I’m in the dreaded days between turning the last revision into the editor and waiting for the acceptance so I can get paid. How do I fill my time? By working on the next book, of course, and, no, I don’t do NaNo. I find it stressful, and a way to focus more on how many words I’m writing than the quality of the work on the pages. But I also catch up on my correspondence and turn to marketing. A dreaded word, but something that’s necessary if you want to sell books.
“What, you want specifics?”
Take Social Media, please.
We all know what we’re supposed to do—Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc. In my case, I Facebook some; I Tweet some; and I write on two group blogs: RMFW and the Rogue Women Writers. Sharing the blogging breaks up the workload (which I appreciate), and I think it keeps the blog pages interesting.
But here’s the truth. I hate Goodreads. Okay, okay, I dislike Goodreads.
I know, I know, it’s a problem. Goodreads is where a lot of readers hang out. Unfortunately, because of the set up I must have two separate pages for my two separate series, and that means twice the work. I was just out there today—first time since August—and I had invites to accept and comments to respond to, on both pages. In order to look active, I have to sign in on both pages, post something, post up books I’m reading, books I’ve read, rate books…. It’s not fun. It’s work. Facebook is fun. Twitter is fun. I like writing the blogs. But I may just stop doing Goodreads altogether, except…it’s where readers hang out.
Tip: Focus on what you like and have a venue that doesn’t appeal to you send notices when someone posts a comment, asks a question, etc. That way you’re not ignoring someone by default. It’s saved my bacon a time or two.
Factor in Signings
If you think just because the book is out and has been out for a while that you won’t do any more signings and/or events, think again. This week alone I’ve gotten calls to sign at a bookstore for Indies First (a movement to support our Independent Bookstores) and to appear at the Boulder County Audubon’s Annual Holiday Sale. I said yes to both, but sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I strategically say no.
“Why?” you ask.
Because you want exposure, but you don’t want to be overexposed. I run that risk. I get around. (Get your minds out of the gutter.) It’s a good problem to have, but it can also be a negative. In the past year, I’ve had two books out. Since mid-April, that’s meant nine Front Range signings—three of them at the Tattered Cover and two at the Denver Book Bar. Granted, three were because I was fortunate enough to be nominated for several awards and the WOTY, but that means I had to make six others worthwhile for both myself and the bookseller.
Don’t believe for a minute that a signing is about selling books. That has little to do with it. You can’t sell enough books at a signing to make it worthwhile financially. What you can achieve is meeting booksellers and creating rapport so they hand-sell your book and want you to back again. It’s also about introducing yourself to a few people who might not otherwise have heard about your book.
Tip: Set up signings in different venues that reach different groups of people. Go for one or two bookstores, book clubs and group events. For instance, my book that came out in May has a birdwatching theme, so I’m signing at the Boulder County Audubon’s Holiday Event coming up November 22nd. Find creative places to find new readers who would be interested in your work.
Eyes on the Future—Conferences and Workshops
This is where it gets harder. What’s coming? There are a myriad of conferences and events that seem worthwhile and tug at you, but what’s to your best advantage? This is where you have to get serious, look at your income, look at your costs, weigh the benefits and be brutal with choices. Look at when your books are coming out, so you can plan based on what give you the biggest bang for the buck.
I live in the mystery/thriller world. My next book is coming out June 13, 2017, so what are a few of my considerations, ThrillerFest (July in NYC, 2017), Bouchercon (October in Toronto, 2017) and Left Coast Crime (March in Reno, 2018). These are the ones that I should do, if possible. This year I’m skipping LCC. It’s in Hawaii, and I will have just married off a daughter on Kauai the month before. Two trips to Hawaii in two months seems excessive. But these are all “FAN” conventions. They draw more readers than writers, and play to building readership. They fit with my genre and connect me with people who are the most interested in reading what I write.
Of course, this list multiplies if you add in Killer Nashville, Magna Cum Murder, Malice Domestic, etc., etc. The thing to remember is—you have to approximate spending $1K for every con you attend out-of-state—$2K for NYC. Pick the winning combination.
And what about Colorado Gold, Pikes Peak Writers, SleuthFest and any number of other conferences held across the country? RMFW is a must for me because I see my old friends, it’s my hometown conference and I have only missed two (maybe) in the past 30+ years. The rest are teaching conferences, so if I’m not teaching, I’m not going. It’s just that simple.
Tip: Look at your publishing schedule, then at the coming year. Figure out what you can afford to spend on travel to promote your books, and then choose accordingly. Maybe it’s better to go to the Southwest Book Festival, or Tucson Festival of Books or on a book tour vs. a convention. Maybe you can combine a tour with a convention—for example, ThrillerFest comes closer to my pub date than Bouchercon, and with added benefit of face time with my agent and editor.
Once you’ve made a schedule, commit to it and move on to promoting it via Social Media.
Most importantly, write. Everyday! Write on that new book. All the marketing in the world won’t do you any good if you don’t have something to sell.