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Friday 23 December 2016

Rural Romance

I've taken the plunge and submitted a rural mystery romance.  I'm hoping the publisher will like it and give me a new direction for my career.

After living in the Australian bush for 30 years the story came easily as if it was meant to be told. I set the story in the Kimberly, known world wide for its beauty and remoteness.
Image result for Kimberley australia

Add handsome  cowboys, a stalker and murder then throw in a very smart trio of women from around the globe and the story wrote itself.

I can't wait to write another story in this series.

Elizabeth



Friday 26 August 2016

Promotion: The difference between failure and success.


So you have gained the contract and your book is ready for release. Unless you are with a mass market print publisher with a promotional team to push your work, you'll need to get off your backside and promote your book.

If you just sit back and expect people to buy from an unknown author without a blacklist, well unfortunately the chances of making one sale is probably 70-1.


The Essentials:


You must have a web site.


You must have an active blog, that is post even if its about your garden at least once a month.


You must have an author page on Facebook.


You must join as many social media author sites as possible in your genre and interact with readers and other authors. 


Be nice.  Nasty might work on TV but in reality once tarnished a reputation is hard to repair. People and the media have very long memories. Remember publishers see what you portray and how you treat people.


If your publisher has an author group, encourage  the other authors to "like" your author page  and in return you must return the favor.  


Doing the above gets your name out to the public.


Write another story, creating a back list is essential for success.



Good ways to promote and the suicide trail:


 Promotion isn't spamming or sending out emails to your friends.


To be perfectly honest,  bombarding social media with your new release constantly, pushes readers away.


Sending emails to your personal mailing list detailing your new releases bores people to death.


If you have created a reader update mailing list via social media, fine,  these people joined because they want to hear about your new releases.


Structured promotion is the only way to go and you have  two options.


1. You can pay a promotions company to promote your book. I've had some luck with doing this but it's expensive and unless you sell books in the tens of thousands, it isn't cost effective.


2. Plan a free promotion using the media available.


Ten tips:


1. Use your search engine and find blogs, which cover the genre you write and have free promotion. 


2. Join review sites and add your book for a review.


3. Join book promotion groups on Facebook  and add your new release and links.


4.Find review sites that offer to promote your new release.


5.Ask other authors in your genre for a swap blog hosting. 


6. Create a Street Team on Facebook. Involve your readers and offer copies of your book for review.


7. Join Manic Readers, Author Central and Yahoo/Google groups who read your genre and promote your book on their promotion days.


8. Remember Twitter is your friend, use it.


9. Go to conferences, book signings. Be seen, and heard . Be accessible to your readers. 


10. Make sure your readers see you,  as a real person and not an anonymous "Buy my book, buy my book" name. Involve them in your world and appreciate and value every one of them. 


I hope this helps.


Happy sales,


Elizabeth
www.elizabethmdarcy.com