You’ve written the novel, you’ve edited it, you’ve submitted it and now it’s published. The hard part is behind you, right? Promotion is one of an author’s greatest tools and difficult challenges. Please join me in welcoming L.J. Charles to Romance University as she shares her experiences and promotional tips.
Anticipation and fear. I can’t say which was greater on that fateful Sunday morning when I logged on and saw my book. For sale. For the first time. My baby was out there in the public domain where anyone could grab it, hold and, oh gosh, read it.
I immediately purchased a copy from both Amazon and Barnes & Noble to make sure the sale would complete without a glitch, and that it looked “right” on both my Kindle and my Nook applications. Success! I checked my sales report every hour, um, maybe more like every five minutes. Nothing.
Oops. I hadn’t sent out a birth announcement.
Before I made the decision to become an indie author, I knew I’d have to promote and market my book, knew I’d have to arrange a blog tour without the help of an agent or publisher, but I was so caught in the logistics of editing and publishing, that the marketing items slipped to the bottom of my to-do list.
Years ago, when I first queried, submitted partials and fulls, and began to collect rejection letters, I was very naïve about the traditional publishing business. Now, I’ve discovered that I have a lot to learn about digital publishing. The first shock to my newly pubbed persona: many, many review sites will not accept ebooks, only ARC’s or published print books. I collected a list of those that do accept digital books and sent off a smattering of requests for both reviews and author interviews, and received one request for a submission, but no guarantee that one of their reviewers would select it. I have chosen to purchase advertising with Night Owl Reviews, and with Long and Short Reviews.
And then I moved on to requesting blog opportunities, and was more successful. The day my first blog was published, I sold books. Yes! And then I began handing out postcards with a picture of my cover and a blurb about Lifethread. It’s been so much fun to watch strangers smile with excitement as they read the description of my story and tell me that they want to buy the book. The fun factor has been worth it, but like any other promotional “stuff” the postcards were likely tossed with the Saturday trash. Verbal excitement does not equal a sale.
One of my readers belongs to a book club and wanted an easy way to introduce Lifethread to her group, so I joined BookBundlz. It was a good experience because I had to prepare discussion questions, which I also posted on my Amazon author website. There are a lot of books on BookBundlz, so it would be easy for any one novel to be lost. I’m keeping an open mind as to its effectiveness of this site as a promotional tool, but I’m very glad I generated the questions because a few days later a friend called to tell me she was setting up a reading group for Lifethread at the school where she works and will be using the questions.
A Heart of Carolina RWA chapter member told me about Inkpop. This website is sponsored by HarperTeen, and created for teenagers to post their stories for critique and ranking. It is also open to those of us slightly past our teen years. I posted the first 10K of Lifethread, made some new friends, and Lifethread has moved up in rank. It’s still too early to say if this will impact sales or not.
Lifethread
The one thing I wish I’d known about sooner is the online Kindle community. Kindle boards, Kindle Forum, and Kindle Chat. Kindle Nation Daily, offers marketing opportunities, but it’s best to plan for that exposure well in advance.
I think the best promotional decision I’ve made was to accept an invitation from a fellow indie published author to participate in a marketing opportunity through short-story promotion. The idea is to write a short story, 4,000 to 7,000 words, and offer it free for readers so they can experience your writing, and hopefully, fall in love with the characters and stories that you have created. It’s a triple win for readers, authors and publishers. I’m planning for this to be available in a few weeks.
The most difficult thing about promotion is the amount of time it takes. I’ve spent many hours on research and discovery that could have been used to write the next book. I write because I love it, but I’m learning that it’s equally important for people to read my books. I want to share my stories, and that means I have to promote.
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Hey RU Crew! Are you an indie published author? How do you plan to market and promote your work? As a reader, how do you learn about indie publications?
Don’t miss the fabulous Brenda Novak as she joins RU for a chat, tomorrow! And join us Friday as Harlequin Blaze authors Tawny Weber, Cara Summers, Joanne Rock, Candace Havens and Kathleen O’Reilly join us for a Q&A.
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Bio: L.J. Charles wrote her first book when she was eight on pink construction paper with a purple crayon. It was a romance that involved a princess, and although she remembers very few details about the plot, she does remember that it was illustrated and there was music and dancing involved. Today, she writes women’s fiction and young adult novels. All of her stories combine romance, mystery, and paranormal elements. G
L.J. Charles lives in the frozen north with her husband, whose TBR stack is taller than hers, and two felines who have been known to add entire pages to a manuscript without telling her. Keep up with L.J. Charles via her website.
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Hi L.J.,
Welcome to RU! I think it takes a special kind of bravery to venture into the self-publishing world. You really are a one woman team, responsible for every aspect of your company. That’s both an exciting and terrifying prospect.
When you’re ready to publish Book 2, what will you do differently from LIFETHREAD?
I wish you many, many sales!
Tracey
Posted by TraceyDevlyn | May 4, 2011, 4:32 amGood morning, Tracey. I’m excited to be here today with all the RU people.
There are a couple of things I’ll do differently with Lifethread: CREATION, She’as story, which is scheduled to be released this summer.
I didn’t think about cover art soon enough for Lifethread. I’d gone through a lot of photographs on iStockphoto, and knew what I chose my photographs for all three books in the trilogy, but i didn’t have Photoshop, or a similar program, and couldn’t afford the purchase price, or the learning curve, so I had no way to merge the title and author info with the artwork. Thank goodness I had a friend with Photoshop who was willing to help me.
A lot of people, especially here in North Dakota, requested a print version of Lifethread, so I ended up using the Amazon program, CreateSpace, to publish a trade paperback edition. One of my best moves ever. The make it very easy to create the cover, so for everything else that I publish, I’ll be doing the print edition first so that I have polished jpeg for each book.
Just this week I decided that it’s useful to have a slightly different cover for the print and digital versions of the book. One of the things I learned from inkpop, because teens are very into creating their own covers, is that there’s a great program out there called fotoflexer that makes it pretty easy to merge artwork with text. I used that for the digital copy of Lifethread: MISTAKE and am happy with the results.
The other thing I’d definitely planning on is to hire a professional editor. The editing of Lifethread took forever because it went through so many crits and beta reads before I was comfortable enough to release it to the public. And I still wonder if it could have been better. But I guess that’s always true, even when you have editors. Letting the final draft go was probably the hardest thing for me.
Thanks for you question, Tracey.
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 6:55 amMorning L.J.!
I agree, it’s a brave step to move into self-publishing – the thought terrifies! =) What do you consider your best marketing move so far? And which one do you think will be the best for your future releases?
Thanks for posting with us today!
carrie
Posted by Carrie Spencer | May 4, 2011, 7:11 amSo interesting, thank you! I have an Ellora’s Cave book out as well as a Lulu (self-pubbed) novel. (Plus a $1 Kindle short story.) After reading this, I may make the ss a freebie.
I do my own covers, and am thiiiis close to finishing the painting for my next novel, Star-Crossed, which is the last item to accomplish before publication. In other words: nope, not going to do different covers for paperback and e versions. (Exciting: this time I got a model! As long as I had him for the hour, I got him to pose for the sequels as well.)
Wish I had the bucks/info to hire an editor for these things. The trouble is: how do I know if an editor is a good one? Instead I’ll keep running the mss. through Critters.com and various beta readers, hoping that those and my own editorial inclinations will serve the book to best effect.
I’ll order a handful of print versions to send to those review sites who turn up their noses at ebooks. But even then there’s no guarantee they’ll review. No review = money wasted. (Maybe they’ll be intrigued by the non-standard cover?)
Is there a particular etiquette in asking blog owners to participate in a blog tour? I feel so uncomfortable doing so, but it’s gotta be done. Let me listen to some more Tony Robbins tapes and gather my determination.
So my only questions at this time are: which self-publisher should I go with? Lulu turns out good product, and actually in a more timely manner (by far!) than my “regular” epublisher does. But Lulu sales have been… disappointing. You’d recommend CreateSpace? How do they handle non-Kindle versions?
Posted by Carol A. Strickland | May 4, 2011, 7:23 amHi, Carrie.
it’s hard to say what my best marketing move has been because it hasn’t been that long since I published. I’m going to say that accepting the offer to publish Lifethread: MISTAKE as a free short story at OnKindle, and making the digital edition of LIFETHREAD a .99 special has brought in the most sales so far.
Those two things just happened on Sunday and will run for all of this week, so I only have three days of feedback.
The other thing I’ve done that’s really brought LIFETHREAD to the attention of readers is join Goodreads and offer a Giveaway. That started on May 1st, and has already generated 300 participants. It runs until the 15th, so I’m hoping to reach 1,000.
In the future, I’ll definitely use Goodreads extensively, and if I’m invited back to OnKindle, I’d snap up the opportunity. It does mean you have to write a short story, but then we’re writers. That’s what we do!
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 7:23 amGood morning, Carol.
CreateSpace is separate from Kindle (KDP). I don’t think you’d have any problem using them for a print edition and Lulu for your digital. Also, there’s no reason you can’t use your artwork for both because it would be the same jpeg. The only difference is placement on the page. I’m not sure how it would work if you do your own calligraphy as part of the original artwork. It’s an excellent question because I’ve been thinking of using some of my artwork for covers too, but I wouldn’t add the title and author…probably. Although it could be interesting to make the “font” original.
I’ll be looking to check out your covers.
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 7:33 amHello, Lucie J.! So much fun to have you here and I’m picking up some great tips.
Would you please tell us more about your Goodreads giveaway you are doing? How does that work? Do you just post an announcement somewhere or is it a discussion group? I’m on Goodreads and would love to do something there but can’t seem to figure out what to do. LOL.
Thanks for being here and sharing your experiences.
Posted by AdrienneGiordano | May 4, 2011, 8:04 amHi, Adrienne.
You sign up for Giveaways on the author dashboard. They also give you an opportunity to blog, which I’m taking advantage of because I don’t have enough to say to start my own blog.
If you’re not registered as a author with Goodreads, you’ll want to do that right away. It’s probably the best exposure I’ve had since I’ve started promoting my books. And I know you have a new series of books coming out very soon from Carina Press. Let me just say…Excited! Only thing is, I believe the Goodreads giveaways have to be print copies rather than digital. But I’m not sure about that.
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 8:28 amHi Lucie j.,
I have bought advertising space too. I was also interviewed by a fellow author, Dyanne Davis, on her television show. Nervous doesn’t describe it. Terrified, but I never took my eyes off of her and got through it. Promotion is rough and hard to gauge the payoff.
I like your book cover.
Mary Jo
Posted by Mary Jo Burke | May 4, 2011, 8:28 amOh, wow, Mary Jo. I’m impressed. Television. That would scare the beejeebers out of me. I’m sure I’d turn all awkward and introverted…my usual state, but it would be much worse in front of a camera.
Cheers to you for doing such a brave thing. Do you have a link to the video? It would be great to watch you in action, pick up a few tips should they ever be needed. And learn about your writing. That would be very cool.
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 8:46 amStick to professionals when it comes to television. I don’t recommend my interview. It’s painful to watch.
Posted by Mary Jo Burke | May 4, 2011, 9:00 amHi Lucie!
I’m excited to see you spreading the word about Lifethread! How have you found the environment on the Kindle boards? I’ve heard from other authors that they can be hostile toward writers/promotion. It makes me sad because I’m a reader too and I love to talk books, but wouldn’t want to be viewed with suspicion…
Posted by Deb Marlowe | May 4, 2011, 9:24 amThis is an issue several of my newly published friends are dealing with now – not just where to promote, but how much to invest in promotion. I think some friends have spent more on promoting their books than they’ve actually made from them! But I guess it’s worth it, if it helps build your brand and gets your name out there.
Posted by Becke Martin/Davis | May 4, 2011, 9:39 amHi, Deb.
Interesting about the Kindle environments. I followed the forums, made comments, even purchased a few indie published books that I found there, but not one person commented on, or purchased LT…that I know of. They weren’t hostile to me, but definitely not welcoming either. The best by far has been my participation in OnKindle. The website is designed to promote the author’s voice with the short story concept, and I think it’s been valuable. Since the first week or so that I published, I haven’t been back to the Kindle boards other than for a quick look at something popping up on the bottom of the LT page. Part of the reason for that is Goodreads. Those readers have been very supportive. They comment, they sign up for things, and they put your book on their public TBR list. All positive promo.
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 10:03 amHi, Becke.
I have spent more or promotion than was wise. Things I dont regret spending money on: Night Owl Reviews advertising. They’ve done a great job of keeping the cover of LT front and center on the teen pages, and the interview they did was very professional.
I also don’t regret going the CreateSpace route for the print edition. There’s a lot of positive things you can do with print that are more difficult with digital. Giveaways, sending books for review (most reviewers don’t accept digital), and the biggie that I just found out last night — Barnes and Noble has picked up the print edition of LT.
It cost me $40 to put it out for distribution to other sources than Amazon, and it might just be the best money I’ve spent. Except that they’ve done something hinky with the rating. It’s showing up with 1 star and the only review I have there is a 5 stars. I have yet to figure out how that happened.
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 10:11 amI think banners (for emails) and book trailers are cool. Do you think those are worth the money? I LOVE book trailers, but not too many authors use them.
Posted by Becke Martin/Davis | May 4, 2011, 10:53 amHey, Becke.
This is an area I know nothing about. I’ve been thinking a book trailer would be good, but I’m too poor to pay someone to create it, so I’d have to do it myself. A good thing if I had the faintest clue how to start. I’m sure there are programs out there for the chalenged…
It’s the same thing with banners. I want one…really want one, but have no idea how to create it.
Any help with these things would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 11:34 amHi, Lucie!
You know we’re delighted to have you chat at RU
. What resource would you have killed for in order to save time in promoting Lifethread? Would a list of bloggers/reviewers who accept indie-pubbed books have been helpful?
Thanks so much!
Kelsey
Posted by KelseyBrowning | May 4, 2011, 1:04 pmHi, Kelsey.
Great question, and yes, a list of Indie friendly bloggers and reviewers would have saved me hours of time, and equally important, a lot of disappointment and frustration. I still haven’t found a professional reviewer for Lifethread. There are a few reviewers/sites that have accepted a copy of the book, but none have actually done a review yet.
I am very grateful for the reader reviews that I’ve received. It makes a huge difference as to where and how Amazon supports a book. Before I published, I didn’t understand the importance of reviewing someone’s book, clicking the like button and adding tags. These things can make or break a promotion effort. So, any of you who have read LT and haven’t added a review or a rating, this is a plea to please do so…and not just for LT, but every book that you truly enjoyed. The authors will be forever grateful.
Another thought on this. Authors really need to cater to their brand when submitting their manuscripts for review. Because LT is a Young Adult to Adult novel, I really need to find sites that are frequented by teens, and reviewers that specialize in teen reads, or are teens themselves. There are quite a few teens that review, but most of them only accept manuscripts from publishers or publiscists. Whether you’re writing historical, romantic suspense, mystery, whatever, you need to find the blog or reviewer that will give you the most efficient exposure.
My friends who have published through traditional houses have a much easier time with this than I do because their house usually has an in with review and blog sites, and schedule their authors accordingly. There is down side to that–sometimes they schedule so many the author has a hard time keeping up with new material.
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 2:28 pmHi Lucie!
Congratulations on your new debut! I’ve been following the discussion on self-pub/e-books on the Internet over the past couple of months. I follow a few self-pub sites on Twitter, which offer great advice for those who are brave enough to self-pub.
There are downsides to self-publishing and traditional publishing, but good writing is good writing, whatever the platform. I hope e-publishing will give us great reads that legacy publishers don’t want to publish.
Did you have your book professionally edited before you released it?
Thanks so much for being with us today!
Jen
Posted by jennifer tanner | May 4, 2011, 3:11 pmI just saw this..thought it was pertinent to Lucie’s post today…
http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=176060&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1559716&highlight=
Posted by jennifer tanner | May 4, 2011, 3:19 pmHi, Jennifer.
I did not have Lifethread professionally edited, however, it went through a series of separate edits that I feel was comparable to a professional edit. That could be wishful thinking on my part.
The first edit was a chapter by chapter critique through my critique group of approximately 10 different writers. One of them, a high school teacher, helped me to think like a teenager, and I found that invaluable.
Next the manuscript went through a series of beta reads by unpublished writers, published writers, and teens. I’d like to think this was comparable to a content edit.
Finally, I had a published author offer to do a line edit for me and I jumped to accept her offer.
All that aside, in the future I’ll be hiring a professional editor for two reasons. First, I think I’ll be more comfortable putting my work in the public domain knowing that someone has gone over with it with a specific focus on both content and line edits.
And because it will much faster to go through the process once. Hmmm. As I wrote that, I realized my idea for a single editor won’t work at all. I’ll still go through the chapter by chapter deal and the beta reads. I just realized that I won’t be comfortable unless several pairs of eyes check my manuscript. Guess I’m more OCD than I thought.
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 4:04 pmOCD…you are NOT alone.
Posted by Jennifer Tanner | May 4, 2011, 4:40 pmVery interesting article, Jennifer. I wonder if they’re planning to take submissions, or are they looking for backlists of published authors. I admit I only gave the article a quick read, but I didn’t notice anything about a submission process.
Did you?
Lucie j.
Posted by Lucie J. Charles | May 4, 2011, 4:06 pmI read the article three times. It doesn’t say anything about submissions. I think Amazon’s looking for published authors who have rights to their backlist. Smart marketing on their part.
Posted by Jennifer Tanner | May 4, 2011, 4:43 pm