Archive for October, 2015

Plan Ahead NOW For Holiday Book Sales

Monday, October 26th, 2015

Authors must think ahead. We don’t just write a book and then market it. We must plan the book; consider the audience and their needs, think about the timing of the project, and design it to suit the purposes. Then we write the book with the audience in mind so that it is cohesive, well-organized, and/or entertaining. When it comes to marketing, it’s also important to plan ahead. Who will you market to, where are they, what strategies will attract this particular audience, and so forth.

In the offices of Patricia Fry and Matilija Press (home of many books for authors and the Klepto Cat Mystery series), I’m preparing for the holidays. And I have been since June.

I planned and wrote a Christmas story as part of the Klepto Cat Mystery series. And now I’m in promotion mode—yes, even in October. I’ve been announcing the book to fans, reviewers, bloggers, friends, clients, colleagues, and family, suggesting it as a sweet read for the holidays and a lovely gift. It’s early, but many people procrastinate. Bloggers and reviewers might plan a special holiday event and I want to be included. Reviewers often have a long list of books to read. I want to get on that list so they’ll review my book before the holidays.

I’m lining up events, signing up for events, as well as taking advantage of other opportunities. For example, I’ll bring books and accompanying note cards to a reunion I’m attending soon. In fact, I’ve presold a dozen books to attendees already. Naturally, I’m donating books and note cards for the raffle.

I’ve ordered extra bookmarks to insert in my Christmas cards. And, in fact, I’ve had Christmas cards made with the charming cover of the Christmas book, which I’ll send in late November or the first of December.

I tried to sign up for a large event that occurs this month locally, but was too late to get a booth. I’ve noted the sign-up date for next year. I may or may not have a new Christmas book next year. If not, I have a dozen other books in the series I can sell. By then, I’ll probably have close to seventeen books in the series—which is another way I’m planning ahead.

If you’re writing or marketing a book and it’s conducive to holiday reading and/or giving, don’t waste another second. Start planning your promotional strategies now. Consider:

  • Who is my audience?
  • Where are they?
  • What’s the best way to approach them?

Then move forward:

  • Plan activities and events. (Signings, home parties, give-aways, blog-a-thons, be guest blogger, use social media in creative ways, etc.)
  • Seek out appropriate activities and events. (This could take a whole lot of time and effort—but it’s worth it.)
  • Sign up for appropriate activities and events.
  • Design methods of getting word out about your book.
  • Offer something more—a free gift with purchase, additional merchandise, etc.

Learn more by studying my book: Promote Your Book by Patricia Fry (Allworth Press). You’ll find it at Amazon.com and MatilijaPress.com.

For sweet holiday reading—and gift-giving, order A Picture-Purrfect Christmas, a Klepto Cat Mystery. Available for your Kindle and also in print. http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2

Order autographed copies here: http://www.matilijapress.com/Klepto-Cat-Mysteries/Picture-Purrfect-Christmas.html.

Order Klepto Cat Mystery note cards here: https://matilijapress.com/shop/product/klepto-cat-mystery-note-cards

 

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How a Story Takes Shape

Monday, October 19th, 2015

I’ve been penning fiction now for just two and a half years and I’m learning a lot about the process. I marvel at how a whisper of an idea can develop into a cogent story with the proverbial beginning, middle, and end.

I have to chuckle during the early stages of my stories as I create new characters and sculpt them into likable or maybe detested individuals. I laugh when I move characters or mess with their emotions on a whim. I wonder if other novelists feel a sense of power when they delete a scene, rewrite dialog, or even change the demeanor of a key player in the story.

There are a lot of decisions to be made as a story takes shape. There’s the who, where, why, and how elements, of course. But also hundreds of minute issues to deal with in every scene, every bit of dialog, every innuendo.

And once the story is told, there are details galore that still need attention. Was Savannah already standing when Colbi said that or was she still seated? Did I allow enough time in the sequence for the scene to play out the way I wrote it? Where are the characters standing when the action takes place? Is Rags (the cat) getting enough to do in this chapter?

Some say a story is never finished. This is true when you consider all the possible scenarios for the story you’re writing. You might finish it one day and do a major rewrite the next. Someone else reading it might suggest a very different conclusion or method of reaching that conclusion. I’ve known authors who worked on a novel for twenty years—continually changing the way they told the story.

While that isn’t me—I can finish a novel in a matter of a few months—I still spend a lot of that time massaging my stories. I mold and manipulate the characters, their emotions and their issues until they are telling what I believe is a poignant, important, or entertaining story.

How do you do it?

Learn more about my Klepto Cat Mystery series here: http://amzn.to/1kAI8I2

 

 

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Book Promotion Mania

Thursday, October 15th, 2015

For a couple of weeks now, I’ve been engaged in promoting my Christmas book—the 13th in the Klepto Cat Mystery series A Picture-Purrfect Christmas. What a wild, crazy, and busy ride. One thing that occurred to me as I journeyed down that bumpy marketing road this time is that my books—and probably yours—have more than one audience and more than one profile of people who should receive the promotional material.

For me there are readers/fans (gotta love-em); reviewers (so important); bloggers seeking guests posts, books to feature and so forth; magazine/ezine editors at large, for publications related to my topic, and those for organizations I belong to; and then there are family, friends, and acquaintances who may or may not now or in the future read one of my books. As I work my way through my email list of nearly 2,000 addresses and research new online opportunities by way of blogs, ezines, etc., I continue to meet new fans and reviewers and I continue to add to my lists.

Keeping it all straight can be a challenge. Maybe some of you have ideas for doing that. As for me, I keep changing my way of organizing this process.

I also prepare different material with unique messages for each group of people I approach. While I want to invite reviewers and bloggers and editors of appropriate sites and publications to request a review copy or consider interviewing me, for example, my readers/fans receive something designed to entice them to scramble to Amazon and purchase the latest book. I send something more personal to reviewers and bloggers who’ve embraced the Klepto Cat Mysteries in the past and have given me lots of press. I present a more formal pitch to those who haven’t responded before, offering another brand of enticement and, of course, all the information they need. Likewise, I try different approaches with each book for potential readers at large—hoping this one will cause them to order a book for themselves or consider buying one as a birthday gift or for Christmas giving. An enticement might be a discount or a special gift.

This year, since I have a Christmas story to share, I ordered Christmas cards with the book’s cover on them and I’m collecting mailing addresses for key people—reviewers, colleagues, organization heads, and so forth. That has been a complex and complicated research project. Do you know how many people do not have a street (or even POB) address on their websites/blog sites? The process is taking some creative maneuvers along with some straight-forward activities such as emailing the individual asking for an address.

That’s working out nicely, especially since several of the people have asked for my address in return. How nice, now I have something to look forward to in my mail box come December, as well.

Yes, my Christmas card is more than a heartfelt greeting. It is also designed to prod the recipient to consider purchasing my Christmas edition of the Klepto Cat Mystery series as a gift for someone or several someones on their holiday list.

Let me know if you’d like to receive my special Christmas card offering this year. It may also include a bookmark. PLFry620@yahoo.com

 

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From Rejection to Success

Wednesday, October 14th, 2015

If you want to know about rejection, ask an author—any author. Others may see authors as confident, successful, and living a charmed life. What the casual observer doesn’t see is the constant rejection from editors, publishers, reviewers, even readers. (Even though the majority of readers may love the book, there are always those who are have a different opinion.)

Non-writers don’t know about the time and energy spent trying to identify and locate the right publisher, promotional opportunity, and audience. They don’t understand the stress and work that goes into creating the perfect avenue of communication designed to engage these entities. They aren’t aware how many times in a week or even a day our attempts to be published and/or our promotional efforts are rejected or ignored.

But this is only true of those who work consistently and work hard. Hats off to those who put a lot of energy and effort into their publishing ventures. Only there’s one more element that might make life easier for authors—and that is to also work smart.

I think most of us waste a lot of time. We tend to disregard unfamiliar activities—those that make us feel uncomfortable. We get discouraged and consider quitting. We say “no” when we should say “yes” to opportunities. I know authors who won’t go out and speak to groups, even though their book is highly conducive to this type of promotion. Some authors refuse to establish a web presence. They rely on their publisher to market their book. Any reader, bookstore owner, radio or podcast host, blogger, magazine editor, etc. who wants to tout the book can’t easily reach this author. Just think of the opportunities missed. And plenty of authors can’t or won’t think outside the box, which is essential in this publishing climate.

Sure, we should follow the footsteps of successful authors with projects similar to ours, but we must also break new ground when the old ways aren’t working. Creativity, for a successful author, doesn’t end when the writing is done.

It’s not easy going from homemaker, executive, retiree, doctor, librarian, teacher, factory worker, etc., to author. It may look easy from the outside, but publishing is a highly complex business that one, if you are to experience success, must prepare for.

Let me introduce my series of books to get you started or to give you a boost toward the success you hope to attain.

  • Publish You Book
  • Propose Your Book
  • Promote Your Book
  • Talk Up Your Book

All are available at Amazon in print, ebook, and audio and at Allworth Press. allworth.com

 

 

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Want Publishing Success? Join Webinars and Seminars

Friday, October 9th, 2015

Yesterday I had a ball joining Brian Jud for one of his Book Marketing Matters webinars sponsored by APSS (Association of Publishers for Special Sales) and the Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. I spoke on “How to Craft a Persuasive Book Proposal for any Genre or Topic.” What an enjoyable way to spend ninety minutes.

I want to thank those authors and hopeful authors who took time to listen and I sincerely hope some of my information and concepts were helpful. There’s a lot that goes into successful publishing. And there’s a lot of information out there for authors to sort through. But it’s terribly important that they do just that and attending seminars in person or online is a good way to start the process. I suggest you sign up for some of Brian’s webinars. Learn more here: www.bookapss.org

My presentation was taken from my latest book for authors—“Propose Your Book.” Here’s something I shared from the book yesterday: One aspect of a book proposal is the competition section or market analysis. For nonfiction, you want to know, are there already-published books like yours? What makes yours different? Better? Is there actually a market for your book or are there already enough or too many books like the one you suggest? If you learn that the market is inundated, how can you change the focus of your book to make it a more viable product?

For fiction, you want to find out if you’re writing in a popular genre. You’ll want to find books that are selling well. If you’re bent on writing within a certain genre regardless of popularity, you’ll seek out books in that genre or sub-genre and learn what elements go into them.

So how do you find out if books in your area of interest are selling?

  • Ask bookstore managers.
  • Check the Amazon rankings.
  • Read the reviews on the Amazon book pages.
  • Visit the publishers’ or authors’ websites.
  • Read the testimonials at the authors’ websites
  • Read press releases and other promo at the authors’ websites.
  • Study the authors’ social media pages.

You’ll find “Propose Your Book, How to Craft Persuasive Proposals for Nonfiction, Fiction, and Children’s Books” at Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/Propose-Your-Book-Persuasive-Nonfiction/dp/1621534677/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444395514&sr=8-1&keywords=propose+your+book+fry

My Fiction

Special announcement: The 13th Klepto Cat Mystery has been appropriately published during Halloween month. But it is also appropriately published in time for holiday giving.

“A Picture-Purrfect Christmas” is now available in print and for your Kindle here: http://www.amazon.com/Picture-Purrfect-Christmas-Klepto-Cat-Mystery/dp/0996673202/ref=sr_1_12?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444395656&sr=1-12&keywords=klepto+cat+mysteries

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