Romance promotion Qs

Brindle Chase · Sep 2, 2010

I have 3 releases this summer, with small epubs, that I am having trouble promoting. My wife was in the hospital almost all summer long (but finally on the mend), and with my 60 hour/week day job, taking care of the kids, my wife and doing everything she used to handle... I've had precious little time to do any promotion at all. (sorry for the sob story)

As expected, my first sales statements were abymsal...

My question is this. I need to step up my promotions, but have no time available. So... what promo efforts seem to work best, with the least effort?

I need the greatest bang for the proverbial buck. =oP

I've been getting good to excellent reviews, but no sales... so obviously it takes more than reviews... hehehe. Anywho, any helpful advice along these lines would be greatly appreciated!

JanDarby · Sep 2, 2010

Write and sell the next book. Nothing sells backlist like a new book coming out.

veinglory · Sep 2, 2010

For epublishers like Loose id I have not noticed that book-specific promotion has much effect at all. Some sell better than others but not for that reason.

What I do is have a clear listing on my website, put it in my forum sig, blog a bit, that's about it. I promote myself a bit, but not so much the specific books.

Lainey Bancroft · Sep 2, 2010

The firstest is the worstest, babe, or that is my experience, anyway.

As JanDarby said, the more work that gets out there, the more name recognition you get. I continue to get a small boost in sales to my short stories that released over two years ago every time I have something new released.

Like Veinglory, I've tried to focus more on name recognition/promoting myself/brand/genre than on going crazy promoting a particular book. In that respect, the only place I've seen a notable boost in sales is guest blogs--reader blogs if you're lucky enough to develop a relationship, writer friend blogs (even if they write in a different romance genre, that 'your friends are my friends' vibe can kick in and perhaps win over a hesitant buyer who mentions you to another potential buyer and so on and so on) publisher blogs or loops, and review site guest posts.

When I am lucky enough to land these opportunities, I usually write an easily read (as in, brief) and hopefully amusing, post about some aspect of life and writing vs. a straight promo piece, and then just toss in a line about the latest release. Showing interest in readers and making them interested in you leads to more sales than the hard-sell...for me, anyway.

Only once did I pay for an add spot on a popular review site, and if it made a difference, I certainly didn't notice.

(p.s. sorry you've had such a rough summer. Glad the misus is on the mend. Hugs to you and the family)

Brindle Chase · Sep 2, 2010

Great advice all. I am working on two more releases. Not sure if I'll be able to get either of them "on the stands" before years end, but it won't be too long. Meanwhile... looks like I just need to spend my time connecting with people!

Ambri · Sep 7, 2010

Have you thought about hiring a publicist? I am unpublished, so far, but I've been wondering whether the money would be worth it, if not for a first novel, then for a third or fourth.

veinglory · Sep 7, 2010

I can't think of any real pro publicist cheap enough to leave you with any profit from an ebook. Nor a publicist who has proven themselves effective with digital publishing. I know some people will take you money to spam listservs and reviews sites about your work--but they only ones I have noticed, I noticed in a negative way--with the possible exception of Bostick about whom I am ambivalent. At least the know how to follow submission guidelines.

Jess Haines · Sep 7, 2010

I've had some success with doing guest posts and interviews, not just requesting reviews. Giveaways can help, too.

Irysangel · Sep 7, 2010

What about an ad on SBTB? I've bought one there before and it's a good way to get exposure - the small rotating ad space is pretty decently priced.

Brindle Chase · Sep 7, 2010

Irysangel said:
What about an ad on SBTB? I've bought one there before and it's a good way to get exposure - the small rotating ad space is pretty decently priced.

What's SBTB?

veinglory · Sep 7, 2010

http://www.smartbitchestrashybooks.com/

PortableHal · Sep 7, 2010

Hey Brindle,

Glad to hear your wife is on the mend. No wonder you haven't done much in the way of promotion!

After knocking on several different doors (including those belonging to the amazing E. Veinglory and the wonderful L. Bancroft) it seems to me that sales are often directly related to who is publishing your fiction. When our novella came out in July, Renée and I tried to get the story reviewed without success. When we received our July royalty statement, we honestly didn't know if we'd sold ANY copies of our fiction -- and were pleased by our numbers. We have to give all credit to Cobblestone Press and its fan base.

Gillhoughly · Sep 8, 2010

1) Forget hiring a publicist. Waste of cash. You'll never make back in sales what you paid out and there's too many incompetents posing as pros.

2) Guest blogging

3) Your own blog should be focused specifically on the books, not personal life

4) Ads on SBTB are good, but again, you're paying out money you may never get back in sales. See if the SBTB might be interested in reviewing your books. They are e-book friendly.

5) Ads on Facebook aimed at your target audience. They show up on the pages of those who list paranormals and urban fantasy as their favorite reads. Name writers do this; a couple months back Jim Butcher had click ads for his fantasy series on my page. Not sure about the prices, but it seems to be a good deal.

6) Sample chapters on your website with links from your blog and guest blogs.

7) Seek interviews with bloggers in your target market. Interview more famous writers who have print books in the stores. There's always someone higher up on the food chain. Contact a "Name" who's in the same genre and ask to interview them. You get a link to the blog from their site and perhaps some of their readers will check out your books. Try to ask better questions than the standard ones you see in every interview.

8) Maintain a presence on your Amazon page, be upbeat and fun. I get turned off by writers who take themselves too seriously. I like writers who clearly enjoy their work.

9) Maintain a presence on GoodReads. See if they do interviews.

10) Sell to a print house. E-sales are on the increase, but people still shop in stores, and being in print is a solid validation that your words might be worth reading. Get a larger audience hooked in print, then direct them to your backlist of e-books.

11) Keep the day job.

12) Keep writing.

brainstorm77 · Sep 8, 2010

Gillhoughly said:
1) Forget hiring a publicist. Waste of cash. You'll never make back in sales what you paid out and there's too many incompetents posing as pros.

2) Guest blogging

3) Your own blog should be focused specifically on the books, not personal life

4) Ads on SBTB are good, but again, you're paying out money you may never get back in sales. See if the SBTB might be interested in reviewing your books. They are e-book friendly.

5) Ads on Facebook aimed at your target audience. They show up on the pages of those who list paranormals and urban fantasy as their favorite reads. Name writers do this; a couple months back Jim Butcher had click ads for his fantasy series on my page. Not sure about the prices, but it seems to be a good deal.

6) Sample chapters on your website with links from your blog and guest blogs.

7) Seek interviews with bloggers in your target market. Interview more famous writers who have print books in the stores. There's always someone higher up on the food chain. Contact a "Name" who's in the same genre and ask to interview them. You get a link to the blog from their site and perhaps some of their readers will check out your books. Try to ask better questions than the standard ones you see in every interview.

8) Maintain a presence on your Amazon page, be upbeat and fun. I get turned off by writers who take themselves too seriously. I like writers who clearly enjoy their work.

9) Maintain a presence on GoodReads. See if they do interviews.

10) Sell to a print house. E-sales are on the increase, but people still shop in stores, and being in print is a solid validation that your words might be worth reading. Get a larger audience hooked in print, then direct them to your backlist of e-books.

11) Keep the day job.

12) Keep writing.

Good advice.

MartinD · Sep 8, 2010

Gillhoughly said:
1) 10) Sell to a print house.

I'd guess most of the e-book writers here have already tried and failed to sell to a print house.

brainstorm77 · Sep 8, 2010

MartinD said:
I'd guess most of the e-book writers here have already tried and failed to sell to a print house.

Why would you assume that?

Irysangel · Sep 8, 2010

Gillhoughly said:
9) Maintain a presence on GoodReads. See if they do interviews.

I just want to expound on this a little. Goodreads is great if you like discussing books. There are readers' loops, genre loops, monthly book clubs, etc. You can do giveaways. You can set up a Q&A with the author. There are TONS of things you can do with Goodreads.

The worst use of Goodreads - and one that gets used far too often by far too many people - is recommending your book to everyone. Repeatedly. Or telling me that I should read your book about Polar Bears because it's amazing!!! even though my Goodreads shelves show that I read romance and fantasy.

Nothing will make me de-friend someone faster than anyone shilling their stuff to me, and I know that a LOT of people feel the same.

So I would like to add the caveat that if you're going to use Goodreads, please use it to actually INTERACT with people and don't be one of the folks that just shows up to spam everyone with a "BUY MY BOOK" email. Because you aren't building your audience that way inasmuch as you're alienating a lot of people.

/rant off

scarletpeaches · Sep 8, 2010

MartinD said:
I'd guess most of the e-book writers here have already tried and failed to sell to a print house.

You guess incorrectly.

MartinD · Sep 8, 2010

brainstorm77 said:
Why would you assume that?

All things considered, most of us would like to hold a book in our hand. We want our e-readers, too, but print is still king. I'm guessing, again, that most of us here would prefer to be published by Random House than by Small Electronic Press, Inc.

If a writer specializes in short, erotic fiction (for example) and there's no place for it with the big print publishers, then that writer won't have submitted to print publishers. I get that.

brainstorm77 · Sep 8, 2010

I'll let others weigh in on this who are e pubbed. I am not. And I don't feel I qualify to make any statement as to why they choose whomever to publish with and their reasons for doing so.

Gillhoughly · Sep 8, 2010

I mentioned GoodReads because one of my pals recommended maintaining a presence there.

She would be NYT bestseller Rachel Caine.

Having a page up, answering questions if you get them, and carefully not pimping to the annoyance of one and all is how to do that.

Put links to sample chapters and where they can buy, but not a lot more.

I have a page there, but dang me if I have the time to mess with it!

veinglory · Sep 8, 2010

MartinD said:
All things considered, most of us would like to hold a book in our hand.

I would suggest not being so bold in your guesses. Epublishing works best for material custom written for that purpose. People who write multiple best-selling ebooks are writing specifically for that market. And those that do, on a word for word basis, are making pretty good money.

For the record I have never written a book for print publishing and never queried a major commercial publisher other than for non-fiction. 15 ebooks and counting (mostly novellas as they are more profitable on a per word basis).

You can treat epublishing as a grudging second best, but I don't think it makes for the best type of ebook or the most effective type of promotion. If an author wants print, they should settle for nothing less. Some of us write ebookish (short, hot, self-help etc) material and want money, format optional.

scarletpeaches · Sep 8, 2010

Plus, writing for the ebook market doesn't preclude ending up with a print copy, as Veinglory will attest.

Sometimes it depends on word count, sometimes on the publisher. But most epubs go to print as well.

Stacia Kane · Sep 8, 2010

MartinD said:
All things considered, most of us would like to hold a book in our hand. We want our e-readers, too, but print is still king. I'm guessing, again, that most of us here would prefer to be published by Random House than by Small Electronic Press, Inc.

If a writer specializes in short, erotic fiction (for example) and there's no place for it with the big print publishers, then that writer won't have submitted to print publishers. I get that.

Martin, there are lots of reasons why a writer might choose to submit only to an epublisher rather than aiming for print. There are indeed some genres and lengths that sell much, much better with ehouses. With print houses you're often limited in the number of releases you can have per month or quarter or year or whatever time period; with ehouses you're often allowed a new release every 6-8 weeks.

And some writers simply believe strongly in epublishing, and epublishing as the future.

There is really no way to generalize as to why people make the decisions they do as far as where they choose to submit.

And just as a general comment, the Number One rule here at AW is "respect your fellow writer." It's not very respectful to inform them that you believe they're epublished because they're not good enough for print, is it?

veinglory · Sep 8, 2010

And a print publisher that doesn't have at least their recent backlist available as ebooks is a bit behind the times....

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