Reader Monday: Kindle Helped Find New Authors!

I'm so excited to have Street Team member and friend, Sue Lopp on my blog for READER MONDAY! I am amazed at how owning a Kindle has changed reader's buying and reading habits. 

I love to read.  As long as i can remember books have always been a part of my life. I am an only child and  I can remember spending summers with Trixie Beldon... Nancy Drew ( who i wished i was. I always wanted a best friend named , George ).. Encyclopedia Brown. Those were some of the best summers ever.. wondering what adventure i was going to go on next.   As I got older that didn't change I always had a book with me, never knew if you were going to be stopped by a loooong train or stuck in a traffic jam..I was ready...

Some people cannot wait until Friday  to get here, not me Tuesdays were my favorite day.  NEW RELEASE DAY. I would be at Costco or Sams club to get my hands on the new releases especially the hard backs. I was particular which books I purchased in hardback I bought. ( I have collection of some of my favorite authors books in hardback  they look nice on my bookshelves  ). I had my list for the month. Then I would head over to Barnes and Noble and check out all the new paperbacks, leaving there with an arm load..  then all then all things changed. I bought my first Kindle.=. I WAS IN BOOK HEAVEN. One click here and one click there and as of today I have over 1300 books. Hi my name is Sue and I am a bookaholic (in all honesty I really didn't know if I was going to like reading on the Kindle I thought for sure I would miss holding a book.. NOPE..LOL ) 

Since I have had my Kindle my reading habits have changed.  I don't read as many as the same authors as I did I still will buy Stephen Kings book in hardback the day it is released, but also for my kindle. I have one clicked a lot of new authors for me and I have to say that I don't think  I would have bought them at the bookstore. I love that some authors give there books either free or very low priced to give us readers a chance to sample there work. There are a lot of series that I have become hooked on based on these authors kindness, and once I like an author I have to read all that they have written ( that is just the way I am ).

 I also belong a few street teams which I enjoy very much.  I enjoy telling people about new books that I am reading or have read. I  am friends with authors on facebook ( I know that they have so many "friends " that they don't know boo about me... however having them respond to something that I comment on is really great I know that if I was to meet them in person I would only be saying glub glub glub ).  I have been to a few virtual book release parties.. now those are fun...

and where else but on Facebook can I join in on a big brother party with fellow street team members ... Come on June 26th .... ( Tonya Kappes street team has a great  bunch of friendly members.. ) 

If anyone has any books suggestions for me.. would love to hear them...   :)

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Remember my first annual SPRING BOOK FLING is coming up on Thursday on my STREET TEAM!! I'd love for you to join us.
Join the Street Team HERE!!

AND

Don't forget to pick up the newly released novel in the Magical Cures Mystery Series, A CHARMING WISH.

AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE

It soared to the bestsellers list in one day!! AND it's 9 FIVE STARS!!!

So. . .what books can you recommend for Sue Lopp??

Join an Author Street Team and Support Their Work

Yippee!! Another Reader Monday! Allyson Brann is a member of my Street Team. She's an avid reader and an active street team member of many authors! Allyson is an amazing example on what a street team member should do for their favorite authors!

I Love Reading!!!! 

I love books! 

Particularly all types of romance novels! 

I feel like reading is a great escape,just a time to curl up with a good book,for me a cup of coffee or a drink and just relax!

So over the last year I have been active on Facebook,Twitter,Goodreads, and Pinterest! I have found lots of great authors and books and made new friends! 

I also joined several street teams as well, now these authors that have made my days more relaxing and better, I can help them by sharing, tweeting,pinning,liking and posting reviews! That only takes a few minutes of my time and in return these authors keep writing great books! 

I am on Tonya Kappes Street Team and not only is she a great person but an awesome author! I have fallen in love with her books! 

(I'm hosting a party on my STREET TEAM! If you aren't a member follow the link HERE and join!)

Alexa Grace' s Street Team is another one I am on as well as Jennifer Probst, Carrie Ann Ryan, Lilana Hart and Lia Davis! I have enjoyed being on each of these ladies street teams for numerous different reasons! 

Obviously I love their books and want them to keep publishing more:) But I have had so much fun, I truly enjoy checking the post on Facebook as well as the blogs, they have made reading even better if that was possible! 

Okay I could go on and on about why I love reading but I don't want to put anybody to sleep! 

Hope everyone enjoys their day and check out these authors their books a great reads! 

Allyson

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Thank you so much, Allyson! I'm so honored to have you on my STREET TEAM! So much so that I'm going to give away TWO BOOKS books by HEATHER BLAKE! And they are signed!!! 

Tell me what you like best about the Street Teams you are on! 


If you would like to write an article for READER MONDAY, I'd love to have you! Shot me an email by using the contact me tab at the top!

How To Get Reviews For Your Novel

I don't care what anyone says....reviews are important.

I hear a lot of authors that say they don't rely on reviews to read their books and they are full of it. That is why we have reviews and review sites like Goodreads, right?

I'm not saying that you have to read the reviews your novel gets, but reviews are important. They will help you market your novel, especially if you are self published.

Nowadays, more and more review sites are accepting self published authors to review. So you better be sure that your book is the best it can possibly be or you won't get the reviews you want.

Regardless, you need reviews.

Here are a few ways I get reviews for my novels:

1) Goodreads giveaways.

Taking advantage of the giveaway on Goodreads is a great way to get reviews. I offer three copies of my book when it's released using this Goodreads feature. I hold the giveaway for a month and get thousands of requests.

Once Goodreads announces the three winners, I send them a book copy from Createspace and I'm done. They promise a honest review. More importantly what I have found is that I'm getting review requests from people who entered and did not win, or they have gone ahead and bought the book and reviewed it anyways.

Good or bad, all reviews are welcome!

2) Press kit and reader review sites.

With every book, I create a press kit for it. I include a bio, head shot, cover photo of book, blurb, and all my links. That way the reviewer has everything at their fingertips. Easy peasy.

Here are a few sites: 

• http://www.stepbystepselfpublishing.net/

• http://www.theindieview.com/indie-reviewers/

• http://indiebookreviewer.wordpress.com/index/

• http://bookbloggerdirectory.wordpress.com/

• http://www.booktweetingservice.com/p/like-free-review.html

3) USE Amazon!

Did you know that Amazon has a link to all it's top reviewers?? And did you know that you can contact them?

HERE IS THE LINK!

Reviewers are sometimes more accepting than the book blogger and it's a valuable place where your books need to be reviewed. So  check them out! Go through their biographies and pick out the Amazon reviewers that fit the genre of your novel.

4) Use your Street Team! Your Street Team is composed of your loyal readers/followers/fans and they are the ones that is spreading the word about you and your novel, so they should be reviewing your books. Not in a sock puppet way (like a family or friend review who think every word you write is amazing!) . They should be encouraged to write an honest review, good or bad.

Reviews are very controversial. Some authors say they don't matter, but I say they do!

Find The Enthusiasm For Writing

"Enthusiasm is one of the most powerful engines of success. When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Nothing was every achieved without enthusiasm." ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson


I'm not sure where all of you are located, but I'm in Kentucky and the weather is turning a chill in the air. Fall is coming and I LOVE IT!

. . .my writing not so much. . .

My walks have gotten longer, my outside time has gotten longer, my snuggle in my bed has gotten longer, and my writing time has gotten. . .shorter!

What happened to my mojo where I couldn't wait to get up in the morning? What happened to my characters fighting over who was going to talk to me first in the morning? WHAT HAS HAPPENED???

I might be a bestselling author and have an amazing STREET TEAM and helpful blog. . .but I too get the life sucked out of me at times, not very often, but  it does happen.

Why now? Usually this time of the year is when I curl up with my laptop, journal and pound out the words.

This made me sit back and think about my career goals and how bad I want success? Asking myself how can I maintain the passion that I've always had.

Here are a few tips I came up with:

1) Hide and Seek!

Simply stated, FIND the passion!!
I went back through my journals, I keep a journal for each novel I write, and see all the quotes, photos, ideas, and inspiration that kept me going with them.

I realized that I hadn't done that with my current WIP. I have simply just wrote, wrote, and wrote, feeding my creative mind very little. We all must eat or we waste away to nothing. AND that is NOT what I want.

2) Keep it!

WOW! Once I found the passion by going back through my journals, it was easy to slip back into the basics of why I started writing, the joy that it brought me, escaping into the world that I have created. A world that so many others have enjoyed.

This feeling made me even more passionate about writing and fall in love with it all over again. But how do you maintain it?

You have to figure out what keeps your passion for writing. For me, it's getting those inspirational quotes or amazing reviews from my book that I cut out, the readers, the creation of making up a new world and mapping it out. All of these things helps write each one of my stories.

It's all about maintaining the passion you have for writing.

There is NO way that I'm alone in how I've been feeling lately! You have to have some tips that help maintain your passion, WHAT ARE THEY?

Things to Avoid When Marketing Your Book

Last week I had a very successful marketing strategy that was put together by the GREAT EIGHT. I was lucky enough to be apart of the group and what we did worked! But will it work next time?

I have an amazing STREET TEAM. I had an amazing online book release party in June. I have another one planned for September 25th that is slightly different, but will it be as successful?

My books are priced on a range from .99-2.99. Is that working?

Here's the deal, your marketing plan needs to be fluid and always changing. In my non-fiction book, The Tricked Out Toolbox~promotional and marketing tools every writer needs, has an entire section on budgeting and marketing plans along with printable worksheets so I won't go into it here. BUT I'm am going to give you some tips to avoid when marketing your book.

1) DON'T ASSUME THAT WHAT WORKED FOR ME WILL WORK FOR YOU!!

Over the past couple months I have noticed a lot of authors start a STREET TEAM, even asked me to join theirs. Which I love joining, but I don't want anyone to think that because I have one that's very active means that you will have one that is very active.

I'm very social, so having a very social STREET TEAM is easy for me. Being on line with them a few times a day is easy for me. So you need to find that uniqueness of YOU and spin it to reach that target reader.

I don't just mean the STREET TEAM. I mean everything from ads to pricing your novel. What works for JK Rowling doesn't work for me. What works for Stephen King might not work for you. You make you unique and stand out!

2) ALL PUBLICITY IS GOOD PUBLICITY. . . NO!

I've heard so many times that authors are out there giving their opinion on traditional publishing vs self publishing, why .99 is the only way to price your novels, KDP is the only way to go. . .etc. . .
These authors that have such strong opinions get a bad rap. They really do! And it doesn't help sell their novels.

I know that I won't ever read certain authors because they have voiced their opinion on this years election in the United States. I have seen authors post so many posts about who their favorite candidate is and posting some really nasty negative things. As an author, I don't believe in pushing my values on any of my readers! It completely turns me off and turns off their readers.

All in all, the writing community is very small and you can ruin your reputation in one fall swoop. Be nice. And pay it forward!

3) DON'T BE TOO PUSHY!

I'm all for making money on my books. But I'm not all for losing readers by pushing my books.
Definitely connect with readers! Connect with them when your book comes out. Yes! I want you to let them know that your book released. . .but don't do it a month later and everyday after that.

After your email blast that you have a new novel out, don't keep emailing blasting.

4) LISTEN TO YOUR GUT!!

Just like a muse, your gut tells you exactly what you should be and shouldn't be doing. It's easy to blast out at other authors or readers that upset you. OR readers that email you to let you know that there is a mistake in your book OR when a negative review is written on Amazon etc....

Let that stuff pass. Like I said, the writing community is very small. You don't want that snarky reputation like some authors have. It's a turn off to everyone!

5) SHOW DON'T TELL!!

How many times have we heard this?

Well, I don't mean in your writing, I mean in your interaction with your readers and your peers. Show them that you are a gracious author. You appreciate them. It doesn't have to be with money. You can put quotes in your twitter feed or update your Facebook status with gratitude quotes.

REMEMBER, the reader wants to get to know you! And the more they invest in YOU, they will buy your books no matter what!

Tips to Promote Your Book

When I was a kid, Phil Donohue came on every morning at 9 AM. He always had on one or two guests. If it was one guest, that guest got the full hour. If he had two guests, the hours was split up into thirty minutes each.

Have you seen interviews today? Or even just the weather on your local news? Everything is under three minutes. Even interviews on the most popular shows like Ellen. She has multiple guests and games during her one hour show. Her guests only get three-four minutes until she takes a commercial break. 

Why is this? And what can we learn?

Attention spans have really decreased over the last thirty years, and our lives have gotten busier. Just think about it. If you go to look at a car, you don't want to sit there for hours as the car dealer tells you how the car was made, the history of the car, etc...

You want to know what's in it for you! Why should you buy that car?

Same thing when you release your novel or when you talk about your novel.

Most readers aren't going to say to you: "Why should I buy your novel?" "What's in it for me?"

They are going to say: "Tell me about your book."

Then. . .you vomit! You go on and on about the hero/heroine/villain or the meticulous assassination plot that took you months to research and write perfectly.

Well. . .READERS DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT! Let me repeat READERS DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT!

You need to give them something that will make them think that your book is worth their investment, their time, and how people are going to react when they tell someone that they are reading your book. 

I know! I never said the reader was fair, but these are what they are really thinking!

Every reader is looking for something different when they pick up your book. But the emotional reason is still the same. What's in it for me?

Sooo. . .how do you do this?

You are going to give them Tasty Tips. Tasty Tips is my term that I use to get my reader hooked. 

I don' tell readers what my book is about, I tell them little things to wet their mouths. 

First off my covers are appealing to my target readers. That is one of the greatest emotions in everyday life. You know it and I know it. When we see someone, we judge them before we talk to them. Right or wrong, we do it.

Same with books.

Secondly, I use my social media and STREET TEAM to post little tidbits about the plot I'm writing. Or I may do something humorous that my heroine did because my readers expect funny in my writing. Or I might just let them know fun facts about ways to kill people. . .after all I am a mystery writer. 

Did you know that you can die if you eat too much nutmeg? OR you can die from an over dose of nicotine if someone puts liquid nicotine in your shampoo bottle and you massage it into your scalp?

Thirdly, I hold reader contests for the books I'm writing now. Currently I'm working on the second Olivia Davis novel, and in the first novel, Splitsville.com, Olivia owns a breakup service. I needed some new material for reasons why people breakup with their girlfriend/boyfriend, so I went to my STREET TEAM. 

I asked them to tell me funny and ridiculous reasons why they have broken up with someone. The breakups flooded in! I never once told them the plot for the second book! But I got them interested and the buzz going about the second Olivia Davis novel. They can't wait to buy it! I appealed to two emotions: love and humor.

All in all, you don't need to SELL YOUR BOOK, you need to focus on the experience of how the reader is going to feel when they are reading your book. 

These Tasty Tips you are going to give your reader will help them invest in the emotional of the question they really want to ask, "What's in it for me."

Keep the Numbers Coming in After the Release Party

This blog has been a little wonky this week! I'm not on my normal Monday, Wednesday, and Friday schedule. This is due to the fact that it started off as release week for my latest novel, A Charming Crime!

And what a week it has been!! AND it's still going.....

Many of us promote the first day or two and then let the book fly alone. THAT ISN'T GOING TO CUT THE MUSTARD!!

I know I'm always throwing marketing and promoting ideas and the post on HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL RELEASE PARTY ON LINE was a big success in the blog world. BUT I'm here to tell you that it doesn't stop there.

This is how my release went.
Monday: I posted on my street team a Facebook status and a tweet. I asked my STREET TEAM members to kindly post these into their accounts during the day because Tuesday was party day on the STREET TEAM Facebook page!

A Charming Crime made it to #8k in the Amazon store and #61 on the mystery best seller list.

Tuesday: I had over 50 authors lined up to donate a book to STREET TEAM members only. This way I was able to host a give away on my STREET TEAM every 20 minutes. This was my way of giving back to the writing world (authors to find new readers) and my STREET TEAM for promoting their hineys off on Monday.

I had virtual characters from A CHARMING CRIME making appearances, virtual parties through out the day, virtual drinks, party crashers, and tons more give aways other than books! It was a HUGE success.

That didn't end it for me. I knew that I had to continue to reach those readers who aren't on my STREET TEAM.

Wednesday: Just because the first two days are over, you still have to promote! Take it to the boards! Get on Kindle or Nook forums and be sure to pimp out your novel! There are so many readers there! They are looking for great books just like yours!!

Don't stop there! Go to your on line groups! Tell the world that your book is available!!

Thursday: Get on Facebook (YES! You really need to be on Facebook!)!

Be sure that you LIKE the Amazon, Kindle, Nook, Sony, Kobo pages! Don't just say "BUY MY BOOK," put your blurb out there and a new release along with 'THE FIRST THREE COMMENTS WILL WIN A FREE EBOOK OF A CHARMING CRIME!"
This really does work! BUT you have to gift them the copy...which a win for everyone. You gain a new reader and it's out there for the others to check out. AND if you are in the giving spirit, you can surprise gift a few more comments!

Friday: Visit all your sites! This might take a few more minutes, but hopefully you will have a lot more comments. Interact with your people!!! This makes the reader/author relationship so strong!

The following week:
Make sure you have set up a blog tour for TWO weeks after the launch. Don't just target other writer's blogs, you need to target the audience of your book. For instance....My first novel, Carpe Bead 'em, has a beading theme. I set up blog tours on beading blogs! They love to bead, and love to read about beading! That book became #1 on Amazon's Movers and Shakers!

Blog on genre blogs! Readers flock to them, looking for new books/authors, AND offer a free book! They like it, guess what? They go back and buy your entire back list! See where this is going?

Third week out: You will go back and ask the people who read your book to post a review of your book. Good or bad! You need reviews!!  

Also this week, see what streams your novel is in. I mean "who bought your book, bought this book." Check out those authors. See if they have blogs, visit their blogs, become their friends, PR BUDDY each other!

Fourth week: Continue to connect with people and start the next book if you haven't already!!!

What do you do to make your online book launch continue to sell  more of your book?

The value of the reader!

Today I'm hanging over at Reviews From My First Read Shelf. I'm talking about the value of the reader. I normally don't post on my blog places that I am going to be a guest, but I want you to know how I market to my readers.

Today is TONYA KAPPES STREET TEAM GRATITUDE RELEASE. Yesterday my book A CHARMING CRIME released and because of my STREET TEAM my novel is climbing the charts! Today is the day I give back to them.

I have over 50 authors donating their books, swag, gift cards, STREET TEAM tote bags, and much more.

If you are interested on how I do it, you have to join the STREET TEAM. I'd love for you to have the wonderful success I have had with my amazing readers!!

TIPS to a SUCCESSFUL BOOK RELEASE ON-LINE PARTY!

We spend months writing our novel, editing our novel, talking to everyone we know about our novel, even go as far as a tweet or two or a couple Facebook status' about how many words you completed that day on your novel.

And the time comes. . .

Either you have a publisher that publishes your novel OR you are the publisher. You put a tweet out and make your status on Facebook "happy book birthday" or "it's launch day of my novel." Then. . .silence. You are on to the next one.

What happened? For MONTHS you talked about this book, you boosted about the word count you achieved or we cried with you when your muse wouldn't cooperate. Those were the fun times of saying you had a novel, but when it came time for it to be published and purchased, how did you exactly get it out into the public??

It doesn't matter what journey of publication you find yourself on, you still have to market your novel. Most publishing companies don't even have a marketing department anymore that will set up  book signings, send you your author swag, or pat you on the back anymore. All self published authors have to do their own marketing during a book launch.

So put on your marketing hat and use these sure-fire tips to help launch the best on-line book release party!!

1) When you start writing your novel, start talking about it all over. I mean ALL OVER. Post pictures on Pinterest of your characters, or things that remind you of your story. Talk about your progress on Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, the bus stop, anywhere someone will listen.

2) Set your release date in stone! If you are with a traditional publisher, they set your date for you. But self published authors have the option to decide when to release their novels. I suggest you release your book baby on Tuesday. Tuesday is when  all traditional novels are released and you want the same respect for your novel as a traditionally published novel.

With that said, you want your self published novel available in all ebook stores that you can. This means that you have to upload your novel days before your release date to make sure your novel is available the day you say it's going to be available.

I always upload to Createspace a week earlier because you have to get a proof copy of the print or check it out on-line. I also upload to PubIt four days before my release date because it takes them a few days to get it published. I publish on Smashwords the day before the release day and publish on KDP (Amazon) three days before.

I want to make sure my book is available in all forms on the day I say it's going to be.

3) Two months before your release day, set up a blog tour. If your book has a theme, google blogs with that theme. You will be surprised how many blogs are out there. They might not be book blogs, but who cares! You want to reach readers and if you target the market (what better way then hitting the theme of your novel) those blog followers will want to purchase your book! They are invested in the theme of your book and will want to read your book.

My novel, Carpe Bead 'em, has a beading theme. I looked up blogs that had anything to do with beading. It was GREAT! I had a blog tour just for beading enthusiasts. Carpe Bead 'em hit Amazon's Movers and Shakers list in the first couple of weeks of release and made it to number one! I know it was due to blogging on those targeted blogs because they emailed me. They celebrated with me.

You also want to hit reader centric blogs. Those can also be googled. I always ask Melissa at Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries, and More or Dru's Book Musings because both of these sites target mystery readers. I also hit a few reader centric blogs that aren't mystery, but some of the followers could be mystery readers or willing to read a mystery. And I hit a few writer blogs. I make sure I have at least ten guest blogs during the first two weeks of my release day. If you need more help finding someone to host you, ask your groups on Facebook. There are so many authors/readers willing to host you, but you have to ask!

I suggest putting together a press kit that has your author photo, short bio, book list, and all your links in a PDF, as well as a nicely written note about how much you would love to do a guest interview, guest post, or what ever. Offer a ARC (advanced reading copy) of your book, even if it's in the last stages of editing. Be sure to let them know that it's in the final stages of editing, but they will get the point of the novel.

Be sure to keep a list of blogs you queried and mark on your calendar the date of your guest post. GET YOUR GUEST BLOG TO THEM A WEEK EARLY!!

4) Make a STREET TEAM!! I have been promoting this street team idea for a couple months ago and I'm telling you that it's so much fun!! I invited a few readers and it's expanded to over 250 members. It's a place where my readers love to gather and we talk about everything from books to the weather.

Just like you, I post when I have good writing days or bad writing days. My readers are there for me. They see what it takes for an author to get a novel completed and all the hard work that we do to get a book into their hands. On the flip side, I'm still in awe how they spend a second of their day invested in one of my books. My STREET TEAM is where I give back to them!

Now that Amazon and Barnes and Noble have made it so easy to gift a book, I hold a give away of other author's books, my swag, gift cards, or even a kind word. Recently I hosted a contest where I asked my Street Team to help me name a character. I gave the characteristics and told them I would mention them in my next novel. Simple. Free. Easy! I had over 47 comments! And got some great names!!!

On release day, I will politely ask my STREET TEAM members to post a link to my book and where their friends can buy it. That is all I ask of them.

5) Have a virtual release day party!!! It doesn't matter if you are an introvert or extrovert PR PERSONALITY~it's an on-line party and you get to hide behind your computer!

I made a Facebook event page on my STREET TEAM page for an all day event of fun! I went to all the Facebook writer groups that I belong to and asked them if any of them want to donate one of your ebooks to my release day. The response was unbelievable!!! I had over fifty authors donate an ebook to my release day!

(This is one of my STREET TEAM TOTES. EASY and FUN! I got the bags at the Family Dollar for $1!!! I made my STREET TEAM LOGO and printed it on iron on paper! Easy! And fun!! These are going to be given away on release day!!)

Not only is it a win for my readers, it's a win for authors for new readers to discover them! I'm able to give a book away every twenty minutes on release day! PLUS I'm going to be giving away a few copies of my own novel as well.

And I've talked it up all over Facebook and Twitter! I belong to a tweet team and the only tweet I have been using is JUNE 12 the release of A CHARMING CRIME (add facebook link) prizes every twenty minutes!! And I have a couple others that are being tweeted, but you get the idea.

These are just a few things that I do and that have been successful for me. What about you? Do you have any great tips to a successful release day?

BTW. . . my new release is next Tuesday, June 12 for A CHARMING CRIME!! Come on over and join my STREET TEAM if you'd like to participate in winning some GREAT novels!!

The Gifted Writer

Putting together a marketing and promotional plan for you novel is one of the hardest things you will do. Many of us would rather have a root canal instead of asking people to buy your novel.

There are several ways to get your novel in the hands of readers that will help spread the word. But you can't just start when the novel comes out. You have to start when you begin writing the novel.

WHAT? GASP

YES! There is nothing better than giving back to your readers before they give back to you! We need the reader, and the reader needs to be respected by us. After all, it's the reader that keeps our drive going to write the next book.

I'm talking about simple things.

1) Street Team.
How many times can I stress the STREET TEAM concept? I have over 100 people on my STREET TEAM and it's only been up and running for one month. In that month, I have connected with my readers. We have discussed books, other than mine, what author swag they like to receive, and what is going on in their life.

I have truly invested in them. I host a give-away each month and it was so much fun sending the first one in the mail. But I know that when A Charming Crime is released next month, I can count on them to help me spread the word.

2) Author Swag.
I came up with author swag a few years ago before I had a novel out! I made blog swag to give out to commenters on the site or different holiday contests. Readers love to feel value and I VALUE THEM...A LOT!!!

It can be simple and inexpensive. Vistaprint.com has a lot of great deals and some of them are free!!
Or what about The Dollar Tree? YES! I'm not kidding!! I recently purchased large, nylon beach bags in four different colors for $1 each!! They are huge and I ironed on my STREET TEAM LOGO!! The iron-on paper was the most expensive item for $20 from Hobby Lobby! I will use those for reader swag give-away.

Oriental Trading has great items too! For my novel, Splitsville.com, I purchased mini-magnifying glasses and hot-glued them a postcard (I got the postcards from Vistaprint for FREE!!)

3) Thank you!
A simple thank you is always appreciated! I get a lot of reader mail. I make sure to take the time to read each one and write a personal note to them. It's so important to let them know how much we value their time.

Think about that! TIME! Do you have any?? The reader gets up in the morning, goes to work (or stays at home with kids, etc...), does their daily duties like we do, get their kids to extra-curricular activities, cook, laundry, cleaning, etc....They take the time to sit down, open their e-reader/book, and invest their precious time in your words. WOW! I'm so honored they spend any time on me...and so should you.

What do you do to give back to your readers? I'm always looking for new ideas.

REMEMBER: You can find more marketing tips and tricks, plus great websites for reader swag in my craft book THE TRICKED OUT TOOLBOX!

Great articles:
The Top 7-ways Authors Mess Up Marketing
To My Wonderful, All-Knowing Readers

Street Teams Aren't New. . .just new to you!

Over the past couple months I have been hearing more and more about building up your street team. This has created a lot of buzz on my emails. Authors are asking me to help them understand this concept. This is a very old marketing concept (and The Tricked Out Toolbox has a section on street teams) that originated in the 70's with the urban music market.

The record label or artist would give a popular teenager flyers or music memorabilia to hand out to their friends. Spread the word with bumper stickers, posters, encourage their friends to listen to the music. . .you get the picture.

It created a buzz for the artist, making them popular. Street teams began to be the talk of the publishing industry with agents/publishers wanting their authors to create a buzz about their upcoming books about eight years ago. It died down a bit and now has come back.

Over the past three years, I have used my author friends as my street team, calling them my PR Buddies. This is nothing new. In return, I have become their PR Buddy.

But now we can take it one step further and add readers to the mix.

Reader street teams are a group of readers that have really enjoyed your books. Those are your die-hard readers that will talk up your book the week it comes out and encourages every one they know to buy it. Basically, they create buzz about your work.


I am just beginning on putting my street together and here is how I'm going to do it.

Hi, all!

I wanted to cordially invite you to join a special group to my heart, the Tonya Kappes Street Team. This is a team that I have assembled because you have been so supportive and an instrumental part of my success. I'm creating this group to help spread the word about my books. The best sell for an author is personal recommendation. The best way for me to do that is for you, my friends, to spread the word through email or word of mouth would be a great big help.

There isn't much to it. As a member, you will join my online yahoo group which is a yes to the street team invite. And in return you get a chance to:
* have a character named after you in my books
* win monthly drawing for Street Team Members only-you are automatically entered. (this includes gift cards, books, and other fun stuff)
* In the month of my releases, you have a chance to win a $25 Visa Giftcard
* Fun tips about my characters
* Extra more things!

What do you have to do to be a TONYA KAPPES STREET MEMBER? You only have to do none or all of these:)

* join the Tonya Kappes Street Team yahoo loop
* spread the word to family and friends about the books of mine that you really liked
* take promo materials to local writers groups, conventions, etc...
* be my friend
* pick one of my books for your book club
* skype me into your book club or google plus is fine too
* if you have a blog, feature my new book trailer, review my book, interview me
* post reviews for my books on all the reader-centric sites like Goodreads, Shelfari, Amazon, Barnes and Noble etc...

I can't take credit for the street team concept. It was coined in the 70's with music executives working on spreading the word about new artists, and making them bigger names. I'd love for you to spread the word about my books! Will you please join my team? Email me at tonyak11(AT)yahoo(Dot)com and put JOIN in the subject line.

You will never know how much I appreciate every single one of you! Thanks so much!
Tonya

I think this is a great concept to not only create buzz, but to really get to know your readers. I have a lot of great readers I connect with on Facebook, but I'd like to connect more and on a personal level!

What do you think of this concept? Will you try it?