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Beth Kery | Book Marketing Blabbering
January 26, 2009
I not only have to write this darn book, but sell it too? My sweet husband bought me several books about marketing my book for
Christmas. I’m relatively new at the business of writing, having first been
published at Ellora’s Cave in 2007. My New York debut, Wicked Burn, came out
in December of 2008. The amount of time (and money) that a writer spends
marketing a book came as quite a shock to me, as it must for many authors.
Before I entered the writing arena, I always envisioned an author plucking her
next novel out on her keyboard, not plugging her published works. Now keep in mind as you read my humble blog that I’m still on the lower part of
my learning curve here. If you have more wisdom to add, please, please
share through your comments. Some Basics There’s never been any explicit ‘you must do this to sell your book’
instructions from any of my publishers, although there have been some loose
guidelines. Small presses like Samhain and Ellora’s Cave encourage joining and
participating in reader chats on various yahoo groups. All of my publishers,
including Berkley, have recommended a professional website. Some suggest
creating author pages on places like Facebook or Myspace. Is the Amazon search engine about to become conscious? My Berkley publicist also suggested creating an Amazon Connect profile, which
combines aspects of a website and a blog. The nice thing about Amazon Connect
is that every change you make on it, including every blog you write, will be
made available to everyone who has ever bought one of your books at Amazon. If
you are a writer who wants to find out how to get an Amazon Connect account, go
here. Another nice feature of Amazon Connect is
that through the RSS feed, you can connect your personal blog, so that
everything you write on your blog immediately transfers to your
Amazon blog. Now, briefly more about Amazon, that mind-boggingly powerful search engine that
connects readers to books they might buy almost like the human brain creates
networks for memory and association of ideas. The more books you sell…er…the more books you sell? What I’ve learned perhaps most crucially about Amazon is that the more books
you sell there, the more books you sell. I know, it sounds like circular logic,
but there’s a deeper issue here. Really. Imagine if Amazon was a physical bookstore made of bricks, mortar…and
bookshelves. When your sales numbers are low, your book is buried back
in the storage room accumulating dust. But if you sell a copy or two, you might
get moved onto the lower shelf in the dimmest corner of the store. As you sell
more and more, perhaps you’re grouped with several other books with a similar
niche interest on a middle shelf several rows from the checkout counter. When
the clerk notices that several people who bought your book also bought Midlist
Jane’s book, your books are also placed next to Jane’s book to boost sales
(both yours and Jane’s.) And last but not least, when your sales are so
terrific that the bookstore owner plans to retire off the profits, your book is
the first thing the customer sees when they walk in the door; it’s next to the
cash register at check-out, and it’s waving a coy goodbye as the reader leaves
saying, “Come back soon, doll.” That’s how it happens at Amazon. Sell more books, and your book shows up on
more and more places where the potential customer is searching, like general
category searches (such as romance or contemporary romance), other books in
your genre, both before out after check-out. The technology is different, but good old word-of-mouth still rules the sales
game when it comes to books. One of my marketing books suggested checking out
other reviewers at Amazon who reviewed other books in your category, and then
asking those same people to review your book. You will have to absorb the cost
of shipping the book, and there is no guarantee of a good review. If you are
confident about your book, however, the extra exposure and contacts you make
might make it worth your while. Breathing the Rare Air of the Blogosphere I would have thought I’d become used to breathing in the blogosphere since I
was e-published first, but that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t until Wicked Burn released
that I became aware of so many terrific websites and blogs—large and small,
corporate-based and reader-published—that exist out there. Most blogs have
contact information for authors interested in getting their book reviewed. To
access new romance blogs, just take a few hours and network. Start at a
favorite site and click on the owner’s sites of interest. Bookmark the ones you
enjoy. Visit the blogs often and offer comments. In addition to asking for your
book to be reviewed, offer an interview or guest blog. I know this was a brief overview, but I wanted to highlight a few things I’ve
learned in the past few months. I have also done paid advertising in places
like Fresh Fiction, The Romance Studio, Romance Sells, and just recently
bought an ad in the Romantic Times magazine. My general take on book marketing is that it’s a slow process. My goal is for
name recognition as much as a book sale. Care to share a tip or two about marketing your book? Beth Kery
www.bethkery.com
Wicked Burn: Available
Now from Berkley Sensation
Daring Time: May 5,
2009 from Berkley Sensation Click here to enter
Beth's One Day Only Blog contest.
Comments
16 comments posted.
Re: Beth Kery | Book Marketing Blabbering
Im not an author only an avid reader, and I love to talk about the books I have read. I tell all my friends and just about anybody that will listen, I only say good things about the books I have read. If I read a book that I am not crazy about I usually dont say anything, because everyone has different tastes and that person may love it.
(Sara Hurt 10:39am January 26, 2009)
I'm a reader not an author but I have found many new-to-me authors from blogs and reader groups such as Yahoo. I also read the reader reviews I find posted at various review sites and the on-line bookstores.
I will sometimes post a review of a book that I enjoyed a lot and want to spread the word. I will not post a public review for a book I didn't really care for but I will sometimes post a pan-review on my MySpace blog.
(Karen Haas 1:09pm January 26, 2009)
I'm also not an author, but I am an addicted reader. I read several romance-related blogs and websites like FF for new books. I have discovered several new-to-me authors from word of mouth and these sites.
(Denise Powers 1:57pm January 26, 2009)
I am not an author just an avid reader. I have my own book club and love to sing the praises of authors.
I find a lot of books on amazon:) It is a wonderful resource for finding books, new authors and reading reviews.
(Bobbie Seacrist 3:28pm January 26, 2009)
I am not an author but I know when I go to blogs and other places and get to read excerpts on books I have a tendence to get the books because the excerpts will really get me into the story and I want to find out what happens next. :-)
(Larena Hubble 3:39pm January 26, 2009)
Hi Beth; You know I'm a reader and not officially a writer yet but it is a big help to me to know what to expect (hopefully) in my future. Your journey is my guide.
(Teresa Miller 3:50pm January 26, 2009)
Becoming a writer doesn't end with the final edit. Promotion lets people know you are producing a book specific to a niche or genre. Kindof like an expectation or launch due date. If you wait until the book's done, then your market takes longer to become warm.
(Alyson Widen 4:52pm January 26, 2009)
I'm not an author either, and never would have the desire to be one. I do however contribute to a blog, and when it's my turn to blog I go out and make
sure everyone I know knows that I have a new blog up! How exactly just depends on what opportunity I'm presented with, and if I think that opportunity
could lead to someone checking out my blog!
(Sandi Shilhanek 5:00pm January 26, 2009)
Beth,
I have no books published, but I have
been 'researching the marketing end
of publishing,' as I tell my husband
when he asks me what I'm working on
as far as writing is concerned. In other
words, since November, I have
discovered blogging and have so
surfed many author sites. I like the
individual contests authors have which
require me to answer a question about
one or more of their books because I
get to learn about the books, which in
turn is a plus for the author since my
interest has been piqued. Contest
questions sometimes include author
questions. I enjoy reading about the
authors too, so a picture with likes
and dislikes, etc help a reader feel
connected and want to buy that
author's books. Guest blogging at
various sites is something I'd highly
recommend, since you have the
potential to reach different readers.
Contests, though, are not the only way
to remember an author. I'd say that
an eye-pleasing website (color scheme
for easy reading) and useful
information that makes a
reader/writer want to refer back to
your website is good for name
recognition. Some authors use a
variety of high tech means of
communication , like MySpace,
Facebook, and/or Twitter, which may
not be accessible to all readers. A
monthly newsletter on my email is
good enough for me
And, of course, there are workshops,
book signings, and other public
presentations which are beneficial in
marketing your book. I've also
discovered authors through
bookmarks/covers in goody bags
given at workshops or luncheons.
Doing this does require some expense,
though.
Just my basic observations off the top
of my head.
Julie
(Julie Robinson 5:15pm January 26, 2009)
I'm sorry that there's wasted space here.
I don't know how that happened. I was
just typing in this little box posted for
comments, and iIt was hard to proof.
Julie
(Julie Robinson 5:17pm January 26, 2009)
I'm also a reader and have discovered many new authors when they guest blog at various romance sites.
(Jane Cheung 6:33pm January 26, 2009)
I'm just a reader, but enjoy the blogs from different authors. This way I feel like I get to know them better and enjoy reading their books. I've read alot of books that without the blogs and excerpts
I may not have read. Thanks for the contests.
(JoAnn White 7:48pm January 26, 2009)
I like reading the blogs that explain the books and I love the post card promotions.
I know marketing books is tough in today's world. How do you get the readers attention? Excerpts and great descriptions are what draw me to a book.
(Virginia Hendricks 9:32pm January 26, 2009)
Hi all! Thanks for stopping by. Marketing is a real challenge. Thanks for all the input on what you like to see and terrific advice.
(Beth Kery 1:01am January 27, 2009)
I am also a reader, not an author. However with all the booksites dedicated to spotlighting authors and their books, I would think using copy of your books on those websites would bring your writing to the attention of readers. On some websites, I have won books or even just read excerpts of the books has opened up a whole new genre that I like to read now. So my opinion would be to sign up for one of the sites that give away a book a day and donate a book or two for them to giveaway and then spotlight your book on a certain day.
(Vicki Hancock 3:20pm January 27, 2009)
Hi Beth;
Excellent post and advice. As a committed blogger and reader who enjoys writing reviews for books I enjoy. I can attest to the fact that the Amazon community is an effective way of generating interest with readers of specific genres.
Once a reader/blogger is contacted, by an author and reads their book and hopefully enjoys it. The buz generated is very effective.
I have to preface this by saying, it does take time to build a blog audience but once you do, and your blog is "followed" it is an excellent way to generate interest in a favorite book. I also post my reviews on the Amazon sites, and Chapters here in Canada in an attempt to help authors promote their books within that community.
Best Regards Beth
L
(Lea Franczak 9:01am January 28, 2009)
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