Chapter 6: Marketing Strategies

This chapter is dedicated to the part of my character that you’ve yet to read about: my inner businesswoman.  I foreshadowed this event in an earlier post when I mentioned my major in Finance.  The degree required marketing classes, and as such I’ve come up with a list of suggestions for authors who choose the self-publishing route.  I should note these items are in no way guaranteed to work.

~ If a multi-book series, publish books about three months apart. This is when big websites greatly lower their advertisements of your book unless sales have done remarkably well.  Although it may take you longer to finish a novel, simply wait to publish the first until you feel comfortable that you’d complete the second in time and so on.

~ Once Book #2 sales decline past your personal desired level, donate only the first book to libraries. This will force them to buy your other books once they’ve fallen in love with your series.
* Choose cities you donate to based on the population demographic (look for your books’ target group)
* You can add more books to the library once

~ Optimal dates to sell eBook by genre:
* January-April: Romance, Self-help, Business books, Cookery
* May-August: Adventure, Fantasy, Travel
* September-November: Academic, Horror, Paranormal
* December-January: Children, Cookery, Illustrated, Quiz, Dictionaries and quirky fun books [1]

~ Every three books, offer a deal for set.
* Example: You’re selling each book for $2.99. Sales are starting to steadily
decline for Book #3.  Offer Books #1-#3 for $4.99.
* Example: You’re selling each book for $2.99.  Sales are starting to steadily
decline for Book #6.  Offer Books #4-#6 for $4.99.

~ Use every avenue to promote Publishing Date. Examples:
* Twitter
^ use trending hashtags and relate to your story
^ create unique hashtag and try to get it trending
* Facebook
^groups
* Instagram

~ Reach out to freelance book reviewers. The standard is that you give them a free copy for an unbiased review.
* Continue going back to the same reviewers each book. Build a
professional relationship with them.  They might eventually let your books
“cut lines” when you reach out to them.

~ Listen to feedback.  If your readers tweet or ask a lot about a certain character or pairing, take note. Use that popularity and see if you can create a standalone about them.
* Do not sacrifice quality to try to force a sale. This will only anger your
readers, especially since it was one of their favorite characters you just
ruined, and you may lose loyal regular buyers.

~ Create and/or utilize website. Your author persona should already have one of these, so now use it.  Post about the books.  Ask your followers questions.  Give them something to interact with where possible.
* Subscribers List. Once they sign up, you’ve got them trapped for any news that you feel is relevant about the series!

~ Hold fan art contest about book’s characters. Offer appropriate monetary rewards for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
     * Utilize social media to promote

~ Post a serial/short stories on your website in the same world/universe as your series. Again, do not sacrifice quality.

 

[1] Rooney, Mich. “Reaching Readers: Best Timing for Book Launches.”  SelfPublishing Advice Center.  N.p., 22 Nov. 2014. Web. 31 May 2017.

Chapter 1: Author vs. Finals

There’s a theory the human race invented called time, and it’s safe to say I don’t have enough of it.  I feel like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, always fretting about being late and never doing what I need to on time.   I’m always racing the clock trying to scramble things together.  The simple answer is to organize and schedule, but my brain is far too chaotic for that to be made a reality.

Take my current situation, for example.  Every college student’s greatest enemy sits at my doorstep: finals.  I just finished my first one (Cost Accounting… ew) and have one more on Thursday.  Luckily, I’m finishing out my minor in Education this semester, so my remaining classes only have projects/papers instead of exams.

So, what should a good student be doing at this time?  Studying.  What am I doing?  Writing this blog.

I imagine, even after college, part-time authors generally have a non-related full- time job.  For me, it’ll be financial consulting with an amazing company.  That’s not bad in itself, but it dictates the job that pays the bills to keep a roof over my head as more important than my literary passion.  And, there’s the little bump in the road that no one tells you: life gets in the way.

Whether it be family problems, finals week, an upcoming deadline, busy season, or anything  really – those things don’t halt just because you have a sudden burst of inspiration.  Reality bites with no guilt, and works on its own time.  Perhaps that’s why we like to write; we can escape its cruel ways, if even for a little while.

I was a freshman in college when I first learned the beauty of a daily planner.  They even had one for students specifically designed to start in August.  At the beginning of every semester, I sit down and write in my planner all of the homework assignments and tests that I have to get done by when.  For the first few weeks, I always put notes on each day reminding myself to get ahead on some big paper or whatnot.  It never lasts.

Instead I find myself in a position like the one I’m currently in.  I’m now up to my nose in responsibilities, and haven’t the slightest of clue when they even reached my ankles.  It seems like they just all flew at me out of nowhere – a surprise attack, if you will.

My parents raised me so that it’s ingrained into who I am that my grades will reflect my best efforts.  That’s never changed.  So, I’ll be that student slaving away in the library until the last possible moment.  For the most part, I’ve kept up very well in all my classes, and don’t have anything less than a B.  The fact that I’ve only written 55,000 words for the novel I’m working on since January can attest to that.

School always takes priority, and when I have a full-time job, that’ll claim the spotlight.  It’s the way life works for me, at the moment.  And, I’m okay with that.  I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to attend college, and was even luckier the moment my company extended the job offer (albeit it’s only an internship for now).  That provides me with a financially stable life, where I can still afford to take time out of my day to do what I love.   (Have I mentioned the people I’m going to work with are amazing?  The head of my office is an alum from my school, and is the most down-to-earth man I’ve met who’s been in such a high position.)

So, my lovely readers, don’t let life discourage you.  It’s okay if it slows you down – unavoidable even – but don’t let it be what stops you.  The cure might be as simple as setting a reminder on your phone for a Saturday afternoon reminding you to take time to write, or maybe you can wake up 30 minutes early dedicated solely to the art.  Do whatever you have to.  The world deserves to hear your story.