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I don't care what anyone says, unless you are an anomaly, you have to connect with readers through social networking. And it doesn't matter if you are published through a publisher or self-published.
The tech era is here and not going anywhere. But we can look to the future to see what is or might be in store for 2012. Today isn't too early to start planning your promoting and marketing strategies for your novels.
Over the past few months I've been watching a couple different marketing and promoting trends that have to do with our industry. Marketing and promoting has always come easy to me, and when I wrote my non-fiction marketing and promoting book, The Tricked Out Toolbox (February 2012), I keep my ear low to the ground to see what is rumbling in that arena. Here are a few of the strategies that I'm going to be adding to my list of tools in my marketing and promoting writer tool box.
We’ve already taken a look at adding to our PR Buddies by promoting them in our novel.
Synergy
Synergy is two or more things working together to create something that independently, without the forces of each individual thing working in partnership, could not be done. If you don't already use this term, you NEED to. Synergy is going to be the driving force with PR Buddies in 2012. I did this exact thing last year.
I partnered with another author in the back of our independent novels. What I mean by this, I had an excerpt of her books and all her information in the back of my novel, SPLITSVILLE.COM.
You say so what, big deal....think about it. SPLITSVILLE.COM made Amazon's Movers and Shakers list debuting at number two. Someone is buying my book, and that someone reads the other author’s excerpt in the back. My format guru has a direct buy link to her book, not a link to Amazon's page or her website, but the actual buy it now for you Kindle button.
Click.
SPLITSVILLE.COM was on Movers and Shakers for a week. It sold over 3k copies that week and over 3k new potential readers for this particular author. Now, I'm not sure if any of her books peeked that week, but the potential is still there.
My prediction: I've already had three other authors ask if they could put my excerpt in the back of their ebooks for 2012. Those three authors are MEN! I know I will continue to ask authors to partner up with me in my novels. I see this is a great, free way to promote and market your novels. We will so a lot more of this.
2) Partnering with companies. This has been blogged about before where companies actually partner up with authors to promote their product, sorta like ads~only in the ebook. I'm not sure if I would do this, jury is still out.
3) Adding multi-media to your ebook. With all the technology and tablets, I'm working on embedding my book trailers in my ebooks for tablet users. Many people don't believe book trailers work, well those are wrong in my case. Every time I put my book trailer on any of my social networking sites, that book generally sales between 10-20 copies within the hour. I even wonder if I can take it a bit further and add music to some parts of the novel...hmmm.
4) Anthologies. Anthologies are becoming very popular among the Indie community. This is an amazing way to market and promote your self. I'm taking this a bit further and publishing all of my short stories on my own as well as in the anthologies.
5) Cyber store front. There are a handful of authors who are selling their own books on their site as well as Amazon, Barnes and Nobel, Google Books etc. I believe that 2012 you will see more Indies begin to build their own cyber store on their website through Xuni, other companies, or themselves.
You put all your novels in YOUR own bookstore with an ebook shopping cart that has a paypal link right on your site. Most readers who go to your site will read your blurb, look at your covers, maybe click on your trailer. BUT do they go to Amazon, Barnes & Noble to buy your book?
Not sure. I do know that they would be more likely to click the paypal button on your account if it's right there.
Straight from XUNI:
• brand new technology using PayPal's new API, where users never leave your page... all transactions done on your site via PayPal AJAX window
• upon payment completion, users are presented with secure download links to your products
• no other 3rd party software involved... store code, process and eBook files stay hosted within your site
• credit cards, PayPal, etc., accepted.... users do not need to have an existing PayPal account
• shopping cart is customized and styled seamlessly into the design of your site
• choose the format you'd like to deliver your eBook in or use multiple formats (.epub, .pdf, .zip, .prc, .mp3, etc.)
• sell audio books or mp3's • set different prices for each book or format • receive store payments directly into your paypal account
• no overseeing necessary; simply withdraw your money from PayPal at your convenience • compatible with all major browsers and many current smartphones
• uses PayPal Micropayments resulting in lower PayPal fees per transaction I know that I love my readers, and I price my books to gain readers, but it's also become a business for me.
Of course, Xuni isn't free and there is a steep cost. OR If you are tech savvy, as my format guru guy is, you can set up your own.
J.A. Konrath uses Xuni, and here is his numbers on profit: "On a $2.99 ebook sold through a retailer, I earn about $2.04. In my ebook store, I earn $2.79. On a $0.99 sold through a retailer, I earn $0.35. In my ebook store, I earn $0.89."
This is definitely something I'm working on now. I want readers to come to my site. I want readers to be able to get my books for 2.99. AND I want to make this my career.
Now that I have you thinking about promoting and marketing your novel in 2012, what do you think you'll be doing to hit that Movers and Shakers list?
Published and Profitable website has a great essentials to online marketing including Synergy!
Published and Profitable website has a great essentials to online marketing including Synergy!
You've given me a alot to consider in one posting, Tonya, especially how to be more synergistic in my marketing efforts. Thanks very much! Mony.
ReplyDeleteGreat information here, Tonya! At some point this year, I think I'll be looking at setting up the direct store on my website. Daunting as it sounds. :)
ReplyDeleteTonya, with my books coming out in September 2012 and January 2013 you've given me some great advis. Thanks, Marian
ReplyDeleteGood suggestions Tonya. For this kind of synergy to work, wouldn't both authors have to be selling fairly well? Otherwise, it would be an unfair advantage to the author not selling well.
ReplyDeleteLike I would love to do this with almost anyone, but the author partnering with me would get much fewer potential viewers seeing my book than I would be exposed to by being in the back of his/her book. You have to bring something to the table before you can share the table with anyone. Alas, sigh.
Now if anyone reading your article is selling comfortably enough that money isn't an issue, and you want a feel good/Karma returning moment, I am available to do a partnership with you. We can also do a written contract thing that I will additionally and prominently place you in the back of my first book that breaks the top 100 in the paid Amazon store.
Thanks for the suggestions though. If I get no offers for a partnership, I might look into the anthology idea. That also sounds very interesting.
I've used the concept of synergy for some time -- partnering with other authors on chats, contests, and so on. I'm wading into self publishing, and you can be sure I'll give some serious thought to shared links. That's a great idea. Thank you for some wonderful concepts. I'll be back regularly to see what else you're up to.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mony. I'm so glad you've got your wheels spinning. It really has worked for me and I hope you take advantage of this free marketing idea:)
ReplyDeleteThat' right, Stacy! It is a process, but I hear it's a great tool to have. It's really NOT that hard, but the paperwork and upkeep is the daunting part. Making more money sounds good though:)
ReplyDeleteMarian, good luck with your releases! The best thing is that you can plan now for your super great success on your release day.
ReplyDeleteHi, Pamela. No, the authors don't have to be bestsellers. They can both be new. Any time you partner and make it free advertising, it's a win situation for both. The eshelf is forever, unlike a print book (though I love my print books and all my books are print books. As with my book, it didn't make Movers and Shakers right off the bat. It took a couple months for the sales to sky-rocket. I would rather be there instead of no where. Even if one reader buys my book I think it's worth it.
ReplyDeleteA great way to find authors to partner with would find other authors in your genre. Do you belong to a group? Approach of few of the authors you have exchanged messages. Facebook? You don't have to be best friends, just PR Buddies. Did you read my post on PR buddies?