on social media or promoting your work? The very thought of it is intimidating! But if you create a routine for yourself, you can leave plenty of time for both writing and marketing. 

To help you get started, author Brian K. Morris of Rising Tides Publications and I created a list of quick 5-Minute marketing tricks you can try to promote yourself. 

• Hashtags: Whether you’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Twitch, Youtube, etc, hashtags help you reach your audience better. Knowing the right ones is important, but so is remembering all of them! Once you figure out what hashtags work the best for you, keep a note saved in your phone or on your computer that you can easily access to add to posts. It’ll save you time putting posts together if you can just copy and past the hashtags. Just make sure to modify them as needed in your post. And beware of limitations (ie. Instagram only allows 30 hashtags). Here are some more tips from Mixtus Media about hashtags: https://www.mixtusmedia.com/blog/the-new-rules-for-instagram-hashtags

• #Writerslift/Promo Posts: You’ve probably seen #writerslift on twitter in which people encourage you to drop your book link. Facebook groups also have Self-Promo days. The biggest mistake writers make is just dropping the link and not saying anything about their book. You want to entice your readers, give them a reason to look at the link. So create a couple promo posts for yourself and save them so when you come across #writerslift and #selfpromo posts, you can copy and paste them over. This is a quick thing I like to do periodically during the week to try to gain more exposure. My Twitter promo just explains the series and includes a sell link and my website link. My Facebook one, which leaves more room for words, includes other social media links for people to follow me. It’s helped me gain more followers on Facebook, twitter, and Instagram in the past few weeks. 
• But make certain the forum you’re wanting to post on allows promotion. Most Facebook sites, for instance, will say whether promotion is allowed and if so, when to do it. Not following the rules not only betrays one’s amateurism, but gets someone blocked pretty darned fast.
• When providing links to your work, make the links as short as possible to save space. Amazon’s paperback links can be long, wordy, and a general eyesore. So if you cut and paste, start copying at the https and stop once you include the ASIN number. That’s all you need to paste down in a post. Or create an abbreviated address via app.bit.ly, a free site that allows you to create shortened Twitter-friendly addresses, and provides a small amount of analytics as well.

• Promo Images: Like it or not, we have the habit of judging a book by its cover. This also applies to promotions. You’re more likely to stop and look at an interesting image than a wall of text. Spend some time creating promo images of your books. Include things like a quote from the book, a review, special giveaway dates, and, of course, buy links (or learn more links). Keep these available on your phone, or in easily accessible files, so when you have the opportunity to share info about your book, you have it all set up. Check out #bookstagram folks and how they display books to get ideas on how to make your promos more eye catching. If you have some talent in designing ads, you can download programs such as Paint.net (a far more robust version of what used to be MS Paint) or Canva to create eye-pleasing graphics. Also, Allauthor.com will provide members with seasonal free graphics you can use.

• Retweet Exchanges/Newsletter Swaps ie Community: A great, fast way, to promote your work is to work with other writers and creators. Offer to retweet their pinned post if they’ll retweet yours. Offer to promote someone’s book in your newsletter if they’ll do the same for you in theirs. That alone can give you a couple thousand additional eyes on your books. One of the important things, as Brian always says, is to uplift other authors, because when we support each other, we all rise and succeed together. Don’t be afraid to collaborate with others to help promote each other. Fellow creators are not your competition or enemy. If anything, they can be your greatest supporters. When doing a release, recruit writers to do a takeover of your author page, where they promote themselves while they say good things about you. Let their gravitas work for you! And if you have beta or ARC readers, ask them to share your message on their social media. And if you don’t have beta or ARC readers, why not?

• Social Media Builders: Building a newsletter or gaining followers can be really hard, especially when you’re just starting out. So why not get some help by participating in Social Media builders? One place I highly suggest you check out is Fiction-Atlas Author Builders. They often have campaigns running that are affordable and do show results. My newsletter exploded after a couple of their campaigns, and my follows on Instagram, Twitter, etc. shot up as well. All you have to do is provide the information, and then they care of setting up the builder. They will ask you to share the images around to help promote it, but again, that’s like a 5-minute thing you can do periodically. What a way to get your book, and yourself, out there. Brian is currently building his broadcast media presence.via Facebook Live and YouTube. You can do a regular program which can be five minutes or longer, where you talk to your audience about your work and mostly about yourself. In addition to Facebook Live, Brian recommends free sites like Streamyard.com and Happs.tv to create a virtual “studio” where you can read/view comments and display them on the screen. It’s a great way to become more comfortable talking to strangers, develop your book pitches, alert people to your upcoming personal appearances and works in progress, as well as solicit people to sign up for your newsletter.

The best thing to remember as you start this journey is to find what works best for you. There are plenty of platforms out there (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok, Youtube, Pinterest, etc). You don’t have to be present everywhere. Choose the ones that you know you can showcase yourself and focus on those. And don’t forget to reach out to your writing community. You’re definitely not alone! 

_______

Be sure to check out Brian’s weekly podcasts Nevermind the Furthermore and Clever Title Pending. 

Rising Tide Publication’s website: www.RisingTide.pub

Brian K. Morris’ Amazon Author Profile: www.amazon.com/author/briankmorris

Brian’s Patreon page (with lots of goodies): www.patreon.com/briankmorris

Brian’s FB page: www.amazon.com/RisingTidePublishing

To learn more about me, Erin Casey, visit me at erincasey.org, amazon.com/author/erincaseyauthor, twitter.com/erincasey09, instagram.com/erincaseyauthor, facebook.com/erincaseyauthor.

Dealing With Deadlines

You may have noticed that I took a break from writing posts in November. No, it wasn’t because of NaNoWriMo, unfortunately. It was due to me needing to focus entirely on editing and finishing up Wolf Pit. I’m happy to say, the files were approved by Ingramspark, and I clicked print today.

NaNo resulted in about 400 words, which is the first time in many years that I’ve lost. I was up against several tight deadlines, and while the book will indeed come out on the 14th, I won’t have the printed copies in hand. Not exactly the results I had hoped for, but at least the book will launch, and it’s given me some time to really understand the importance of setting up reasonable deadlines.

When I wrote The Purple Door District, I completed the first draft in November 2017, over a year before it would come out. I decided around March 2018 that I wanted to publish the book, so I worked to get an editor and started my marketing campaign.  I spent months editing, promoting, finding artists, creating swag, lining up readings and places for the launch. It was nonstop, however, I evened out my deadlines enough that I was able to edit the book in a reasonable amount of time, create a proof copy, and get the paperbacks with weeks to spare. In the end, the launch went great, the book ended up being around 73,000 words, and the pieces came together.

Wolf Pit was much different. I wrote 50,000 words of the book in November 2018, expecting it to come out around December 2019. But then roadblocks got in the way and my health plummeted. Writer’s block forced me to put the pen down, and I ended up in the hospital twice in early 2019 both for cellulitis and mental health issues. When I finally came out of it, it still took me longer than I had hoped to finish the book. I was still shaky with the deadline, but I thought December would still work, so I pushed to get it done. What I didn’t account for was the fact that the book was over 100,000 words, my team and I would run into life and health issues, and printing times would change. In the end, I will still have a book out on December 14th, but I wish I had had more time.

So what does that mean for book 3? Well, first off, since I was completely devoted to Wolf Pit in November, book 3 did not get written. So after I take about a month off, I’ll start writing it. A printing date will not be decided until long after I’ve started the edits so I can produce the best book for my readers.

I know now that if I had the chance to go back and do things differently, I would have written all three books before I even published the first one so I didn’t run into these issues. That’s the ideology I followed for my medieval fantasy (even if that’s still sitting on the back burner), and it made the books stronger because elements that popped up in book 3, I had to add in book 1. That’s not to say I don’t have an outline for PDD 3, but I think this would have helped with the deadlines and the stress that came with the mishaps over the past year.

So what can you do to set up, and stick to, deadlines for your book or creative piece?

• Cushion Time: Set up an initial deadline with plenty of cushion. If you run into trouble, you’ll still have extra time to get the work completed.
• Be Considerate of Everyone’s Schedules: Don’t overexert yourself or the people helping you. Make sure you’re giving everyone a reasonable amount of time to get the work done so no one has to rush, especially when polishing the final piece.
• Change the Final Dates: Be willing to adjust final dates. As an indie author, it’s a lot easier to change the publication date than in traditional publishing. If you don’t think the book will be done on time, or it’s not as polished as it could be, push the deadline. Yes, it may frustrate some people that it’s not coming out when promised, but I think most people would be happy to wait for a cleaner story.
• Personal Time: Create down time for yourself. Seriously, pushing yourself to work on the project every single day is not good for your health. You need to allow yourself time to rest so you can come at it refreshed.
• Ask For Help: Whether it’s with marketing, revising, or formatting, don’t be afraid to reach out to your community and ask for aid. I never would have been able to get Bianca’s necklaces done for book 1 had Amanda Bouma not helped me. And my eyes were so tired after  reading Wolf Pit, I was happy to rely on AE Kellar to give the book formatting a final review.
• Calendar: Keep a planner or calendar handy to help you visually plot the days when you want things to get done. Mark any days that may give you trouble, or days you know you’ll have extra time to work to make up for any setbacks.
• Make Lists: Set up lists of things you need to get done to help you reach deadlines. Make sure to include even the little things, because it’s really satisfying to mark off tons of tasks.

You can find other tips here:

• How to Set Deadlines That You’ll Actually Stick To
• How to Stick to Deadlines

What do you do to help you stay in line with your deadlines?

Yes, Writing is a Real Job

“You’re a writer? When are you going to get a real job?”

Far too many writers have heard these scathing questions. Sometimes you can laugh it off and go back to working on your novel or script. Sometimes it comes during a moment of hardship when debt is surmounting, and you’re wondering to yourself if you can actually pull off publishing another book. And while, yes, for some folks writing is a hobby that they do in their free time for fun, it’s also a job for all those other people trying to get paid for their craft.

I don’t think most people understand the amount of work that goes into creating a book and marketing it to the public, but we’ll talk about that in a little bit. First, I’d like to bring up an article on Writer’s Digest called Is It a Hobby or a Job? by author Brian Klems. In it he discusses how writing is definitely work, but it’s not classified as a job until you make money off of it. He also goes on to say that the amount of work that goes into it writing can’t just be classified as a hobby either. I’m sure a lot of you are nodding about the latter point.

In this day and age, it’s hard to make a living as a writer because of the low pay, but that doesn’t make it any less of a job. It just means I have to work that much harder to keep my literary career alive, oh, and also work the other 40-hour job I do during the week at the same time to cover the rest of the cost. Most writers have to still work a 40-hour job, or part time, to make ends meet. Some take the plunge and quit their daytime work to write full time, and I applaud them for taking the initiative.

Unfortunately, that usually elicits the image of someone writing for a couple hours, binge watching Netflix the rest of the day, then complaining they have no money.

Let me kind of give you a view of what it’s like to live as a published indie author, and then tell me if you think that writing is still just a hobby. Keep in mind, I’ve only been doing this for a year, so imagine what an author juggling several books goes through everyday.

• I work from 8:30-5pm Monday-Friday (and some weekends for overtime).
• I volunteer in the evening for literary organizations.
• Starting around 8 or 9 pm until I go to bed, on weekends, or on my “day off,” I do at least one of these things:
  • Research information for my book.
  • World build or develop elements for my book
  • Write or edit my novel.
  • Discuss with my editors and proofreaders what needs to be changed and apply those edits.
  • Talk with my sensitivity readers about changes that need to be made.
  • Keep a presence on Amazon , Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WordPress, Wattpad, Goodreads, Bookbub, Allauthor for marketing reasons.
  • Design banners, contests, graphics to post in all these locations about my book.
  • Reach out to bloggers to review my book or do a blog train.
  • Update my website with new author information and author interviews.
  • Build connections with fellow writers, editors, marketers, etc.
  • Set up signing events.
  • Attend signing events in different cities and states.
  • Post chapters on Patreon to help pay for my website.
  • Commission art of characters for stickers/swag.
  • Commission cover art.
  • Create other swag (bookmarks, necklaces, etc)
  • Run an Indiegogo campaign to help cover costs.
  • Participate in online “takeover” events.
  • Query my books.
  • Participate in online book contests to either 1. get an award for my book. 2. find an agent/publisher for my other books.
  • Format my book through Scrivener and Adobe Acrobat.
  • Set up and publish my book through Ingramspark then order copies.
  • Contact libraries and bookstores to carry my book.
  • Set up ISBNs, sales tax permit, BIN.
  • Check inventory and order more supplies on books and all marketing materials.
  • Review finances.
  • Prepare a book launch with local venues.
  • Attend writing conventions to make connections and learn the latest marketing techniques.
  • Participate in author summits both as a listener as an author.

…and the list goes on.

Being an author is a multi-faceted job, and most of the time you have to do everything yourself. Even if you’re a traditionally published author, publishing houses are doing less to market the book and encouraging authors to do more of the work. Many of my author friends spend days at conventions and marketing to sell their books and pay for the table, gas, hotel, meals, and other bills.

But you may ask, “Erin, you charge $15 for your paper book. How do you not make money off of it?”

Because by the time you factor in the editing, proofreading, printing, marketing, and sales tax permit, I don’t see much profit. Every dollar helps and puts me closer to making a better income off of writing. But I have to market to make that happen. I’ve heard it takes until book 2 or 3 to actually see a return in money, which is why initially it may look like authors are so broke, even if they receive advances from publishing companies.

That doesn’t mean writing isn’t a job.

Honestly, for me, it would be my dream job to write full time and survive off of my books. While that might be a long time in coming, I’ll do what I can to keep working towards it. In the meantime, I hope this gives people a better understanding of how much work goes into being an author and that it’s more of a job than most realize.

Marketing Tip: Street Team

This week’s marketing topic was inspired by Byrd Nash’s instagram post about street teams. Be sure to check out her many writing tips, as well as her new book:

Find it on Amazon.

To start off, what is a Street Team? This is essentially a group of people who are your go-to folks for marketing your book. They’re the ones who share your posts on social media, leave book reviews, provide writing feedback, etc. They’re the backbone of your whole marketing plan who can help get the word out about your novel. I’ll go more in-depth in a moment, but one thing to keep in mind is that these people are usually volunteers who take time out of their day to help you promote. Treat them with kindness and respect and understand that sometimes they can’t always be “on” to help you. Some of my street team folks, like Brian K Morris, are there to provide me with moral support when I feel kicked down, and I can’t appreciate it enough. So be kind.

Why Have a Street Team? 

Whether you’re trade or indie, you’re going to have to do some marketing for your book. As an indie author, I wear the hats of the writer, editor, proofreader, designer, marketer, website creator, book signing scheduler, etc. It’s a lot of work. But, as I’ve expressed in many blogs, you don’t have to go it alone. The street team helps take some of the burden off of your shoulders. When you need to reach a wider audience, they’re there to spread the word. You can’t beat having a lovely group of people to help you.

Who Are They? / Where Can You Find Them? 

Honestly, your street team can be anyone. Family. Friends. Editors. Fans. They should be people you trust who have shown interest in your book and your journey.  They may even be fellow writers that you’ve met on twitter or instagram, or during writing conventions. Be sure to ask them before you add them to your street team, though. People don’t like being bombarded with information that they never asked to receive. One way you can keep track of who’s on your team is by creating a facebook group specifically for them. I have a group called The Purple Door District: Street Team! where I share my information. Generally, my street team is the first to see new content before it goes out to the rest of the public. Interested in becoming part of my street team? Let me know!

Arc/Beta Readers

One way the street team can help is by volunteering to either become a beta reader or an arc (advanced reader copy) reader. They’ll read your book and provide feedback about possible things you need to change to help make your story stronger. Specifically ask them to review topics/plots/characters you’re most concerned about because your beta/arc readers will be your last line of defense before you go public.

Reviews

Having people willing to leave reviews is so important for an author. Like it or not, the algorithms on Amazon will determine how your book gets promoted. The more reviews you have, the more likely Amazon will be to share it around. I believe the key number is 50 reviews, but frankly, any amount helps. Reviews don’t have to be complex, either. Your street team can leave a rating and something as simple as a one word review. Granted, getting a full review is wonderful, and I wouldn’t snuff that if they’re willing to do it. I’ve had some excellent reviews from Ellen Rozek, Byrd Nash, and Shakyra Dunn for example. The best ones are when the readers are willing to provide constructive feedback along with their kind words.

Social Media Sharing

Another way your street team can help you is by sharing important news about your book across their social media platforms. The more people you reach, the better chance you have of selling your book, or acquiring followers. They can share things like cover releases, book releases, giveaways, or, hey, even your quest for a reader’s choice award. Be sure to give them ample notice and all the information that they need to share your news around. While you may have some of the same friends, chances are all of your street team members will have an audience that you don’t know. The more platforms you can get across, (twitter, facebook, instagram, goodreads, allauthor, bookbub, etc) the better.

Book Buyers

Now, let me be clear, just because someone is on your street team, that doesn’t mean they’re obligated to buy your book. But, it is a nice perk if it happens. Likely your street team members are readers themselves and are interested in your book or want to go the extra mile and support you by buying your novel. Can’t say no to that, right? Be sure to interact with them and the rest of your book-buying audience. Let them know how much you appreciate them for helping you.

These are just a few ways that a street team can help you, especially near a book launch or book release day. Do you have a street team? How have they helped you? Feel free to share your story below!

On another note, I really am working to get nominated for the Epic Fantasy Fanatics Reader’s Choice Award. If you have a second, please consider voting for The Purple Door District. Thank you so much!

 

Tips for Attending Conventions

One of the exciting (and scary) things about being an author is promoting your book at signings and conventions. Some people thrive on it, while others find it quite daunting, depending on the size of the crowd. Whether you’re eagerly awaiting your next convention or dreading it, there are a few things that you can do to make your table (and yourself) desirable to your customers and ways that you can also take care of your mental and physical health.

Presentation

• Table display: Take time when setting up your table display. You want it to be eye catching and connected with your book in some way. Don’t just scatter things about. Have a method and direct customers’ attention to your most important pieces, whether that be the book, swag, newsletter, etc.
• Appearance: You want to be yourself, of course, but there are ways you can dress to help promote your work. Perhaps wear a shirt with your book’s cover art or characters on it. Choose a saying from your book and proudly display that. Or just wear something that’s comfortable but also appealing to the eye, something that welcomes people to your table. Whimsical can also attract attention!
• Bookmarks/business cards: Make sure you have plenty of these with you whether you’re at your table or walking around. This is a great way to make connections and also show off that you have all your ducks in a row. If they can’t make it to your table, at least they have something to take with them to look at later.
• Elevator Pitch: Have an elevator pitch prepared for your book when you present it. This should last maybe two sentences or 15 seconds, something to engage the customers but not bore them. You don’t want to tell them your whole story over a five minute interval, otherwise what’s the point of buying the book? Now, if they ask more questions about it, be sure to answer them and let your passion shine.
• Greeting People: You can set up your own routine for greeting people, but make sure to be friendly, open, and honest with them. Even if you’re having a down day, try to put on a smile and engage with your customers. You’re more likely to attract their attention and get them interested in your book.  Consider standing, too, when you greet people. You seem more engaged that way.
• Dealing With Time Monopolizers: It happens. Someone stops at your table and starts chatting with you about your book but then goes off onto tangents or starts rattling off conspiracy theories while you’re still trying to sell. Obviously you don’t want to chase a potential customer away, but there are ways to halt the conversation. If another person walks up, politely say, “Excuse me” to the monopolizer and put your full attention to the other person. It might help them realize that you still have work to do. Try to disengage by saying, “It’s been great talking to you. I’ve enjoyed talking to you, but,” and indicate you need to get back to selling. And if they still won’t step back, you have to remember that this is a job. Sometimes you have to be a bit blunt and more curtly excuse yourself from the conversation.

Saving Money

• Bring Food: When you attend conventions, quite often food prices are jacked up so you’re paying an arm and a leg for it. If the convention allows it, consider bringing your own food (sandwiches, power bars, chips, pita, etc). You’ll save money eating your own stuff and have plenty of it available too. Likewise, bring plenty of water too, because water bottles cost a ridiculous amount of money (and kill the environment). I typically just fill mine up at the water fountain.
• Set a Budget: Just like the rest of the convention goers, it’s hard not to get swept up in all of the amazing books and items around you. If you plan to buy a few things, set a budget for yourself so you don’t spend more than what you make.
• Purchase a Cart: You’re likely going to have a lot of items to drag around with you to conventions. Instead of straining yourself, and possibly risking medical bills by breaking your back, get a cart or dolly that you can easily move around with your merchandise. It’ll make loading and unloading much easier as well.

Health

• Stay hydrated: It’s easy to forget to drink something while you’re busy greeting people and selling books. But it’s vital to stay hydrated. You’re going to be working the convention for several long hours, possibly in the heat. I’ve gotten sick from not drinking enough. So fill up that water bottle!
• Eat: Same with drinking, make sure you eat something. You might want to wait until there’s a lull in people walking around, but you can take 10 minutes to eat a power bar or a sandwich. It’ll keep you energized and fight off the dreaded “hanger.”
• Take a Break: If at all possible, try to take a break if you feel like you’re getting too overwhelmed. Maybe have a friend come with you who can cover the table while you go sit in quiet for a few minutes. Or, befriend your neighbors who can keep an eye on your things while you run to the bathroom or take a walk. It’s hard to be “on” for so long. Give yourself chance a turn off.
• Wet wipes: This was actually a great suggestion from my friend Brian K Morris. It’s easy to start feeling sweaty, dirty, and just uncomfortable when you’ve been working your table. Have some wipes with you to clean your face, neck, and hands to help refresh you.
• Wear comfortable shoes/clothing: I know this can be hard if you’re cosplaying, but try to wear something comfortable, especially when it comes to shoes. You don’t want to be hating your feet an hour into the convention.
• Know the Ins and Outs of the Convention Place: You can save yourself a lot of stress if you know 1. where you’re supposed to set up, 2. where the entrances and exits are, 3. where the bathrooms and water are located, etc before you actually attend the convention. I’ve gotten so busy setting up before that I just blanked out on some of these basic things.

What about you folks? What kind of tips can you offer when attending conventions or signings?

Why Did I Indie Publish?

Since self-publishing The Purple Door District, I’ve received a lot of questions about why I decided to go that route. Well, I want it to be clear that I actually hope to become a hybrid author. My goal is to self-publish some books and traditional publish others.  I want to experience both worlds and see which one works the best for me. For all I know, indie publishing will win out.

The first answer to this question is easy. The Purple Door District is a component of a larger series called Fates and Furies that I write with my co-author, AE Kellar. We decided early on that when we published the books, we wanted to go the indie path. We’d have more freedom that way and we could keep all the important elements in the book without the fear of having a publisher take them out. We wanted control of the cover and the publishing schedule. We both have tight schedules and sometimes we just can’t write together. We didn’t want the pressure of a publishing house coming down on us, insisting we had to have work done at a certain time when it just wasn’t feasible.

Now, that being said, we still want to put work out consistently, but indie publishing is more flexible and more forgiving when it comes to time frames. If we have to push publication dates back to make the book better and stronger, then so be it. So, The Purple Door District was guaranteed to be self-published.

But what about my other books like Dragon Steal or Traitors of the Crown? Why not self-publish those?

Well, again, I want the experience, and I feel like those books might do better with publishing houses that focus on the same type of topic.

Indie publishing is an adventure, to be blunt. You have control of everything. Writing. Editing. Choosing editors/proofreaders. Finding the cover. Marketing. Formatting. Publishing. Distribution. You wear all of the hats, and while that can be daunting, it can also be extremely enjoyable and rewarding. I went from having this book I was just posting on patreon with a rough cover to a published copy in my hand and in bookstores. I spent six months doing my marketing and printing campaign, and I honestly couldn’t be happier.

I was relieved that I could choose my own cover. Often in traditional publishing, you don’t get a say in it. In my case, I found an artist, and she and I worked together to perfect the cover. She willingly listened to my suggestions and adjusted the art so it turned into the lovely piece it is today. Likewise, I found artists who could make character images for me, and I was the only one who could say if it matched my vision. I had the final approval. You don’t always get that in the traditional world.

I also was able to choose my own editors and proofreaders. I went with people I trusted, who had worked with me either for a long time or had demonstrated a passion for the craft and my book. Our relationships became harmonious, and we were able to message each other without having to worry about a publisher watching over us.

Indie publishing is no longer as taboo as it used to be. Authors are spending money to acquire editing services, and more freelance editors are appearing everyday. One of the biggest things I love about indie publishing is working with the community. I’m not the only one benefiting from publishing the book. Editors, proofreaders, artists, PA specialists all have a hand in the book and receive payment for their work. I’m proud to have met so many incredibly talented people and it brings me great joy to promote them on my website.

Indie publishing is a lot of work and a ton of money (depending on how you want to do it). You can indie publish and not spend a dime except for purchasing books. Or, you can put more of your cash into it to create a bigger marketing strategy. Again, the choice is yours. You have control over your own process. And you don’t have to worry about a publishing company folding and dropping the series you’ve been working on (it’s happened before).

I’m not waiting for anyone to promote my materials or set up book signings for me. I do it all myself and go where I think I’ll have the most success. Walking this path has turned me into a stronger and more knowledgeable writer that I’m not sure I would have received from traditional publishing alone. Yes, in traditional publishing you still have to help market, but not to the same extent as indie.

I give a lot of credit to those who have self-published before me, and those who will after me. I feel like may of us have become a close-nit community because we all know the struggle of creating and promoting our books. The writing community is incredible, and no matter if you choose to self publish or traditional publish, I hope you’re proud to be part of the community.

2018 Wrap Up and 2019 Goals

I can’t believe that 2018 is finally over. It felt like the year that just would not die! I made resolutions last year, but most of them I don’t even  remember, except for wanting to start querying Dragon Steal, which I did manage to accomplish. For this post, I’d like to go over some of the awesome (and not-so-awesome) things that happened this year and cover my goals for 2019.

2018 in Review

• Finished editing Dragon Steal and submitted it for publication.
  • I’ve received several rejection letters but recently got a full manuscript request. While the rejections have hurt, at least the book is out there!
• I created my own website and started developing a branded persona on twitter, facebook, instagram, etc. I have over 1,000 followers both on twitter and on instagram.
  • Even better, I’ve met a ton of amazing authors and creators through these sites who I can’t wait to work with next year!
• Wrote, edited, and published The Purple Door District.  I can’t believe I developed my own marketing and indiegogo campaigns, formatted the book, published it, and held a launch party all in the space of six months. The question is, can I do it for PDD2?
• Had “Latte with a Shot of Poltergeist” and “Frozen Heart” published in anthologies.
• Submitted more short stories and poetry than I ever have before. While I received a lot of rejections, I at least received a few publications.
• Officially launched The Writers’ Rooms with my co-Director, Alexandra Penn. We also finished our Articles of Incorporation and got certified as a non-profit corporation.
• Helped develop the concierge anthology through The Writers’ Rooms.
• Returned to my college and taught a few classes about publishing and NaNoWriMo.
• Wrote 50k words for The Purple Door District: Wolf Pit.
• Lost about 45 lbs through exercise and healthy eating.
• Attended my first book signing event with other authors and signed up for even more in 2019.
• Hosted giveaways for my book and swag that was developed by local creators.
• Started my patreon account to help raise money for my writing career.
• Received honorable mention in Writers of the Future.
• Truly started my profession as an author.

It’s been a really big year for me writing wise. I still can’t believe that six months ago I decided to publish The Purple Door District. It seems like ages since I made that decision. I’ve managed to publish a few pieces of work this year, including on wattpad and patreon.

Next year, I hope to do even more, but also find a way to take care of myself at the same time.

2019 Goals

• Focus on my mental health and take better care of myself mentally and physically.
• Find an agent and publisher for Dragon Steal.
• Finish writing and publish The Purple Door District: Wolf Pit.
• Work on Fates and Furies with my co-author, AE Kellar, and hopefully publish the first book, if not in 2019, then in early 2020.
• Submit more short stories and poetry for publication.
• Start working on The Purple Door District #3 and Dragon Steal #2
• Return to working on Traitors of the Crown.
• Lose more weight for health reasons and get healthier.
• Attend multiple writing conventions to both sell my books and to meet other authors.
• Start my path to becoming a full-time author.

These are pretty ambitious goals, but I think most of them are possible. I really do need to focus on my mental and physical health, though, because I managed to break myself a few times while working on PDD. If I can’t hold myself together, I won’t be able to accomplish any/all of this.

I’m really proud of what I did this year. It’s my biggest year as an author, and I can’t wait to see what 2019 holds. I’m also a little scared. What if next year doesn’t unfold as well? I guess that’s all part of growing up and making plans as a writer, though. Some years you’re going to make it big, and some years are going to be a lot slower. I hope 2019 is still a fantastic one.

What are your goals for 2019? Feel free to share them below! Also, let me know what topics you’d like me to cover this year!

Happy Writing!

Erin

Creating a Book Launch: Reflection

It’s been a week since I launched The Purple Door District. It’s hard to believe that it’s over already after so many months of work. I’ve had people ask what went well, what didn’t, what would I like to change, and so on and so forth. After some reflection, I thought I’d share a few tidbits for anyone else who’s preparing to launch their book. As I say in many of my posts, these are just ideas and not the true method. What works for me may not work for you, but it may give you a place to start.

To make this a little easier, I’m going to divide this into three sections: what I did, what worked and didn’t work, and what I’d do next time.

Warning: This is going to be a long one!

What I did: 

• Indie Publishing: I gave myself 6 months to launch my book so I could build up an audience and get my social media platforms off the ground. Keep in mind, I was mostly starting from scratch. I had Facebook and Wattpad, and I had just started on patreon, but that was about it. I decided to go the indie publishing route, which meant I had to do all my marketing by myself, hence the six months of preparation.
• Cover reveal: I revealed the cover of the book about a month in so that it, and the title, could get out and attract attention.
• Social Media: I started building up my social media. Twitter and Facebook brought the most people to my website (according to the analytics). I also created an Instagram account. I bounced back and forth between these three, and featured special topics on Instagram like my Book Love Tour, author interviews, and blog entries. I created a schedule for myself to write a blog post every week, which I’ve managed for a few months now. When I got closer to the book release, I created a Goodreads and Bookbub account, per the suggestions of other authors. Through all the social media sites, I worked to build my audience and find fellow writers who might be interested in the book, and who I could help.
• Website: I developed my own author website to host information about my books, author interviews, my literary projects, details about the community, my volunteer work, etc. Basically my website is a one-stop shop for anyone who wants to know about me and my work. You can find all my social media through it.
• Patreon: In December 2017, before I even decided to publish PDD, I started posting a chapter or two every month. This meant I had early readers and got a few people interested in the book. I intend to do the same thing with PDD 2.
• Interviews: Through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, I found people willing to do interviews with me to help promote my book. I worked to space them out over the months so there was always something fresh for people to read. In the same vein, I interviewed other authors to show them support. It’s been a lot of fun getting to meet so many different people.
• Libraries/bookstores: I started contacting libraries and bookstores who might be interested in carrying my book. In the end, I had three bookstores in the local area who wanted them, and another in the works. Libraries are a little more reluctant to take in indie-published books, but I did manage to get a couple to agree to carry the novel.
• Press: I wrote press releases for my book launch in hopes that it would help bring more people to the event and also share the news about the novel to more people.
• Swag: I developed some of my own swag and also brought on people to create art, necklaces, and sand bottles for my book. My intent was to give them support while also helping to promote PDD. It was a lot of money, but the results spoke volumes.
• Indiegogo Campaign: Indie publishing is not easy, as many of you probably already know. I started up an Indiegogo Campaign to try to offset some of the costs. I spread it out over a month, aiming to gain $4,000.
• Book Launch Location: I picked a special location for my book launch. The Makers’ Loft seemed like a fitting place because it is all about representing indie artists. It has a great space, and it is still new and starting out, so I wanted to bring publicity there as well. Plus, their marketing team is really good. I’m really glad I chose it.
• Giveaways:  I did several giveaways over the course of the 6 months. In the beginning, I was just offering swag as gifts (necklaces, posters, etc) because the book wasn’t done. Then I started giving away the e-book, and finally I offered up the published book in bigger contests that ended up helping me build my newsletter.
• Newsletter: I developed a newsletter to keep people updated on what I’m working on. It helped me keep people interested and connected me with my readers more.
• ARC: I gave out advanced reader copies to people I knew would finish the book and provide reviews on Goodreads, and later Amazon. I hoped that the numbers would get me closer to the 50 count which triggers Amazon to start promoting your book.
• Paid Ads: I spent a little money on ads for the newspaper, Facebook, Bookbub, and I think a couple of other places to garner attention.
• Connections: I worked with my author connections to gain more information about how to launch my book. I also got PDD out word-of-mouth and developed a street team to help me share information about the book around social media platforms.
• Signings: I set up two signings on the day of the book launch, as well as several others in the future so people would know right away where to find me if they couldn’t make it to the actual launch.

What Worked/ What Didn’t 

• Indie Publishing: I’m actually really glad I went this route. I’ve learned a lot about indie publishing over the past six months, and I now have a better idea of what I’d do in the future. It costs a lot, I’m not going to lie, but you have a lot of freedom that you may not have with publishers.
• Cover reveal: This was a great way to gain attention. I found an amazing artist who really hit the nail on the head. People loved the cover, and that kept bringing an audience back to me. Or at least made people pause when they scrolled through it. Cover reveals are great media pieces, especially if you have an incredible artist. Start it early, and get your name out there.
• Social Media: I probably made my social media life a lot harder than it needed to be. Facebook and Twitter both brought people over to my website. Whether that will lead to sales remains to be seen at this point. It’s something you definitely need to do to keep up your audience, but the amount of social media presence is really up to you. I think Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram get me my best audience. Wattpad and patreon fall a bit more to the wayside. At the very least, this is a great way to gain connections and find out about other signings, and bond with writers and readers. Recently, my blog posts have started to gain more attention.
• Website: A must have. I spent more on this than I had anticipated, but it’s worth the cost. I have a store where I can sell my books. And it’s a one-stop-shop for everyone. If I only have one piece of social media to offer up, this is definitely the one I give. I update it every week, too, and that seems to keep the numbers up.
• Patreon: To be honest, Patreon is not one of my successes. It’s gone well for other writers, but I’ve really struggled with gaining an audience. I’m hoping that now PDD 1 is out, that’ll bring more people in for PDD 2. Part of me wants to give it up completely, but I still think there’s worth in it. If anything, it keeps me on task because I have to post something every 15th of the month.
• Interviews: This was a big help. Interviews introduced me to new readers and audiences. They made people see that I’m very much a human, and they got to know me and my view of working as a community. I would say get as many interviews as possible, and research if there’s a good response turn out for that interviewer’s blog.
• Libraries/bookstores: I didn’t have as much success as I would have liked, but I don’t think I tried as hard as I could have. I’m still reaching out to bookstores and libraries, but I’m finding that they prefer to agree to carry your book once it’s printed. That being said, I did just receive my first paycheck from one of the bookstores!
• Press: This was a dud, but that was my fault. I did reach out to newspapers, but I neglected to reach out to tv and radio stations. I think I just ran out of time, which was an issue. I sent press releases to four local papers and only had one respond.
• Swag: While this turned out to be a lot of money, the swag really caught people’s attention. When I couldn’t give out the book because it was still in progress, I could at least offer bookmarks, jewelry, and other items. They were all very eye catching, and they’ve served to help bolster the world of PDD alongside the book.
• Indiegogo Campaign: The campaign enabled me to pay for my first shipment of books, but it definitely didn’t land where I expected. There are a lot of ways in which I would improve on it (more below).
• Book Launch Location: The location was really great. The only downside is the website has slightly confusing directions, so some people got lost, but they still managed to show up. I had at least 30 people stop by in a 2-hour time frame.
• Giveaways:  On one hand, not many people participated in the giveaways. It almost felt like, what was the point? On the other hand, the people who won were ecstatic and let me know about it, and that felt wonderful.
• Newsletter: I suck at newsletters, hah! This is still a work in progress! Now that I have about 250 people, I’m hoping that will lead to some sales.
• ARC: Definitely glad I did this. My ARC folks came through for me and helped me get several reviews both on amazon and goodreads. I’m talking with even more people about doing reviews, so I hope my #questto50 makes it on amazon.
• Paid Ads: Honestly, I don’t think these were worth the money. Unless you’re willing to spend $100s of dollars, I don’t think they give you much turn out.
• Connections/Signings: Personal connections with people and in-person signings definitely were great successes. I’ve met so many incredible people over the last six months, and many also ended up buying my book to show their support. I did the same for their books as well. The biggest success came from working with the community. They always say you should build an audience, but I’d much rather build up true connections with people and have us help each other. Rising Tide, as Brian K Morris says.

What I’d Do Differently

• Press: I would reach out to more press outlets about my book. One suggestion an author made to me was to send formal invitations to newspapers, tv, and radio stations. If you can get a big star to come, that’s something you can talk about and attract more people. I’d also write more press releases to introduce my book.
• Indiegogo Campaign: If I did this again, I’d give myself two months instead of one to raise the money. One month wasn’t enough. I would also promote it more, and likely do that through press news. My tiers would be more reasonable as well. I wish I could have given out more stuff to people, but I was still in the early stages.
• Relevant Signings: I’m working on this now, but I would have set up a signing in Chicago right off the bat. The book is set in Chicago, after all. I should have reached out to Chicago bookstores and media as well.
• ARC: I would find more ARC readers for the book. I’ve received many incredible reviews (thank you, everyone!) But getting more reviews right away would be helpful.
• Time/Self-Care: Give myself more time to breathe. During the six months, I thought I was going to lose my mind. There were plenty of tears and nights where I felt like I couldn’t do this, and that I’d turn into a failure. It was because I wasn’t taking care of myself. I wasn’t sleeping. I wasn’t eating well. There were other factors that made self-care difficult, but the book launch was one of those major stresses in my life that I’m both happy and sad is over. I’d definitely give myself a day (at least) every week where I didn’t work on anything.

I told you, this was going to be a long one. Overall, I think the book launch was a big success. In 7 days, I sold about 70 books, and I have interviews and signings coming up over the next few months. I’m working to attend bigger conventions that might bring more attention to my book, and to me as an author. Maybe I’ll even find an agent to represent me for the other stacks of books I have waiting in the wings.

As a final note, I want to again thank everyone who has supported me through this journey. You all are incredible and I can’t thank you enough.

As always, if you have a topic you’d like me to discuss, post it below!

Happy writing!

Marketing 101

After months of writing blog posts, I’ve come to realize that many authors agree on one thing; they hate marketing their books. I can understand why. Marketing isn’t an easy job. You spend all of your time and energy writing an amazing book, and still there’s so much work to do after that to ensure that your baby makes it into the world.

I’m by no means an expert when it comes to marketing, but I’ve learned a few tricks through my own experiences and also reading articles/blogs from experts in the field. I would definitely suggest looking into Jenn DePaula of Mixtus Media. She’s actually running a sale on her Book Marketing Foundations class. Also, check out Alexa Bigwarfe from Write. Publish, Sell who also provides valuable information and courses in marketing.

• Build a Community: Whether this is through social media, readings and signings, conventions, or gushing over a book, make connections with writers and readers in your genre. Building connections helps open you to other opportunities in the literary world, like signings you never heard about. It’s also just nice to make new friends. Try to focus on those in your genre because they will be the people you sell to later. It’s better to have a smaller group of interested people than a large group of followers who won’t take a second look at your book.
• Social Media: As much as some people hate it, social media is important. It’s how your readers get to know you. You can share information about your story or your everyday life. Keep in mind, you don’t have to do all social venues. Pick the ones that work well for you. Maybe update a blog every week, or keep a twitter account active. Don’t try to do everything, otherwise you might become overwhelmed. Just make sure people have a place to find you, buy your book, and learn more about you. Readers want to feel connected with the author.
• Author Website: Going along with social media, you want to be able to market your book through an author website. You can get one for free through WordPress, or you can spend a little money on it through sites like squarespace. Here’s mine for example.  Make it unique. Make it you. The best thing about this is you can store all of your social media links, your appearances, your purchase links, etc in one location. And if working on a lot of social media platforms is too daunting, this is a good place to focus your attention.
• Author Signings: As much as we would like to stay behind the computer screen, it’s important to participate in author signings. An author named Alexandra Penn says she sells most of her books through in-person signings. To prepare for it, have your elevator pitch ready. Know how to explain your book in 30 seconds or two sentences so you can keep the people engaged. Decorate your table to make it eye catching. Also, consider holding raffles or special sales at in-person signings. It might attract more attention.
• Swag: Seriously, people love swag. Bookmarks especially tend to go over well with people because they have a dual use. Character stickers, postcards, small journals, key chains, etc. All of these things can be used to promote your book. You can either make the items yourself or enlist others to help you like Sarah Cunningham who made a lot of my swag. Below is a mix of items I have available to promote my book.

• Press Releases: When your book is about to come out (or even if it is out), it doesn’t  hurt to write a press release and send it in to your local newspaper, radio show, or tv station. Contact your local newspaper company (or go on their website) to find out where to send a press release.
• Interviews: Look for authors or bloggers who are hosting interviews of other authors. This is your chance to talk about your book and introduce yourself to your readers. If you have a book coming out, make sure you get some interviews out around that same time. I host author interviews on my own website here.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. If you have any marketing tips, please feel free to post them down below!

Cheers!

Erin

Marketing Vs Writing Time

I think the favorite motto of a writer is, “I hate marketing my book.” Most times when I ask someone about their marketing techniques, they talk about how much they despise it and would rather have someone else do it. Unfortunately, whether you’re traditionally published or self-published, you will have to do a fair bit of marketing if you want your book to succeed. The question is, how much time do you put into marketing vs your writing? Obviously you won’t have anything to market if you don’t write!

Here are a few tips and ideas I’ve learned about when to market vs when to write and how to divide your time.

• Feeling inspired? Put the marketing aside and get those words down on paper. Don’t squander time if you’re feeling creative.
• No Inclination to Write? Then focus on marketing. Sometimes putting together graphics or sending out tweets/building your reading and writing community can help you break out of that creative fog.
• Deadlines for Books: If you have short stories due for contests, or a book due for printing, put the marketing aside and focus on getting that done. You want to make sure you meet those deadlines so you can market it later.
• Deadlines for Interviews/Guest Spots: If a site or station is waiting on your interview or a guest blog, for example, then make that your priority. You might have to put your writing aside just to make sure you get that deadline done. Remember, this will give you traction and bring more people to your website.
• Long Break: Do you have a few hours during the day where you can sit and focus on your book? You might consider writing. While marketing can take hours to do, it’s easier to get that done in shorter spurts of time than working on your novel.
• Short Break: Are you waiting at a doctor’s appointment? Do you only have a few minutes to relax before a meeting? Spend that time marketing. Post a tweet. Share information about your book. Check your e-mail. It’s easier to do that than to get writing done.
• Split time: Maybe you want to market and write in the same day. Create meetings for yourself. From 6-8, you’ll work on writing. From 8-9, you’ll work on marketing. Treat those like meetings that you can’t miss. That means you can get both done!
• Author Events: When you have an author event coming up such as readings, signings, tours, you want to spend most of your time marketing. Share your event to the community you’ve built up. Focus your tweets and Instagram posts around what you’ll be doing. At the same time, post pictures while you’re at the events! Not only will you be preserving memories, you’ll also be sharing your experiences with your readers. This is a time to focus on the marketing and getting to know the crowd, not the writing.
• Burnout: At some point you’re going to burn out from writing or marketing. When one fails, turn to the other. Usually if I’m too tired to write, I can still market my stuff. I might engage in a twitter thread or post a couple of pictures on Facebook and Instagram because it doesn’t take a lot of energy. Sometimes, trying to share yourself with the social world can be draining. When you feel worn out, settle in, turn off social media, and just focus on your book. And, if you hit a point that you can’t do either, take a break. Allow yourself to breathe and come back to it another day. If you keep pushing yourself, you won’t do well with either your marketing or writing.
• Scheduling: Each week, create a schedule for yourself. Decide what’s most important (writing or marketing), and jot down the days you want to do one or the other, or both. Having this routine set up can make the whole process a lot easier and more friendly for yourself. Scheduling marketing posts is helpful too. You can take a day to schedule posts/blogs/interviews, and then while those launch, you can work on your writing.
• Check in with yourself: Check in frequently to see how you’re feeling. If you’re starting to feel too overwhelmed with writing or marketing, it may be time to switch up your schedule. You are in control. You have the power to do as much or as little as you want. Make sure you’re being kind to yourself and taking it all one step at a time.
• Create Shortcuts: Find ways to get multiple kinds of marketing done at the same time so you have more time to write. For example, use hoot suite or another platform that allows you to schedule and set up multiple posts at once. The site posts for you while you write. Or, schedule a blog post on a Tuesday and have that be your “marketing piece” that you share that day. By 9am, you may be done with your marketing. While views are rolling in on your blog, you can go back to writing.

A lot of this really depends on where you are mentally and what needs to get done. If you’re itching to write, then write. If you’re craving social media, focus on that. And if you find that you’re struggling in one of those areas, then make sure you set up time that you can sit down and focus on publicizing or writing your work.

It’s likely authors hate marketing because either 1. they aren’t sure how to do it productively, 2. they don’t like stealing away from their writing time, 3. they don’t like talking about themselves, 4. it’s just not their forte. If any of this is true for you, you may want to look into finding someone who can market your work for you. That way you can spend more time writing.

I hope this helps!

If you have any topics you’d like me to cover, please post them down below!