Marketing 101 ~ Quick and Dirty Tips and Tricks
Real Title: OMG I Just Want To Write And People Will Magically Find My Book.
I can so relate to that feeling of just wanting to write. But being a writer has many parts and being able to Market is part of it. Notice I didn’t say market your book. First up I think of Marketing as all parts of who you are as an author. Promoting is for your book. Marketing is for the whole you as a writer, person and a human being. Or if you’re from outer space, another dimension or any of that whatever they call you. Me they call weird and I’m good with that.
Ok I get it you just want to write and hope that magically readers will find your books. Love it and tell the world then the world will find your book and before you know it, you will be a gaillionaire. You’ll have it raining money. Picture it you snap your fingers and it’s raining money. Now do the money dance. And come and bring me to whatever imaginary place you are so you can share that with me.
Now come to reality with me. Yeah I know I’m raining on your parade but I’m gonna have to do it. I could say I’m sorry but I’m not. It’s part of the reality of being an author. Publishing your book and hoping it is found and loved by readers is like waiting on that magical unicorn to come and take you on an adventure or finding the genie in a bottle and rubbing it and wishing for whatever your heart desires then wham it’s yours. But you know how in many movies you see that genie who grants you what you want has strings, well so does writing.
The strings is in the vastness that’s writing you have to do the work. And I don’t mean write your best book (not perfect. Refer to my post here on why perfect is a mindset to not have). I mean making sure that best book is seen by readers. Then they can come and worship you and call you their goddess or god. Yeah no that doesn’t happen either. LOL. I know I’m so raining all over your parade today. But I’m going to give you some tips to maybe help you navigate what I think of when I say marketing. Just in case you are not aware, there’s differences between marketing and promotion.
Now that’s clear this is my take on what I consider Marketing. In my opinion when you market you are building a demand in readers for the product (ie books) you are wanting them to buy. With that in mind, this is only a part of what marketing is. I’ll have from time to time some information about Marketing and Promotion too since I like to try new things to broaden my audience. Also to shake things up. LOL.
So here are a few tips and tricks of my version of Marketing 101.
Designer’s Edge Ink Marketing 101 ~ Tips and Tricks – Part 1
~ Stop making every interaction about the sale. Yes, you heard me. Marketing isn’t about the selling it’s about building interest in you and then by extension in your books and if all you do is sell instead of offer an experience people will get bored of that constant selling and move on.
~ Build your Brand (a topic I will discuss later in multiple parts and so on). This is about you as a person, author and so on. What do you want others to think when they see your name? What do you want them to say about you to others? You are your best marketing tool. Think about how you present yourself. IE: Don’t come across as a know it all author who is only there to sell and who sees no one but themselves. IE: and more IE: Don’t be as ass or diva or any of those words for folks people avoid.
~ Build relationships with your readers. Stop thinking that they owe you something because they are on your list, ARC team, speak with you on facebook and the list goes on and on. If that’s all you see them as, as a $$$ then that is the wrong view and it will come through and people don’t like to be seen as nothing but a bank account to buy your books.
Let me pause there for a moment.
Have I blown you mind yet. You probably are about to close this and hit that unsubscribe button or unfollow button or whatever button to go far away from here. I’m smiling at that. Yes I am weird. I know but what I said might come across as painful but I do this with the best intentions. You don’t want to be known as that author that all they talk about is their books, their books, their books and again to infinity.
I see a lot of authors all over social media doing that and you know what from what I have seen they don’t get as much interaction as someone who speaks with other instead of to others. The whole conversation with someone without thinking will they buy my book because they like me. I’m not saying not to talk about your books but don’t make that all you do. Interact and be a person not someone who sees $$$.
In my opinion and this is all my opinion on what works for me. Marketing is about the overall concept of you. Just like your books are parts of you and your life. And it’s hard just like writing books to get that balance between being a genuine person instead of that author who comes across as their only focus is buy me, buy me. Readers see and feel that and avoid that. Hell I avoid that because after all I am a reader as well as an author.
Now back onto the tips.
~ Set your Comfort Zone and Tone. Find what you are willing to let others in to know about you as a person. What you are willing to and not to discuss in your interactions. Set a tone of what you do and this will adjust based on mood and so on. This is especially for those introverts like me who have a hard time articulating stuff because yeah…don’t like attention or speaking with people I don’t know. Extroverts this is for you too. If you don’t set a Zone then you might get asked or someone will say something that you are not comfortable with.
The most important tip and trick I have for you.
Gold Tip and Trick ~ Be you.
Not who you think a reader wants to see. Because again that will come across as false.
So basically to me Marketing is all about you the individual who is behind that author. Yes later I will delve into more on Marketing ie parts of what I said above (hint, hint. Your Brand).
Now back to Marketing you are getting others to be interested in you. Marketing is to me about the whole of all parts that makes up your author business. This will start with your brand and how you are perceived by others. You want people to discover you. Yes it’s hard to share parts of yourself but do what makes you comfortable. Once you do share then it will create and arouse the curiosity about you. Then you can satisfy the reader by your books. But, again not each moment is about a sale. It’s about building connections. Some of my must buys are from authors I have connected with due to likeminded things.
For example. I’m a big TV, movie, reading, and so on watcher/reader so I talk about that and well people know that. I’m also big on family weather by blood or choice and this is for all my alter egos. And this shines through in my books. Have loads of that in them. I’m also…well…intense at times and deep and insightful then others weird, geeky and unique. Let’s call it that. LOL. I’m a combination of all those. I have favorite things like totes, journals, mugs and so on. I love gadgets and go gaga over it. I’m a major klutz and embrace it too. Boy the stories I have posted about those moments aren’t even a tenth of what I’ve done with my Klutzy Self. LOL.
And my unique…well I tell a lot of people I’m the Uno Queen Diva. I’ve done this in person (yes the expression were priceless), online and all over. I have it written on my blogs, when I do events I say it and it’s in my welcome email to anyone who joins any of my newsletter lists. When I go to conferences if I do an event I’ve done Uno as a theme for it. And none of what I just said is about a sale or even promoting my books. At least not directly. I do write about many of above in my books. Hey after all my characters have parts of me in them. No wonder some are so weird. LOL.
When I do the things mentioned I’m not thinking about Marketing or Promoting my books. Hell not even myself or my brand. It’s just me being me and that links into who I am. That is all part of my brand. It’s as eclectic as I am. It’s the reason I write in so many genres. I love variety. And yes I am wacky and I’m good with that.
So back to the Gold Tip and Trick – be you. That is the best thing for you. There is no marketing or promo in the world that can surpass that. Yes, I know you want the sale and want that reader to buy your books. But, the interesting thing is at the end even if they never buy a book they will talk about you to others then maybe a friend will come to see why this person is talking about you. Then they could buy a book and in turn tell others. It’s a trickledown effect. The best Marketing is word of mouth that builds the hype. Not the hype of your book but you as a person. As a human being.
And those authors I mentioned that connected with due to likemindedness. They are must buys and you know what for many of them I buy and don’t even read the books. I buy just because I like them as a person and love what they stand for. Yes, money spent for nothing but that connection. Hmmm…wait maybe I shouldn’t have said that. You’ll think I am weird. Wait a minute you already know I am so…never mind.
So I’ll leave you with the quick and dirty tips and tricks. Yes these were quick at least my version of that. Ummm…they weren’t so much dirty but I liked how it sounded so there. I’m keeping it. And hey if you don’t believe me that marketing isn’t about that hard sell. That it’s about developing a demand for first you by building connection and interactions then a trickledown to fulfill the readers even if not the one you talk to all the time but by word of mouth then look up what marketing is. Then research that verses authors you see and admire who have interacts with readers that is not related to selling books. You probably have a few who you visit and wonder how they sell anything when they don’t talk about their books unless its release time. And even then not all that much. Now you know. Don’t look at me because…well my readers like to talk to me by email or PM in private. Sometimes in my groups. They aren’t very into social media and so on. I’ve had some really interesting conversations that way.
Wait I think I just gave you homework. Go me. Yes I meant to do that. Homework. LOL. So that’s your task if you choose to accept. Do what I stated above about research. And email me by either replying to this message or here to let me know what you have found. Anyway email me. Let’s chat and I’ll draw you into my web. Wait that’s creepy…but I mean it. You’re my favorite. Which I say to a few folks. But you are. Yeah on that weird can’t even call it unique note, time to let you get on with your day.
Now go out there and kick butt getting stuff done.
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All Rights Reserved.
Note: This is or will be cross-posted in various places.
Happy Writing!
Scribes Unleashed
(Taige, McKenna and Talia)
Learning , adventure and sharing
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