Guest post from Kristan Higgins: Organic Marketing

14 Comments

 

We’re thrilled to have an article from Kristan Higgins, New York Times Bestselling author. It was originally published on Romance University, but she’s letting us share it with you here!

—- 

Please no, you’re saying. Not another article on marketing! I know, I know. They’re such a drag (except THIS one, of course). And we authors do so much already. We’re tired!

 

Don’t worry, my lambs. Organic marketing is different and in some respects, easier, because all it requires is authenticity, an eye for why your readers reach for your books and a little time.

Continue reading →

Coming May 28th… Launch & Release Day

Leave a comment
RWchat 5-28-17

Graphic by Alexis Daria

It’s our last topic for May Marketing Month!

It’s the big day, release day, the day you’ve been working toward for months, even years and . . . What do you do?

There’s so much build up and planning for it. What kinds of plans do you make for a “Book Launch?” Do you have special things that you try to do or recommend doing ? Or is it more of a kick back and relax and let all the hard work you’ve put in do its job kind of thing?

Come share with us your experiences and your questions. See you Sunday at 4pm PST/ 7pm EST!

~Robin Lovett

Coming May 21st… ARCs and Reviews

Leave a comment
RWchat 5-21-17

Graphic by Alexis Daria

ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) and getting reviews is an integral part of promoting our books. The number at the bottom of our Amazon sale page is important, and working with review bloggers is a relationship full of etiquette. How do we get reviews? How do we encourage readers to share their opinions about our work? And then, once the reviews roll in, the good and the bad, how do we handle it?

Bring your strategies and your questions. There’s so much to learn from our fellow rom writers!

See you Sunday 4pm PST/ 7pm EST!

~Robin Lovett

Got Promo?

1 Comment

RWchat giveaway and promo graphicMay is Marketing Month on RWchat, and this week we’re talking about giveaways and promo. Check out Kimberly Bell’s take on giveaways, and read on for promo tips compiled by Alexis Daria.

I’m kind of a conference junkie. It’s fun to hang out with other authors, readers, and industry professionals, swapping book recs and writing advice. But as much as I love the social aspect, that’s not the only reason why I’m there. I’m there to learn. My favorite thing about writing conferences is the opportunity to attend workshops and classes led by people who have built up a wealth of knowledge about all aspects of the life and business of being a writer, either through formal education or trial and error. Yes, a lot of this info can be found online, but there’s something special about being in the same room with an author whose career you admire, hearing them speak about their own experiences, and then getting to ask questions.

Before I attend a conference, I set a goal for what I want to learn. In March, I attended the Liberty States Fiction Writers’ “Create Something Magical” Conference with the goal of learning about marketing and promotion. The workshops did not disappoint. Last week, I posted what I learned about newsletters. This week, I’ve compiled some tips on promo from two workshops: “Buzzing Your Book & Building Your Brand,” led by Jillian Stein and Liz Berry (1001 Dark Nights), and “The Six Goals of Online Book Promotions (& the Tools to Achieve Them)” led by Laura Kaye (Raven Riders series).

Continue reading →

Me: Super Lazy. Giveaways: Super Cool.

1 Comment

As you may have heard, May is Marketing month here at #RWChat. We made it marketing month because none of us chat hosts are putting in the effort we ought to be with marketing, so it was time to group think this shit out and get motivated.

(There are a lot of chat topics that make the list because we personally need a push or some inspiration. #sorrynotsorry)

Of all of us, I have the most shame around my lack of book marketing. I have broken some serious records (and banked some serious dollars) in a previous career in e-commerce. I have been a social media consultant to some pretty big brands. And I currently work as the operations manager for an email marketing company.

My shame run so very, very deep.

giphy (2) Continue reading →

Coming May 14th… Giveaways & Promo

Leave a comment

RWchat 5-14-17

Graphic by Alexis Daria

Promotion… Promoting our books… Helping the readers who will love our writing find it… For many, it’s is a huge source of anxiety, mostly because we have so many questions about it. And because there’s no one answer.

Blogs, social media, tours, articles, giveaways, swag, and the ever elusive – word of mouth! The list is endless and really, fitting it into one chat is crazy, but it means everyone will have something to contribute. Not one of us will do it the same and have the same results. That’s why we can’t wait to hear from you about which strategies work, which strategies scare you the most, and which ones you want to learn about.

We have a survey, because we want to know what marketing and promotional stuff you’ve tried – both the successful and the… well, things that didn’t work out the way you’d hoped. Click here to fill out our questionnaire. We’ll be posting results on the blog over the following weeks of . . .

May Marketing Month!

See you next week for promo and giveaways! Sunday 4pm PST / 7pm EST.

~Robin Lovett

Okay, I need a newsletter. Now what?

2 Comments

RWchat newsletter graphicMay is Marketing Month on #RWchat! Our latest post combines newsletter advice collected by guest contributor Sofia Tate and #RWchat co-host Alexis Daria. And be sure to check out Robin Lovett’s earlier post, “Do I have to have a newsletter?“

At the LSFW conference in March, I attended the “Buzzing Your Book & Building Your Brand” workshop led by Liz Berry and Jillian Stein from 1001 Dark Nights. They had a ton of great advice on newsletters, and the session dispelled a lot of the fear I felt about starting one. On top of that, RT is going on this week, and Sofia Tate (author of the Davison & Allegra series) was kind enough to share her notes from the newsletter session led by Sarah Wendell (Smart Bitches, Trashy Books) and Mel Jolly (Author’s Atlas). I’ve combined our notes below to give you a double helping of tips and tricks to make your newsletter shine. Continue reading →

Do I have to have a newsletter?

4 Comments

It’s May Marketing Month on #RWChat. Check out the first installment by Alexis Daria: 5 Things to Include On Your Author Website If You’re Not Yet Published.

I’ve avoided starting a newsletter for over a year now. It’s become a spectre haunting me: Start the email list… it’s your number one marketing tool… everyone says do it… you won’t sell books without it… 

harry potter harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban dementors harry potter 3 GIF

And all that pressure makes it worse. Continue reading →

5 Things to Include on Your Author Website If You’re Not Yet Published

5 Comments

website_header

When I started building websites in the 90s, it was hard. Now, we’re living in a golden age where anyone can turn a free theme into a functional author page. My intention when I started querying was to turn my online art portfolio into an author site—but a hacker wiped it! Rather than rebuild from scratch, I gave my rarely-used WordPress blog a fresh layout. But one question remained: If you aren’t published yet, what do you include on an author website? Below, I’ll give you some easy elements to add to your site, including the one that netted me several comments from agents. 

Continue reading →