Fill-Me-In Friday

 


It's time for Fill-Me-In-Friday where I share my favorite links of the week. Hope you enjoy!
On Writing/Publishing:
The Dark Side of Metrics by Kristen Lamb
Get in Late, Get Out Early - A Writing Tip by Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Google Now Alerts for Books by The Digital Shift
QR Codes, The New Sexy by Jenny Hansen
Do Writers Need to Think About SEO? by Erin MacPherson (via Rachelle Gardner's blog)
How To Make Your Own Book Trailer by Jungle Red Writers
Just For Fun:
Yoga, Jersey Style by JM Randolph
Wendigisms compiled by Todd Moody 
What You May Have Missed Here:

by Sierra Godfrey
by Mina Khan
What You Missed on my Author Blog:

 
(even if you're an 80s purist like me)

Favorites from Tumblr this Week:
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Alright, so those are my favorite links of the week, what were some of yours? 

Hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween!

 

 


 

 

"Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.


 


All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Fill-Me-In Friday

 

I've been visiting family in New Orleans this week and haven't gotten very much computer time so today's links list will be short but still awesome.
Master the Craft of Writing by Rachelle Gardner
and on the same topic...Numbers Are Our Friends and the Wild World of Metrics by Kristen Lamb
What You Missed on the Author Blog:

 

What You May Have Missed Here:

 
by Suzanne Johnson
Favorite Tumblr of the Week:
VIDEO: Joe Manganiello accepts an award, remembers to thank the author, and GROWLS. 

Alright, that's what I loved this week. What great links did I miss while I was out of town? Fill me in via the comments. :) Have a great weekend!



"Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.



All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Fill-Me-In Friday

 

Woo-hoo, it's Friday! Time for a round-up of the most fantabulous writing (and just for fun) links of the week!
On Blogging:
First, everyone (including me) was abuzz about blogging these last two weeks, so here's a sampling of those posts:
I Am Tired of Blogging by Natalie Whipple
Now a few others related to blogging...
On Group Blogging by Elizabeth S. Craig
Is Blog Fatigue on the Rise? by Nathan Bransford
How to Use StumbleUpon by Lorie Huston
On Writing and Publishing:
A Time to Kill...Your Novel by Marcus Brotherton on Rachelle Gardner's blog
Tips of Marketing Your Novel at Adventures in Agentland
Standing on My Skyscraper Eating Some Crow by Roxanne St. Clair (her experience using Candace Havens' fast draft method.)
Type Hard, Type Fast by James Scott Bell  (This and the previous two links above are really convincing me that I need to give this fast draft thing a try.)
For Gits and Shiggles:
Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip (Food P0rn at its best. Someone try this and tell me if it's as delicious as it looks.)
Wedding Photos + Zombies via Badass Digest (These are great, dorky in the best way.)

 

 


What You May Have Missed Here:

 

 

What You May Have Missed on the Author Blog:

Favorite Tumblr Pics of the Week:
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AND WINNER OF JODY'S BOOK FROM MONDAY'S CONTEST IS...Leona Bushman! Congrats

 

Alright, those are my picks for the week, what are some of your faves this week? And I'd love to hear feedback on this feature. I know it's not a comment-inducing post, so it's hard for me to judge if you like this round up each week or not. So let me know in the comments (or by clicking the like thumbs up/down button in the top left corner of the comments section.) Just want to know if y'all find this helpful or not. :)

Have a great weekend! 


 

 

 


"Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME

 

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.



All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Fill-Me-In Friday

 

Hope everyone has had a fantastic week. Welcome to Fill-Me-In Friday where I share some of the best links I've come across this week (and also shamelessly update you on what you may have missed here.) :)
But first a quick announcement: If any of you live in the DFW area, I am doing my first public reading along with a few other authors at the Authors' Roundtable at Bedford Public Library at 7pm on Saturday. (Here are the details if you're interested.) Come see me blush profusely as I try to skip past the parts that I refuse to read aloud in public. :)
Alright, now on to the links...
On Writing and Marketing:
Blogging Tips: Make Your Text POP by Angela Ackerman at The Bookshelf Muse
Your Only Real Competition Is Yourself by Cynthia Leitich Smith on Adventures in Children's Publishing
Meet the Maven: We're Here Whether You Want Us or Not (types of social networkers you should know)  by Kristen Lamb
10 Tips For Planning a Blog Tour by Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Flick Chicks by The New Yorker (found via @Jamie_Wesley 's tweet)
Expect To Work Hard by Jody Hedlund
7 Ways Successful Creatives Think Differently than Unsuccessful Ones by Michael Hyatt (link found via Jody's post above)
Writers Must Kill Self-Doubt Before Self-Doubt Kills Them by Chuck Wendig (and Jenny Hansen's post bouncing off that Do Writers Need Validation?)
Have You Read a Self-Published Book? by Nathan Bransford (make sure and read the comments, interesting thoughts from people.)
For Fun:
Swagger Wagon (found via KB Owens' Blog)
What You Missed on the Author Blog:
What You May Have Missed Here:


 


Favorite Tumblr Posts of the Week:
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Alright, that's what I have for you this week, what were some of your favorite links of the week? Hope everyone has a great weekend!


 

 


"Hot and romantic, with an edge of suspense that will keep you entertained.” --Shayla Black, New York Times Bestselling author of SURRENDER TO ME

 

 

 

CRASH INTO YOU is now available for pre-order!

Read an excerpt here.



All content copyright of the author. Please ask permission before re-printing or re-posting. Fair use quotations and links do no require prior consent of the author. ©Roni Loren 2009-2011 |Copyright Statement|

 

Five Ways To Guard Your Brand

So last week I got a lovely invitation from a friend of a friend to join Triberr (called the reach multiplier). Basically what happens with this service is you get invited to join a tribe of other bloggers (it's by invite only right now). If you accept, then what you agree to is that anytime one of your tribesmates blogs, a link to their blog is automatically tweeted by all member of the tribe. In return, you get the same treatment, you blog and your link autotweets from every one in your tribe's twitter accounts. The idea behind it is that you get exposed to lots more people and your reach is thereby amplified.

Sounds cool, right? And it is. But as I dug into exactly what it all meant, my control freak side took over. Did I really want to auto-tweet twenty-something different peoples blog links without really knowing them? What if they didn't blog content that I liked or that was relevant to those who follow me on Twitter?

I put out the question on Twitter to see if anyone had experience with Triberr and guess who tweets me back? One of the founders of Triberr (oh, the power of following keywords on Twitter). But guess what he told me? That I shouldn't use Triberr. He also sent a link to this post: Why You Shouldn't Be on Triberr

It seemed a little odd that the owner would try to talk me out of joining, but I realized why. One of his reasons the service may not be for you is: Your Twitter Stream Is Your Brand

Well, bingo. That's exactly why I was hesitant.

Everything I put out on the internet (whether I intend it or not) is part of my "brand."

The things I retweet on Twitter aren't haphazard.

I'm tweeting it because I: a) read it b) enjoyed it or found it informative and c) think my followers would appreciate it.

I do that because I want the people who follow me to trust that I am going to give them good content. (Well, in between my ramblings.) They (hopefully) know if I tweet or retweet a link that it has a high chance of being something worth clicking on.

Your brand is the promise you make to those that follow you

--whether that be on your blog, facebook, twitter, and your books for that matter. For instance, I know if Elizabeth Craig retweets something, it's often going to be something I find useful because she's proven to me that her content is consistently great. If she started tweeting random posts that weren't worth my time, she'd lose some of my "trust." I know if erotica author Tiffany Reisz tweets a link, there's a sixty percent chance it will involve nudity, lol. So of course I always click on hers. ;)

So don't be afraid to be protective of your brand. Sometimes it can feel like you're being snobby or something, but it's vital to keep your arms around it. For instance, I get many requests from people to read their book and feature it or them on the blog. For the record, I don't do reviews anymore anyway. But I've had to learn to say no a lot, which goes against my nature. I want to help people out. But if I don't know you or your writing (and don't have time to read it), I'm not going to feature you on my blog and let it look like an endorsement.

See it sounds stuck-up, doesn't it? But it's the promise I've made to you. If a book or author is featured here, it means that I either have read the book and loved it. Or I know the author and am familiar with the quality of their writing and their guest posts, etc. That's why I handpicked the Monday genre guests. I knew those ladies rocked at blogging, so I felt comfortable (and honored) to have them be a part of my blog.

So here are some suggestions...

Five Ways to Protect Your Brand

1. Don't accept every offer people give you to guest blog on your site.

Make sure you like their blog and know that they can provide something your readers will enjoy.

2. Don't accept every "free book" offered to you in exchange for featuring that author on your blog.

With the onslaught of self-publishing, there are a lot of people looking for places to be guests. They will offer you a free book in exchange for the promotion. That's cool. But what happens if you don't like the book or don't have time to read it? Vet it before you promote it to your readers.

3. Don't give 5-star reviews to all your friends on Goodreads and Amazon simply because they are your friend. 

If you really love the book, then great. But just agreeing to give a perfect review just because you're BFFs will teach people not to trust your reviews. (If you do reviews.)

4. Don't auto-tweet things you haven't looked at first and don't only tweet your friends posts just to be nice.

I don't expect my friends to retweet me just because we're buddies. I only want to be retweeted if the post is worth it.

5. Be very careful with group blogs.

There are many awesome group blogs out there. But be careful when deciding to join or start one. You need to know absolutely that the people you are blogging with are going to be a fit with what you want associated with you. This is why my group Tumblr blog lasted about, oh, five seconds before I went on my own. (Kristen Lamb would also argue that group blogs aren't effective because no one remembers the individual bloggers' names.)

So what do you think? Do you feel there is an inherent "brand" trust between people and their followers? How do you feel about services like Triberr? Has any blogger/tweeter ever lost your "follower trust"? Have you found yourself saying yes to feature people or books that may not fit on your blog?

Tweet

Is Blogging Dead?

Last week I read a post by Wendy Lawton over at Books & Such Literary Agency in which she talked about "What's Not Working?" when it comes to marketing. One of the things that surprised me was that she listed blogging as the first one that is "not working." She even goes so far as to say this:

"I wouldn't recommend a writer start blogging in order to publicize his book in today's climate. It would be tough to picture a scenario where the outcome would justify the means." 

I have to admit, the statement shocked me a bit. Obviously, I'm a bit biased because I'm an avid blogger and really enjoy that part of social networking. But after I got over my initial pause, I read through the post again to think through what she was saying more rationally.

Her argument is that unless you've already built an uber-blog, then you're going to have a nearly impossible task of standing out in an over-saturated blogosphere.

Okay, I can see her point there. The blogosphere IS glutted. And when it comes to writers blogging, we're a wall-to-wall crowded room of writing advice, writer ramblings, interviews, giveaways, and randomness. After a while, click after click begins to blend together and sound the same. I know my blog reading has gone down in the past year because of lack of time and because much of it feels like reruns. It takes a great headline on Twitter at this point to get me to click over to something. My google reader goes neglected.

So how in the world do any of us stand out in that crowd?

I'm not entirely sure. My guess is that it's often like books--it comes down to the voice of the blogger, the freshness of their take on things (even if they are old things), and their engagement with their readers. And even then, many times the audience on the blog is comprised of other writers--so we're still really only reaching a niche group. A fabulous group, but a limited one a best.

Wendy also, by the way, isn't big on blog tours for the same reason. Authors put forth all this effort to write up new posts and interviews for tour stops--which takes a crapload of time--and then "tour" on sites that pretty much appeal to other writers. So you're swimming in the same pond, promoting to the same school of fish.

Believe me, that is weighing heavy on my mind as I try to formulate my plan for my book release. I am planning to do a blog tour, but now I'm wondering if my time might be better spent doing something else. I mean, there are only so many interviews people want to read. And I'm hard-pressed to think of sites that I could guest on that would expose me to a totally new group of people. I honestly think getting reviewed on the book blogger sites is probably much more effective.

So in that respect, I can see Wendy's point about blogging's effectiveness. (For the record, her exception to the "blogging doesn't work" belief is the person who has a particularly unique slant, some previous celebrity, or an already established audience.)

Does that mean I'm giving up blogging? Hell no. I love blogging. It makes me happy and I feel blessed that you guys are still reading me after two years, lol. (Thank you!) And I really do love reading others' blogs. But this post is not about me (shocking, I know.) ;) This post is for those of you reading who are in the early stages of your blogging or who are considering starting a blog or who have been blogging but kinda sorta loathe it. Here's my opinion, take it for what it's worth.

Even "If" Blogging Is Dying, You Should Blog If...

 

1. You just love blogging and don't care if it's promoting you as a "brand."

2. You are a published author who has or will have fans seeking you out online.

(Caveat: If you are a published author and don't like to blog, that's fine. Just find some online outlet where readers can get to know you and interact--twitter, facebook, whatever.)

3. You have a unique slant to offer (like Wendy mentions).

Meaning, you have something to offer your readers that would sustain a popular blog even if you weren't an author with a book.

4. You write non-fiction.

I'd be hard-pressed to imagine how blogging wouldn't help a non-fiction writer.

5. You're not into short-form social networking like Twitter, FB, Tumblr, etc. and feel more comfortable connecting online in long form.

I'm sure there are others, but these are the ones that come to the top of mind for me. Number one is my reason (and hopefully number two will apply to me soon too, lol.)

So what are your thoughts on this? Do you think blogging is dying? Do you find yourself reading fewer blogs, leaving less comments, or do you see traffic on your blog trending down? How do you connect with the authors you love? What makes a blog a must-read for you even when you develop blog reading fatigue?

Does a Blog Sell Books? Survey Results!

 

free 'group' hugs

If you missed it, Monday I put up a survey evaluating the question: Does a Blog Sell Books? So many of you answered and I am so excited to share the interesting results. Lots to be learned from what you guys had to say. :)

 

So here are the results...

1. Do you read erotic romance?


Yes 29%

No, it will never be my thing 39%

No, but willing to give it a try 32%

So here's the part you can't change as a blogger (for the most part). Those 39% who are absolutely not interested in reading my genre are not going to buy my book no matter how much they like my blog or me personally or how much they may get out of my posts. It's not their thing.

However, there's that open-minded 32% of you that could possible be swayed. And I know this is where I actually fall for a lot of genres. For instance, I'm not one to read literary fiction. However, I'm not categorically against it, so if I knew someone who I wanted to support who had written it, I might be tempted to pick it up. And my guess is that for other genres, there would be less of "it will never be my thing" percentage because erotic romance can be a bit more polarizing than other genres. :)

Lesson: You don't HAVE to gear your blog to cater only to those who read your specific genre. In fact, you may be missing out on friends and potential readers who read/write something completely different but who may be open to trying something new.

2. Do you plan to buy my book?

No way 6%

Probably not 32%

Yes definitely 26%

Probably so 37%

I found this interesting. Above, 39% of you said you'd never read erotic romance, but then only 6% said absolutely no way they'd buy my book. Hmm... So perhaps this is because "no way" seems like a harsh answer and you kind people don't want to send me crying in my beer. Or maybe it means that a) you could be convinced or b) you may be willing to buy it for someone else? or c) you may make an exception for some other reason. I'm not sure. Interesting nonetheless.

To you yes definitely's and probably so's, I send you a big cyber hug. Thank you.

Lesson: Even people who like your blog AND read your genre may still need something else to get them to purchase. 37% of you are probably so's, which means there are other factors that will determine if you buy or not. Perhaps you need to make sure you like the blurb, if you have money to spend on it at the time, if reviewers give the book high ratings, etc.

3. If you DON'T plan to buy it, why not?

I don't read the genre. 74%

The story doesn't sound like my thing. 9%

Other 17%

Most of the comments people left on this question talked about how they just don't read the genre or love scenes make them uncomfortable. A few others noted no money to spend on books, too many books to read already, etc. However, there were also some very nice comments saying that though they don't read the genre, they will be more than happy to tweet and share info about my release. :)

Lesson: Even if someone does not plan to buy your book for whatever reason, if they like you or your blog, they still may be willing to support you by helping spread the word to those who may be interested in it. How awesome is that? Bloggy friends are the best.

4. If you DO plan to buy it, why?

I like you or your blog and want to help support your career  71%

Other 16%

I like the story blurb 7%

I'm already an erotic romance reader 6%

Aww, you guys got me all warm and toasty on this one. I feel like Sally Field--they like me! *group hug* This is a whopping statistic, peeps, and makes a huge case for blogging/social networking. This thing is about connecting with other people and this is why those authors who tweet every other freaking tweet "Check out my book!" "Buy my book!" "Ten percent off today!" don't get it. Most of you are saying you're not going out to buy my book because you've been exposed to the story and it's awesome (though, I hope it is), it's because you've connected with me on some level and want to be supportive. That's an amazing, beautiful thing.

Lesson: It's not about the book. That's only part of it. It's about who you are. (I go into detail about this in my post on Author Brand over at Sierra's joint if you want to hear me rant on this some more.) :)

Here are some of the anonymous comments left on the question above:

  • Can I explain even if I answered I plan to buy your book? I've only been following your blog for about a year, but during that time I've been entertained, I've been informed, and I've learned. I figure if your blog is this good, you book should be great. I don't read a lot of erotica, but like good writing wherever I can find it. I plan to buy Nathan Bransford's book this summer when it's released for the same reason and Authoress' dystopian when she finally reveals her true name and title. Like your blog, those are two that have made me a better writer and I think the least I can do is help support their careers. Maybe someday, someone will think the same thing about me.
  • I totally love ya and you gave me a five page critique.
  • You are nice and crazy cool! You engage in discussion and don't just hawk your wares. Of course I'm buying your book!
  • You serve me with your blog. The least I can do is part with a few dollars to repay you for what I have gained for free
  • I like authors who "give back" to the community in some way. I am willing to try out the book.
  • I want to see what kind of filthy mind I'm hanging around with. ;)
  • I've wanted to know more of what's happening from the excerpts you've posted.
  • As a writer I like to show support for other writers. It's a two way street-- I have found. I usually make a good review and if I don't like it I will tell the author in private what I found about it that I didn't like.
  • I also help in the hopes that I might find support is reciprocal. I know my work is good and of course I know that some people won't vare for it just because of the genre. I read all types of books. Even more so now that I am connecting with other writers.
  • Because I love your blog/writing advice - and - you came right out and asked - so yes. I will.
  • Actually there were a few answers that applied to me. I read erotic romance, but you're partly responsible for that. I like your story blurb. And because I want to support your career. Would I have bought it if it weren't for the blur? Probably not. I never buy books I'm not interested in
  • I tend to buy the books of people who I interact with on a regular basis online, or even those whose blogs I read, because I ALWAYS buy the books of people who I am friends with in person and the online world just feels like an extension of that. I believe in supporting good people.
  • I do like you and your blog and your helpful personality goes a long way in gaining my readership.
  • To support your career although I don't read erotic romance. I would just skip over the sex.

4. Have you ever bought a book solely because you liked the author, their blog, or whatever they had to say on Twitter?

 

Yes 74%

No 26%

Final  lesson... 


Yes, write a fantastic book. That's your best marketing tool. But when it comes to your online presence and social networking--it's all about being genuine and helpful and connecting with others. And that, my friends, is 100% free.


Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey! I heart you guys. :)


So do any of these results surprise you? What do you take away from these results? 

Does a Blog Make You Buy An Author's Book?

 

I blog. A lot. I tweet even more. I spend a lot of time pounding these keys writing things that aren't my manuscript. Why?

 

Well, because I enjoy it. I like connecting with other writers and readers. I learn a lot myself by researching blog posts and sharing information with you guys and of course reading your posts as well. (I even found myself attending a few things at the writer's conference that weren't relevant to me right now--like the querying workshop--because I knew a lot of you would like to know what was said. So I do it for those reasons.

However, most of the time the reason we're told to start blogs is because when the time comes. we want it to help us sell books, right? The friendships and connections are just bonuses on top of that goal. But here's my question:

Does liking a blog or blogger really translate into you buying their book?

For instance, I know that probably the vast majority of you do not read my genre. Maybe you're patently against it, maybe you just haven't tried it but are willing, or maybe the whole idea of you makes you a bit blush-y and you're unsure. I don't know. So when my book comes out, even if you've commented on every post I've ever written  (if you have, I will send you a book for free, lol), are you going to go out and buy my book based simply on the fact that you like my blog?

As a blog reader, this has worked on me. I bought Jody Hedlund's book because I like her and her blog. I don't read inspirational romance, but I bought it as a gift for a family member who does. I bought Ashley March's book and Tiffany Reisz's novella not because they were agency-mates, but because I've gotten to know them on Twitter and want to support them. So even with them not "marketing" to me, I did become a buyer. But I'm not sure if that's common or the exception.

So I'm curious to see your opinions. This survey below is completely anonymous. I want to see what you guys have to say. Regardless of the outcome, I don't plan on stopping the blog because like I said, I'm not doing this as marketing tool so much as a connecting tool. But I'm interested in knowing...

****SURVEY CLOSED**** See results HERE!

Also, feel free to leave comments below about the question in general. Do you think author blogs and internet presence sells books? Thanks ahead of time for those of you who complete the survey. I'll report results in a future post!

Guest Post: Marketing My First Release by Author Tiffany Reisz

 

I have a treat for you guys. The next couple of blog posts will be by some wonderful guests! First up on deck is an author who you all got to meet a few weeks ago. If you missed her post on why she writes erotica, check it out! But wait until after you read today's :) because don't we all want to know what those first few weeks feel like after you debut you're writing? 
So without further rambling from me, I'll turn it over to Tiffany...
My Release by Tiffany Reisz
No, I’m not talking about that kind of release.  Considering my last blog post here at Hot Roni’s House of Fiction and Friction (that is the name of the blog, right?) was about sex, I feel the need to clarify. I’m talking about a book release--that glorious nightmarish long-awaited day when your book that you sold a year and half earlier and sort of forgot about finally comes out.  Some of you know what this experience is like.  For those of your still waiting for your first release, here’s what’s in store for you.
My first Release Day was December 1, 2010 for my erotica novella Seven Day Loan. Release Day is bizarre.  You feel both frantic and impotent all day while you obsessively watch your Amazon sales rank and wonder whether or not 3000 is good or terrible.  Does that mean I’ve sold five books today or five hundred?  No idea.
Side note here - Dear Nielsen Bookscan, Please get your arse in gear and start tracking eBook sales. I really do need another thing to obsess over. Love Always, Tiffany Reisz, Smut Peddler
Back to the Book Release. When you have no money, you have to get creative with your marketing. I got a very cheap ad for two months on a popular Erotica blog.  I pouted and got nice people like Roni Loren to let me guest blog and pimp my wares.  And on Twitter engaged in a little something I call “False Advertising.”  The following are my real tweets attempting to get people to buy Seven Day Loan on Twitter:
Buy Seven Day Loan! Free orgasm with every purchase. #falseadvertising
Buy Seven Day Loan! Free phone sex with the author with every purchase. #falseadvertising
Buy Seven Day Loan! Free centaur with every purchase. #falseadvertising #hunglikeahorse
Buy Seven Day Loan! Win a night with the author! #falseadvertising #worstprizeever
Have I actually sold anything with my creative false advertising? Probably not but it does amuse the Twitter followers.  I believe in the power of humor as much as the power of sex. And of course, anyone who has even had sex knows you need to have a sense of humor about it. The same applies to a book release.  If you don’t laugh, I promise you will cry.
Anywho, back to the releasing.  What’s the best part of having a book released? Is it the constant checking of sales rank? Is it reading of negative reviews (sorry, Lady, but it’s called a NOVELLA for a reason - don’t give me a bad review ONLY because you thought it was too short - novella, not novel, no...vel...la--three syllables)? Is it the fears of annoying your Twitter followers and your friends by begging them for Amazon reviews, begging them to buy it, begging them to tell their friends, family, doctors, hairdressers, and pet-sitters about it?  No, I think the best part is how distracting having a book out is.  You can’t think about anything else. You can’t write. You can’t focus. You just tweet and email and harangue. 
Recently I asked another erotica writer about marketing.  This writer has had many books out in her long lucrative career.  I went up to her and her agent after a booksigning and asked, “I’ve got a novella out.  What do you suggest for marketing?”  The bestselling writer said, “Keep writing and releasing stuff.  Build a backlist.  And don’t worry about marketing.  The more you market a release the worse the book does.”
Well, NOW they tell me.
*head meets desk*
Feel free to ask Tiffany any more questions about her experience, I'm sure she'll stop by later to answer anything you may throw out there. :) And just for fun, I'd love for y'all to come up with your own false advertising one-liners. Maybe Tiffany will use some of them to continue her twitter campaign. :)  (And they don't have to be dirty, but they better be funny!)
Thanks to Tiffany and remember to check out her novella Seven Day Loan! I read it in one sitting and was truly amazed how Tiffany weaved such a story, a sense of place, and full characters in such a short amount of space. And it's a perfect winter read because you'll feel like you're tucked away in some secluded New England manor with the characters. You can get it here or on Amazon. It's less than $3, so don't you owe yourself a little pre-holiday treat today? :) 
Click image to view full cover
Tiffany Reisz lives in Lexington, Kentucky with two roommates, two dogs, two cats, and one hedgehog which doesn’t belong to anyone who lives in the house and no one is actually sure how he got there. She graduated with a B.A. in English from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky and is making both her parents and her professors proud by writing erotica under her real name. She has five piercings, one tattoo, and has been arrested twice. When not under arrest, Tiffany enjoys Latin Dance, Latin Men, and Latin Verbs. She dropped out of a conservative southern seminary in order to pursue her dream of becoming a smut peddler. Johnny Depp’s aunt was her fourth grade teacher. There is little to nothing interesting about her. If she couldn’t write, she would die.
www.twitter.com/tiffanyreisz 

 

Authors on Twitter: The Danger of Being Too Clique-y

Last week I talked about ways to chase away Twitter followers. Thanks, by the way, for all the retweet love on that one. :)  One of the things I talked about was that you shouldn't follow loads of people just to get people to follow you back because it's not genuine and makes you look like a spammer (i.e. people will see you follow 40k tweeters and how can anyone really keep up with that?)

 

However, after a conversation with Jamie Wesley about what annoys her about certain authors on Twitter,  I'm starting to wonder about that high "follow" vs. "follower" count. In the Twitterverse, there is this impression that you must be really important/supercool/whatever if you have a high number of people following you, but you personally only follow a handful of people. Basically--everyone wants to be your friend, but you only grant that "privilege" to an elite few. (High school never ends it seems.)

Now most people who do this do it not because they're being a "twitter snob" but because they don't want to be overwhelmed by three thousand peoples' tweets. I TOTALLY get that because I follow about a thousand people and that got way too hard to manage,so I had to start using lists (more on that later). And if you're, for instance, an editor or an agent--where everyone is seeking your attention--it makes sense to limit who you follow only to people you truly have a connection with in some way.

However, I think for an author this practice can really shoot you in the foot instead of helping you. We are writers. We want to connect with readers. We want to sell books and build a fanbase. Right?

So why-oh-why if you're an author would you only follow your "clique" of friends and not follow your readers, the people who are paying their hard-earned money to buy YOUR book? 

I know it's silly, but you know how much better I feel about an author if I @ her/him on Twitter and the person responds? All of a sudden, this author's coolness factor has jumped off the charts. It makes me like them more. It makes me want to support them and their books because they are REAL and FRIENDLY and APPROACHABLE. And if they follow me, then wow, I'm really won over.

On the other hand, if I follow an author and they don't follow me (fine), but then they ask questions of their readers/audience and I respond--and get no response or even a general "Thanks to everyone who commented", then I feel a little huffy. Now if you're Stephanie Meyer or Stephen King or whatever, then it's understandable. Uber-fame gets you a pass. I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about your average author who has a few thousand followers.

When they don't respond or acknowledge, plus don't follow--the impression that is left is--this author thinks they are too important/busy/big-time and doesn't feel like their readers are important enough to acknowledge even after they've asked directly for their help. So when that same author hops back on Twitter and is announcing their book release or contests and asking for retweets--well, I'm just not that motivated to go out of my way for them.

So the question is, as an author, how do you 
a) Make your readers/followers feel important? and 
b) Do so without being bombarded daily with 80 bazillion tweets you're not interested in?

Answer: Lists!

Twitter allows you to make both public and private lists. Then you can use a program like Tweetdeck and have your main column just the tweets of people on that list. For instance, I follow over 900, but there are only about 100 on my "super awesome people" list. It's private, so no one can see if they are on my list or not. But this makes it manageable to follow, while I'm still able to follow "in general" the other 800 people in another column if I want. And if I end up interacting with someone who is not on the list and making a connection, it's easy enough to add them to my super awesome list.

Doing this allows me to have my cake and eat it too. I can have my clique of people who I talk with regularly while not alienating new people who may become great friends or readers or whatever one day.

So what do you think of this method? How do you feel when an author you like interacts with you or follows you? How do you feel if they don't do those things? And do you think someone is less awesome if their follow vs. follower ratio is closer to even instead of lopsided?

Today's Theme Song
"High School Never Ends" - Bowling For Soup
(player in sidebar, take a listen)


 

Pre-Branding Yourself as an Author

 

A few weeks ago, I debated on here whether or not I should start up an official (non-blog) website before I've sold a book.  Opinions were mixed, but most people seemed to agree that it really wasn't something to worry about until you got "the call."  So, I decided to reserve my domain name and then put the idea of a website on hold until later.

 

However, this weekend I attended my NTRWA meeting and the topic was marketing and promotion.  And although most of the talk was on how to market and promote yourself once you have sold your manuscript, there was also information for the not yet published.  And lucky for me, the authors who were giving the talk, Nikki Duncan and Misa Ramirez, provided just the answers I was looking for.

They interviewed marketing and publicity people from a number of different publishers (both print and ebook publishers) and asked them the pros and cons of pre-branding yourself as an author.

On the pro side, each person seemed to say the same things:

--It is not necessary to have an online presence before selling the book BUT "there is little advantage to waiting."
--Having an established presence/professional website shows the editors you are serious about your career because you have put forth time, effort, and a little money to put together a website.  It also in an indication that you "understand the importance of branding yourself" and are committed to helping in your own promotion.

The cons these professionals outlined were ones we have complete control over:

--Don't put things out there that will hurt your image.  We talked about that here.
--And don't let it interfere with your writing because obviously the most important thing is that you write the best book.


So after the talk, I made my decision.  I went ahead and created a basic website for myself.  I was a little intimidated by the thought.  My technical savvy is relegated to putting widgets in my sidebar, but I went to homestead.com and found the site very user friendly.  I was able to find a template I liked, then replaced the pics and info with mine.  Everything is drag and drop; you don't have to mess with html if you don't want to.  The only thing I have left to do is transfer my domain there.  But I'm waiting on that to make sure I like homestead for my format (I'm on a free trial right now.)  So for now, www.ronigriffin.com will get you there, but isn't the official address.

 

In addition to my basic info, I have my queries up for both my completed novels.  So, go check it out and let me know what you think.  I truly value your opinions.   

So what do you think about what the industry professionals said about pre-branding?  If you have your own website outside of your blog, feel free to leave the link in the comments.  


 
 

**Today's Theme Song**
"Just a Girl" - No Doubt
(player in sidebar--go ahead, take a listen)