Marketing Your Independently-Published Novel

Friends, for today's IndieLife installment, I'm happy to share a guest post by fellow author and blogger, Rachel McCoy! You can connect with Rachel on her blog, on Facebook, and on Figment.

Rachel is tackling the subject of marketing our indie work. Take it away, Rachel!

Getting Out There: Marketing Your Independently-Published Novel

You’ve slaved away for months or maybe even years to develop your baby from notepad scribbles to polished gem. You’ve had it proofread, edited, reviewed and wrapped in a show-stopping cover. You published it through one of the many self-publishing venues. But so far the only sales are the three copies your mom bought. Here are the quick and dirty tips to developing a reader platform and creating visibility for your novel.

Blogging

Starting and maintaining a quality blog is your first line to reach readers. Identify a topic to concentrate on. Releasing a cookbook? Blog about recipes and restaurants. Did you write a book about the Civil War? Focus your blog on military history, weapons technologies and soldier biographies. A well thought out blog with a specific topic will earn more followers than a jumbled mess of daily musings.

Some other tips to keep in mind:

                         1.       Blog well and blog often

                         2.       Post links to related blogs

                         3.       Invite guest blog posters and make yourself available to guest post on other blogs

Author Website

A website is a must-have for any author. You have a defined space to promote your novel, offer promotions and even make sales. Unfortunately, unless you are a true tech expert, you’ll need to hire a copywriter to get the site up and running, which is often more than aspiring authors can or will spend.

(Julie's note: Some alternatives to consider--For my web site, I use web hosting by Yahoo. Cheap and easy to use. Other people have had success using WordPress, which is free)

Facebook/Twitter

These and other forms of social media are easy ways to keep in touch with established readers and maintain visibility, but do not offer much in terms of gaining quality contacts. You may get hundreds to follow you on Facebook, but if they haven’t read your work, they are unlikely to go buy your book based solely on a status update.

Writing Forums

Forums are great for authors who are still at the writing, editing, or reviewing stages. Members can post excerpts or whole chapters to receive feedback, get reviews and helpful suggestions. The key to these sites is to go often and participate in meaningful discussions. Critique the work of others. Offer feedback. Let the other members get to know you as an author. When the time comes, the announcement of a book release will be met with support and interest.

Some forums to consider:

                         1.       www.scribophile.com

                         2.       www.mythicscribes.com

                         3.       www.fictionpress.com

                         4.       www.goodreads.com

                         5.       www.figment.com

                         6.       www.writersbeat.com

                         7.       www.writersdigest.com

If in doubt, a quick Google search will give you a long list of forums that focus on virtually any topic you can imagine.

Writing Contests

While these may take a bit of time and initial financial investment, entering, and hopefully winning writing contests can be your best ally in selling your next book. Contest winners receive a wide range of prizes often including cash, gift cards, interviews, guest appearances and even publication. Aside from the prizes themselves, you can market your book as an award-winning author, and who wouldn’t buy that?

Timing

Above all, marketing for any product cannot be accomplished in a day or a week. It takes time to build up blog followers, get to know authors on other sites and develop a network of contacts. So you need to start soon. Better yet, start now. Ideally, marketing for your book will begin in earnest no less than six months prior to publication. That means you have to work on marketing even while you work on your novel, but in the end, marketing your book early will pay dividends. Good luck!

Rachel, thanks so much for these tips!

How about you, fellow writers? Do these marketing tips jive with what you've done in the past? Anything different you've learned through trial and error? Please share!

Grammar, Social Media, & Kids

Ready for some useless musings about grammar, social media, and teens?

I heard that these days people place grammar high on their list of attractive qualities. One man wondered if this is because many people meet and get to know each other on line, and grammar is the new first impression.

My soon to be sixteen-year-old son (OMG!) has a Facebook and Twitter account, and I monitor (stalk?) it regularly. It was one of the conditions. Here are some of the benefits of keeping an eye on kids and social media:

• We can be a fly on the wall without being in the room. It's easier to keep an eye on friendships, drama, and social interactions.  
• We learn what matters to kids--what frustrates them, what makes them angry, and what makes them sad. We learn if there's a school project that's troubling them.
• It's a teaching opportunity--we can teach kids what is or isn't appropriate for the World Wide Web. Social media is a fact of life these days, and we can guide kids through it.

While monitoring a teen's social media, here are some things I've noticed:

• Kids share WAY too much information on line.
• Some kids don't yet realize the consequences of negative online behavior, such as foul language and bullying.
• Their grammar needs...work.

But fear not. There is hope. 

• My son is a beat cop on the Grammar Police Force. Two of my favorite tweets of his were... People! You're = you are. Your = possession. And Proper spelling and grammar today. #respect. He's annoyed by poor spelling and grammar as much as any writer. He gives me hope that the next generation is not a lost cause.
• I saw a story about second graders who corrected NFL players' tweets. Click here to check out the quick story and photos. It'll make your day. 

Another benefit of social media? Tweets and Facebook posts help kids get to the point quicker, which is helpful in English class :)

There you have it. My useless musings about teens, grammar, and social media. Tell me, what have been your observations on the subject? The good the bad and the ugly, I want to know!

Social Media Blunders As Plot Points

Social media is a fact of life these days. It's fun to connect with old friends, and to make new ones. But along with all the benefits come plenty of dangers.

We can use real-life social media blunders in our fiction. I've listed a few ideas below. We've seen the consequences of some of these blunders play out on national news, and I've heard of these happening at local schools.

Feel free to use what you want!

1. Snarky cat fight or relationship squabble in a public forum. Everyone sees it & knows their business.
2. Character posts on Facebook or Twitter that they're home alone. Danger comes knocking.
3. Character is unknowingly being videotaped in a compromising position. That video is posted online. It goes viral.
4. Character sends a personal text to someone which is then forwarded to a wide audience.
5. Character posts something inappropriate, like a comment or photo, which is then seen by their dream date, college, or job. Dream date, job, or college then dumps the character.
6. Character sends a text, email, or direct message meant for one person, but it's received by another. Think of the one person who should not read this message.
7. Character has an intimate text conversation with someone, only to realize the person on the other end was a group of friends playing a prank. Character is the laughingstock at school.
8. A Facebook post, a tweet or an email falsely incriminates the character in a crime. 
9. The character connects with a stranger online, then meets with him alone in person. Online person is a creeper. Or her father. Or her chemistry teacher. Or her boyfriend.
10. Character posts a photo or video of someone committing crime/doing drugs. Thugs want revenge.
11. Character sends naked picture of herself on Twitter or via text, and it goes viral.

Social media blunders have broken up marriages, brought down powerful leaders, and caused suicides. They've resulted in embarrassing ripples at school, and rocked entire communities. 

Unless you write historical fiction, versions these blunders can be used as inciting incidents, subplots, and major plot points. Our characters can be forced to learn what we've learned: have fun, but beware.

Have you ever used a social media blunder in your fiction? Do you recognize any of these from your own community, or from the national news? Are there any you'd like to add to the list? Please share!

photo credit

Shy Writers & Approachable Agents

(Karen Grencik on the left, me on the right)

As most kid lit authors know, last weekend was SCBWI's annual summer conference in Los Angeles. I wasn't registered, but my agent, the lovely Karen Grencik of Red Fox Literary, was there. She hosted a gathering in her room on Saturday night for Red Fox clients and other kid lit folks. Since I live only 45 minutes away, I drove down to meet her. We've talked on the phone and through emails, but I've never met her in person.

Enter Freak Out Mode. I was totally nervous. Not so much about meeting Karen, because anyone who's met her knows how approachable, kind, warm, and generous she is. I'm never afraid to email her or ask a stupid question. No, I was nervous about the little party.

When my family and close friends read this, they'll spit out their coffee in laughter. Once you know me well, you can't shut me up. Just ask my husband. But put me in a social situation where I don't know a soul, and I'm like matchy matchy curtains that blend into walls. Those awkward teens I write about? I can totally relate to them. (btw, I avoided parties in high school, too)

I managed to speak to some wonderful people, and enjoyed my time with Karen. But I'll share a secret with you: when I left the hotel, I was relieved. Big crowds, strangers, talking on cue--all of that leaves me shaking in my flip flops. Everyone says this conference is wonderful, but to me, it's overwhelming and scary. Maybe someday I'll conquer this pesky fear.

But you know what? Reclusive writers aren't the only people who get butterflies. Remember my amazing agent? She wrote this great post: MISSION ACCOMPLISHED--A Dog-Loving Introverted Homebody Scales Mt. McKinley! Her title alone summed up my own fears. Agents are human. They have their own hopes and dreams. And yes, they get nervous, too.

Thankfully there have been plenty of reclusive writers who've managed to do just fine. And these days, writers have the benefits of social media. We meet behind a screen, where we don't have to fake-smile and say something witty on the fly. We aren't having conversations where one of us looks bored and makes excuses to talk to someone else. These are real social fears, and for me, these fears are erased with blogging, tweeting, and connecting on Facebook.

Do I wish I could walk into a room and command an audience? Sure! Will that ever happen? Um, probably not. But it helps to know I'm not alone in this. Approachable agents--and I'm sure editors and multi-published authors, too--sometimes experience the same fears we feel. I find comfort in that.

Tell me, are you the type who breezes into a social situation and feels no fear? Are you witty in person and on the page? (If so, I'm green with envy) Are you like me, and freak out at the mere thought of standing in a room full of strangers? How do you cope? 

Were you there last weekend, and one of the people I was terrified of? Do tell!