Holiday Book Marketing Made Easy

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

The holidays are such a busy time, with shopping and events and special time with family. The last thing you want to do is worry about marketing your books!

The good news? A successful holiday marketing plan is best put together early, leaving you to focus on what matters when the holidays actually arrive. So what should be on your list? 

Let's think like a shopper...

The Power of a Bucket List

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

This morning, I was telling a friend how proud I was that he’s taken the initiative to accomplish something he’s wanted to do for years. In his case, the accomplishments involved Invisalign and a pretty serious diet, but it made me think back to several years ago when I first created my bucket list.

The idea of a bucket list had been on my mind for a while, and I finally took the initiative when January 1^st rolled around. You want to know what was the first item I listed?

"Write a novel that's published"

How to Market a New Release

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

One of the questions I receive most often is from authors is, "How do I promote my new book?" 

Whether it be your debut release or book #5 (or #105) marketing a new release can often be daunting. 

But it doesn't have to be!

Through the months of June, July, and August, I shared all the different marketing options available to authors. And there are a lot of opportunities! But the list can be intimidating, so let me break it down into critical steps for a new release. 

Facebook Ads Demystified

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

We've discussed before how Facebook Ads have become one of my "go-to" marketing tools. I get a lot of furrowed brows when I say that, so today let's take a moment to walk through the ad set-up - especially the crucial pieces to make sure the ad:

1. is seen by your target market and
2. gives you the highest possible ROI (return on your investment).

First, let me outline a few of the particular advantages of Facebook advertising:

My Book Marketing "Ah-ha!"

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

My Big "Ah-ha!"

Over the past few months, I've been under several intense writing deadlines, and had to step back from my regular book marketing schedule. I still kept up a few high-return advertising activities (see what those are at THIS POST), but my focus was mostly on writing to meet deadlines.

During this time, I was able release one book each month for four out of five months. So many of us have heard that nothing markets your books like producing more books, however I've recently learned the hard way that statement isn't quite true - at least for me. Even with so many new books being released over the last five months, my sales have steadily declined. Not enough to create widespread panic, but enough for me to realize the truth of the following equation:

Dollars & Sense for Writers—Guidelines on Where and How to Spend Your Money—Part Four

This is an ongoing series designed to give writers guidelines on where & when to spend your money. 


If you missed the first three posts in the series you can find them here:

• Part One: Which Organizations Should I Join & Why

• Part Two: Which Books Should I Own and Which Should I get at the Library—and What About Magazines, are They Still Relevant?

• Part Three:  How to Evaluate Writing Workshops & Classes

Writing Conferences—When Am I Ready for One & Which One Should I choose

I have my favorites, of course! But just because they’re my favorites doesn’t mean they are the best choice for YOU. I’ve tried to break it all down and give you some things to consider so you can make an informed decision.

The first thing you should consider is your experience level. You need to look at where you are with your writing, that will be the biggest factor in your decision. As you look at the categories realize that your experience may overlap.

Beginner

• Never submitted anything for publication.
• Hasn’t told many people he writes.
• Has submitted a couple of things, but nothing published.

Advanced Beginner

• Has several rejection letters and a couple of acceptances.
• Is a member of a local or online writing group.
• Regularly reads articles or books about writing.

Intermediate

• Has attended a writers event (either a workshop, conference or online class).
• Has an idea of where he wants to go with his writing.
• Has been paid for his writing.

Advanced

• Spends time each day working at the craft of writing and has an income derived from writing.
• Has definite goals and aspirations for his writing.

Once you know which group you fall into, it’s easier to evaluate each individual event. There are 2 reasons to attend a writers event.

• To learn more about the craft of writing
.
• To network with professionals within the writing world
.

Here’s a general breakdown of what is usually offered at each kind of event.

These events vary slightly, so the following information is generalized. You should read all brochures and websites carefully to know what to expect.

Large, National Writing Conference

Expect lots of classes for a wide variety of writers - from beginner to advanced.

• Continuing Classes – these are classes that last for more than one class period and concentrate on one subject. Even though they are continuing, they rarely provide advanced information on a given subject.

• Workshops – these are classes that give an introduction to a concept (like dialogue, plot or setting).

• Breakouts or Panels – these are groups of professionals giving instruction on a given subject. The information here is usually very basic.

• Appointments with Faculty – most large conferences include a private appointment with a member of the faculty. This is where you would pitch a book or article idea to an editor. It can also be valuable to let a seasoned author look at your writing and give one-on-one feedback.

Regional or Local Writing Conference

These tend to have more classes for the beginner and advanced beginner writer, although there are exceptions. Depending on the length of time, the conference will follow the same basic setup as a national conference.

Workshop or Seminar

Many of these are very specific in what they offer. They aren’t for a large number of writers and generally target the intermediate or advanced writer.

The important thing to remember is that it’s never a good idea to write in a vacuum. I have always tried to attend one large conference a year—as a student—to expose myself to the writing industry, both for networking and education. I also try to attend at least one focused workshop or seminar each year I and I try to keep my eyes open for online writing courses and take at least two a year.

Let's share our experiences with specific conferences and events. Leave comments about ones you've attended and how they've helped your writing journey.

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for SouthernWriters Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES.

Dollars & Sense for Writers—Guidelines on Where & When to Spend Your Money—Part Three

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

This is an ongoing series designed to give writers guidelines on where & when to spend your money. If you missed the first two posts in the series you can find them here:

Part One: Which Organizations Should I Join & Why

Part Two: Which Books Should I Own and Which Should I Get atthe Library—and What About Magazines, are They Still Relevant?

Dollars & Sense for Writers— Guidelines on Where & When to Spend Your Money—Part Two

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

Last week, I began this series on Dollars & Sense for Writers Part One. I gave you a run-down on where to start by suggesting you look for a local writers group and an online group or two. Today I’d like to continue by looking at books and magazines for writers.

As a writer, I love books. Beyond that, I love books about writing. I have an extensive library of books on the craft of stringing words together—truthfully more than I need. But early on in my career I just couldn’t pass up a recommended book. Looking back I should have spent more time at the library than on buying books.

Dollars & Sense for Writers—Guidelines on Where & When to Spend Your Money—Part One

by Edie Melson @EdieMelson

I remember what it was like when I was just starting out as a writer. I thought it was something I wanted to do. I even felt like it was something God called me to do. It’s an exciting time—a time when we’re trying on the moniker of writer.

It’s also a time when we’re deciding exactly how big a commitment we’re going to make. We evaluate how much time we’ll spend an how much money we’ll invest. And it’s rarely an all-ahead-full sort of decision. I took it one step at a time. I would try something, evaluate the results and then readjust.

It was about the time of my first few forays into the writing world that I discovered this writing thing can get expensive . . . fast. 

There are books to buy, organizations to join, classes and workshops to take, even conferences to attend—all without a single bit of profit to support these investments. My budget was limited and I had to make some judgments about where to spend my money.

Today, after many years in the business, I’d like to offer some guidelines on where and when to spend your money. It’s not always a straight-forward answer, but I’m going to try to cover most situations.

Which Organizations Should I join and Why

I’d say one of the most valuable ways to learn about writing specifically and the publishing industry in general is by joining organizations. It’s important that you don’t just concentrate on learning to write, but you also need to know the process of publication so you can begin to earn money. Here is what I suggest.

1. Find a local group. Good places to look are local libraries and bookstores. They will often have a listing of any local writing groups. You can also do a search online. I know it’s not always possible to find a local group, but that’s where I always recommend you start.

2. Find an online group. There are many excellent national groups that have an online presence. I’m a member of several. Here are some I can recommend:

• ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers): is for Christian fiction writers. The membership is reasonable, starting at $50 per year. It also offers lots of benefits to members, including free online classes from publishing professionals, a national conference, and an email loop where you can ask writing related questions.

• My Book Therapy: This is another fiction group, specializing in Christian fiction. It’s a bit smaller and there is a free membership option. That’s good to give you a chance to try it out before you invest money.

• Word Weavers International: This is a great critique group option. They have local groups, as well as an online presence. This group was developed over years of experience in what works to help new and even more advanced writers.

• SCBWI (Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators): This is specifically for those who write for children and young adults.

• ASJA (American Society of Journalists & Authors): This is specifically for the non-fiction writers.

• RWA (RomanceWriters of America): This is a national group for romance writers, and ACFW actual was formed from the membership of RWA.

• NWU (Nationa WritersUnion): I’m not a member of the national freelance writers group, but it’s a reputable group and I hear good things about it.

• NWA (NationalWriters Association): Again, I’m not a member, but this is another reputable group that I hear good things from.

So which of these choices should you make? It depends, in a large part, on what you want to write and where you want your career to go. I recommend you start local, if possible, and look for recommendations.

If you don’t have a local group, you can often find communities of writers through writing blogs. There are a large number of regular readers here on my site and they will be more than happy to give recommendations about this sort of thing.

I’m out of room for today’s post, but below are the topics I’ll be sharing in subsequent posts:

• Which Books Should I Own and Which Should I Get at the Library—and What About Magazines, are They Still Relevant?

• How Do I Evaluate Which Classes I Need or Could Benefit From

• Conferences—When Am I Ready for One and Which One Should I choose

• Website—When Should I Spend the Money? 

• When & How to Hire a Freelance Editor?

Now it’s your turn. What questions do you have about organizations and what other things would you like to see covered in this series? Be sure to leave your thoughts below.

Edie Melson is the author of numerous books, as well as a freelance writer and editor. Her blog, The Write Conversation, reaches thousands each month. She’s the co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains ChristianWriters Conference and the Social Media Mentor at My Book Therapy. She’s also the Military Family Blogger at Guideposts. Com, Social Media Director for SouthernWriters Magazine and the Senior Editor for NovelRocket.com. Connect with her on Twitter and Facebook. Don't miss her new book from Worthy Inspired, WHILE MY SOLDIER SERVES.

My All Time Favorite Marketing Tools

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Over the past twelve weeks, we've discussed a myriad of ways to market books, some free and some paid but with a higher ROI (return on investment). 

Today, I'm going to share the marketing activities that are my Go To's. Those that have become my mainstays (my low-hanging fruit). As I help others develop their marketing strategies, these are approaches that I always highly recommend. With each item below, I'll link to the blog post that discusses the "how to" in more detail. 

Are you ready? Let's hit the list!

Book Marketing in Nutshell - Part 2

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

This is the final week in our marketing workshop, and we're highlighting the final takeaways from the course. Sort of the "Cliff's Notes" version. :)

Last week we discussed prerequisites and advertising. This week, we'll cover the rest!

Book Marketing in Nutshell - Part 1

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

As we wrap up the marketing workshop over these last two weeks, let's go back through and highlight some of the takeaways from the course. Sort of the "Cliff's Notes" version. :)

No marketing approach will be very successful unless you have solid prerequisites in place:

•      Book cover that sparks emotion in target reader
•      Product description (back cover blurb) that hooks
•      Good reviews to validate book quality

How to Plan a Successful In-Person Author Event

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

Last week, we discussed online "appearances," but no marketing workshop would be complete without covering in-person events.

These are the traditional author appearances many of us think about:

How Blog Tours Can Build Visibility for Your Book

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

As we come to week nine in our marketing workshop, let's talk…appearances. 

No, not first impressions, although that can be connected. Today we're talking about online appearances.

Remember, as I covered in another post once you have the pre-requisites in place (cover that sparks emotion, product description that hooks, and good reviews to validate quality) your main goal in bookselling is Visibility. 

How To Make Your Blog a Useful Marketing Tool

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

These days, it's become almost mandatory for authors to blog. Blogging can be a great tool, but it's important to determine your goals so you can develop clear expectations of your desired outcome. 

Are you blogging to build relationships with readers? Or are you blogging to actively gain new readers for your books?

How to Create Your Best Book Marketing Strategy

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

"I hate marketing!" 

If I had a nickel for every time a writer said that, I would be living debt-free on a 2000 acre ranch in the Montana mountains. :) 

The fact is...book marketing doesn't have to be hard. Yet many writers hate it for one (or both) of two reasons. 

1. They don't know exactly what to do. I'm hoping to help you take the sting out of this obstacle as we proceed through this 12-week workshop. You may not be an expert when we're done, but I want you to at least have an understanding of the options available to you.
2. They try to force an uncomfortable marketing strategy to fit them and their book. There is not a single marketing approach that's right for every book. 

Coming from the corporate world, I'm an avid proponent of the "low-hanging fruit" strategy. 

9 Ways to Get More Book Reviews

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

So we hear all the time word of mouth is what sells books, right?

The Amazon review is one of the most powerful word-of-mouth tools you'll ever encounter. Is your book well-researched? Your readers will appreciate that and mention it in their reviews. Did you forget to tie up loose ends in your story line? You'll be called out on it, I guarantee. Potential readers often look at the reviews to see if they're willing to spend precious money and time to read your story. Hone your craft and write the best story possible, and your reviews will reflect it.

How many reviews do you need? Many writers say it seems there's something "magical" about reaching twenty-five. After that, they seem to come so much easier and quicker. The more reviews you have with a four- or five-star rating, the more comfortable a potential reader will be taking a chance on your book.

So let's take an extra minute to talk through methods for garnering reviews.

The Scoop on Advertising: Part 5 ~ Lots of Options!

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

As we talk through paid advertising that works, let's discuss some of the other miscellaneous advertising options that can be be very successful! 

Social Media Paid Ads: 

Facebook ads are the most popular, but most of the social media sites have this option. Twitter, Pinterest. Google+ (through Google AdWords that we’ve already discussed). Even Instagram announced this week that they’re opening advertising to a wider range of businesses (including authors).

The Scoop on Advertising: Part 4 ~ The Mighty Sword of E-mail Distribution

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

As we talk through paid advertising that works, we’ve finally come to one of the most successful:

Targeted email distribution.

This is one of my all-time favorite marketing methods, because this is the way I see the biggest spike in sales. It also works well with my introverted personality. :)

The Scoop on Advertising: Part 3 ~ Pay-per-click Ads?

By Misty M Beller @MistyMBeller

Free Workshop in Progress: This summer on our ACFW-SC chapter blog we are happy to welcome one of our members, Misty M. Beller, for a special 12-week workshop on Marketing. Misty has experienced great success marketing her first novel and later ones, consistently selling 10,000 books a month. Join this free workshop and be blessed. Be sure to leave a comment and tweet the blogs to your friends. 

Elva Cobb Martin, President, ACFW-SC Chapter  www.elvamartin.com

As we talk through book advertising options, this week we’ll move into paid advertising. In my opinion, one of the most under-utilized options out there are Pay-Per-Click campaigns!

What is it? This concept has been around for a while, and Google AdWords is probably the most well-known venue. Basically, you create an ad and attach keywords to the ad. When a user types one of your keywords in a search field, your ad competes in a bidding war with other ads that have the same keyword. The ads that are the highest bidder(s) are shown to the user, but you are only charged your bidded price if the user clicks on your ad. Basically, you only pay if they click.

So far, I’ve tried PPC campaigns on Goodreads, Amazon, and Google AdWords, so here’s a quick recap of my experiences:

Amazon pay-per-click options are only available for independent authors who use the kdp.com program for ebooks. If you fall in that category, the program is nice because it shows you how many actual book sales were generated from clicks on your ad. My ratio on Amazon for my first campaign was approximately 1000 impressions (meaning my ad was shown 1000 times) to one click. That’s fairly close to the industry standard, I’ve been told.

It’s extremely easy to create a campaign! Just go into your KDP dashboard, select your book, and it walks you through the process. You’ll need to set a maximum bid amount and a total budget for the campaign, then decide whether you want it to spread the bids over the course of the campaign or use the budget as quickly as possible. Last but not least, you create a headline, then submit! Here’s a glance at a recent campaign I’ve created:

Goodreads has a similar set-up process. My results for my Goodreads PPC campaign has been thousands and thousands of impressions, but very few clicks. That tells me either my ad is not very attractive, or my keywords aren’t hitting my target reader. I need to work on that one! The good news is, it’s getting my book out there in front of a lot of potential readers. Good visibility! However that visibility won’t be as helpful if I’m not hitting my target reader.

One other nice benefit Goodreads offers is a daily email showing the progress of the campaign. The email tells how many views the ad has received, how many clicks, how much money spent, how many people have added the book to one of their Goodreads shelves, and more!

Google AdWords: I tend to have a much higher success rate on clicks per impression with AdWords, so I use this Pay-Per-Click method the most! There is a bit more set-up required, you’ll list keywords that determine when the ads show. The site helps by suggesting a lot of keywords similar to your product, and you can select as many as you want! It also gives great feedback on estimated number of views based on the keywords you choose.

Here’s a quick glance at the results from the last AdWords campaign I ran:

A couple of nice benefits to AdWords:

• They have people available you can call to help with set-up, strategy, keywords, etc. This is available at no extra charge.
• Many website providers provide a $100 AdWords credit (after you spend $25). If your web provider offers this, you ABSOLUTELY should take them up on it!

So now it’s your turn! Have you used a Pay-Per-Click campaign? Did you find it successful? Any best practices you can share? 

Or if you have questions on any of the info I’ve mentioned here, let’s hear ’em!

Misty M. Beller writes Christian historical romance, and is author of the bestselling novels The Lady and the Mountain Man and The Lady and the Mountain Doctor.

Misty was raised on a farm in South Carolina, so her Southern roots run deep. About ten years ago, she made a career change from farm life into the business world, where she now works as a Senior Manager and Director of Process & Training. Her husband and two daughters are gifts from God, keeping her both grounded and crazy.