When You Least Expect It by Margo Hoornstra

You know how opportunity strikes when you least expect it? That happened to me recently. This is how it went.

It’s no secret I suck at promo. My website needs to be updated, but I just hadn't gotten to it yet. All I needed to do was send an email to my webmistress to get the ball rolling. Expense was one reason. Lack of motivation was the other. Who really, really goes to my website anyway?

Bad decision on my part. Some Free Read download short stories on my website through The Wild Rose Press now went nowhere when TWRP disconintued the program a few months ago. I hadn't bothered to have them taken down.
Unforgivable on my part, but there it is.

I also wanted to somehow up my general discoverability on the internet, but had no clue how to do that either, short of hiring a public relations agency which, for me, would be cost prohibitive.

What to do? What to do?

In order to supplement my author income (ahem) and because the job affords me lots and lots of down (in other words writing) time, I work as a substitute administrative assistant for a couple of local school districts. My boss in one is also second in command of the PR Department.

Imagine my surprise the other day when she told me she’d Googled (it’s now officially a verb) me and was very impressed with my website. Although she did mention she noticed a couple of glitches I needed to fix. One of which was some promised free downloads that went nowhere.
Wait! What?! Someone noticed?

When I cited the problems I had with promo, she and her assistant went on to explain the best and cheapest way to better promote myself on line. Turns out you can ‘claim’ yourself on Google and add relevant information that will pop up in a search. Who knew?
That conversation got me off the dime and I emailed my webmistress to get things rolling again. Voila, just like that the stories are fixed and we have a process going again.
But that's not all. Turns out my 'boss' also does the website for the district which is, I must say impressive. We talked a little about that, too. If things don't work out they way they are not...I have options.
Cool!

Then, I can’t leave this out, BONUS, she asked which of my books was my favorite and which she should buy. After smiling shyly, I suggested the three stories in one, Saturday In Serendipity, to give her more bang for her buck.

Needless to say, I’m thrilled. Could it be promo and I aren’t so hopeless after all?

How about you? Any fortuitous events in your recent history?

Be on the the lookout.

They’re there.

My days to blog here are the 11th and 23rd. For more about me and the stories I write, please visit my (soon to be revamped!) website.

Amazon Sponsored Ads-Collecting Wisdom by Rolynn Anderson

Talk about the blind leading the blind. I’m a panelist May 19 with another author, 'teaching' author/book promotion. I’m baffled about what to advise the audience to do since lately, our efforts have yielded people who ‘impress,’ but not people who 'buy.' Facebook hasn’t been much help in finding new readers for us, so many of us are using Amazon Sponsored Ads. Alison and Alicia have spent time working the system and have passed on some great ideas. Still, I thought we might review best practices and fill in any blanks as well as ask questions of one another. I did listen to a teleseminar by Derek Doepker and I read an article by Shane Stinemetz, the director at Fetcher https://fetcher.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Ultimate_PPC_ebook.pdf

Here’s a draft of steps to take for building Amazon Sponsored Ads that sell books (correct my errors, please!):

1. Start with the obvious: Great Book, Fabulous Cover, Super Branding; gnat’s eyebrow understanding of novels like ours and

who our ideas readers are. We need good reviews, too...10 to 20.

2. For each book, write a list of at least 200 keywords of broad and specific nature about EACH book (Note: some words, like ‘suspense’ and ‘romance’ will appear on all the lists). Important (I JUST LEARNED THIS): Put each keyword on a separate line…a list but with no numbers.  YOU CAN COPY THIS LIST IN THE AMAZON BOX FOR KEYWORDS AND THEIR COMPUTER WILL SEPARATE THEM FOR YOU. Don’t forget to save your list as well as print out your list from the marketing site when you’ve gotten some feedback about ‘Impressions.’

Here are some keyword search sites (Fetcher suggests these; I’ve only tried Google, so far) besides Amazon: Google Keyword Planner, Keyword Tool io, AHREF’s Keyword Explorer, Moz Keyword Explorer, LSI Graph, Ubersuggest

Decide whether you want BROAD keywords, PHRASE keywords and/or EXACT keywords (see Fetcher’s article for more on this), but here are his ideas, in general:

“Using a broad match type opens up your ads to a wider audience which is great when mining for new keywords. This is a good place to start when launching new products.

“Using a phrase match type allows you to start to narrow down the amount of variants that can trigger your ad, thus saving cost and becoming more targeted. But there are still some variants which can continue to provide some useful insights.

"Finally, using exact match is most targeted and allows for the least variance in the search term that the consumer enters. This makes your ads more targeted, and usually cheaper with an improved ROI. It also means your ad will show to less people (less impressions). It will take some experimentation before you can transition keywords from broad match to exact match.”

3.  Work VERY HARD on your ad text…you want to spark the reader’s interest in only two sentences…make every word count!  SAVE THIS TEXT!

4.  Now comes what Derek Doepker calls ‘throwing spaghetti against the wall’…put ‘keywords’ in the place of ‘spaghetti,’ and you have your next step.

5.  Start with .25 per click unless you know you should bid higher based on past data. Look to see which words get the most impressions and clicks, and raise the per click rate to .50 or $1.00

6.  Decide on your overall budget and length of campaign.  Since there’s a 5-day lag for results on most of these campaigns, make them at least two weeks.  I go for monthly.  Amazon says don’t terminate the ad, just pause it.  That way, you can start it up again any time you choose. (See their instructions on the right hand side of your marketing page)

7. The analysis and adjustment of keywords and bids.  Here’s where I need your help. One of my campaigns earned 65,000 impressions and cost me $7 but not one sale.  Tell us how you learned to adjust keywords and bids to get sales. 

Roses, thanks for helping me smarten up for my panel!

Web and Blog:

http://rolynnanderson.com

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rolynn-Anderson/188767867821613  

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/rolynnanderson

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4990049.Rolynn_Anderson

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson

Publicity or #Piracy by Andrea Downing

I don’t watch much TV but I do like to keep up with the latest films.  When I say latest, I mean, I put them on my Netflix DVD list and a few months later they’re released, and I eventually receive them.  I pop them into my player and what I see first is a stern warning from the FBI:  “The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by federal law enforcement agencies and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.” Of course, their very fine seal and badge also accompany the page, which is followed by the statement, “Piracy is not a victimless crime” put there by the National Intellectual Property Center, who have a web page recounting how piracy affects the economy.

Well.

Why isn’t that reproduced on the copyright page of every book? Can they not send out a meme we could all download to use?

Nominated for a RONE Award, I attended the very first InD’Tale conference in Las Vegas, which was my very first conference as well. There, I sat in on a panel by a well-known, NYT best-selling, award-winning author. She let it be known that she earned upwards of 400k a year. I’ll never forget her advice to us—not to worry about piracy, see it as free promotion.

Well.

Whether you’re earning 39 cents through a publisher ebook, or a higher percentage through being self-published, those little pennies can add up.  Maybe it’s not going to make you 400K; in fact, I personally don’t care about the money--it's probably a small amount.  What I care about is that someone else has taken control of my book, is publishing it where they please, or handing it out. Some are free, some are not. Intellectual Property is just that—property, owned by someone. It’s true that most of the piracy sites are not, in any case, giving away books; they’re phishing for credit card details and using our books as the bait. I believe authors rarely get reviews from the readers who help perpetrate these crimes, and they are presumably not readers who might become lifelong fans. The books they receive are often badly formatted through whatever method the pirate has used. Plus, there are now enough free books and discounted books to keep anyone reading for a lifetime without patronizing a piracy site.

Well?

Reader or author, let me know what you think: Publicity or Piracy?

And with a bargain like this, who needs a pirated book?  It's nearly Valentine's Day, and love is in the air with these seven novellas by seven award-winning and best-selling authors. What's more romantic than a sexy cowboy? Treat yourself to a best-selling contemporary western anthology with 53 Reviews and 4.5 Stars, only $0.99. A COWBOY TO KEEP is at https://www.amazon.com/Cowboy-Keep-Contemporary-Western-Collection-ebook/dp/B072869SGV/ . Go catch a cowboy . . .. and keep a cowboy!

Experiments R Us

I'm trying an interesting promo experiment. It fell into my lap, sort of. I got an email from the Kindle folks about a giveaway. $40 and my book will be tossed into a contest for a giveaway for a Fire and some other goodies.

I didn't pay much attention, but figured, hey, why not? I'll toss in $40 and see what happens. The giveaway is from 2/8 to 2/22. I used my Facebook page as my contact info, paid my money, and forgot all about it.

In the last 2 days I've gotten 100+ likes on my Facebook page. I couldn't figure out what was going on until I remembered: duh. The giveaway, which started on Monday.

I haven't actually seen my book anywhere, but I am seeing the effect. I'm curious about any effect on my back list (which is robust). Of course, the problem is I never see any effect until several months later, but by the end of this year I should know if there is any.

I really like this Promo-I-Don't-Have-To-Do things. Now to see if it does anything ...

J L
(jayellwilson.com)

New year, new promo ops

Last year I sat down and came up with a promo plan for the year -- I have 27 books released, and I figured I could promo 2 books a month (give or take).

I worked out a plan with my publishers, and the first book went on sale last week and will be on sale for 2 weeks.

I'm also booking some promos at assorted web sites, etc., in conjunction with the sales.

I was trying to figure out a way to handle this so I wouldn't go crazy, and the two-a-month model seemed like the best way to do it. I hope to have a new book coming out this year (if it's picked up by my publisher), I'm working on writing 2 new books this year, and I'm working full time and I'm doing event management for a major event in March.

In short: I'm busy. I had to figure out something to do that wouldn't make my head spin and I'm hoping this is it. Every month I'll book an ad or a promo for a book 2 months out. I'll report back on the success or failure, although it's hard to judge that, isn't it?

So let's see how this goes. I'm curious about a couple of things -- will I get more reviews because of this? That's important. Will I gain any new readers? That's hard to find out, but maybe if my back list starts to sell, I might get a sense.

Will this be manageable? We'll see!

Book Sales are like a Butterfly...by Jannine Gallant

Happiness is like a butterfly which, when pursued, is always beyond our grasp, but, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you. ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Apparently book sales are also like that illusive butterfly. We all strive to market our books and attract some attention in the hope of achieving a few sales. I have a feeling most of us aren't happy with the results we're getting. Maybe because we're going about it all wrong.

I read a post the other day on this topic. It was called "Please shut up: Why self-promotion as an author doesn't work." You can click on the title to go to the blog, but basically what the author is saying is we can blog, post and tweet our little brains out on social media, but no one is listening. No one on social media wants to be sold something. Her theory is the only good social media does is to connect with people. We should talk about topics that interest us and create friendships--not try to pimp our books. In doing so, maybe those people will think, "Gee, she seems like a nice person. Maybe I should go buy her book!" We shouldn't push ourselves on people. We should lure them in instead. She used a fishing analogy, but I'm picturing myself leaving a trail of breadcrumbs through the woods... Okay, I guess that makes me the evil witch in the gingerbread house! LOL

Her other point is that we should quit worrying about marketing and just write good books. To succeed, we need a superior product plus the key ingredient...luck. I've given this some thought, and I fear this woman is spot on. Blogging, posting and tweeting about my books really hasn't worked very well when it comes to sales. But I've made a lot of great author friends in the process. Too bad most of us don't have a lot of time to read because we're too busy marketing and squeezing in writing time around the edges. I do enjoy posting the occasional photo of my kids on Facebook. They usually get way more comments and likes than book posts attract. So, should we all simply stop trying to promote on social media and just write great books? Then there's that other all important ingredient... You might want to ask yourself, in the immortal words of Dirty Harry, "Do you feel lucky?"

And now, if you've followed my trail of breadcrumbs and think I'm a nice person...go buy my latest book! LOL It's available on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Or, leave a comment to tell us what you think about marketing books on social media. Should we all just shut up?

Out with the old, and in with ... what?

It's that time of year. Resolution time.

For years, I've chosen a "Word of the Year", one word that sums up what I want to learn or do or aspire to in the coming year. This year was "Accepting": there are some things you just can't change, so I needed to learn to gracefully accept them. Previous years have an "Explore" and "Experiment" and "Vibrant".

Choosing a word helps me focus on my goals for the upcoming year. In 2015, for the first time in 7 years, I won't have a book coming out. I have 6 books written and will be looking for a publisher for that series. Plus I have 20+ books on my back list, so I'll be promoting those.

That led me to my word of the year. I need to focus on promotion in 2015, and I dread the P thing. So what word might help me get through the year, might help me learn and (maybe) enjoy the P thing?

I'm still kicking around ideas, but "Enthusiastic" and "Energetic" and "Optimistic" come to mind. I'll decide for sure tomorrow, so stay tuned for next year -- you may see a change in my posts here.

Have a happy (and safe) kickoff to the new year -- I'll see you in 2015!

J L Wilson
Mystery, romance, and reincarnation

Don't Let Promo Fall By the Wayside by Jannine Gallant

At least that's what my agent keeps telling us. You can't stop promoting your old books. It's a marathon not a race. I'm beginning to think it isn't a marathon at all. Nope, a measly 26 miles is nothing. Promo is actually like one of those hundred mile endurance races run at elevations that nearly kill the participants, up and down mountains, grinding through the dark of night... Okay, maybe a little dramatic, but I have a feeling most of us feel the same way about the subject.

So, despite the fact that I have a new book out, I decided to promote an older one instead. An Uncertain Destiny came out last May. Sales have been nothing to jump up and down about, but I've had some really excellent reviews. Gotta love that! So, I'm back on the promo train with a 3 Day Only After Labor Day Half Price Sale (sounds impressive at least) to celebrate the fact that the kids are back in school and moms everywhere might actually have time to read again! Even more shocking, I'm breaking my cardinal rule about not paying for promo. (Yep, I'm cheap, but I don't understand why people pay more for promo than they can possibly make back in return.) Sorry, I'm rambling. I'll get to the point. A few people mentioned eBookSoda. It's kind of like BookBub, where they send out your book in a listing to people interested in your particular genre. The difference--instead of paying a few hundred bucks, eBookSoda costs $5.00. Even I was willing to risk that! I'll definitely let you know my results and if I recovered my five buck investment in new sales. The listing goes out tomorrow.

For those of you interested, An Uncertain Destiny is currently $1.99. What a bargain! Sale price is only good through September 4th, so click HERE to get your copy.

About those reviews I mentioned...here are a few quotes that nearly had me in tears:

"There is also an incredibly beautiful rhythm to Ms. Gallant's voice. One that flowed like rich melted chocolate as I devoured every last moment of this book." by AJ Nuest

"I absolutely loved this book. Loved the characters, the pacing, and the incredible writing." by Sue Palmer

"I was glued to the book all the way through! Definitely rated as one of my favorite books." by Shiela G. Hanshew

Thank you so much to every one of you who took the time to leave me a review. I truly appreciate it!

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