Author Resources

Over the years we have had authors subscribe to our free book list that didn’t really want alerts about free books. They wanted to read the author interviews and pick up tips from other authors. With this in mind I bring you our Awesome Authors List.

This is a weekly email that brings you the best of the author interviews as well as any news that authors should know about. Come join our no pressure list and learn about what other authors are doing and what is working for them.

I will also send out tips about getting more book sales by using social media and other methods like building an email list.

I just came across a nicely put together infographic on social media and I think a lot of authors could benefit from it. I get a lot of questions about promoting books and this is a good guide for how to create the perfect post. While it has information about Vine at the end most authors can ignore that network for book promotion since there really isn’t a use for that as an author.
How to create the perfect social media post is an infographic that was produced by mycleveragency

You don’t kill off the hero, and you have a happy ending, or at least a happily for now ending. Don’t you agree? If you’re reading fiction, and it’s a romance, wouldn’t you expect it to end happily? I would. I read romances to feel good.

Not too long ago I read an erotic, Viking romance. For the most part I liked the story, yet it wasn’t erotic by any means. The sex was good, but there wasn’t enough of it. Then there was the problem with the ending. The author killed off the hero, leaving his lady love alone, and pregnant.

I was so upset! I didn’t see it coming. And my disappointment was reflected in my review. Once the hero was killed off that was it for me. As far as I was concerned it ruined the whole romance. Looking at the other reviews, it was clear others felt the same way.

So let this be a warning my friends, you won’t be reading any books written by me that ends with a dead hero.

My first book is finally published. Release day has come and gone. Now all I have to do is sit back and wait for the dough to roll in. Well, I did, and it didn’t.  In fact, I was more apt to get bread, (dough get it?), than money.

I thought becoming a published author was all I had to do before I could sit back and reap the rewards of my dreams coming true. I would just continue writing my books, and find a publisher. That’s all there was to it, right?  In my dreams! How naive I was! And I’m sure I wasn’t alone. I soon found out that writing my book, and getting it published was just the first part of a long, time-consuming process.

Since getting my first novel published in 2005 I’ve acquired websites, blogs, joined MySpace, Facebook, twitter, Coffee Time Romance, Goodreads, Author Island, countless bookstores, yahoo groups, just too many to list. After a while you forget half of them anyway, and just recently I read somewhere that you’re supposed to pick 3-5 good promoting sites, and build up your following there. Yeah, right! Because you never know which avenues will work for you, and no one can tell you.

One of the most important things I realized in time is that you have to connect with readers. That means more than just popping in and leaving a promo, and not going back until the next promo. Now, I admit that I’ve been guilty of that, and it’s okay to do once in a while. But you have to get to know people. Build relationships so that they see you as a person, and not just another author looking for someone to buy their books. Get involved, comment on their posts, and ask questions. That’s one of the easiest ways of getting a conversation started, and keep it going.

Besides the hours and hours spent on networking, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on promotional items from expensive magazine ads, post cards, magnets, labels, book marks and contest prizes. Not to mention the postage spent on mailing all that stuff out to various organizations. In the beginning I spent more than I took in. But look around, there are a lot of websites that offer free promotion in the way of guests posts, reviews, and contests. Ask author friends if you can be a guest on their blog one day, and tell them you’ll reciprocate.

Since I’ve retired from Disney I’ve slowed down spending money, and limit it to the occasional contest prize, and any good deals I find for promoting. Free ebooks are always welcomed by readers. Join author tours, and blog hops. I have a page of up-coming blog hops so check it out. They’re fun, and can draw a big crowd when prizes are involved. I’ve found that I spend just as much time promoting, if not more, than actually writing.

So, how does one keep up with it all and work a full time job? Because let’s face it, unless you get really lucky with your first few books, or you’re married to a spouse who can support you both, you will probably be working 9-5, five days a week. I was surprised when I found out how many authors still worked full-time jobs outside of the home. Just another misconception that the millions would roll in after my first book was published. It takes time my friends. Dues have to be paid, and success doesn’t happen over night. So don’t up and quit your day job right away. There’s a lot of competition out there and you gain readers one reader at a time.

So write your book, find a publisher, but don’t sit back and wait for the money. Success comes from time spent, friendships made, lots of networking, a little money, and perseverance.

To date I have 20 ebooks published. Bishop’s Angel is my latest.

After ten years of sacrificing everything for his country as a Navy SEAL, Bishop is looking for salvation, and something more permanent in his life. Angel, a pretty kindergarten teacher, thinks she’s just what he needs. Their chemistry is instant, and explosive, only Bishop has trouble letting go of his commitment to his country. It’s up to Angel to prove there’s room for her in his life.

Written by Tory Richards-www.toryrichards.com

The other day on our Facebook authors group we were talking about using social media to get more people to your book signing. I asked how many people used Twitter to find people that may be interested in your book and may come to your book signing. I was surprised no one had used Twitter for this. Consider this a guide for you just change out the city and use your own.

I am going to assume that you already have a Twitter account. If you don’t go to Twitter and sign up. This will work best if you have a few weeks before your book signing and I promise it won’t take much time.

Ready! Set! Go!

OK the first thing we have to do is find out if the bookstore or wherever you are signing books has a Twitter account. When you find that account go and follow all the people that have tweeted at the bookstore recently. In this example I am going to use New York City.

Lets say I am signing at St Marks Books. A nice book store in Manhattan. I find their Twitter account which is @stmarksbookshop. Right now they have 1400 followers. Hmm 1400 people that are already fans of the bookstore. I am sure they would be interested in coming to a book signing in a store they like already. I go and click on their followers and follow them all if I have enough room in my Twitter account without hitting the limit for the day.

If you don’t have enough space and only want the serious followers I usually follow only the people that have tweeted out about the store or had some recent interaction with them. This way I don’t get their followers that haven’t been on Twitter in a while. You do this using the Twitter search box with the @ symbol and their twitter account.

Since we are following the bookstore where your signing will be send them a Tweet, something like this. “I am excited to be coming to your store to sign books on (include the date and time)”. Their followers will be familiar with you by the time the signing happens. I would tweet this once a day myself.

Another thing I would do is find their Facebook page and post a “Looking forward to signing books at your store.” In this case St Marks has 5000 fans so that is the place I would be marketing also. But Facebook marketing is for another post. You can take some of these methods and apply it to Facebook if you have time.

Rinse and Repeat This Method

St Marks is in the East Village so the next thing I would be doing is look for popular Twitter accounts in the Village. Lets see the first thing that pops in my mind is the newspaper “The Village Voice. In this case I am going to follow everyone that the Village Voice follows which is mostly staff. I will also look for other people that may be local in their followers list and follow who they are following.

I just noticed they are following reporters that are also near the East Village, Sweet that is a home run. They are also following a popular East Village website NSAYEastVillage. I will go through their followers and also email the site and alert them to the book signing. They also have 6000 people on their Facebook so I would make a post there too.

But Vinny I Don’t Have These Huge Resources.

I realize that NYC is huge and has a lot of resources that some other cities don’t have but I am only using the East Village section so in a way it is a small town. I want you to pull up a map of the address where you are doing the book signing. Here is a map where St Marks Book Shop is.

If you look closely on the map you will see about 20 locations that are near the book store. I see three or four churches, a few restaurants, a few parks. There are even a few schools, last time I looked there were teachers that read there. Using your local map search for their website and/or Twitter account. If your local Starbucks has it’s own Twitter account that is a good place also.

You can find the popular places in your town by finding the Twitter accounts for

1. Chamber of Commerce
2. Local Radio Station
3. Local Newspaper
4. Neighborhood stores
5. The Mayor or local politicians
6. Police or Fire Stations
7. Local TV News Station and/or popular anchors
8. Local Parks

Do the same thing we did with the other accounts. I personally like using the @symbol in searches so I get the most recent people in my searches. I have found this works better.

Between all these accounts your book signing should be a major success. After the end of the book signing I would also contact as many people as possible thanking them for their help getting the word out.

While you are doing all this Twitter following why not follow me https://twitter.com/ourawesomegang.

As an author, it is extremely important that you are using the right online resources, and available marketing tips for authors, to help you get your name and book out to the general public. Depending on the type of work you do, the type of story lines you create, and what audience you are trying to reach out to, there are different resources for different authors to use. The end goal is they should want to build a following, and find the right niche reader.

Regardless of the type of work you do, or the kind of writing you do, today it is important to use all available resources, especially online resources. This way you can reach out to a diverse consumer and reader base, for a very low out of pocket cost, and in some cases, no out of pocket cost to market.

Social media sites –
Whether it is a tweet with the latest book title, a Facebook message talking about a new book you are planning on writing, or any other hints or messages about your new or up and coming work, social media sites are a hot bed when trying to reach the most people, and the right target audience. Today, nearly everyone online has at least one social media account, regardless of age and demographics. Therefore, as an author, creating a social media fan page, your own posts about your books, and other content related to your work, is one of the best things you can do online, when trying to promote the book. If you do choose to use social media you must:
– Create a relevant page, where those who follow you or are fans on your page know what you do, know about your work, and about the content you create.
– Offer people incentives to join your page; whether it is a free book to a random follower, or a signed copy to a random follower, these are some ways to draw in new followers to your page.
– If using sites like Twitter, make your tweets short, relevant, and meaningful; only tease the viewer, don’t give them a full synopsis in a tweet.
– With Facebook, interact. Replying to questions and talking to those that follow you is what social media is all about; if followers feel there is no benefit to following you, and keeping up with updates, it is going to be difficult to get people interested in your new work.

Email marketing –
More email addresses means more leads. If you know the email address of those who have purchased your work in the past, of those who follow you on social media, and those who read your blog, you have a pretty large email listing. From those names, you can get leads, and possible referrals, for others who might be interested in your work as well.

When you choose to send out news, information, or any new content about books, future release dates, signings or some kind of discount, make sure the email messages are meaningful. People are only going to give you their email address, if they are going to get something out of it. So, offer a free copy of an e book when its released, or provide those who give you their email address some kind of coupons or deal towards the next book they purchase.

No matter what it is, you must give them some kind of value; offering discounts, savings, promotions, or even free products, are all ways to get email addresses, to get leads, and to eventually build on sales.

Blog about it –
Using blogs is one of the best ways to interact; using a blog allows you to:
– Get instant feedback from reviews, and what those who read and respond to your blog post have to say about your work, and future work you have done.
– Keep in touch with your followers, and those who enjoy your work, by keeping them up to date on the latest news, changes in release dates, and any other information about the books.
– Learn what people think about your work by reading comments, and the interactions that are going on about your blogs; and,
– Allows you to give teasers, information, and newsworthy stories that you think your audience might enjoy, in a simple format online, and in a community that you have built for those who follow your work.

Integrate on and offline marketing –
If you have an older audience, or those who do not know about social media and other sites, you may still want to use offline marketing. Using something like a brochure, and adding your email address, and site URL to the brochure is a great idea. Or, creating a magazine page with your picture, book release date, and your site URL are some simple things you can do. This allows people to see what you are marketing in print, and it allows them to then go to your site for further or complimentary information and updates, if they are interested in learning more, keeping up, and possibly finding out when your book is being released, or if new information has come out about your book.

These simple marketing tips for authors allows you to reach out to a broad consumer base, to a wide age range, and to all demographics. By integrating on and offline marketing, not only does the author reach out to all potential readers, they are also able to focus their efforts on the niche that they feel is most likely to read their book, and the content that they create.

It does not matter if you are a fiction or non fiction writer, thrill or adventure writer, using the right tools to get your name out there, information about your content, and future books, is something all authors should do. By following these simple tips, you can reach your niche audience, as well as try to break in to a new niche, without having to spend extra money to market to those who already read your content and writing.

Submitting Your Book to Free Promotion Websites
There are many website where you can submit your book and get more readers. We have compiled a list of sites that take book submissions. These sites work by filling out a little bit of information about both the book and about the author.

Join Author Groups
You can learn a lot by discussing what works and more importantly what doesn’t work. There is a lot of authors out there and most have tried one thing or the other and they know what is just a waste of time. By participating in these groups you can learn a lot from others. Our author group on Facebook has a very diverse group of authors that can help you. I encourage you to join and ask questions.

Author Marketing Club
The best place we have found for authors is the Author Marketing Club. Jim Kukral has a ton of resources built into the site to help authors. I am a premium member myself and highly recommend it.

* Editors Note: This is a guest post by Rosemary McCracken Author of the book “Safe Harbor”

If you’ve completed your first manuscript and are starting down the road to publication, take a look at contests for unpublished authors that you are eligible to enter. These are golden opportunities. The cash prizes are usually small, but winning and short-listed entries are often published in a magazine or an anthology. That will launch a newbie writer into print and provide “publications” to list in query letters and on your website. Two of my short stories were published in literary magazines when they were shortlisted in writing contests several years ago.

I now write crime fiction, and this genre has a number of contest opportunities. Some, such as the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers First Crime Novel Competition for unpublished traditional mystery novels, have big stakes. Writers of any nationality who have never had a novel published – and who write in English – can enter, and St. Martin’s Minotaur will publish the winning manuscript. Submissions for the 2013 contest had to be in by Dec. 13, 2012, but check out the link next fall.

Britain’s Crime Writers’ Association is gearing up for another round of the Debut Dagger competition, its annual search for the best unpublished English-language crime fiction novel. This fabulous contest closes on Feb. 2, so crime fiction writers from anywhere in the world who haven’t had a novel published still have a few weeks to submit the first 3,000 words of their manuscripts. Check out the CWA’s website for details on how to enter.

Winning the Debut Dagger doesn’t guarantee publication, but the contest’s organizers send out the shortlisted titles to any agents and editors who want a look at them. And writers have seen some amazing successes as a result. One of them was Louise Penny, the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Armand Gamache series. She rose to fame after Still Life was “highly commended” by the Debut Dagger judges (meaning it took second place) in the 2004 event.

Just getting judges’ attention can be the fuel writers need to spur them on. Shortlisting in Crime Writers of Canada’s inaugural Arthur Ellis Award for Best Unpublished First Crime Novel in 2007 did that for me. I didn’t win the top prize, but the fact that I was a finalist told me there were people out there who liked my work. That’s a big boost for an unpublished writer and it kept me going. And shortlisted authors can also mention being a finalist in letters, on their websites and in promotional material.

Some contests – not all – provide feedback from the judges, which is another great opportunity. You may not win the award, but you’ll probably get some helpful advice.

Romance Writers of America holds an annual contest for unpublished romance writers. Golden Heart Award winners in seven categories (contemporary series romance, contemporary single-title romance, historical romance, inspirational romance, paranormal romance, romantic suspense gain and young adult romance) gain exposure that often results in selling their manuscripts. The deadline of the 2013 contest was Jan. 2, but check out the RWA’s Golden Heart page when the contest reopens next fall.

It goes without saying that published authors should enter their works in any contests they can. Some competitions won’t accept self-published works, but there are now contests that recognize excellence in independent publishing. One of them is the Independent Publisher Book Awards, also known as the IPPY Awards. This year’s deadline is March 15, and there are 75 categories to enter, including fitness and recreation, self-help, parenting, finance and the usual fiction categories. Click here to find out how to enter.

The Readers Favorite Awards are another opportunity to have your published and unpublished works recognized. The contest receives submissions from independent authors, small presses and large publishers, and there are 100 categories in which to enter your work this year. The deadline is May 1; find out the contest details here.

Don’t turn your back on local contests. The city where you live and your local newspaper may hold book contests. Some awards will include cash prizes; even better, winning or shortlisting will bring you recognition and sales.

Be wary, however, of contests that promise instant publication and big awards, and those that ask for large entry fees. Fees should cover the cost of sending your material out to judges
and small honorariums.

Rosemary McCracken is a fiction writer and freelance journalist who lives in Toronto, Canada. Her first mystery novel, Safe Harbor, was shortlisted for Britain’s Debut Dagger in 2010.

It opens when a frightened woman barges into financial advisor Pat Tierney’s office with a shocking request: “Look after my boy; he’s your late husband’s son.” The next day the woman is murdered and police say her seven-year-old child may be the killer’s next target.

Safe Harbor was published by Imajin Books this spring, and is available as an ebook and a paperback on Amazon.com; also as a paperback on Amazon.ca and Barnes & Noble. Visit Rosemary on her website and her blog.