Operation Author:
365 Actions to Becoming a Successful Author
This year I have a new project, building on the last:
The Authorpreneur Almanac:
365
Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship
I had some successes and some...not so!
What's the Secret to Successful Marketing?
Have you noticed how when you spot something or hear about it, that it keeps cropping up? You find yourself saying something like; “That’s weird, I just heard about that the other day.” It’s known as the Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.
Our brains are hard wired to recognise patterns because this helps us to learn. Considering how many words, names and ideas we are exposed to each day it’s not surprising that our brains prioritise things that come up frequently. We mentally categorise things that don’t come up regularly as less important or uninteresting and therefore more likely to be ignored.
This is where marketers and advertisers cash in.
Some things work well for some of us and don't work for others, but don't be put off, the more people see you and recognise you, the more chance that you'll stay in their mind so that when they do make a buying decision, all you need to do is give them a nudge.
Here are my top 3 Good, Bad and Ugly marketing actions from 2014
The Good
These actions really worked for me:
1) Crowdfunding
This was a whole campaign, rather than 1 action, but having a sustained campaign for a fixed period and the input of others helped me to raise enough money to pay for some professional input during the crucial editing phase of Solomon's Secrets
2) Mini Manuscripts
People seem to enjoy these little handmade books that I have been leaving randomly wherever I go. If I can make someone smile with one of these funny little novelties and move them enough for them to Tweet back, that pleases me!
3) Interview on BBC Radio Bristol
I was really excited about being invited onto the Steve Yabsley lunchtime show
Here's a transcript for the interview:
http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/a-face-for-radio.html
The Bad
These actions didn't work, I had very little response from them. That doesn't necessarily mean that they may not work for you, perhaps you could put a different spin on it?
1) Offering free eBooks in exchange for a review
I foolishly thought this would be enticing for people - who doesn't want a free book? But I didn't get a single enquiry or even a retweet. Back to square 1!
2) Missionly publicist listing
I listed a job for a student to come and help me with publicity - I didn't get any responses. I'm going to have to think of another approach for a skills swap.
3) Recording the prologue to Solomon's Secrets
I've put this under 'bad' because it sounds way better in my head than in my actual voice!
http://amymorse.co.uk/SoundCloud.html
The Ugly
I'm using 'ugly' fairly loosely here - these actions were a clumsy, embarrassing or crude and had varying degrees of success:
1) Putting out Calls for Guest blogs
I've had varying degrees of success with this approach which is why I classify it as 'ugly'. Sometimes people respond on Twitter, sometimes LinkedIn groups. The direct approach has severed me best. Finding people who fascinate me, engaging with them and then asking. It can be a slow burn but the results pay off.
2) I put a call out on Twitter for reviews and got some rather curt and cutting remarks back - not pretty, oops :-S
3) Bad reviews
When I published my first book, The Bronze Box in 2013 it was a bit of an experiment, just to see if I could do it.
I didn't expect it to be as widely bought and read as it was and reviews exposed some shortcomings in the editing of the first edition.
In 2014 I released a second edition.
This is the biggest problem with trying to do it all yourself and relying on favours from people. In future, as with Solomon's Secrets, I'll take care to pay for some professional editing input!
And here's a bonus - these were the really Great Actions from Operation Author...
A big Thank You for four fantastic guest blogs from fellow wordsmiths who generously supplied their wisdom for your consumption:
Marc Guberti
www.marcguberti.com
@MarcGuberti
Anita MacCallum
Donna Marie Oldfield
Marla Madison
What worked well for you in 2014 and what are you planning to do in 2015?
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