Backlist Love – Part 1
Real Title: You Plan to make my heart beat and for me fall in love with Backlist Love. I can’t wait to see this. Bring it.
This will be a multi-part series that will give you actionable steps to fall for that Backlist Love. The other parts of these will be posted in my group (lite version) and Designer’s Edge Ink Blueprint course only.
Note: This is cross-posted in various places. This one is slightly different.
I’m about to drop some make you think stuff. Stuff that will blow your mind and make you wonder about me. Well people do that anyway so you’re not new to that. LOL.
So I knew when I started Designer’s Edge Ink one of the things I would do is bring the Backlist Love. I’m a big lover of that backlist. And even if you don’t have one now you’ll have one when you release that first book. Or if you have only one book out that is your backlist and you can build it from there. That ole saying build it and they will come is true in some aspects. But once you built that backlist you will need to feed, nurture and show it off.
Come on now think of it as when you are meeting someone for first time or know someone and want to impress the hell out of them. What do you do? Show them of course and that is the same thing with backlist. Why build it and then leave it afterward for the new and shiny. Yes the new book should have attention. But that backlist needs love too.
For the longevity of your career you’re gonna need backlist. In those times when things are slow and or you have no new releases you are gonna need that backlist.
Backlist equals Gold that you can have in your writer bank and keep utilizing it. So love and share that backlist.
I’m gonna tell you a quick story. I hope it is quick I might get wordy. LOL.
A few years ago I had a lot of medical issues and almost died more than once. During those times when I wasn’t physically, emotionally and just plain not able to write anything new and I had my backlist. At the time I didn’t think of it as backlist love I just wanted something to keep my mind off of what I was going through. So I would look at all the books I had and well was inspired to create more about them.
When I say more I did character interviews, character stats, wrote blogs or guest blog as my character (ie. they did the talking for themselves). Then I also did little shorts about them – some took place before their story and others after their story. Basically I was falling in love with my backlist and those characters all over again. The thing was when I did these things I didn’t have a name for it it was just me doing as I do when times are tough – turning to something creative to get me through. I have many creative pursuits – drawing, digital designs, building websites, photography, sewing, crafts and so many other things. Did you notice I didn’t put writing in there? Well that’s a given since after all I am a writer through and through. I write poems, stories, design tutorials, writing tutorials and books. So some of these creative pursuits collide. And when I was ill I did them all. And this is when I found the power of that backlist.
I’ve always did things for my backlist but didn’t really think of it as part of what I do. This is technically more for me than anyone else. In those backlist love things I do I’m not concerned if anyone will enjoy it since the book is already out and that is the forefront. The backlist love is the extra that goes into it.
First mindset item for you
Backlist Love is for you. Your fun, your joy and yours to do with as you choose. It is not about anyone else. Think on that a moment. Isn’t that a freeing thing. No wonder if someone will hate it, love it or anything in between. The question is do you love it. Love that backlist love. 🙂
I mentioned around the social media, blogs and so on I’m a big believer in backlist love. Meaning that as we write we build a backlist so use it. And have fun doing it. This is for you.
Again the backlist in my opinion is gold (something I’ll be going into more details over time as we go on here, on website and the free author newsletter). So even if you don’t have a book out soon and have backlist no matter how many give that backlist book some love. Hell even when you have a book out still love that backlist. Nurture it and make it grow.
And I’m giving ideas below but I will give this first. These below are what I do and works for me. They might not work for you or you don’t want to do them, that is fine just sharing ideas.
Here are some ideas for that Backlist Love:
~ add the backlist book to your twitter rotation of posts
~ add the backlist book to your facebook posts. Talk it up and heck even say you are giving it love. Make it fun. Find something that is linked to it.
~ get some cross promotion for it. Ask for backlist love.
~ blog about it. For example. On my blog (when I post. Been lax lately but getting back to it) I have a blog weekly where I put an excerpt from my books. I have my backlist there. If I have a new book I put an except the week and the week after to showcase it. Then I go back to featuring my backlist books until the next release. That way my backlist is always seen. You are discovering new readers each day.
~ add it as a feature to your newsletter. For me I tend to have a backlist title in my big newsletter (I send out 1 big newsletter that is about well personal things I like and also with books and contest and so on. Then I have others based on if I have a release). I just put blurb, cover and buy link. That is all. I have it as a second there. That way I always have my backlist there for them to see.
~ write little short reads can be 2k or less of more. Post them everywhere. (I have backlist love challenges I post that have themes for these. You can check them out)
~ start a blog or fb hop with other authors and make it they have to use a backlist title. Make a theme for it. (this is one of challenges I will post soon)
~ Tease some backlist love. Make a teaser graphic and text and post it everywhere.
So just some thoughts on backlist. This is a small list of things you can do with backlist love. Again these are what I do and works for me. They might not work for you or you don’t want to do them, that is fine just sharing ideas.
When you nurture the backlist it’s your greatest tool. This I will discuss further as I delve deeper into Backlist Love with the facebook group and eventually the Designer’s Edge Blueprint course. I’ll share something here with you I haven’t with them yet. I’ll be sharing different strategies with Backlist. Actionable plans to make their backlist become:
Backlist Love Evergreen
What’s that you may wonder. Evergreen is a term that’s used by entrepreneurs and that’s what we are in a form. As authorpeneuers we work to find ways to work smarter. What’s smarter than having a backlist that works for you instead of you having you work for it. As mentioned above backlist is what has made me have longevity in my career. I’ve tried, adapted and trial and error for many things with my backlist. With that I’m able to make my backlist work for me. I’m not on the rollercoaster of waiting for the spike of each new release. Or depending on new release for my career blueprint. Reality check – you cannot build a long term career on new releases. My backlist and new release both work for me. Backlist is my foundation which keeps building for me. In the context of backlist I have:
Backlist Love Evergreen – strategies/systems to stand out and always be relevant and not contained by time or market trends. Basically the ability to have strategies/systems in place to set up your backlist so it continues to give your regular sales and this is with not having to constantly monitor it. Set it up and then tweak as needed and adapt when needed. As I mentioned the backlist is gold and you built it so use it wisely by having a plan for it. And no I don’t mean sell, sell. Give the reader something unique, an experience of doing what they find you for that memorable read. Those ah hah moments. That Reader Gold that will makes your book one they have on the keeper shelf and will talk about to others. Mindset shift time. You want to hook readers on the experience of your book and not the sale of your book. When a reader reads your book then talks about your book to someone else they aren’t discussing the price or deal of it they are discussing the story, the experience of reading your book. So you should do the same. Get back to talking about your story instead of the transaction of the sale. So Backlist Love Evergreen is what I’ll be doing along with other Backlist Love things.
A few Backlist Love Evergreen tips – make your backmatter work for you to show off the backlist. Engage your newsletter with your backlist.
At the moment I have some backlist love challenges I posted in various groups, the Designer’s Edge Ink facebook group. These challenges that are posted weekly. 🙂 They are linked to Backlist Love ~ Book Me Challenge. These are posted to the Designer’s Edge Ink facebook group (lite version) and eventually will be too in the Designer’s Edge Ink Blueprint course (in-depth).
And if you have Backlist Love you are also doing on the image is hash tags so you can well hash tag it and also twitter and fb so you can tag me in those Backlist Love things you are doing.
Also did you notice my yellow dart there. Yeah that ties into my Goal Digger. Want to know what that means? Check the Goal Digger – Part 1 post. There is also more in the Designer’s Edge Ink facebook group. Either will help you to find out what the reason I pointed out the yellow dart. Maybe it is me being weird as usual maybe not. Go to post and see. LOL.
Backlist Love Time!
#backlistlove #DesignersEdgeInkisweird #DesignersEdgeInkiseccentric #whyaretheymakinguphashtags #justbecauseshecan #orrefertoweirdandeccentric
Ok. If you get my hashtag stuff then you are my favorite. 😉 Now I’m done. Let’s see the backlist love.
And it has been brought. Boom! If you don’t love that backlist yet you will soon. 🙂
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All Rights Reserved.
Note: This is cross-posted in various places.
Happy Writing!
Scribes Unleashed
(Taige, McKenna and Talia)
Learning , adventure and sharing
Note: When you see Scribes Unleashed listed as who wrote something that’s me. One person behind 3 alter egos. If you want to know more check any of my sites