What Have You Done Lately for Your Author Journey?

Every year, I help my team write their annual goals, and a big component of this is their developmental work. I work in IT, and technology and best practices are constantly changing. As an author, you need to continue your learning experiences to stay current with trends and to hone your skills. Here are some ideas:

• Take a class. Many libraries, writing organizations, and other organizations sponsor courses that appeal to writers. There are also thousands of YouTube videos that will show you how to do all kinds of things.

• Learn a new technology that will help you with your marketing (editing videos, creating memes, putting together a newsletter…).

• Learn how to use a social media platform that you haven’t joined yet.

• Attend a workshop or an author panel. There are so many available in-person and online.

• Attend a conference.

• Find the SMEs (Subject Matter Experts) online. Many have websites, tutorials, podcasts, and newsletters.

• Check out your local library’s website and look at all the programming and opportunities they offer.

• Many alumni associations, neighborhood associations, and civic groups offer programs for their members.

• Visit your local bookstores and check out their program calendars.

What else would you add to my list?

You've Written a Book. Now What?

All the tasks that go into writing, revising, and marketing a book can be overwhelming. I’ve broken down some of the key tasks with some ideas for new (or seasoned) writers.

What You Need to Get Started

• A Professional Headshot – Selfies won’t give you the quality you need for these to appear correctly in print or digitally.

• Your Biography (For your website, you may want to have a short one and a longer one.)

• A Short Description of Your Book (Back cover text)

• A URL and a Site to Host Your Website

• A Newsletter/Email Marketing Service

• Digital Images of Your Book Covers

While You’re Writing/Revising Your Manuscript

• Make your work the best it can be.

• Create a list of book promotion ideas (e.g. blog tours, blogs to guest on, Facebook reader sites, etc.).

• Start collecting email addresses for your newsletter list.

• Build your social media following. This takes time.

• Build or update your website/blog.

• Find your crew. Writing is solitary, buy you need collaboration from time to time. Find a writers’ group, critique group, or writing partner for feedback and networking.

Remember the Social Part of Social Media

• Update your key sites regularly. If possible, schedule your posts to ensure that you have fresh content.

• Be Social/Be Active. Celebrate with others. Make sure to like and comment. Respond to comments on your page.

• It takes time to build a following.

• Be genuine.

• Remember the 80/20 rule. Only 20% (or less) of your posts should be about “buy my book.”

• Don’t let your social media time take over your writing time.

While You’re Querying

• There is a lot of waiting while you query agents or publishers.

• Work on your next book.

• Build your social media platforms and followers.

• Collect email addresses.

• Update your website.

• Start your blog. You don’t have to have a book published to start this, and it’s a way to drive traffic to your website.

• Work on your newsletter.

• Build your connections.

Before Your Book Launch

• Create a calendar with all your due dates.

• Contact book reviewers when you have your ARCs (Advance Reader Copies).

• Schedule blog tours.

• Schedule Facebook takeovers/parties online.

• Reach out to libraries and bookstores.

• Write press releases and target media outlets to send them to.

• Create a list of newsletters that have member news sections and make sure to announce your new book (e.g. alumni, neighborhood groups, and places of worship).

• Tell everyone you know

• Plan your launch on social media.

• Update all your bios.

• Add book cover to your sites.

• Make bookmarks and other swag.

It takes a lot of energy and creativity to write AND market a book. Figure out your schedule and your budget and find a way to keep the myriad of tasks and due dates organized. What would you add to my list?

What To Do With My Website...

Many authors only update or overhaul their websites when they have a new book release, and this isn’t always frequent enough to keep readers coming back. Here some ideas for ways to generate visits to your site.

Blogs are good ways to have fresh content on your site and to encourage repeat visitors. I do guest author interviews on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and I post my new content each Friday. The guest interviews are a win-win for the author and me. They get the exposure to my readers, and they share my site with their fans.

Try to think of topics that appeal to your readers. Most of my Friday posts relate to writing or books. Do you have hobbies or job skills that your readers are interested in? Most blogs will let you embed videos for more interaction. The video content can be reused on Instagram or TikTok.

Add the links to your blog posts on your social media sites to drive traffic to your site. Twitter/X and Instagram are hashtag friendly, and this lets you highlight topics that appeal to a variety of readers. If your blog posts appeal to professionals, don’t forget to the share the links on LinkedIn.

I send out a quarterly newsletter with contests and updates. Inside, I also feature six or eight of the recent author interviews. This lets me recycle some content, and it provides more coverage for my guest authors.

Sometimes, it’s a good idea to spot check your webpages to ensure everything is current and working correctly. Here’s a quick check list of areas that may need updating:

• Make sure your latest author photo is posted.

• If you list events, verify that they are up to date.

• Ensure that all your latest books appear on your site. If you have book club questions, make sure you have a set for each book.

• Check all of your links to make sure they are working.

• Review your biography and press kit.

Websites take some time to maintain, but it a valuable and the central part of your author platform.

I've Got a Table -- Now What?

You’ve registered for a table or a half-table at a book event. Now what? Here are some hints that I’ve discovered over the years that can help you promote your books and make the most of your display space.

My One Rule: Pack only what you can carry. Bring what you need but not enough to make two or three trips to the car. Books are heavy. I either use a rolling suitcase or a collapsable dolly.

My Bag: I have an event bag, and I restock it after ever event. Here’s what I keep stocked in mine:

• Bookmarks, Business Cards

• Give Away-items (usually pens and a container to hold them) If you bring candy, make sure to have a dish. And don’t bring chocolate if it’s a hot day.

• A Tent Card (with my name on it in case one isn’t provided)

• My Acrylic Sign Holder

• My Banner

• An Unwrinkled Tablecloth (Mindy Quigley turned me on to fitted stretch tablecloths that connect to the table legs. They don’t wrinkle, and they hide whatever you’ve stashed under your booth.)

• My Emergency Stash: a small notebook, lots of pens, tape, painter’s tape, scissors

• Book Stands (I like the ones that fold.)

• Clipboard for Newsletter Sign-ups

Table Displays:

• Know the size of the table. Make sure you check the specifications and rules for the event. Some don’t allow free-standing banners.

• If you’re sharing a table, be a good neighbor. Don’t encroach on your partner’s side. He or she has a display to show off, too. And if you have a standing banner, don’t block anyone else’s table.

• Make your space eye-catching. You want people to stop by and talk to you. Always have some sort of give-away: bookmarks, pens, candy…It is an icebreaker that draws people in to chat.

• Have some sort of a theme. If there’s a theme in your books, add small touches that create a polished and connected look for your display. Figure out what’s integral to your story and highlight that. (For the Mutt Mysteries, we had a dog/pawprint theme.)

• I put small stacks of books on the table. It creates a sense of urgency for buyers. If you have hundreds of books there, some get the idea (right or wrong) that your items aren’t selling. And everyone wants to get one of the last ones before they sell out.

• If you can, offer a deal or discount for that day. I put up a sign and offer something like a small discount if they buy two or three at full price.

• If you can’t think of anything specific for your table, bring a vase of flowers. It brightens up an empty space.

What’s on your display table?

Marketing Tips for Writers

Recently, I’ve attended several marketing workshops, and here are some good tips that I gleaned from the speakers.

Facebook and Social Media Sites:

Barbara Hinske, with the SinC Grand Canyon Writers, stressed that authors need to go where their readers are on social media. She recommended using Facebook groups as part of your marketing strategy. Set one up for your street team/super fans. Also look for online groups that share interests with the themes in your books.

Trends and analytics change almost weekly on the social media sites. You need to keep up with what’s in and out. Marketing ideas that worked last time, may not work the next time.

Nancy Cohen suggested making a list of all the Facebook groups from your genre that allow book promotions. She has a document with all the links, so when she has a post, it’s a lot easier than trying to find sites.

Newsletter/Email List:

Barbara Hinske stressed the importance of always building your email/newsletter list. This is a key part of your author platform. Make sure you have a signup sheet at every event you do. When I do Facebook parties and take-overs, I always include a link for people to sign up for my newsletter.

Other Resources:

Speakers in both of the sessions I attended recommended the following as resources for authors:

• Bryan Cohen

• Mark Dawson

• InkersCon

What have you added recently to your marketing toolbox that works for you?

Do You Invest in Your Writing Career?

You as an author are your brand, and you need to treat your writing as a business. Here are some ideas of ways you can invest in your learning and your craft.

• Do you have a professional membership in a writing organization? Many like Sisters in Crime have local chapters. These groups can help you with training, programs, ideas, and writing opportunities. Mine are invaluable. I cherish the friends and the networking opportunities they afford. My first traditionally published work was a short story in a Sisters in Crime anthology.

• Do you have a professional headshot? Selfies and candids are fun, but you need a professional photo for print media and the web. Selfies don’t have enough dpi (dots per inch) resolution, and if you try to enlarge it, it looks fuzzy. Invest in a professional photo. It’s one of the first things I spent money on.

• Do you invest in your training or learning? Professional organizations often have programs or learning opportunities. Check out online programs, YouTube videos, your local library, and your local colleges. Many offer low-cost or even free courses on a variety of topics that can help you on your writing journey. Don’t forget blogs and online magazines. There are tons of articles out there with good advice.

• Is your computer secure? Your writing is valuable. There is nothing that will make a writer cry faster than losing part or all of a manuscript. Make sure you back up your files.

  • You need to make sure you upload patches and updates when they come out. These fix vulnerabilities in your applications or operating system. The longer you wait, the longer you’re vulnerable.

  • Make sure you have anti-virus software on your computer and make sure it’s up to date.

• Do you have a brand?

  • A logo for you and your books are nice. You can use it on your website and your socials.

  • Your platform (website and social media sites) should have the same look and feel (e.g., colors, fonts, etc.). My first work was published in an anthology with a red and black cover, so I did all my graphics in those colors. A publicist told me later that it really didn’t reflect my writing style. She told me to use pastels since I write cozy and funny mysteries.

  • Make sure that your readers can identify your sites. A professional photo and a logo go a long way to help with this. If your photo is a flower, readers often don’t realize it’s your author page.

  • Make sure that your site, your biographies, and book lists are updated regularly. People don’t visit outdated or inactive sites.

  • This sounds like Captain Obvious, but it’s true sometimes. Make sure visitors to your website and socials know you are an author. Your banners, posts, graphics should all promote your books and services.

What else would you add to my list?

How to Build Your Social Media Following

No matter if you’re indie or traditionally published, you’ll be required to build your social media followings and market your books. Here are a few tips that worked for me to add to my following:

• The social part is key. You need to be active on the sites. Block off some time each day to comment, share, and celebrate with others. I found that if I log on early in the morning, at lunch, and after dinner for about 20 to 30 minutes, I have time to be active throughout the day. It also gives me time to respond to comments and inquiries in a fairly timely manner.

• Post interesting content (e.g., things you’re doing, your hobbies, your pets, your travels, tips and tricks, etc.) Don’t be the person who only posts “buy my book” posts. If you’re funny and interesting, people will find you, and they’ll share your content.

• I schedule posts once a week for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X. I look at my analytics and determine when my audience is most active, and I schedule them for those days and times.

• For Instagram and Facebook, take the time to create an author page. Meta offers tools and opportunities for business sites that are not available on your personal one. It takes time to build a new site and a following, but the analytics, tools, and reach are better. I use the Meta Business tools to schedule posts. (If you’re using a personal page, you cannot boost posts or create ads, check analytics. Friend pages also have a cap on the number of friends you can have.)

• Pick one of your socials that you want to work on and commit to following 15-20 new people each day for 2-3 weeks. Look for those who follow authors like you. Look for readers, librarians, and book sellers. When you get new followers, look at their followers and follow the interesting ones. If you adopt this has a regular process, you’ll build your following. (My husband likes to watch sports on TV. I use this time, to work on my socials.)

• For business (author page) in Facebook, the platform offers you an option to send an invitation to people who have liked posts on your page. You also have the option to invite friends to like your page. In both cases, you can send invitations to groups of people who are interested in you and your page.

What would you add to my list?

Get Your Author SWAG On...

Recently, author Dana Claire of BookBrush did a presentation on SWAG (Stuff We All Get) for our Sisters in Crime chapter. She’s fabulous, and if you haven’t already, check out all that BookBrush offers authors. It’s a tool that you need to add to your marketing and promo kit.

She talked about all kinds of creative ways that authors can connect with readers for giveaways and prizes. She made me think about my SWAG and some advice that I’ve picked up over the years…

• Your items need to tie into your brand (your style, color scheme, etc.) Readers need to know what to expect. A publicist told me to use pastels for my colors because my writing style was light and humorous. (I used to have my website design in black and red, and she said that projected more of a suspense/thriller/gothic vibe.)

• Find creative things that you can easily mail. Mugs and larger items are cool, but if you have to ship them, you may incur costs that you didn’t bargain for.

• I think bookmarks are a must. I do a new design for each book. Make sure to use the back and the front. Include your website and your books’ ISBNs. I always give everyone I talk to a bookmark, and I am often surprised after an event at the spike in audio and ebooks. Not everyone wants a paperback or a hardback.

• Pens are great items. They can always be used, and they often get passed on to others. I made one batch up like they were from my character’s business. It was a fun conversation starter when folks read them.

• My very first novel had an 80s music theme to it, so I bought a ton of small buttons with 80s throw-back sayings on them. I filled a candy dish at my events, and readers had the best time finding the one the wanted and strolling down memory lane.

• Candy is always good but be careful. I had a lot of chocolate candy for an August event (in the south). That meant that I had mushy, messy candy.

• I do a lot of online Facebook parties and take-overs, so I like to have gifts that are fun and easy to mail. I order all kinds of bookmarks on Etsy (e.g. Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, Sherlock Holmes, etc.). These make fun gifts to add to prize packages.

What type of SWAG has worked (or didn’t work) for you?