I'm rubbish at the marketing side of things but am trying to get better. I don't want to be a '6 figure' author, I just want to try and promote my books to readers. I have concentrated on one platform, Instagram, for the past 12 months with some good results and have met some lovely writers and readers so plan to continue with that thread. I do have a website and have blogged but I get more response on IG, so am spending more effort there...
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Marketing Tactics for 2020
- Thread starter Mallet
- Start date
I barely even see the ads on Goodreads, so I don't plan to advertise there. Amazon is my first target.
Ned Marcus
Maester
I've only heard bad things about Goodreads ads, but am interested if anyone here actually had a positive experience using them. I plan on focussing on FB ads first, and then Amazon ads.
Momtoast
Dreamer
That's good go hear. Do you have any tips for getting engagement on IG? I have been trying for a bit and not gotten anywhere. At least, no where near as well as I have done on Twitter.
I've gone from 30 followers (friends and family) to 1170 in just under 12 months. I've made a concerted effort to post regularly - I use a scheduling tool - at least five days a week and a mixture of writing related (quotes, prompts, words of the day) and personal (cats, dogs and where I live). I've also participated in authors challenge where you post to a prompt and writers loops where you follow writers who seem a good fit. I'm trying to build up relationships with one or two authors by liking and commenting on their posts and do not follow for follows sake...but do try to think a little more broadly. Also hashtags targeted at readers and reviewers. I prefer the platform because it's more visual and less bitchy than other platforms and more so I enjoy being there.
Momtoast
Dreamer
Awesome. I just started participating in a writers challenge, so I'm hoping I see more engagement. Thanks for the advice!
Great! I've just started following you in IG, good luck with the challenge...
Ned Marcus
Maester
Does anyone have news or updates on their marketing in 2020?
For me it's been slow. I've been using Kobo promotions fairly successfully, and have continued to build my mailing list. But most of my effort has gone into writing. I've set up some promo site promotions for December, by which time I hope to have my next novel published, but I'll probably focus most of my marketing on my first series.
For me it's been slow. I've been using Kobo promotions fairly successfully, and have continued to build my mailing list. But most of my effort has gone into writing. I've set up some promo site promotions for December, by which time I hope to have my next novel published, but I'll probably focus most of my marketing on my first series.
Demesnedenoir
Myth Weaver
It’s just a freaky assed year. Eve of Snows has won several awards, received great reviews from pros including Booklife, but I simply have not been able to translate into all the face to face and meet-n-greet that I intended to. 2020 has been a very mixed bag of highs and lows. That said, I’m at profit on advertising in 2020, but haven’t managed to scale up as I’d hoped. I’ve had months of woohoo profit ($1000+ in audio alone, and that months after any new releases) that get the juices flowing, and then the next month kicks me in the gut barely above promotions. I feel like I’m on the crest of the hump but can’t quite shove things over the edge, and money is too tight at this point to get risky.
I also tried an interesting little gambit. I took the main series wide but also had extended editions available via KDP Select. This has functioned well, but I think it will function better yet by looping the original series into Select while taking the extended editions wide, since the core series has all the Amazon reviews, and I plan on doing this before Christmas. It should also make the Amazon ads more efficient. This should pump the kindle reads while barely effecting sales form Apple, B&N, Kobo, and other sources.
Another opportunity just arose from the Editor’s Pick review at Booklife, basically putting Eve of Snows into a curated group of books, all editor’s picks, that will be marketed by biblioboard to libraries in subscription or some such. That’ll be interesting, and it was free, so I can’t complain, LOL.
I also tried an interesting little gambit. I took the main series wide but also had extended editions available via KDP Select. This has functioned well, but I think it will function better yet by looping the original series into Select while taking the extended editions wide, since the core series has all the Amazon reviews, and I plan on doing this before Christmas. It should also make the Amazon ads more efficient. This should pump the kindle reads while barely effecting sales form Apple, B&N, Kobo, and other sources.
Another opportunity just arose from the Editor’s Pick review at Booklife, basically putting Eve of Snows into a curated group of books, all editor’s picks, that will be marketed by biblioboard to libraries in subscription or some such. That’ll be interesting, and it was free, so I can’t complain, LOL.
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