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Archive for the ‘Independent Publishing’ Category

How Should an Indie Writer Market?

October 1, 2015

Exciting the Crowd is Important

Every indie writer must also think about marketing. It’s a given, I’m sad to say, when talking about independent publishing. Even if you don’t like to do it. Marketing is crucial to your success.

But every indie soon learns self-promotion is a tricky balancing act. There’s a very slim line between effective self-promotion and simply being annoying.

If you’ve ever seen those who Tweet “Buy My Book” three-hundred and twenty-two times a day, you know what I mean.

So How Do You Do It?
Building a platform takes time. And, before you ask…yes, you need one, even though constructing it can devour a great deal of the day you’d rather devout to writing.

Once you’ve constructed it, you need to remember there’s no secret formula to building a following. It’s not as simple as build it and they will come. It takes time.

You may promote with the skill of a master, but even a DaVinci would need to understand how much luck will play a part. Your information needs to be seen by the right people, at the right time.

But it’s got to be more than that.

Social Media is Just That…Social
One of the ironies of the writing life is that many authors are introverts. Most of them are people who find it hard to morph into an extrovert in order to promote their wares.

For instance, one of the recommendations I’ve seen (but haven’t tried yet) is to give one of my own recurring characters a Twitter account of his/her own and let them comment on the events in their lives.

Who knows? It might even lead to some yet unknown story ideas.

But I’m not sure that’s what it’s all about. I think you need to talk to people. Not just should talk to them…you need to. Talk to them on your web site, blog, on the Twitter, and even on The Book of Face.

What do you talk about? If you follow my blog here you know I write about indie publishing and I try to pass along whatever I learn.

What else? Well, along the way I discovered that many non-writers (and, surprisingly, some other authors) are actually curious about the so-called Secret World of the writer.

How do we go about it? Where do we get our ideas? Why do we write?

If these are important questions being asked, why not make answers to some of those questions a feature of your own marketing?

Why not indeed.

I decided if answering questions isn’t being social, what is?

My Podcast
As I promised some time ago, I opened up to audience questions, and many of you were kind enough to provide them. I always intended to share my answers with you, more or less live. It’s taken some time, but the podcast is here.

Click on the red-arrow link below to hear me answer your questions about indie writing (duration approx 15 minutes):

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My books have all garnered some terrific reviews. You can see the stories I have available by using the Amazon link below.

You’re also invited to visit my web site, BROKEN GLASS, or like my Book of Face page. You can also follow my shorter ramblings on The Twitter.

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Comments posted below will be read, greatly appreciated and perhaps even answered.

Tags:award-winning writing, indie writers, using social media
Posted in Independent Publishing, Market Your Book | 2 Comments »

What’s in a Book’s Elevator Pitch?

July 31, 2015

An Elevator Ride Doesn’t Last Very Long

Every author has been in the position where someone asks them to describe his/her book. It happened to me several times at a book-signing last Saturday (although, if you read my previous blog post, it didn’t happen as often as I hoped it would).

What’s your book about?

The answer you give to that question is called an “elevator pitch.”

The term itself comes from the scenario of an accidental meeting with someone important. It’s any quick, catchy pitch you can deliver in the short time it takes for an elevator to reach its destination.

I’m sure you’ve heard the term before. I didn’t invent it. It’s been around the business world for decades. Now, however, as an indie author you need to think about it in terms of your new book.

By preparing an elevator pitch in advance for your book, you’re ready for whenever (and wherever) the question comes up.

Step 1
Decide on the goal of your pitch. Do you want the listener to visit your website? Look you up on Amazon? Choose what you want your pitch to convince the listener to do.

Remember, you’re probably not going to make a book sale right there in the elevator. Focus on what you want the listener’s next step to be.

Step 2
Brainstorm potential openings. You want something attention-grabbing that will hold the listener’s attention for the whole pitch.

Step 3
Every pitch is unique, but some of the questions your pitch can answer include:

Write a 20-30 second pitch (any shorter and you’ll sound like an ad; any longer and you’ll lose the listener). Keep your goal in mind! Focus on being compelling and intriguing.

Step 4
Decide on a closing line. Make it an active call to action. It can be something as simple as, “Does it sound like something you’d be interested in?” This is the final step in guiding the listener toward your goal (remember Step #1?).

Step 5
Edit your pitch. Focus on removing unnecessary words and making it sound natural. Read it out loud and be sure it’s in your natural speaking voice, not your writing voice! Make doubly sure it is clearly directed toward your goal.

Step 6
Make your pitch work even harder by always carrying a business card or bookmark with information about you and your book (I make my business cards with Vistaprint).

Your pitch probably won’t be perfect the first time you use it. Every time you give it, however, you can refine it and make it more effective. Practice on friends and family first (my long-suffering wife gets to hear all of mine).

She gives me feedback I may not have thought of and the practice helps work out any jitters BEFORE I have that chance meeting with the local television news celebrity in the elevator.

My Elevator Speech for Reichold Street:
“REICHOLD STREET is a young-adult coming-of-age thriller about teenagers growing up in the Vietnam era of the 1960s. It deals with real life, and things like family dysfunction, bullying, alcoholism, madness and war. Tough issues. It was favorably reviewed by Kirkus Reviews and received a 2012 Readers Favorite Gold Medal.

Does it sound like something you might like?

Visit my website (ronaldherron.com) and you’ll learn all about it … and get to see my other books, too.”

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The Official Book Trailer for “Reichold Street”

New reviews are in for my latest novel, “Street Light.” One is from Top Book Reviewers and the other is posted by Readers Favorite. I’ll let them speak for themselves.

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My books have garnered some terrific reviews. You can see the stories I have available by using the Amazon link below.

You’re also invited to visit my web site, BROKEN GLASS, or like my Book of Face page. You can also follow my shorter ramblings on The Twitter.

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Comments posted below will be read, greatly appreciated and perhaps even answered.

Tags:book marketing, indie writers, self-publishing
Posted in Book Promotion, Independent Publishing | 9 Comments »

Why Do Book Signings?

July 27, 2015

Boston Public Library (photo courtesy Pixabay)

I think it’s a safe bet to say most authors will be offered an opportunity to do a book-signing at some point in time. It can be quite flattering to be asked … until you realize what it really entails:

Long hours of sitting on a hard chair, usually behind a folding table with a small stack of your book(s) planted in the middle, waiting for people to come by and buy a copy for you to sign.

Often you’re part of a larger contingent of authors, all of whom are trying to do the same thing … get people to buy their books.

I’ve done quite a few of them now, and the experience of each one has been a little different. Perhaps the worst one was at a small, independent bookstore during a veritable blizzard.

I was the only one of several invited authors to show up (why I risked it in that weather I really don’t know), and the shop owner and I had a lot of time to talk … since no other patron walked through the door that whole day.

At least that one I could blame on the weather.

Sterlingfest

I attended another book-signing last Saturday at the Sterling Heights (Michigan) Library, in one of the area cities about 35-40 minutes from my house, that has to count as one of my most disappointing.

It was taking place during a community event called Sterlingfest that included rides, food and artists of all sorts selling their creative wares in tented booths outside the building complex.

It seemed like a natural. The weather cooperated nicely (unless you don’t like hot and muggy). I arrived early and the parking lot was already packed and there was lots of foot traffic outside.

I joined at least a dozen other local authors who were setting up their tables inside the library. I thought this would be a really good day. But, as the hours wore on, the traffic coming into the library was spotty, at best … and I soon discovered why.

Poor Planning
There was absolutely no mention of a local Michigan author book-signing in the official program for the event.

Worse … the only sign that said anything at all about an author book-signing was a tiny hand-scrawled thing inside the lobby of the library that no one could see from the outside.

Hell … you could barely see it inside!

Finally, after selling only two books in 5-1/2 hours (and one of those to another author), I packed-up early and went home (at least half the other authors had already beaten me to the door).

A poorly administered event … omigod, yes. A total waste … no.

I had the chance to meet, talk and exchange ideas with a whole lot of neat fellow authors. Even met a delightful library volunteer named Terry who, although her hands were tied by a lack of authority, did as much she could to try to help make the event successful.

Hopefully, the library administration learns something from this fiasco. I know I did. Find another venue and never come back to this one.

The Official Book Trailer for “Street Light”

New reviews are in for my latest novel, “Street Light.” One is from Top Book Reviewers and the other is posted by Readers Favorite. I’ll let them speak for themselves.

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My books have garnered some terrific reviews. You can see the stories I have available by using the Amazon link below.

You’re also invited to visit my web site, BROKEN GLASS, or like my Book of Face page. You can also follow my shorter ramblings on The Twitter.

**********

Comments posted below will be read, greatly appreciated and perhaps even answered.