45 Ways to Market Your Book

 2015 is Authorpreneur Almanac year. 

Join me in my 365 Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship...

I'm always having ideas and always writing them on lists. 

Last week I asked my readers what list they would like me to share. 

Writers often struggle with marketing their work so this list is 45 ideas you could use to market your book:

1) Host a book launch event.

Make it more of a party. Most writers opt for a rather conservative evening in a bookshop with some readings and maybe some cheap plonk. 

Why not do it a bit differently?

For both of my launches I had a party. For The Bronze Box I hired a boat and we took a trip around Bristol harbour with music and drinks, and bunting (I love some bunting). Everyone was happy to contribute a few pounds towards the cost of the boat hire for the novelty of an unusual evening out.

Bronze Box launch. Me and my husband and cover artist Graham

 

For Solomon's Secrets I had a treasure hunt and had a big chocolate cake with an image of the book on it - every party needs a cake!

2)  Blogging. Have a blog and post useful content regularly. I'm collecting some useful links for tips and advice on blogging on my 'Blogging Brilliance' Pinterest Board

Follow Amy Morse's board Blogging Brilliance on Pinterest.

3) Guest Blogging. Guest for other people and accept guests yourself. I've had some great guest bloggers on this site. I mentioned them in a recent review of 2014: http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/shhthe-secret-to-successful-marketing.html

4) Social Media - Twitter.
I recently wrote a post with 21 Twitter tips: http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/21-tips-to-make-most-of-twitter.html

Tweets by @TomCatDesigns

5) Social Media - Pinterest
I find Pinterest a valuable tool for collecting research, sharing and interaction. I wrote a tips article for Prowess Women in Business: http://www.prowess.org.uk/Pinterest-market-research

6) Social Media - Facebook
It's almost an expectation of every author to have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AmyCFitzjohn
I know some writers who swear by it. Personally, I never get much interaction on Facebook but it still helps Google to find you if you are on Facebook.

7) Write articles for online and physical magazines. Do some research and choose appropriate publications. Write on subjects that are related to your books.

8) Enter competitions. It can be expensive but there are free competitions. Writers Digest regularly share information on competitions: http://www.writersdigest.com/

9) Speaking gigs. Find ways to stand in front of an audience and talk about what you do.

10) Offer your book to local book groups

11) Get plenty of reviews on Amazon. Once you have a few reviews your book starts getting picked up in organic searches.

12) Go to literary festivals and mingle. If you can get a speaking slot or a stall, bonus.

13) Real world networking. Go to some networking events and talk about your authorpreneurhsip

14) Guerrilla marketing. Find a novel way of committing some random acts of marketing. I leave miniature manuscripts wherever I go and encourage people to interact on Twitter

15) Have some merch. Get some pens, mugs, tote bags, bookmarks, notebooks, chapbooks, business cards etc to give away when you meet people

16) Make a book trailer. I've seen some pretty poor quality book trailers. If film making isn't your strong suit, get help to create something professional.

17) Do a book tour - real world or online

18) Do a book signing at a local book shop

19) Get involved in a book fair or start your own

20) Link yourself to a charity and do some fundraising events. Give something back and get some good publicity

21) Work with a publicist who can help you with campaigns

22) Work with a professional marketeer to get a plan together

23) List your book in multiple market places

24) Run some workshops

25) Get involved with local writer events

26) Have a go at a literary open mic event. I recently wrote an article listing events in Bristol UK: http://www.bristolprospectus.co.uk/when-writers-come-out-to-play/

27) Sell your books at a market stall / craft fair

28) Get involved with a local Art Trail. This year I'll be exhibiting at Southbank Bristol Arts in May with 'Project Book 365': http://www.southbankbristolarts.co.uk/

29) Host a giveaway. Give your book away for free for a limited period and invite reviews

30) Optimise your website so that it's easier to find on Google

31) Set up a mailing list and email news regularly to your fans

32) Record a podcast

33) Make yourself available for interviews and approach people. I managed to get an interview on BBC Radio Bristol by being friendly and persistent and having a newsworthy story. The transcript of it is here: http://ideaism.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/a-face-for-radio.html

There are also plenty of bloggers out there inviting interviews.

34) Host a webinar

35) Take part in a webinar

36) Join workshops or training courses

37) Pay for advertising - but always do some research and a cost benefit analysis before committing to anything. You want a reasonable return on that investment

38) Cross promote other writers - say nice things about them and they'll say nice things about you.

39) Submit your book for awards

40) List on websites offering free author listings

41) Be active on Goodreads

42) Be active on Linked In forums

43) Look at what other authors do to get more ideas

44)  Publish short stories and eBooks. The more books you have, the more sales you'll get. If readers like your work, they'll look for more

45) Read. Books, blogs, articles etc. There are always more things you can do or fresh ideas to keep you motivated.

What marketing activities have worked for you?

 

List, Lists, Lovely Lists: Readers Choice

 2015 is Authorpreneur Almanac year. 

Join me in my 365 Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship...

Who doesn't love a list. I also love notebooks. Naturally, I have a notebook of lists: 

'Amy's World of Lists'

 

Here's a list of some of the lists I have in my little spiral notebook with cats on it:

• List of goals for my books
• List of places to sell my books
• List of fiction books I want to write
• List of non-fiction books I want to write
• List of tools in my promotional toolkit
• List of places to find book marketing ideas
• List of real world promotional ideas
• List of book marketing activities
• List of things I will do in 2015
• List of blog post ideas 
• List of ideas for business content articles
• List of social media post ideas
• List of ways to stay creative
• List of stuff I love

When I was considering what 365 project to do this year one idea was '52 Lists'. 

Here are some of the lists I thought about:

• List of my favourite films
• List somewhere I'd like to go for each letter of the alphabet
• List of my favourite authors (Stephen Leather  and Kate Mosse - You're on that list!)
• List of books I've enjoyed
• List of books I gave up on
• List of actors I admire
• List of actors I think are sexy (check out my 'Manly Men Pinterest Board for an idea of who'd be on that list...)  

Follow Amy Morse's board Manly men on Pinterest.

• List of jobs I've done (That would be a really long list!)
• List of my favourite flowers
• List of my favourute bars in Bristol
• List of my favourite eateries in Bristol
• List of my favourite cities (Bristol would have to be number 1!)
• List of places I've lived
• List of my favourite wines
• List of things I've collected
• List of articles I've written (with links)
• List of presents I'd like to give
• List of people who inspire me
• List of favourite quotes
• List of favourite songs
• My bucket list
• List of the best days of my life
• List of small things I take pleasure in (like the way Homer the cat uses the drawers in the kitchen as a ladder)
• List of topics I'd like to learn more about
• List of things I believe in
• List of words for Thank You
• List of cars I've driven (my MX5 was the best!)
• List of my favourite shops (Paperchase is up there)
• List of things that scare me
• List of words I like the sound of

 And here's a couple of other ideas for lists:

• List of useful blogs for writers  
• List of free resources for writers and entrepreneurs
• List of useful business books

So, over to you...

I have an idea of which list(s) to use on Idea'ism in the future - but what would you like to see?

Comment or contact me on Social Media with your choice and I'll publish the most popular choice next week:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomCatDesigns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyCFitzjohn

 
Tweets by @TomCatDesigns

 

SWOTting up

 2015 is Authorpreneur Almanac year. 

Join me in my 365 Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship...

Author [aw-ther] = A person who writes a novel, poem, essay, etc.; the composer of a literary work, as distinguished from a compiler, translator, editor, or copyist.

Entrepreneur [ahn-truh-pruh-nur]  = A person who organises and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

There is a space where being an entrepreneur and being a writer converge...

When we create something new, whether it's an enterprise or a literary work we are embarking on a project. 

• Every project needs a plan.

• Every plan uses tools to execute it.

Why SWOT is a Great Tool for Authors

In the 1960's Albert Humphrey, of Stanford Research Institute, was credited with creating a really simple analysis tool.

A SWOT analysis is a structured planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats impacting on a project.

It’s a familiar, tried and tested way of taking a strategic overview and is an integral part of any project plan.


It is about knowing the internal and external forces impacting on what ever it is you are trying to achieve. The analysis is usually shown as a grid:

Know yourself, know the landscape you are operating within. 

By showing it on a grid you can see quickly if there is any imbalance. For example; if there are lots of Threats and very few Opportunities, that's a potentially risky proposition as there are more negative external forces impacting on you than positive.

You can use this tool to determine goals for yourself. For example; you identify a potential weaknes in your offering and can then take steps to improve it.

Action for Authors

Conduct a SWOT analysis on your book. Ask yourself some questions and plot the answers out on a SWOT grid:

(These are some suggested questions, think of more that are specific to you)

Strengths:

• What's good about your book? 
• What are your personal strengths as an author?

Weaknesses:

• Where is the book weak?
• What skills/experience do I lack? 
• What am I afraid of? 
• Is there something I need help with?

Opportunities:

• Is there an event or activity I could get involved in?
• Is there something happening related to my book that I could use in my marketing? ie: An historic milestone? A topical issue? A trend?
• Can I use technology to do something different?
• Does my book appeal to a specific niche?

Threats:

• Who am I competing with? (1 million books are published every year, but not all of them necessarily appeal to your readers. Be specific.) 
• Are there any changes in the publishing industry that may affect me?

Once you have populated your grid you can then look at how to maximise the strengths, overcome weaknesses, capitalise on opportunities and minimise the risk of threats.

Ta Dah! Now you have the makings of a plan, something to keep you focused and on track. Do one thing every day to move forward. 

 
Dream Big, Start Small.


What planning tools do you find useful?

21 Tips to Make the Most of Twitter

 2015 is Authorpreneur Almanac year. 

Join me in my 365 Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship...

I never thought I'd say this...

 Twitter is my favourite social media tool (as an authorpreneur)

I love Pinterest - mostly for the sheer joy of virtual hoarding without filling my house with junk - but when it comes to connecting, and finding great content, Twitter works for me.

There are plenty of people out there professing to be Social Media experts. I'm not one of them, but I have learned a lot and built a solid following of lovely people.

Here are my 21 tips to make the most of Twitter:

1) You have 140 character - use them wisely, think before you Tweet.

2) Don't use all 140 characters, leave some free so it can be Retweeted (100 characters is ideal).

3) Avoid text speak. At best you look unprofessional, at worst the Tweet is unreadable for anyone over the age of 14.

4) Always include one hashtag (#) in every Tweet.

5) Make sure the # you use is relevant. 

Useful #'s for writers:

#AmWriting
#AmEditing
#Writing
#WriteTip
#WritingPrompt
#BookGiveaway
#SelfPub
#WriterWednesday
 

6) Avoid using more than 2 #'s in a Tweet. Too many uses up valuable characters and it's more difficult to read.

7) There is a 80/20 rule with Twitter. 80% content sharing and engaging, 20% self promotion. I often have fellow authors follow me on Twitter and when I get a new follower I check out their timeline and say thank you by Retweeting something of theirs. It amazes (and infuriates me), how many authors Twitter feeds are just; 'buy my book' copy-paste-repeat. Boring.

8) Don't spam. Studies show Tweeting 2 to 3 times a day at regular intervals will reach 30% of your followers. Don't Tweet multiple times in an hour on the same thing - it's annoying seeing the same thing pop up in your feed over and over, people will stop following you.

9) Post your own and share other people's content regularly but avoid filling your feed with retweets. Boring. Followers want to hear from you too.

10) Be organised. Social media can take over if you're not organised about it. It's easy to waste hours mindlessly looking at stuff. Dip in regularly but make use of tools such as Hootesuite, to schedule content and keep your interactions regular and consistent. A Twitter feed that churns out loads of stuff one day then goes quiet for weeks isn't worth following.

11) Know your audience. Who do you want to attract? Follow and share things that appeal to your core audience. 

12) Where is your audience? If it's another country, think about the time difference and schedule posts when they are watching.

13) Always shorten URL's using a tool like Bitly. It saves characters and you can also monitor the analytics to see who's clicking your links and where they are. This is useful for points 11 & 12.

14) Customize hashtag's. For example; I created #'s for my books: #BronzeBox, #SolomonsSecrets, #GabrielsGame. It's a useful way to monitor your popular content and a quick way for people to share and search it.

15) Use capital letters in multi-word #'s. They're easier to read - i.e.: #solomonssecrets becomes #SolomonsSecrets

16) If you want to build a relationship with someone, regularly Retweet them and they'll start to notice you, then strike up a conversation.

17) Respond quickly. If someone contacts you, be courteous and get back to them promptly.

18) Thank new followers but don't be tempted to use an auto thank you or send them promotional material - that's just rude. #FF or #FollowFriday is a useful social convention to use when thanking people.

19) Images are more likely to be Retweeted than text - use them where appropriate.

20) As the number of accounts you follow grows, organise them into lists. You can then dip into shorter feeds with curated content, instead of having a long cluttered feed that updates every few seconds before you have time to read it. 

21) Lastly, but most importantly. Be nice! No one likes a hater. Tweet: The key to 'social media' is being social 

Say nice things about other people and they'll say nice things about you - the people who like you will do the promoting for you.

There is always more to learn - I've just discovered how to embed my Twitter feed into my website. Here it is:


Tweets by @TomCatDesigns

What tips would you add?

Happy Tweeting!
#GetInvolved 

11 Ways to Share your Love of Stories

 2015 is Authorpreneur Almanac year. 

Join me in my 365 Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship...

There are only really three things I've ever been good at:

1) Writing

2) Speaking

3) Enabling others

But at the heart of it all, and something I've always loved, is stories.

Writing stories, understanding other people's stories.

As an author, conveying and sharing a story with readers is what I do. 

Because writers love stories and so do readers.

Writers are also readers.

11 Ways to Share your love of Stories

1) Write a review. Even if it's only a few words, on Amazon or Goodreads. Writers love some feedback and books with reviews are more likely to be bought. If you loved a story and want others to discover it, a review will really help.

2) Blog about them. If you have a blog, stories make great engaging content, or if you read a story that you are itching to comment on, whether good or bad,  blog about it. 

I wrote a blog post recently on The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of books and had a conversation with a writer whose work I really love, Stephen Leather, as a result.

3) Vlog. If writing isn't your thing or you really want to convey your passion for a story in person, do a video blog about it. You could read the story to the camera and share your take on it.

4) Podcast. If you don't want to see yourself on camera or perhaps want to have some fun with sound effects, an audio blog is a great way to share your thoughts and ideas. 

There's something quite intimate about wearing headphones and listening to someone speaking to you, it's somehow more absorbing than watching a video.

5) Print a chapbook. Not sure what a chapbook is? Here's a neat Wikipedia article that sums it up well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapbook. 

Create a small pamphlet of stories to give to people.

6) Write a feature article. Write an article about stories that inspire you and publish it online ie: on Goodreads or LinkedIn

7) Tell the author. Contact the author on Social Media and tell them what you thought. I've had people message me on Twitter and Facebook  to say hello and tell me they enjoyed my writing and it's brilliant. It's a tiny thing that can really make someone's day. 

Writers are a solitary bunch and we put out a lot of content without getting much feedback. Every small connection is precious to us.

8) Join a book club, or start your own. Watching movies and box-sets is often a shared experience, and what films we've seen recently is a popular topic in social situations, but it's unusual to find people who've read the same books. Social reading is a great way to share our thoughts on stories.

9) Host a book party. This was an idea that popped into my head and I'm not sure how it would work but it's something I'm considering. Get a few friends together who are keen readers and bring some books to swap. Have a chat over a drink and some nibbles and share the stories that moved us.

10) Interview an author. The thing about authors, like any 'small business', is that we love talking about what we do. We're passionate about our stories and our characters. Any excuse to talk about them is warmly welcomed. Many authors would be happy to be approached by a reader and be interviewed (although you may struggle to pin down someone famous - I suspect Stephen King or JK Rowling may be too busy and expensive to get!). 

A local writer or independent author would be much easier to speak to - a Tweet could be that start of a new friendship.

11) Go to an Open Mic event or host your own. Most towns and cities will have a community of writers looking for opportunities to share their work.

In the city of Bristol UK where I live, there is a growing community of writers. I wrote an article recently listing some of the regular events going on in the city: http://www.bristolprospectus.co.uk/when-writers-come-out-to-play/

How do you share stories you love?

The Editing Process: 4 Top Tips

 2015 is Authorpreneur Almanac year. 

Join me in my 365 Adventures in Writing and Entrepreneurship...

This week, I finished the first draft of part 1 of my third book, Gabriel's Game.

This story is in two parts, written as two novella's.

Book 1: The White Queen

Book 2: The Black Knight


I saw an interesting reference recently that sums up the drafting process:

The first draft is filling the bucket with sand, you only have a sandcastle when you've tipped it out and molded it.

Getting your story out of your head and onto the page is just the start. Next comes the lengthy and sometimes traumatic editing process.

For me, there are four key stages in the process of going from first draft to something publishable. I've plotted them out on a flow diagram below:

1) 1st Draft and 2nd Draft. On the image, I show a double headed arrow because I edit as I go. I'm not one of those writers who writes without making corrections as they go along, I've tried it, it doesn't work for me, I get distracted by obvious typos and spelling mistakes.  

2) Word-Loss-Edit. At this stage, I go through and tighten the narrative. Here are a couple of helpful links that I've used when going through this stage:

I found this link on Pinterst. In it Justin McLachlan has a list of six things to look out for in your writing:http://www.justinmclachlan.com/804/common-writing-mistakes/

I also found this link on Pinterest but I dip regularly into Litreactor.com. This article suggests eight words to seek and destroy and often they are words that, once removed, take several other unnecessary words with them: http://litreactor.com/columns/8-words-to-seek-and-destroy-in-your-writing

I have a copy of The Word Loss Diet  to keep handy as I edit Gabriel's Game: Part 1, The White Queen.



 These are the words I 'find' in my manuscript and delete or replace them:

• That
• Really
• Very
• Suddenly
• Words that end 'ly' (blitz those pesky adverbs)
• Then
• Is, am, was, were (use powerful verbs and fewer words instead)
• Started
• Like
• Smile (make each 'smile' count)

 
3)  Testing Cycle. At this stage I test my writing on a pool of eager Beta Readers. These are people I know who have enjoyed my books and frequently ask me when the next one is out. People who's views I trust, who are also avid readers and often grammar geeks. In this cycle various reads and re-reads take place and I filter the feedback and complete any appropriate re-writes

4) Fourth Draft. At this point I am confident that the book is ready to be seen by professionals. I'll work with editors to proof read and look at structural edits and complete final checks and edits

In his fantastic book On Writing, Stephen King recommends cutting your word count by 10%, even when you think you've finished.

Here are my Top 4 Editing Tips:

1) Less is more when it comes to word count. The skill of a good writer is to say a lot with very few words, never use three words when one will do. Tighten your writing by keeping it active and punchy.

2) Look for useful tips and content online. A crucial part of developing your craft as a writer is to identify the common mistakes you make and find ways to rectify them. I collect useful links for future reference using Pinterest

3) Take your time but don't aim for perfection. No one writes a perfect first draft, even the professionals who've been doing it for years. Take your time to produce a good quality book before you publish it. I made the mistake of rushing my first book, The Bronze Box and getting some bad reviews. I sought professional help with my second book, Solomon's Secrets and it made all the difference.

 

That said, it will never be perfect, because perfection is a fallacy.  Yes, you'll look back on it in years to come as your craft improves and cringe at your early work. It's OK, we all do it, but don't let that put you off.

There will always be work out there that's worse than yours and there will always be stuff that's better.

All you can do, is create something that's good enough at that point in your life and the only way you'll ever get feedback so you can learn, grow, develop and improve as a writer is to get the independent feedback of real readers who's lives you've touched, even in a small way, by sharing your vision with them.



4) Take Action

• Start a Pinterest board for writing

Here's mine:

Follow Amy Morse's board Writing on Pinterest.

• Follow related boards for new and useful Pins

• Add a Pin It button to your toolbar and Pin useful content.