I belong to the IndiRomanceInk, a Yahoo group with over 1000 members, some traditionally and indie published; others indie only. If you need advice on anything to do with self-publishing, this is the place to ask. A lot of writers on the group lately have hit milestones: 25,000, 100,000, 10,000 sales, etc. At the same time, other members are saying this past June was one of their worst months. As for me, I seem to be going on about the same.
I don’t want to go on the same. I want to get better. So when one of the members asked how the milestone-making writers did it and a couple authors answered, I paid attention. Kallypso Masters gave a great reply, and she was happy to share it here. Because not everything works for everyone, I’m giving my thoughts after hers. But first, here’s Kallyso’s list of what she did that worked for her:
1) Set up a Facebook and Twitter page–and any other social media you like/want, but I use Facebook primarily. It needs to be under the name of the pen name you plan to use.
2) Start a blog and post WIP excerpts to give people a sample of your writing. Leave lots of things hanging. Lots of teasers. (They may complain about being teased, but secretly readers love it. ) Also, invite guest bloggers to your blog site, especially those writing similar style books. The cross traffic will be good. After publishing, join blog hops appropriate to your genre–you’ll get lots of new readers/traffic to your site.
3) On/After Tuesdays each week, sign up to participate in the Six Sentence Sunday blog/meme at sixsunday.com. I started doing this a couple months before my first book came out and developed a following. (Look for other memes that interest you, because they bring you new viewers.)
4) Hire someone to do your covers.
5) Join groups on Facebook that cater to self-publishing to learn tips on marketing.
6) On Yahoo, join the group IndieRomanceInk for a wealth of support and information on indie publishing in the Romance genre. The link is http://groups.yahoo.com/group/IndieRomanceInk. 🙂
7) Engage, engage, engage in social media. Do not start flooding the internet with “check out my new book” when it comes out. Start now by friending people (under your pen name), engaging in conversations (not promotions) on their FB walls (especially authors in your genre or who write like you), and talk about non-writing things going on in your life. Readers respond to authors they deem “real.”
I still get responses to e-mails and posts from readers who are floored that I even responded to them. (I don’t see how a writer wouldn’t respond to a direct message, but apparently some don’t.) When I went on Facebook in May 2011, I started talking about my characters, too. I’d send my Doms (heroes) out to visit my fellow authors or readers for a little “discipline,” if they needed it. (It’s what I write, as you know.) That got a buzz going and people told their friends to check out this crazy new author and her Doms. I actually attracted a lot of people to the BDSM genre.
When my book finally came out in August 2011, because they already felt they knew my characters, having interacted with them personally on Facebook, they were standing in line to buy the book. I don’t know if that works for everyone, but it sure made a difference for me. I had accumulated 625 friends on FB (all but 200 of them from people asking to be MY friend, not my asking everyone I knew and then some to friend me). I sold 248 of my first book that first month (Aug.) and 221 the next month, plus 77 of the second book, which came out on Sept. 30. Last month, I sold 11,216 (mostly books 2 and 3, because for most of the month, book 1 was free). Plus there were 34,000 downloads of that free book last month.) Most of the authors I’ve talked with who have made it big say it took about six months and three books, which is pretty close for me, too. My sales made five digits in January after the third book came out. In December it would have been about $4,000 without book three’s sales the last week.
8) Make a book free forever, if you can. It’s hard to do that on Amazon, but if you price it free on Smashwords and All Romance eBooks, then tell people to report that it’s free elsewhere, you will get Amazon to cave and make it free there in their Price Match program. (I asked Kallypso’s Street Brats, my street team, to report the free prices elsewhere and Amazon responded within four days.)
HOWEVER, be aware that you can’t make a book free on Barnes & Noble UNLESS you have Smashwords distribute to them. I would also have SW distribute to Apple. I upload my $-priced books to B&N myself, but the only way to get Masters at Arms on there free was via Smashwords.
But it’s best not to make it free until book two is ready to come out or is already out, or you won’t make any money. They need to have instant access to another book–not wait a few months or more for the next, because they’ll forget you and move on to other authors. So, if you have to hold off and finish another book–or take time to write an intro to your series like I did with Masters at Arms and put it out as your freebie, do so.
I had written Nobody’s Angel two years before (nothing like the edited versions that went out), but when someone told me about my needing a marketing piece, I sat down and penned Masters at Arms in about three weeks. Then it went to my new editor and I added another 20,000 words and really fleshed out the characters more. It became much more than a marketing piece and is highly rated, so don’t just put out something you don’t love. Hook them. Tease them. Leave them hanging on things to come in the series.
9. Hire professionals to make you look like a professional:
You need an editor (and not a writer friend or an English teacher, but someone who edits books in your genre for a living.
Hire a line editor.
Hire a cover artist. (I cheated on this, because I didn’t have money, so a friend did mine and I promised to pay her when I made some money, or by the following April when I was going to have to go job hunting if this one-year adventure didn’t pan out as a new career. Well, in January, she got paid, because the sales were going so well. )
Hire a formatter. Yeah, you can pore over the Smashwords and other formatting guides and waste writing time doing your own–or you can spend $35-60 on a formatter (priced based on size of manuscript) and get on to the writing of the next book. I spent two weeks trying to get my first book formatted and an e-publisher and a writer friend finally had to come to my rescue or I may never have gotten them anywhere but Smashwords.
I know published authors who still will spend an entire DAY OR TWO doing it themselves, after they “got the hang of it.” Think of all the writing and promoting you could have done in that time! I know money is tight when you start out, but you don’t want to be penny wise and dollar foolish.
10) Google your pen name and check availability for the simplest, most logical domain name. If not available or some famous person has your name, choose another one. (One of my early pen names ended up being a porn star. My biggest mistake was not selling her the domain name myself, rather than just letting it go, because I did beat her to it. But I opted not to write steamy and went for erotic, and Kallypso Masters was the name I’d chosen for that). There definitely aren’t any other Kallypsos out there!
I forget it I added other tips, but those should give newbies ideas and maybe even some seasoned authors.
Kally
kallypsomasters.com
***
My thoughts:
I agree with everything Kally says and I’m already doing a lot. But I think you have to go with your strengths, and that much social media is not my strength. As for cross blogging, unless your writer friends get a lot of reader traffic, try to blog or do interviews on reviewer sites. Though I buy friends’ books, there are a lot that I don’t buy. I’m just too busy writing my own books to do as much reading as I’d like. I know my writer friends are going through the same thing.
I did try the 6 sentences for a few Sundays, but here again that’s writer-to-writer promo. Since you need to reciprocate in order to get a lot of traffic, I felt it cut into my writing time. My non-writing time, too.
But I am going to make a conscious effort to blog more. A writer friend blogs three times a week, plus she works full-time and has a young daughter and a husband. If she can do all that, I should certainly be able to blog three times, too.
Which of Kally’s suggestions do you think you might try? And do you have any advice you’d like to add?
I’m also doing most of what Kallypso suggests, to a lesser extent, but I am making a conscious effort to blog more. Funny she mentions guest blogs. Starting this Wednesday, I’m having a guest author visit my blog every week (blatant promo here )
I still haven’t hit the huge numbers Kallypso has, but I’m trying.
Margery, whatever you’re doing is working for you. You have great numbers already!
Indirect marketing–it’s marketing that sometimes you don’t even know you’re doing. I loved that! I listed the university I received my MBA at on my website and they contacted me about doing a feature article and began carrying my books at their library. When that happened, I contacted the community college, the locale where my books are set, and the other university I attended and received my undergraduate degree. Both did features. I received an email from a news reporter who wanted to do a feature, didn’t remember where she’d seen a mention of me, but it was in the Portland, Oregon area. Again, word of mouth, nothing done on my part…
The Examiner (online local reporting) has local freelance reporters who write about romance or other topics, and you can contact them based on your area. I contacted the place where I used to live and they called me and did a full featured front page news story! I figured I’d have a tiny mention in the back of the newspaper.
Doing a blog tour can get your book out there. They’re time consuming, but one new fan told me she kept seeing my book everywhere that she finally just had to buy it. LOL The more people see it, the more likely you’ll have a chance to make an impression.
There are tons of ways to promote, but basically, promote yourself, your interests, the book is a sideline. 🙂 I never really thought that readers cared much about the dedication and such, but I’ve had several fans comment on my dedications and realized just how important they are. I had a fan send me a note saying that her aunt adored my books after she got her hooked on them, and was in the middle of reading my latest wolf book when she suddenly died. So I’m dedicating the next book that I’m currently writing to the aunt and to the niece.
Fans are the reason I write.
Busy Monday - Edie Ramer
[…] also have a post on the How To Write Shop with advice from Kallypso Masters on getting your books noticed. She has some great ideas. I hope […]
Terry, that’s so touching about the fan. It certainly is making me check out your books.
Thanks for the great advice!
Thanks for sharing, Edie! This began as my answering questions via e-mail to a newbie who was working on publishing her first book this year, so had the most value for really new writers.
Margery, I’m doing well to get one blog up a week. Six Sunday used to be that for me, but I was REALLY bad about making the rounds due to my insane life, so I felt guilty and quit doing them. But I think I still have people from there who check me out on Sundays just in case I’m back, so I know I’ve attracted some new readers (most of them also writers). But in the beginning, it’s also important to get noticed by other authors, because we support each other, or we need to, anyway.
Terry, I’ve never courted the media (and I have a journalism degree!), but have been thinking about that. I don’t want to reveal my real-life self, for security reasons, though, so it might be tricky.
Word of mouth is THE BEST. That’s what carried me my first 6-7 months when I didn’t have money for marketing. It was my readers telling other readers (and book clubs) mostly. I also send swag to book clubs upon request (including a set of 60 of everything I sent to Indonesia in June).
I also loved your story about the dedications. I probably have the longest dedication and acknowledgements of anyone writer’s. I believe in giving the names of everyone who helps in any way. It means a lot to readers, too. And in my upcoming book, one of my readers is letting me agree to dedicate it to her son, who killed himself as a result of PTSD after Iraq. (This book involves two characters with PTSD.) But I write BDSM romances, so, of course, I wanted to be sure she was okay with that. I could easily have given his first name only or initials, but she said he’d be proud to have my book dedicated to him and she was going to tell all of his friends. (She told me a very funny story to illustrated why he’d have no problem having the book dedicated to him, too.)
The best part of writing is interacting with the readers, which is why doing the social media is no problem for me (except that I spent more time doing it than I probably should while on a writing deadline). LOL. But in recent days, I’ve gotten letters from several readers telling me how my books (and my characters) have changed their lives. THAT makes it all worthwhile.
Kally
kallypsomasters.com
Kally, how great of that soldier’s mother for sharing the story with you. In my last novella (not published yet), my heroine was brain damaged and my hero had PTSD. It was a bit spooky how easily I slipped into their voices.
Great advice. I’ve found that I can’t do it all. So, I’m now trying to figure out which works best. I do know one thing. Writing the next book is most important. Just keep writing.
Janie, I agree. Best advice for any author is to keep writing.
Excellent post, Kally! 🙂
I don’t agree about the formatting thing at this point–but since I do have the money for it, I think that may be a control issue! lol!–however, unless you’re very comfortable with the process it’s a good idea to pay someone else to do it. Interacting with readers gives me such a boost though and I do think putting yourself out there, showing readers who YOU are, is so important for authors. I’ve always hate pimping myself, but you showed me the beauty of a good tease and I think my readers are very happy to get a peek into my WIPs. I try to look at whatever I do online from the POV of a reader (and since I AM a reader, it’s pretty easy! ). The authors I check up on the most are the ones who do more than post links to where their books are sold. Hell, I lurk on your page for updates all the time! 😉
Authors may not get rich writing, but with hard work I believe many can live off their craft. And there is nothing more satisfying than knowing all the hours you put in count for something. Financial breathing room and happy readers rock!
Hugs,
Bianca
I am one of those authors who spent two days trying to format my books for Smashwords (LOL!) And when I finally succeeded, I was mentally exhausted. But I’m hard-headed like that. I like doing things myself. I am also not a social media chick. I have a website, and I’m thinking of getting a blog but like you said, I go with my strengths. I’m about to release my 7th self-published book and I’m just enjoying the journey of writing and learning new things. Thanks for sharing this wealth of information.
Bianca and Chanta, just keep doing whatever works! Bianca, I remember when you started teasing your readers. Good job!
Chanta, I would encourage you to engage on something more immediate and interactive, like Facebook or Twitter, if you don’t already do so. Readers love that they can chat, hang out with, tease (and be teased–right, Bianca?), help, and encourage their favorite authors. Even if you just pop in daily or every other day to say hi–here’s how my day’s doing, what are YOU up to, you will encourage your readers to share something of themselves with you. Or maybe ask a question about something relating to your books. Doesn’t have to invite spoilers or be a story question you feel compelled to then incorporate into the books. I have asked them to name characters or pets before. And two of my readers stayed up chatting on my wall almost all night once trying to figure out how they could get me to make one of my heroes a cowboy. (They succeeded–sort of–because it sparked my creative juices enough for me to find a way.)
But, as Bianca said, it’s SO important that they get to know YOU. I used a pseudonym and try to protect my privacy and family identities, so I refer to family member as “hubby, daughter, son, and DIL.” Or my sisters (all of us were born “Mary”) as Mary 2, Mary 4, Mary 5, etc. My fans have been so supportive of me and my family as Mary 2 has battled recurring cancer almost since the day Kallypso joined Facebook. They’re like my family of choice!
Seven books is a huge accomplishment! I know Bianca is ahead of me in books published, too. Heck, I’m just trying to get a fourth one out. But each book will help bring more readers your way, then they’ll go looking for your backlist.
All the best to everyone who shared here or stopped by to read!
Kally
kallypsomasters.com