Category: Marketing Your Books - Mala Naidoo's Book World

Black Friday: Marketing Social Media Platforms

A few quick pointers to get your books out there this Black Friday.

Connections to the worlds of writers and readers is the yardstick for successful writing. This is by no means limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Pinterest has proved a visual platform ideal for authors marketing their books. Additionally, sites such as Authors Den is a valuable promotional website and getting eyes on you the author.
Blogging about authors or influencers you admire is beneficial in opening up to diverse audiences as well as touting bloggers who are keen to blog about you the author and your books.
There are many more platforms on which you could market your wares, as it were. Commaful, and Hello Poetry are other forums I have recently looked at as cites that raise awareness and showcase your talents. Tumblr is another option to consider.

The question is, how many sites do you use when the sky is the ceiling of choice?

Life’s Seasons – A Collection of Short Stories

Souls Collection

Try as many at first, see what’s your best fit and persist with those. The ratio that is palatable as cited by Dalma Szentpaly, from PublishDrive, on the ALLi Poetry Podcast, is the 80-20 rule — to avoid overkill in an already saturated arena, market your books in twenty percent of your posts but be yourself in 80 percent of your posts. Let readers know what you represent, whether you will be their ‘to-go-to person — an authentic influencer.

The paid options are certainly BookBub, Amazon Ads, Kobo, D2D etc. When choosing unknown platforms do your research first to avoid untold losses.

Try, test and then persist.

Happy Marketing, Happy Selling, Happy Reading!

Share your marketing tips in the comment box below or what you might try as a new marketing tool.

Bundled to Go!

We thrive on the continuous feed of a series and the pace, the desire to know more — the adrenaline rush and thrill of the unexpected. Emotionally we are hooked when we pursue more with the fervent desire that it won’t end.

Bundled books/boxsets continue to be what readers want in instantaneously following through on a story in the heat of the action, or to know now with the next flick of the digital page rather than later, not wanting to wait months or years for a sequel or the tenth in series.

Sequels/Trilogies/Series

Trilogies and sequels are good takeaways when on a long haul flight or the daily train or bus commute to work.
Writers often write a trilogy or series with two or more ready to be released in quick succession to fulfil the reader’s need to have the next in series ready to go.

I have been writing novels one at a time with each book reading as a standalone novel, and when the second book is released with some marketing and social media awareness created, the next book is picked up by readers — either by the same readers who read the first in the trilogy or others who pick up the second or third. Either way, it is a win situation as the books are being read, regardless at which stage of the collection — this is every writer’s joy.

A writer will create ( I avoid saying ‘produce’ as it implies a mechanical rather than a creative process) at their pace, and use personalized strategies to generate interest. There’s much to be gained from listening to podcasts and Facebook live presentations on how writing and marketing work best for some. The key is to follow, listen and learn to educate oneself on the modus operandi that works for you.

Retail Platforms

In signing up for a Draft to Digital webinar I picked up that boxsets or book bundles do well on that platform. Amazon’s KDP Select allows readers to grab the boxsets/book bundles for future reading and has the benefit of price countdowns as strategic marketing. When the downloaded, saved books are read, the author accrues higher royalties and with Kindle Unlimited, there is the page-per-read royalty scheme. In the active ALLi and SPF FB groups, much is to be gained from interacting with or reading posts on the latest publication trends and experiences.

Trial and error, like all good lessons in life, allow for the best decisions on how to market your book.

Timing

If considering doing a boxset consider when is the appropriate publishing stage for your books. I did a sequel boxset a year later and trilogy boxset six months after the third book was published — all books may read as standalone novels so the boxset/bundling offers another price point and convenience of access on the go.

Digital Requirements

A boxset requires a separate ISBN to be identified as a new collective publication. As far as book covers go, the 3D image is most suited to Amazon and flat covers for Apple Books, Kobo, or D2D as your platforms of choice.

Across Time Souls

A backlist, if not a series, can be offered as an omnibus collection or if teaming up with other authors writing in a similar genre as you are, makes this another avenue for book bundles at competitive price points to best serve the reader. The royalty split must be legally agreed upon for equity and professionalism to prevail.

Happy writing, Happy publishing, Happy Book Bundling!

Please share your ideas on box sets or book bundles in the comment box below.

Are You Visible?

Starting out as a writer is daunting. The joy comes from creating ideas, one word at a time from sentence to paragraph, page, chapter, and finally a book is born after months, or years of hard work… your heart on a page, your passion in words.

Where to from here?

Being published is not the final destination. The hard work is about to begin.You are a closed book if you stay in the shadows, expecting to have books fly off the shelves, or have a noble algorithm shoot your visibility through the internet roof.

On Marketing

Marketing your books brings writer visibility. How you do this depends on where, and to whom you offer invitations into your world of books.

Paying for advertising as a new writer can incur huge financial costs, without the certainty of sales. However, if you are prepared to stretch the budget then Facebook Ads, AMS Ads, Bookbub ads, etc might be the first point of reach to get the word out there to reader world. My listing of three ways to do this is not all you have available, there are a host of other services that you can turn to. Just check out their credentials first before you break the bank.

More Ways To Visibility

Another way to gain visibility is to join reputable writers’ organisations, writers’ groups, either genre focused or an advice network. Posts on Facebook, with a book cover and book description generates interest and brings attention to your space. Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest spread your reach. These social media sites won’t put you out-of-pocket, as you build an audience. Author organisations require a yearly fee for membership, but it’s worth the spend with the writing advice, publishing updates, free publications, and support that comes with the membership package. Notably, ALLi offers an ethical service with an experienced body of advisors and authors who are successful entrepreneurs, managing multiple facets of the author creative and business world.

Networking is a surefire way to gain visibility.

Creating an author network on-line or in your local area is effective in growing awareness around your writing life. Having an author Facebook page brings like-minded people into your fold. Promote each other’s books, and avail yourself to speak at book clubs, local libraries, schools etc. to present the face, passion, and expertise behind your words. Readers enjoy the connection with the author they are reading, or might begin reading, after hearing you speak at an event, no matter the size nor place. If you don’t enjoy public speaking or need assistance getting this off the ground, there are many online coaches to turn to, such as AmondaRose Igor (Speaking Success Strategist) on Facebook.

Other ways might include teaming up with a local weekend event, a market, where you can share a table with a writer/s, or get your own table to sell and promote your author brand and books. Have a business card or a flyer at the ready to hand out. Provide buy one get one half-price strategies. Offer special rates to educational institutions, and bulk-buying to independent booksellers to get yourself out there, to be noticed. Sometimes a small output of funds aids gaining recognition/visibility, and soon pays for itself.

Whether traditionally or independently published, creating author visibility and promoting sales is solely the writers’ responsibility, unless you are lucky enough to have someone volunteer to do it all for you.

Here are a few recommended podcasts to guide your marketing choices.

Reach out and you will be noticed.

Go grab your space in the world of books, stand up and be counted, find your niche, invite your readers in.

Please leave a comment in the box below on your ideas on how to reach readers.