Next Three Challenges to Getting in the Zone ~ More Small Steps to Book Marketing

Small Steps to Book Marketing Review

A month ago on my blog post ~ Getting in the Zone~  I set myself three challenges so how am I doing?

1. To get to know the #Writing Community on Twitter, because the writing world can be a bit lonely having moved away from your support group.

Review

#WritingCommunity are a lively bunch of folks always asking fun questions about writing life, your characters and your novel or current project. @JuliaColbourn @Marylee MacDonald and @LombardEmma I’ve connected to most. Great encouragers!

2.  To write regular blog post.

Review

I’ve really succeeded in this one, my post ‘Getting in the Zone, being the most read but I’ve just set up a campaign to sell ‘The Healing Paths of Fife’ in aid of Kirkcaldy Foodbank and this has generated an abundance of posts quite naturally.

3. To use my Book Trailer for ‘Murder Now and Then’

Review

I’m afraid I posted it on twitter once and on Facebook and then forgot all about it.

As the song goes, Two out of Three ain’t Bad.

My next Three Book Marketing Challenges

1. Follow Back

Over the years I have become very remiss at following back folks on Twitter. At first this was so that I could see the people’s tweets I wanted to see, which is all very well, but it is not very kind, so I’ve decided to follow back and try to set up Lists so that I can see those with whom I interact with most. Here are instructions I just googled:

To create a List:

1. Visit your Lists page via the gear icon drop-down menu or by clicking Lists on your profile page.
2. Click Create List.
3. Name the List & provide a description.
4. Designate the List as Public or Private.
5. Save the List.

     2. Quiz

Set up a quiz so that I can practice using forms and email and begin to get a real buzz with people on Facebook and Twitter.

   3. Hootsuite

Relearn how to use Hootsuite. It looks soooo complicated now since I used it three years ago, but to put it simply, it allows you to schedule tweets and Facebook posts so that you can rationalise your free time but keep a presence. That does not mean that all my posts will be scheduled. I love the banter of Twitter and Facebook in real-time too, and that is so important but it certainly helps time management.

Are you Receiving Me? – Do you need to worry about generating comments?

Of course I enjoy people taking the trouble to comment on my blog but, just because there are none left on the actual blog post each time, I am still cheered by the way people respond in other ways and other factors:

1. Statistics – Now that I am using Hootsuite to schedule tweets, (thanks to a member of my writer’s group for letting me know about that gem!) each post is read by between at least 50 to 100 people, sometimes many more. It’s great that WordPress gives me all of this information.
2. Many people just like to tweet a response. That’s brilliant because their comments come to my email so that I can respond when I am next on Twitter.
3. Others find it easier to comment on Facebook. That’s lovely too, because I put all of my posts on my Diana Jackson’s Author page on Facebook and it’s like a running time line of activity.
4. Then of course I get emails too if someone has a particular comment to make for my eyes only like the author who responded when I left a blog saying that their book was one of my favourite books of all times. It was a thrill to hear from him! Then there have been several people who have let me know how they found my blog via a Google search. That’s fantastic to know. Their remarks are treasured even more because someone has made an effort to get in touch.

So am I right not to get worried about getting comments actually on my blog?

Should I do something about the fact that the ratio of comments left per post is only 1 in 3?

I don’t really think so because as long as there are people out there enjoying what I write and I still gain pleasure in writing posts  then it continues to be a positive channel to release my thoughts and hone my skills as a writer.

What do you think?

 

 

‘Novel Publicity’

MARKETING YOUR NOVEL & EXCELLENT WRITING TIPS

As Social Media networking has exploded into the world of publishing and no author can now sit back and write in contemplative isolation, leaving the world of marketing their novel completely to their publisher, Novel Publicity has stepped in.

So many cliché’s spring to mind here which would make many cringe:

Seized the moment …..

In the forefront of……..

Market leader…………

In the right place at the right time ……………..

Ahead of the game…………………….

But that aside (there they creep in again), certainly as traditional methods of publishing have been supplemented by a host of alternative paths for the budding writer, where self publishing deals abound and partnership publishing is becoming less frowned upon and seen as a viable alternative, rather than as a cause for derision, Novel Publicity is already enjoying success.

What makes Novel Publicity so successful? (in my opinion)

ADVICE TO WRITERS

• Their web site has an abundance of interesting, free and useful advice for writers. See Novel Publicity
• Not only that, but Emlyn Chand keeps apace of her many contacts and if she sees a worthwhile Blog to add to her website, she asks for permission to include their ideas as a Guest Blog post on Novel Publicity, citing the author and website, giving valuable publicity to the author.
• They send personal advice to authors regarding their Blogs and Facebook pages. I have personally benefitted from Emlyn’s help in formatting ideas etc

SERVICES FOR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

• Using an army of Guest Bloggers from all over the world Novel Publicity organises authors to post reviews of the novel of the moment. ‘The Blog Tour’.
• Tweeting reviews and retweeting reviews on Twitter
• Celebrating success and advertising Blog Tours on Facebook
• ………

GENERATING GOODWILL

• Novel Publicity have several ploys for generating goodwill and what they call ‘Positive Karma’. Keep watch this Friday on Facebook and you’ll soon see their influence in action.
• Encouraging writers to give of their time for free (eg writing a review on their own Blog of someone else’s novel) gives free publicity to the author of the post too, in areas where they might otherwise not reach, including Twitter and Facebook. The reach is boundless.

 Soon, when my novel ‘Riduna‘ is relaunched on Kindle, I hope enlist Novel Publicity’s services, but meanwhile next Monday I will be publishing my second post for one of Novel Publicity’s Blog Tours. Watch out for my review on:

‘In Leah’s Wake’ by Terri  Giuliano Long