Tag Archives: Social Media Networking

February 20, 2013 · 2:14 pm

A Big Thank You!

Today’s post is to say thank you, firstly to the people who worked with me to organise last Weekend’s Blog Tour. Then to the followers who promoted my posts and finally to share what I have learnt.

Firstly there’s Debra Brown, who seems to work tirelessly to keep up a blog which never ceases to surprise. Debbie, who writes fiction in the Regency Period, hosts posts from a wide variety of authors of historical fiction and you can gain an insight into the depth of their research. It is a place to ask questions and there is often a debate going as to a piece of research that has become a bit puzzling. It is a site for anyone interested in history and not just authors, but the beauty of it for an author is that there is a whole community on facebook who support each other, share and tweet posts. Here is her site:

English Historical Fiction Authors

The second person I need to thank was writer Mary Ann Loesch. She has guest bloggers from a variety of subjects and also does reviews. Here’s another good post on All things Writing on making an e book in Callibre.

All Things Writing

Now the first two posts were plane sailing and there the fun started. It’s a lesson to authors to factor in different time zones when planning a venture like this because my next post on the Saturday was to promote both of my novels. I knew it was an Australian site and so expected them to be in front of us. Confusion reigned because their server was in the US and so I quickly calculated that the post would go live at approx 11am UK time, and so it did. No worries! Many thanks to Stacey Nash for the promotion.

Authors Promoting Authors

Lastly I need to give a big thank you to  JA Beard, who also works with Debra Brown on Goodreads to manage the Historicalfictionitas Group, where you can ask questions, read reviews, advertise your special promotions and generally chat to other similar authors. JA Beard is a YA author who has published The Emerald City and he kindly interviewed me for his site. Where they both find time to write I have no idea, but his site is worth a look whether you are an author or a reader.

JA Beard’s Musings

So, what have I leanrt:

  • Organising a simple weekend Blog Hop is possible, fun but quite time consuming
  • Don’t forget to use all platforms to promote it..twitter, facebook and good reads and more …I’m afraid I didn’t get around to Goodreads. It was such a hectic week
  • Try to arrange it in your schedule when you have time to spare (difficult I know!)
  • Always follow up comments if you can and thank for RT
  • Start small, in a manageable time period
  • Don’t forget the time differences and factor it in accordingly
  • Just chose a time slot and send off your polite email requests. The writing community out there is very kind and supportive but it works both ways. Don’t forget to support others too.
  • Finally enjoy!

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August 11, 2011 · 4:35 pm

The Ripple Effect – Marketing your novel – a personal experience

The Ripple Effect

You never know where or how far the ripples will reach when you drop a stone in a pool and

I make no apology for using this analogy, even though it’s a bit of a cliché.

A good friend, ex publisher and bookshop owner once said on hearing that my first novel ‘Riduna’ had been published, ‘Now your hard work begins.’ He was not referring to starting the next novel and since I’d sighed with relief when the proof reading and editing phase was finally over, which I considered the hardest work of all, I asked him what he meant.

‘You need to get out there, talk to people and make things happen,’ he said. ‘It’s up to you as a new author. You can sit back and wait and see, but there is a limit to what the publisher can actually do at this stage.’

Still puzzled I replied, ‘That’s their job, isn’t it. All that publicity and stuff.’

‘Oh no,’ he said. ‘If you think like that you’ll get nowhere.’ After that he gave me a list of tasks to do and I must say that it was a bit daunting at first.

  • Visit likely bookshops who might sell your book and I mean go in and see them. They get hundreds of leaflets sent. What will make them take note of yours?
  • Keep contact with them and take them publicity, like posters and book marks.
  • Arrange book signings wherever you can.
  • Pop into libraries, starting with your local ones.
  • Phone the press. You never know.

With that list, getting quite excited I added some of my own. Since Riduna was based on Alderney and Guernsey and was historical romantic fiction and a good holiday read, we spent time dropping leaflets and bookmarks at hotels and visiting museums too.  Through this and my friend’s help I made good contact with several bookshops, held three successful book signings and was asked to talk at Bedford library. News reached the Alderney press, the Guernsey Press and the Luton News.

Now here is where the ripple effect started. Later I was contacted by Flitwick library and more recently Stotfold Library have also booked me for a slot, then out of the blue I had a phone call from a ladies group who was given my name by the library. The ripple effect.

Since I was focussed wholeheartedly on selling books through bookshops, my helpful website designer remarked,

‘You should try going on Twitter and Facebook or writing your own blog.’ This has rippled to being asked to be a guest blogger on sites like ‘Visit Guernsey’ and ‘Novel Publicity’. You will find that the more you are willing to give of yourself the more others are likely to support you. In fact Twitter is one continuous ripple as tweets are retweeted as you build up trust with your followers.

 Well, the rest is history and the ripple effect now has far reaching and unforeseen contacts (and friends) over the globe. Not only that but I have the satisfaction of readers telling me almost immediately what they think when they read ‘Riduna.’ Amazing.

Have you any more marketing tips for new authors on the block to share or personal examples of The Ripple Effect?

 

 

 

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May 23, 2011 · 5:04 pm

Is a blog writer really a writer?

The term ‘writer’ had blurred at the edges with new technology, so has the term ‘published writer’. All sorts of people are honing their skills in producing the written word by starting a blog in an area of their interest.

Because they are doing it for free, does it mean that they are no less ‘writers’?

The topics of these blogs are diverse to the extreme from Travel Logs, Gardening Tips, Thoughts of the Day, Religious Experiences, Writing, Fishing, Saving the Planet or just their little bit of it……… you name it; Someone out there is blogging about it.

A lady I know who, as it happens, was unsure whether she could call herself ‘a writer,’ has spent a year blogging about whatever enters her head. It is witty, poignant, thought provoking …… and she has gained up to 300 readers per post. Remarkable! ( Tales from Lewis Lodge    &      Everyday Life and Faith Rachel J Lewis)

Another lady I know has set up two blogs and a gallery sharing with us her amazing photos; snapshots of moments in life which she has captured whilst working on the small island of Dominica (A Day in the life of Dominica last post August 2010) and now more recently in Uganda (Ella Rhychlewski’s Portfolio & A Picture a Day -Uganda). Her following is now enormous, and her collection of photos and comments seem to encapsulate the essence of these far flung places; far flung to me, but not to those who live there.  My belief is that the populace could be flattered by her daily commitment to celebrate their everyday lives and scenes. She writes her posts in a batch, with timed daily publications so that it does not become a chore, and well deserves her following of over 1,000 readers on some days.

One day these two ladies will be snapped up by a journal  or some kind of publication and will be paid for what they do. Meanwhile, what a wonderful portfolio of evidence of their ability they are collecting for all the world to read.

Not only are both ladies successful writers in that so many people like to read or view their work that but they enjoy it and surely that’s what writing is all about?

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