Marketing and promotion BEFORE you sell
That sentence seems like a contradiction, I mean, what have you got to market and promote if you haven't sold a book?
The answer is: YOU!
One of the truths about this publishing business is that publishers don't just buy a book, they also buy the author. This business is all about making money, and who makes publishers money? An author who writes a fabulous book AND markets and promotes the heck out of themselves and that book. If you wait to start this process until after you've sold the book, you've started waaaaaay too late. You may only have as little as a few months between the moment you sell and the day that book comes out in print.And there are a million other things to do in that time besides marketing and promotion. It's too easy to lose track of all those tasks and end up with lagging sales because you weren't ready, you didn't have your marketing base in place and no one knew who the heck you were.
So, what do you need to do right now, before you sell?
1. Get a website up - and make it look professional, because a shoddy looking website is worse than no website at all. Many agents and editors check for an author's website BEFORE they make an offer, but don't take just my word for it. Agent Kristin Nelson's take on websites for the pre-published - there are 3 blog entries, scroll down to read them all. Agent Rachel Vater's take .
2. Set up a blog, face book page - To make these a success you need to'brand' yourself, make yourself interesting by taking a unique slant on the publishing industry and/or joining or forming a group to blog with.
3. Write a newsletter and publish it regularly - people can opt-in at your website, and again, you need to find your personal slant on the information you're going to include in the newsletter. Make it interesting!
4. Write articles for your RWA chapter newsletters - this is a greatway to get your name out there in the romance writing community. As an added bonus, you'll get lots of practice writing articles.
5. Pitch and write an article for the Romance Writer Report. I just handed in my third article for the RWR. Not only will writers be reading it August, but agents and editors will, too. Even better, they pay!
6. Find what you're passionate about, promote it and it will promote you - I'm a huge proponent of life long learning, it's something I'm very passionate about. About 2 years ago I found myself frustrated with the fact that I was missing out on really good online classes because there was no centralized place to find out about them before they started.
I decided to fix that and began a yahoo loop devoted to informing writers about classes.I now have over 250 people signed upon my Announceonlinewritingclasses@yahoogroups.com
loop, many of them are RWAchapter presidents. All the information I post there is free to be passed along to any writer, and any writer, regardless of what they write, may join. Announceonlinewritingclasses@yahoogroups.com I post an average of 30 classes every month, often more.
7. Go to conferences - network, learn, socialize.
8. Teach - share what you know with other writers.
9. Join more than one RWA chapter, and if you write a specific genre of romance like Romantic Suspense, join a special interest chapter. Meet other writers who write what you do, learn from them, help them and when the time comes to promote your first sale you'll have a whole bunch of people who will happily back you up.
9. Join more than one RWA chapter, and if you write a specific genre of romance like Romantic Suspense, join a special interest chapter. Meet other writers who write what you do, learn from them, help them and when the time comes to promote your first sale you'll have a whole bunch of people who will happily back you up.
10. Donate - Events like Brenda Novak's Diabetes Auction, are a wonderful way to dosomething good and promote yourself, even if you're not published. This year I donated a magazine writing mentoring package. I've already been approached by a couple of published, successful writers about setting up a time when I can help them get launched into writing for magazines. Several friends of mine are donating everything from antiques and jewellery to gift baskets of writing related goodies. A writing career is about more than just writing a book. It's about establishing yourself within the market place, the bookstore and the writing community.
Don't wait to get started, start now!
A double Golden Heart finalist in 2006, Julie Rowe has been writing medically inclined romances for ten years. She's also a published freelancer with articles appearing in The Romance Writer's Report, CanadianLiving, Today's Parent, Reader's Digest (Canada) and other magazines. Julieis an active member of RWA and its subchapters, Heartbeat RWA and Calgary RWA. She serves on the RWA Membership Committee, coordinates Book In A Week programs for Heartbeat and Calgary RWA, and serves as president of Heartbeat RWA. Julie enjoys teaching and volunteering, and is a passionate promoter of life-long learning. You can learn more about her at her website: http://www.julieroweauthor.com/index.html
Hey, Julie! Welcome to Seekerville.
ReplyDeleteJulie is the queen of personal promotion. So pass the croissants. Let's pick her brain.
I want to know how you have time to do it all. You seem very balanced. What's your secret?
Julie, I think God sent you here on purpose, on top of Harry and James earlier this week, to head-smack me back into the realm of self-promotion and a website.
ReplyDeleteI love your ideas, and like Tina, I'm impressed by that sense of balance.
So.
Is it real, girlfriend? Or do you, like the rest of us, manage to appear professional while juggling four gazillion plates in the air?
And if so, you do it well!
Ruthy
Tina, the croissants are lovely. Pass me a bit of Mary's homemade jam, would ya'? The raspberry one.
Ruthy again
Up front I will tell you that I am new to writing as a career. I am appalled when I contemplate all the time I might spend doing something besides writing what I feel called to write about. I welcome the constant exposure to what appears to be the truth about writing -- promotion -- but I hate it. A trip to the dentist or selling myself -- it would be a tough choice. I only want to write about the Christian life in story and study. That subject consumes all my time and energy, and I have a huge pile of notes about areas I have not yet touched. It is pretty hard to think about updating my web site, a blog and a newsletter regularly when I really want to work on my books. I don't feel qualified to write about writing; I'm just beginning to figure out what that means. And oh, by the way, I never had the slightest thought of spending between $1000 and $5000 on a website. Where would that much money come from? When I embarked on this path, feeling called by God to embark on this path, I knew I had to sell publishers and most likely an agent. All the rest is putting my head in a permanent spin. Thanks for sharing so much insight, but I don't know how I can possibly do it all.
ReplyDeleteHi Tina,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the hearty welcome!
My secret is: multi-tasking, discipline and large quantities of dark chocolate!
Seriously, I'm a believer in goal setting, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly. I know what I have to do and when I have to do it, and if I find myself with any free time - I have a list of activities ready and waiting for me.
I actually teach a class in time management for writers and one of the things I stress in the class is the importance of identifying your priorities and goals, and understanding that writing isn't a hobby, it's a career and it deserves the same attention as any other career you might embark on.
I've also been at this for ten years. I've had time to build my personal brand and figure out what I do best.
Hi Ruth,
ReplyDeleteHarry and James were great! I'm addicted to their blog now. :-)
There are lots of days when I don't feel in control, when I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and stripping my gears. When that happens I pick one thing, just ONE and concentrate on it completely. Getting that one thing done helps put me back on track.
Cheers, Julie
Hi, Tina! And hello, Julie. I saw this notice about marketing on the Pro loop. I very much enjoyed your article. One issue you haven't mentioned concerns authors who know in advance they'll need a pen name. My last name is difficult to pronounce and spell. While I suppose I could come up with one, it seems a bit presumptuous & I've heard that publishers often want input on that decision. Any thoughts on this?
ReplyDeleteBecause of the name issue, I was concerned about spending money on a website in which I'd end up having to change the URL. As a professional marketer, I know driving traffic to a website is key, so a change in URL could break that established base that I'd built within the publishing community. What I chose to do instead was create a blog at no cost since the purpose was to create awareness about my unpublished works and to provide useful articles about marketing in my posts. Just some of my thoughts. :-)
VICKY!!!
ReplyDeleteWelcome.
I'll give me penny worth. Why not start using that pen name now? I do. I use one name for fiction and one for non-fiction. Readers are savvy people, they will hunt you down and figure out who you are anyhow, so why not just start now?
There are several Seekers who have been using an alternative name for so long I have long forgotten who they really are, and they are all not published.
Wow, need more coffee, spelling and grammar are in the toilet this am.
ReplyDeleteHi Katherine,
ReplyDeleteThe biggest trick to marketing and promotion is NOT doing it all at once. Very few people can do everything on my list, and do them all well. Especially if you've been concentrating on writing and haven't yet started on marketing or promoting yourself.
My recommendation is to take a good hard, critical look at that list of ten items and choose ONE to start with. When you've got that one thing established, only then look at the list again and choose one more item.
Most folks tend to think of a website as the first thing they need to do. But that's not how I started, I started by joining several RWA chapters, then I started volunteering and going to conferences, then I created my online class announcement loop. See what I mean?
Speaking of websites, they don't have to cost a lot of money to look good. My website cost me about $250 to set up. My webmistress is wonderful gal and very responsive. Updates are usually done within 24 hours of request, most of the time sooner. Her name is Karen McCullough http://www.karenswebworks.com/
Cheers, Julie
Katherine,
ReplyDeleteWriting is a business. It isn't just a whimsical muse floating around. God given talent, YES. But so is any other God given ability.
Start now thinking of it as a business. And a $1,000 tax deduction for your personal business is part of doing business just as your computer, your internet connection, your professional association fees and
the money you shell out to attend professional conferences are. Track your submissions and rejections and save your postage receipts. That is prood you are actively participating in your business.
It's a mind set. This is not a hobby, this is a business.
Get yourself incorporated if it will help you in your approach.
Hi Vicky,
ReplyDeleteI know several people who've debated what to do regarding a pen name. It can be a tricky decision, and sometimes it depends on why you want to use a pen name. One friend chose a pen name early on and never uses her real name because she didn't want anyone in cyber-land to be able to find her. Another writes both erotica and traditional romances and wanted to have two completely different and unconnected personas.
Some publishers do want input on your choice of a pen name, but I don't they're unreasonable about it. If you've created your alias for specific reasons, I'm sure any publisher who wants your work will respect that.
Cheers, Julie
This was a very helpful article for me since I am just starting out with writing. I plan on checking out the online classes web site.Thanks.
ReplyDeletespowell01(at)bellsouth(dot)net
It took me a long time to get over here. I'm going to sign up for your yahoo group about classes, what a great idea.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I'm late is because I had a nightmarish encounter with a mouse last night and didn't get to sleep until maybe 4 a.m.
In fact, this morning, I'm actually wondering if it WAS a nightmare...no fooling.
I screamed so loud I woke up Ivan.
So, hero-like, he came charging out to save me from murderers, really pretty nice. But then when he found out it was a mouse he got all grumbly, the brat. I could have used a hug.
I told him I was making him my next villain who ALSO doesn't protect his woman from a mouse and he said, "Hey, I thought I might get shot when I charged out there. That's pretty brave."
Still, I could have used a hug.
And now, seriously, Im' not sure it even happened. I mean, yeah, the screaming and Ivan and all THAT happened but the mouse.........................
Just not that sure.
But I'm so scared of them that I often do this thing where I decide I 'imagined' seeing one.
I can totally see how a woman could live with an alcoholic and never admit the guy had a problem.
I'm not talking about Ivan here, btw.
You know what they say, "Denial is NOT just a river in egypt."
Anyway, my point is, I had to drive to a nearby city this mornig and buy glue traps and poisons, then go home and set it all up. I live in an old farm house...we have mice. It's a fact of life.
Also, I asked Susan Downs this morning if we could change the name of the third book in my cozy mystery series away from:
The Miceman Cometh
to
Close Encounters of the Furred Kind
But she recognized hysteria when she saw it in an email and over ruled me.
Though she offered to let me pitch a second series.
I might be a little hyper this morning...chances are.
Nice blog Julie. Thanks for visiting.
I need more caffeine.
Tina has so many names that actually learning them all is a SEPARATE challenge from deciding what they all mean.
ReplyDeleteBut she's so darned fun we put up with it. Plus I'm scared of her.
No, that's the mouse hysteria talking.
You all might want to consider ignoring everything I say for the next few hours.
Okay, yeah, you started doing that a long, long time ago.
Still, you can go on the record now.
EEkkkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!
I am SOOOOOOO sending Mary a pet mouse.
ReplyDeleteI mean the real, fur-bearing, heart-beating kind.
Jeepers creepers, woman, it's like this (picture thumb and forefinger slightly spread) big...
With giant teeth.
And a bloodthirsty nature.
Bwahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!
Katherine, you got some great advice there from Julie and Tina. Can't add to it, but I encourage you heartily to keep writing and don't fret the small stuff right now. Getting your feet wet in this business is a step-by-step walk along a learning path. Consider each step an investment of time, heart and money.
Fear nothing. Write your heart, then draw on your tough-as-nails business side (contests REALLY help you develop that, btw, after you dry the tears, LOL!!!) to do the rest.
Investing in any business is crucial, but don't let it boggle you.
And Julie, I've visited the boys myself, kind of fun to see their blog, their ideas, their craft, etc. Smart boys, and that's such an oxymoron that I don't use the expression often.
:)
All married women will understand the veracity of that last remark.
And Vicky, I'm one of the unpubbed, aspiring, pre-pubbed (word choice of your choosing) authors who uses a pen name because:
1. My mother asked me to incorporate our family name before she died, so I did.
2. It allows for a hint of space between my professional career and personal life (read: My children don't necessarily need any more embarrassments in their lives)
3. It allows me to be a separate entity as a writer/author/storyteller.
4. It's way cool.
And I'm a firm believer in Julie's advice to establish a presence NOW rather than later because you can't buy more time. Doesn't happen.
Ruthy
I enjoyed your post, Julie! And I love your online writing classes group! You are doing a great service for the writing community. I see your name everywhere so I know you are fantastic at promoting. :-)
ReplyDeleteI may be running a fever now. That's Ruthy's fault, her and her terror tactics.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie! Great blog; lots of wonderful information. :-)
ReplyDeleteI wanted to add another option for Vicky and her question about using a pen name--its a technical option that you might not be aware of. It's called "an address redirect." What it is, is when one website address immediately takes you over to another website. It's actually how I started out too.
My original website address was www.amzach.com for a small home based business I created. I started using it for my writing about four years ago. About three years ago, I decided to write under my maiden name, to keep my worlds a little more separate, so at that point, I built a new website at www.kelliefinley.com.
For the individuals that still look for me at www.amzach.com, my internet service provider "redirects" them to www.kelliefinley.com for a very small fee. (My current fees are $2.00 per month, or $24.00 a year. Less than a trip to McDonalds for our family.)
Since it's almost time for all of those folks to now recognize that I'm not using www.amzach.com any longer, the next step will be to put up a blank webpage at that location, reminding them of the new website address, and then eventually (later this year) take that away too.
It's really not complicated or expensive and let me start building my internet presence and then make a change without losing people. Vicky could start a webpage using her real name now, and then eventually make a similar switch to her pen name, using the redirect process during the overlap.
:-)
k
Julie, you're overwhelmed me with information. But after a day or two of allowing your information to sink in, I'll pick one suggestion and work on it.
ReplyDeleteGotta eat that elephant one bite at at time. Kinda tastes like chicken.
Mary, your nightmare gave me chills. I had one last night by mine wasn't about mice.
A gal on the ACFW loop aske about profanity in CBA novels. So we got to chatting and I mentioned how even "geeze louise" and "for goodness sake" could offend readers. I mentioned a few other not-really-curse-words-but-some-consider-them-to-be and added I was okay reading the h-word and the d-word, but beyond that, you're irritating me.
I dreamt last night one of the deacons from my church called and left a message on my answering machine, which just so happens to be next to my bed, saying several churchmembers were upset about my blog on profanity and the deacons needed to have a chat with me.
So two guys came over to my house while I was in the middle of pruning my neighbors overgrown azaelas. I left my son to clean up my mess as my neighbor watched (he'd given me excellent advice on pruning). The deacons then rambled on about my profanity blog and even though I wasn't promoting profanity, that I'd blogged about what words I thought were cursing and not was enough that I'd have to go before the deacon board and apologize before going before the church and apologizng.
I think I said something like, "Are you nutso?"
He didn't look too pleased with my response.
So I translated because clearly English wasn't his first language. "Are you stupid, anal, or just wacked out of your idiotic mind?"
He told me if I didn't apologize, I'd be excommunicated. Do people excommunicate from a Southern Baptist church?
Anyhooo, when I woke up, I saw a blinking message light on my machine. Was it all a dream or was the answering machine message real and my half-asleep mind fabricated the rest?
The phone rang and I almost screamed. I've never been so nervous to answer the phone. It was hubby. His mom had send an e-mail about a cute baby contest where the winner each month wins $2500, which hubby said could pay for me to go to ACFW nationals or RWA. I'd just need to get all my friends to vote for my cute baby.
So then I ran to the computer to see what I'd blogged about last.
Whew!
No profanity.
I washed my mouth out anyway.
Thank you for the information you shared, Julie.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the chance to win a copy of Petticoat Ranch.
cjarvis [at] bellsouth [dot] net
Oops, meant to add....
ReplyDeleteI sent a book to Brenda Novak's Diabetes fund raiser. Or I meant to. Not sure now.
Gina, poor baby.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nightmare. You weren't naked while all this was going on were you? That sounds like about the way your dream was going.
Hope your kid is cute.
Uh...I mean good luck with your beautiful kid. A sure winner.
I've gotta get more caffeine.
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI tried to sign up for your writing class announcements, but was unable to. Is the link correct? Sonja @ emeraldlady_47@yahoo.com
No, I wasn't naked or anywhere close to it.
ReplyDeleteYes, the baby is utterly cute. She has a ton of maternal DNA working there. Did I mention she's brilliant?
I'm thinking I'm going to pick the workshop/online class option...since this blog is supposed to be about Julie's lists of writer-improvement things.
Happy Thursday! I have read other author interviews that read mostly like Julie's. It does seem very time consuming. Cindi
ReplyDeleteWindyCindy, I think it's all in the uptake. Once you get used to doing A, B, C, D and E, throwing in F and G doesn't seem like such a big deal, right?
ReplyDeleteOld Church Adage:
Ask the busy person to do one thing more....
And Gina, of course your baby is beautiful! I'll vote for her no matter what she looks like, Cupcake!!!!
And I love your dream, right up there with Mary's. Creative minds have a hard time pulling the plug on the expanse of random thoughts at night, and twilight sleep is a perfect breeding ground for insanity or inspiration.
Love it.
Ruthy
Julie...thank you for visiting Seekerville.
ReplyDeleteThis is incredible advice. Taking lots of notes!
I struggle (in newsletters and blogging) to know how to blog toward both readers and writers. Hard balance. But I want to keep both audiences.
You've given us some great stuff to ponder. :-)
Cheryl
Windy Cindy, I had to fool around with it to. What I ended up doing was copying it then pasting it into the address line of an email and sending it. That worked fine.
ReplyDeleteI'm now signed up.
Hoping to learn something...although there are those who will say it is far to late for me.
Ruthy, you did not just say I'm insane.
ReplyDeleteNow Mary I can understand.
But me?!
I don't think so. I listen to Glenn Beck and watch The Bachelor, although I don't yell at Glenn like I yell at the UTTERLY stupid women on THE BACHELOR.
I'll die, I mean, I'll just die if he doesn't give me a friendship rose.
Please, English bachelor, do the world a favor and DON'T give her a rose. Please. I beg of you, please. We don't need any more twits like her representing those of the female sort. Please.
Oh, and by begging you to not give her a rose which would subsequently lead to her demise...well, I mean my begging in the most kindhearted way.
ReplyDeleteSniveling twit.
Hey Julie! Great article as always. You are an amazing asset to CARWA!
ReplyDeleteTo sign up for my online class announcement loop send an email to:
ReplyDeleteAnnounceonlinewritingclasses-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Or email me and I'll send you an invite direct: julie.rowe@shaw.ca
Cheers, Julie
Mary, I so understand Ivan and the mouse experience. Last summer, a bat (yes, the wing flapping kind) came out of the rafters in the basement where I was seated at my computer writing. Naturally, I screamed and dived under the computer desk. My husband scolded me for yelling and scaring the children. Who wouldn't scream with a bat flying at them?
ReplyDeleteJulie, thank you for the excellent advice. Collectively, it does appear overwelming, so I think I'll pick just one thing to start with. Plus, I'm headed over to sign up for your loop. Thanks again.
Hi Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteBlogging to both readers and writers is tough because they’re two entirely different audiences. Here’s a thought for you, try to keep your website for your readers and add regular news updates targeted toward them. Your blog could be geared toward writers and include more industry and craft info.
Sound manageable?
Cheers, Julie
Cheers, Julie
Thanks Nicole, Kellie, luv2read, Mary, Gina, Carole, Vivi, Ruth and Lorna for all your kind words!!
ReplyDeletePlease do keep in mind that there's only 24 hours in the day and you can't do everything all at once. Pick and choose which things that appeal to you most and work on them, one at a time. :-)
Cheers, Julie
Julie, the pick and choose is huge, good advice.
ReplyDeleteImportant to get your feet wet before you dive in, full tilt, when you're new at a business.
In Mary's case, even when you're not new!!!!
Here, mousie, mousie, mousie....
And I contacted Karen to chat it up about a website. Her website had great stuff on it, at all levels, easy to navigate and simple for simple folk like me.
Ruthy
I ran out to get more croissants and wow look at all the company.
ReplyDeleteSo Julie, around this time of year, as we approach RWA Nationals and other smaller conferences we often have the great
BUSINESS CARD DEBATE.
What have you observed as far as they go...
A COMPLETE MUST HAVE?
What about folks who suggest a picture on them? Unprofessional or saavy?
What about putting your book blurb on the back
What about making your own verses using a pro?
I am playing devil's advocate here as I really hear much debate on both sides of this topic.
Tina, funny you should mention business cards. A friend of mine and I were just discussing them.
ReplyDeleteThis year I've put my picture on mine along with my tag line, "Love, Adventure, Romance", my name, my email and my website address.
I ordered them through VistaPrint and used their "free" card selection - so I ended up paying for adding the photo and shipping only. A VERY good deal.
But it's what I'm doing to my business cards AFTER I receive them from VistaPrint that's interesting. I'm shipping them off and having my name, tag line and email address added in BRAILLE on the cards.
You want your business cards to stand out? Put Braille on them. As soon as you give it to someone and they feel the bumps, they want to know what it is and what it says. That person might end up with a stack of cards, but at the end of the day the one with Braille on them will stand out and be remembered.
Cheers, Julie
Tina, in regards to a book blurb on your business cards...well, it seems like a bit of a waste to me. The minimum number of cards I get printed up at one time is 250. So, are you really going to use up all 250 cards with only one book blurb on the back?
ReplyDeleteI just started writing my nineteenth book, so for me, it would be silly to put a blurb from only one book on the back.
A better choice is to put your tag line - a phrase that describes the kind of books you're writing.
Mine is: Love, Adventure, Romance. I write books set in far away places, about stories filled with romantic adventures. Doing this allows me to use up one whole set of cards before I have to order more.
Cheers, Julie
My jaw dropped.
ReplyDeleteYou are amazing, Julie.
Then of course I thought about attaching a body part to my card to really make it stand out. LOL
Well, if you write romantic suspense, attaching a body might not be such a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteLOL!
Cheers, Julie
Julie, Thanks so much for being with us today! Your promotion is working great, because I've recognized your name for a long time now! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the great, helpful info and the links.
Missy
Thanks so much, Missy! It's a pleasure to talk to everyone. :-)
ReplyDeleteCheers, Julie
WOW, Julie, what an excellent and timely post!! How I wish I would have started some of these things A LONG TIME AGO!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for bringing your great tips to Seekerville!
Hugs,
Julie
Katherine, I do my own website, and I think it's adequate. It doesn't look professionally done, but it's all I can afford right now (I can't put a lot of my promo dollars toward a website yet). I my get someone to design one for me someday, though. Still, I use Network Solutions, and it's almost as easy as updating a blog.
ReplyDeleteMary, yes, you did contribute a book to Brenda Novak's auction--in my gift basket. :)
Julie, thanks so much for the idea of making the website geared toward readers and the blog for writers. I've had the same dilemma as Cheryl.
Gina, I am still laughing hysterically at your dream! As another pastor's wife, I can so relate! Although my nightmares usually include unannounced inspection of the parsonage. LOL
It's great to see so many new names here! Thanks for stopping by Seekerville!
Really, Missy, seriously, because I know I sent one to someone else, through the Petticoats and Pistols blog...so maybe I've donated two.
ReplyDeleteI have got to take that medicine that helps your memory.
Can anyone remember what that's called?
Interesting article from Julie on promotions.
ReplyDeleteMary-
I'm with you on the mice and add spiders and anything creepy crawly especially of the octopedal variety.
Oh and I'd likely be dreaming of itty-bitty teeny tiny ants and wake up screaming so you've got plenty of company. In fact its about time to change out the ant trap in the bathroom again before I start finding them in my toothbrush or sitting on them. It's that time of year.
I suppose that now means I have to make sure and not give Ruthy my address or I'll be receiving an ant farm full of bloodthirsty creepy crawlies -EWWWW.
Melissa
forest_rose[at]yahoo[dot]com
Hi Julie! So glad you stopped by. What a wealth of information you provided too.
ReplyDeleteArgh! I started to post before I noticed Tina's first question..."How do you DO it all??"
Reading on to find out your secret...
Julie also has shared recently on several loops about a new Promotion loop on yahoo. To subscribe to that send an email to: writerspromotips-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
ReplyDeleteONE CAVEAT. It is very busy and not an announce only like Julie's workshop group. So do get your emails by digest or as I do, web only.
I'm glad I could help Missy!
ReplyDeletePam, did the further posts answer all your questions?
Tina, the writerspromotips loop is awesome, but very busy! Be prepared!
Cheers, Julie
Okay. Okay. I've done nothing with my website. Soon. You've convinced me...
ReplyDeleteJulie, thank you so much for spending your day off with us. It was informative and fun and you are a lovely guest.
ReplyDeleteVisit us any time.
Hi Julie
ReplyDeleteLoved your post. Wish I'd read something like that a year ago. Back then I hadn't published anything bigger than a short story. Reality hit with a smaller publisher and a relatively quick publishing turn around. I've been drowning in marketing issues ever since. The only thing I had in my favor pre-published was a website and blog.
Oh and I love the braille on the business card. What a great idea!
sounds like alot of good advice.
ReplyDeleteHi Julie and everyone -
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I thought the agents' take on author sites were especially interesting, because I've always been curious about whether agents would check out websites by prospective clients.
Also, my ears perked up when you started discussing business cards. (I'm trying to do homemade ones with perforated business card paper that I got at the office supply store.)
Anyway, someone gave me a good idea for how to handle story blurbs. (If I could remember who, I'd give her credit!) She suggested making the business cards themselves generic, with your name contact info, etc. Then, purchase some clear address labels to print your current story blurb on. You can stick it on the back of a few business cards, and change it up as necessary.
P.S. - Gina, I can't stop watching the Bachelor either.
I enjoyed your post, Julie, and all the other comments on it.The suggestions on marketing and promoting our writing are very useful. Now to put more of them into operation. As an introvert so much is out of my comfort zone. Building a website was a big step forward and then going to a large writer's conference was another. Thanks for an opportunity to win Mary's novel, too.
ReplyDeleteWow, there are so many comments on all of your blogs. This is really good stuff. I'll have to check it out more often. I never realized how much self-promotion went into being an author. I think you could make it fun. It's all how much you want to put into it. There are so many different ways to do it that can be catchy and get people's attention.
ReplyDeleteWelcome Anne, Ryshia, Pat and Patty. Thanks for stopping by. I agree, Julies post was excellent.
ReplyDeletePatty, Ryshia and Pat, thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteAnne, your suggestion of putting your blurb on a clear label is wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing. :-)
Cheers, Julie