Publishing a book is a huge achievement, but we don’t stop writing once we’ve got a book out there. We keep going, which means publishing more books. We often hear phrases like “nothing sells a backlist like a front list” or “backlist is where writers make their money.” How do we get to the point where we have a backlist? What does that look like? And how do you keep selling your backlist even as you’re writing other books?
Join us to talk about it, Sunday at 4pm PST / 7pm EST.
Self-promotion is one of the biggest struggles we face as authors, but it gets even more complicated when you factor in introvert/extrovert strengths. You might have finally mastered (or at least come to terms with) the ins and outs of digital promotion, only to freeze up when pitching your book face to face. Or maybe you feel way more comfortable recommending your book to someone you can have a real, live conversation with, while digital promotion feels like shouting into the void.
Bring your strengths, or your utter befuddlement towards any kind of marketing, on October 29th, when we discuss in-person marketing vs. online marketing.
~Kimberly Bell
Social media is a prominent aspect of book marketing, but sometimes it can be tricky to figure out what to post. Some writers may be more comfortable with marketing posts, and less comfortable with sharing parts of their lives, while others are happy to chat but nervous about promoting their books. Common wisdom suggests the 80/20 rule for social media—80% social or personal posts, and 20% marketing or promo related posts. Let’s talk about what this looks like in the next #RWchat. Join us Sunday September 10th at 7pmEST/4pmPST.
We talk a lot about hooks as writers, but we’re also subject to hooks from the reader perspective. When you’re reading a blurb and you get that feeling of “Yes! This book! I have to read it!” that’s a hook at work.
So let’s talk about how we can utilize strong hooks to our advantage as writers, in our stories and in our marketing.
Join us Sunday, August 27th for #RWchat at 7pmET/4pmPT.
We appreciate when reviewers and librarians chime in during #RWchat to share their insights, so we’re thrilled to share this post from Maria Rose on how to build a good relationship with book reviewers. Also make sure to check out Frannie’s post on Making the Library Your *Fan(girl).
Hello everyone! My thanks to Alexis Daria for inviting me to write a guest post for RWChat on the topic of book reviews. Hopefully it will give you some insight into the reviewer perspective of what should be a positive and mutually beneficial reviewer/author relationship.
A little bit about me: I’m a long time reader of romance and in 2014 I started writing reviews for Goodreads (a book review site owned by Amazon) and book sale sites. I now write for 3 main review sites as well as guest review for others. There may be other reviewers with different perspectives than mine, but these are some of the issues I’ve seen come up with authors and fellow reviewers that I think are worth discussing. Note that my thoughts relate to non-professional book review sites/blogs, not RT, Library Journal, Kirkus etc.
Whether you are a new or established author, self-published or traditionally published, everyone can benefit from having their book reviewed. As part of a marketing plan, reviews can help bring visibility to your story, your name and your brand. Here are some tips to make your book stand out in the crowd.
In case you missed the live chats during Marketing Month, C.L. Polk (Witchmark, Tor 2018) made Storify links.
Our first chat was about newsletters and author websites. We talked about building your email list, creating newsletter content, and what info to include on an author site.
Check out the Storify recap on Newsletters and Author Websites.
Our third chat discussed ARCs and reviews. We were lucky to have a number of bloggers, reviewers, and librarians in attendance! The conversation covered building genuine relationships with bloggers, utilizing FB reader groups, and the role of publishers in handling ARCs — and how that differs if you’re indie.
Check out the Storify recap on ARCs and Reviews.
Our final chat covered book launch and release day. We asked participants to wear both their reader and author hats while answering. The chat addressed everything from cover reveals to release day buzz, from pre-orders to backlist, and everything in-between.
Check out the Storify recap on Book Launch and Release Day.
Did you make any changes to your marketing after these chats?
If you’re looking for more information, check out our other Marketing Month posts, including a guest post from Kristan Higgins!
#RWchat this month is all about book marketing. This week’s guest post comes to us from RWA-NYC president Kate McMurray, author of “There Has to Be a Reason.”
One of the particular challenges of publishing in These Modern Times is that everything changes so fast. We as writers have to be on our toes, because what worked well even just six months ago may not work now.
May 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).
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.
May 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
Romance Writers Chat 