Tag: Brand and communications

4 Tips to help promote your self-published novel

Published on by Robecca Austin2 Comments

 

I was a bit hesitant writing this post at first because what works for one self-published author may not work for another. And no two authors have the same amount of time and resources to dedicate to marketing. Promoting a book can get expensive.

I didn’t want to dive deep into creating a marketing plan, although you must, at least a few months before publication to generate interest. But, that’s another post. I didn’t want to talk about guest blogging – the easiest way to get into guest blogging is to start with your writing circle.

See why I was hesitant? This is not an easy topic. There are lots of options and opportunities to increase your reach. But, a lot of them start long before you hit publish. Sometimes, we find that out too late. What I finally decided on for this post is what I’d like to see or think about when I pick up an indie book. Continue reading “4 Tips to help promote your self-published novel” →

10 Things to share on your social media author platform

Published on by Robecca Austin3 Comments

1. Bios are a sneak peek into an author’s life: Readers want to know who you are. What interests you? What you write? I know what you’re thinking – bio’s are boring. Not true. You can make your bio as interesting as you like. Be human. Be personable. Tell your story your way. My about page is my most viewed.

2. Your passion builds emotional connections: Readers love to connect emotionally. Do you volunteer? Are passionate about a cause. I am passionate about Cystic Fibrosis and join in walks as often as I can.

3. New releases keep fans in the “know.” Your marketing plan tells fans what’s new.

4. Valuable content is worth following:  Blog posts are a great way to share value. Share information fellow authors, readers, or site visitors will find useful. This can be  in the form of how-to content for others in your writing community.Red Typewriter

5. Engage through comments: Responding, tweeting, and engaging allows you to connect. Fans know you value their insight. (Platforms open to the public — it’s important not to feed comments intended to disrupt.)

5. Writing samples are an insight to your author style. Some authors with established back-lists publish free or discounted short stories each month. Some offer snippets. And some offer some form of sample to promote published books.

6. Events enable meet and greats. Meeting fans has changed thanks to social media. Podcasts, live online events, and fan rooms allows authors to meet fans from around the world.

7. Pictures are worth a 1000 words. More authors are using pictures and storytelling to showcase creativity. Social media is responsible for sharing magical book trailers.  

8. Well designed book covers make great first impressions. Authors have long used their covers to drive sales before releases. Fans have also voted for their favourite covers.

9. Intriguing characters gets the heart thumping. Fans are always excited when their favourite characters make appearances. For series romance fans, we are excited when our characters fall in love and gets a story of their own.

 

Bonus

11. Policy pages set the stage for what comments are appropriate and how your site is moderated. Policy pages also let readers know what content they can expect to read on your site.

12. Create a contact page. Fans are not the only readers wanting to make a connection. A simple contact page lets other writers, and publishers reach you.

–Robecca