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How much do you market?

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
I have tons of pics related to my research for Altearth. I've been using individual pics in my newsletter. Maybe Pinterest could hold the larger collection.
 

Chessie2

Staff
Article Team
I have tons of pics related to my research for Altearth. I've been using individual pics in my newsletter. Maybe Pinterest could hold the larger collection.
It's very visually oriented. I have a few strategies that I'm using with it but learning about the platform and watchig what writers in my genre do with it is helping as well (and in some cases, what not to do).
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
Doh. Obvious. I need to look up some authors on Pinterest (I also have an account at Instagram) and see what they are doing. Thx!
 

Chessie2

Staff
Article Team
Doh. Obvious. I need to look up some authors on Pinterest (I also have an account at Instagram) and see what they are doing. Thx!
I started simply by posting pins on boards related to what I write, so vintage era pics, hairstyles, make up, fashion, etc. Western anything, etc. Then I set up a pin board where I have romance quotes where I'll eventually start creating my own pins with my own quotes from my books. It's a slow progression...but basically I'm still in the early stages of building an audience there. It's going to take me a while but eventually it's the social media I will be using to market my books. My sales have increased a little since I started using Pinterest, but not by much. At least, not yet. :)
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
Sales? You have sales? The kind with money, not the kind you attach to masts? #jealous
<g>
 

tofit

Dreamer
Some of the stuff I promote is last years fashion, and some of the stuff I promote is the newest stuff on the market. It's my second month after launch and I'm very worried about my marketing campaign not being strong enough or my products not drawing enough interest. I need to make people want to buy these products by building content that makes them want one. I'm kind of a novice writer, so I'm looking for all the advice I can get.

For instance to attract the Indian market, I wrote a story about an Indian man who was given a magic tie from an Indian God, and has the luckiest day of his life. Then I had someone from India post it, somewhere on the web it would get seen. That's likely only going to appeal to certain people, and likely not people who wear ties. So maybe I should do a re evaluation.

As far as google and facebook marketing, I've got to pay over $1.00 a click and it can take over $100 worth of clicks to get a sale sometimes.
My main sales have been word of mouth, I attend networking events, talk to people on faecbook, twitter and various networks. I haven't started on Pinterest or instagram but plan to in the future. With my products, I need to create a stigma around them for example, they're magical and will make people feel enchanted when they wear them.
 

Rkcapps

Sage
I found this video really useful in targeting my Amazon ads. I'm in a niche market too and you need to really hone in on your category. Who writes a similar book to yours? Target them. Really think about key words to target. I only found this last week and already I have sales under the targeted words 'medical' and 'true stories'. So, the motto of the story? Really concentrate on what words to target. Make Amazon ads work for you.
 

Chessie2

Staff
Article Team
Amazon ads did not work for me. But not everything works the same for all of us. What I have found to be helpful in increasing sales: Pinterest, newsletter giveaways with authors in the same genre/subgenre (this has worked the best for me), Instafreebie, first in series free, 99 cent sales on the following books in a series, having a brand to begin with. I've done a few paid promos that artificially inflated my sales. Being an unknown author means obscurity is our biggest enemy--so your weapon is getting the word out via any means possible that fits for you and your work.
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
One thing we find that works well to increase our visibility is attending conventions as artists. The first month that Faerie Rising was out we attended Kansas City Planet Comicon, and we ended up giving away about 200 e-books and signed a whole bunch of people up for our newsletter. Lots of books in lots of hands. This year, same con, we had physical books and sold quite a few of them by giving away a chapbook with sample chapters and waiting for them to come back for the rest. :D Going forward, we're probably going to continue mixing up this strategy, making Faerie Rising either free or discounted for con weekends and letting it sell the rest of the series.

That being said, one of the most important things we found in all of this is that readers love having contact with authors, and making a good impression goes a long way towards creating word-of-mouth marketing.
 

Svrtnsse

Staff
Article Team
This year, same con, we had physical books and sold quite a few of them by giving away a chapbook with sample chapters and waiting for them to come back for the rest.
This is something I hadn't heard of before. It seems like it'd be a cool thing to do. Plus, even if the person doesn't read the sample chapters right away, they might still keep them and remember for later - maybe?
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
This is something I hadn't heard of before. It seems like it'd be a cool thing to do. Plus, even if the person doesn't read the sample chapters right away, they might still keep them and remember for later - maybe?
Yes, exactly. In the back of each chapbook we put our website, e-mail. all of our social media links, and where people could buy the book and its sequel.


Don't know why this came up sideways. *shrugs*
 

A. E. Lowan

Forum Mom
Leadership
We tend to search conventions in our state through Google, and there are lists of regional cons online as well. The big con for you, of course, is the Romance Writers of America. That con is worth attending just for the workshops alone and not as a vendor, although lots of writers do go as vendors. Kansas City Planet Comicon is our big home state con, and there is a company called Wizard World (I think is two words) which does nothing but put on large fantasy/scifi/comics conventions around the country. We have one we're attending over Memorial Day weekend called ConQuesT which is Kansas City's oldest scifi/fantasy convention in it's 49th year, which we found through a Google search.
 

Chessie2

Staff
Article Team
Thanks! Sounds like you have some good ones in your area (not so much over here it seems). RWA is one I plan on making it to in the future for sure. :)
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
Nor here, Chessie. I'm in Idaho. I could go to cons on the West Coast, but I'm already spending thousands on my writing and the cons would only add thousands more. At least when I spend money on editors and cover artists, I can see the return on investment. Even so, I'm going to try to find *one* to attend in the coming year. Seattle and Portland seem the likely candidates. Maybe Vancouver. Not San Francisco--too expensive!
 

Chessie2

Staff
Article Team
Nor here, Chessie. I'm in Idaho. I could go to cons on the West Coast, but I'm already spending thousands on my writing and the cons would only add thousands more. At least when I spend money on editors and cover artists, I can see the return on investment. Even so, I'm going to try to find *one* to attend in the coming year. Seattle and Portland seem the likely candidates. Maybe Vancouver. Not San Francisco--too expensive!
Seattle is well-known for its cons so you're good there. I'm not so sure about Portland but it's only a few hours away (for some reason I thought you were also in WA).
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
Portland is a couple hours closer to Boise than is Seattle. But I have a daughter in Seattle so I avoid hotel costs there (but have transit costs). I'm very fond of Portland because I spent a few key years of my youth there, but sentimentality does not make for good business planning! I threw in Vancouver just because I like the town. :)

Boise itself has an annual book con, and I'll probably pay for a table at the next one. Depends on if my second book is out (it runs in May). It doesn't make sense to pay for a table when you've only got one book. Does it? Plus, I don't have any swag. By next year, though, I should be in good shape.
 
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