Author Marketing

Marketing as a Professional Author @MargaretRChurch #RLFblog

Today’s article is “Punching a Hole in the Literary
Universe” by Margie Church.

Thanks for hosting me today, Kayelle. As a marketing
professional, I really appreciate your approach to book marketing. A lot of
authors don’t realize that the moment they sign their book contract (or
self-pub their book), that they have opened a small business. For the majority
of us, the lion’s share of the promotional work falls on our own shoulders.
Often, we’re really unprepared for this to happen. Even those of us with a
significant back list know that we cannot rely on past accomplishments to
ensure our future success.
Here’s a key sentence to remember:  Plan for success.
What does that mean? You need to create a little marketing
plan for your new book to give it the best possible chances of success. Here
are 10 tips to help you.

  • Write a solid blurb, no more than 200 words long, to attract
    readers.
  • Have a 25-30 word version of the blurb ready for Twitter and
    casual conversations about the book.
  • Put your web/blog/buy links on everything.
  • Hunt for readers in your genre. Conventional thinking is to
    just sign up for a whole bunch of blogs, give away amazing prizes, and wait for
    success. Don’t count on that. Readers are getting very fed up with having our
    books and promotions shoved down their throats. Choose your blog locations
    carefully. Match those blogs to your genre. Write short, punchy pieces that
    engage readers – remember, they’re choosing to spend time on you – don’t waste
    that chance!
  • I don’t recommend giving away huge prizes if you haven’t
    squirreled away the royalties from previous months to pay for them. I always determine
    how many books I must sell to recoup the cost of my prize AND make a profit. I
    also don’t like giving away gift cards that allow readers to buy books that
    aren’t mine. I prefer to give prizes unique to me and my work so they will
    remember me. This is a business.
  • Don’t pay for reviews. Consider how many books you’ll need
    to sell to recover the cost, and be honestly prepared to suck it up if you get
    a less favorable review. Keep reviews current on your website, with hyperlinks
    to the full source. Always cite the reviewer.
  • Insert a hyperlink from your book cover to the buy link.
    Always.
  • Consider an ad, but recognize that ads are passive forms of
    advertising. Pick your

    Desire’s Edge.

    location to match the audience you’re seeking. I don’t
    always follow the crowd. If I have a spectacular cover, and the chance to
    caption that cover or link it to more information, those get stronger purchase consideration
    from me.

  • Be available. If you post in yahoo loops, Facebook groups,
    have a fan page, hold a blog hop, etc., show up to say hello and respond to
    comments even a day or two after your appearance. Spread your announcements out
    to avoid a morning flood that disappears by evening when many people might have
    more time to focus on social media. Twitter is a very valuable tool to help
    share your information globally. Please don’t forget to thank your blog hosts!
  • Realize this activity is ongoing. It takes time, patience,
    and hard work to build a readership.

My newest book, Love’s Storm, is co-authored with K.B.
Cutter. We used several fun tools to help us reach readers and increase
excitement for the entire series. Those included creating a QR code to our Facebookseries fan page, and partnering with a company to feature their product as
a give-away item as part of a very sexy prize package. We also did a blog talk
radio interview. There are lots of other things we did and will do through the
end of May.
Get creative, stay focused, and keep track of your results
so you know what worked and what didn’t. I bet you’ll see some great sales
numbers, too.
I’d love to show off our new book now!

About the Books

Razor: Love’s Storm by Margie Church and K.B. Cutter
Their delicious, naughty secret is out, and it’s open season
on Amy and Bryce’s decision to add a third person to their marriage.
All the talking in the world can’t convince critics that Amy
and Bryce’s marriage is rock-solid, and there are no secrets between them.
Others meddle to undermine Bryce’s business and marriage. Even Raine’s Master
thinks she’s making a huge mistake.
With no allies, and scorn coming from every direction, love
and determination must lead Amy, Bryce, and Raine through love’s storm.
Their journey began in Razor: Desire’s Edge and continues
after Love’s Storm in Love’s Reflection.
Margie Church
Love’s Storm is the second book in the Razor trilogy. It’s a
polyamorous love story written for 21st century romance readers. We hope you’ll
find the premise fascinating and take a chance on this book. You won’t be
disappointed. It contains strong BDSM elements and plenty of erotic love scenes,
but at its core, Love’s Storm is a marvelous romance.
Available in eBook and print, get Love’s Storm at Amazon
and Barnesand Noble Get Desire’s Edge, the first book in the series, at Amazon
and Barnesand Noble Learn more about our amazing RazorRomances Booty giveaway here.

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The Romance Lives Forever blog features authors and new books from all genres.