Time to Re-assess Social Marketing

As many of my friends know, I've not been happy with the results of my years of social marketing. I spent a couple of days after I finished writing Discovery to map out what was bugging me the most, and it's that I really don't like all the shouting out to the world, "Hey! Lookie at me!" and I like it even less when all that shouting doesn't get results--i.e., book sales.

Recently, the Writers' Chat Room had discussion on blogs and what attracts readers. We all agreed that they should be entertaining and/or informative and have a unique angle. Many folks take that to be a personal approach--funny stories about their lives, etc.--but I'm not comfortable with that. Frankly, it's one thing I've been getting discontented about. I normally don't like to talk about myself (ironic, I know, but really, call me on the phone and see how I calm up), and when it comes down to it, I don't want people to buy my books because they like me, but because they like the characters.

So...what to do?

Over the next couple of months, I'll be retooling my social marketing efforts to center more around my books and my characters. I'm going to share some of my mad ideas, whether they make it into a story or not. I'll be doing character studies, world notes, favorite quotes... I'll probably keep My Novel's Journey because people do seem to like that, but I'll try to cut down on the me-me-me and concentrate more on the story or the lesson. I'm also going to start posting some serial stories, which I'll be asking for donations to support them. I'm also going to experiment with video blogging, interviewing different writers at conventions and such. Not sure how that will work. I have to play with the technology.

But you tell me: What would make this blog more interesting? How about Facebook/Twitter posts? If you are a writer, what do you do to draw readers? If you are a reader, what kind of posts convince you to take the step from blog to book purchase?

Would you join my book news list?

This week, I forewent writing in order to work on marketing. I'm trying something new by making a mailing list to let folks know about new books coming out. Why?

Have you seen that funny video about Twitter where the guys says, "You're all just shouting in the dark!" Well, when it comes to my books, I feel a lot like that. Despite all my social networking and such, I wonder if I'm actually reaching folks who are interested. I feel in the dark.

I'm looking for the people with the torches--the ones who have an interest in learning more about my books or who know someone who might be interested and are glad to pass the information along. Will you be a torchbearer for me?

Here's how you can help: I'd like to have you in a core list of folks who like my work or (to be brutally honest) like me enough to give me the benefit of a doubt once in a while. When I have a book to promote--one that's come out or one that is getting a boost--I'd like to e-mail you to see if it interests you. If so, let me know and I'll put you on a list to send you a couple more e-mails with more information: a video of the book, a little about how I came to make it, a sample chapter... I'll even try to get it on sale for folks on this list. And if you have a friend who might be interested, I hope you'll pass the info on.

What's in it for you: Each time you opt-in to get more info about a book, I will put your name in a raffle for a copy of one of my books, a t-shirt or tuition for one of my writing classes at SavvyWriters--your choice. And if you recommend me to a friend who then gets on my list--I will put your name in the raffle again.

Click here to respond by April 9, and I will send you a copy of my newly revised short story, "Fern Gullible" from my DragonEye, PI universe. Plus, I'll put you in a raffle for a copy of one of my books, a t-shirt, or tuition for one of my classes at SavvyWriters. I will announce the winner April 11.

Here's hoping you'll be a torchbearer!

(Many of you got this request via e-mail. Thanks for those who responded by joining the list and especially to those who sent personal notes of support, advice and offers of help. I know so many terrific people!)

Author-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder

I have Author-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. It works like this:

I get ready to write a new scene of Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator. As I open Word, I see the previous files, and it reminds me that I still need to write a guest post for my April book tour.

I open a new document to start the guest post, but I remember that I wanted to do a coordinated campaign in conjunction with the tour, so I get some paper and a pencil and start mapping ideas. Mapping ideas reminds me that I wanted to do an e-mail campaign with a program I downloaded.

I open the program and realize I never put in my contact list. Since it's free, I have to do it by hand, so I open up Outlook to get the addresses. When Outlook is open, I see a message from a CWG member announcing the Sunday Night Chat guest. It's just a huge bio, and I think we really need a standard announcement format.

I call the person, and we discuss a format. I write her a template and a list of folks to send it to. I send her the template.

I see another e-mail from a friend asking me to post her book's press release on my website. I have a great list for sending press releases, which is perfect for her book, so I send it to her. This reminds me that I was working on my own contact list.

While writing the contact list, a friend IMs and asks why I am not using an online service. I realize then that my e-mail will only send to 200 people at a time and my list is much bigger. I call my internet server and they cannot change that, but they have an e-marketing service I can try for a month. On impulse, I sign up for it.

I read the service agreement and discover that to use their service, I must only have people who have opted in--but my first e-mail is to ask folks to opt-in. I call the provider again and they say that's fine, as long as there's not a lot of bounced-back. Now I'm worried about some of the older addresses in Outlook.

I go back to the original program, and debate using it to clear the list of bounce-backs then put the list in my paid service. I decide that's more trouble than it's worth and recopy my message to the paid service. My friend IMs with a link to a free service that does more than the one I just paid for.

I go to the free service and see so many features--but nothing that tells me that it will do what I want it to do. I decide to sign up for their webinar for tomorrow.

So, I have been "working" off and on for six hours. My e-mail list is incomplete and needs to be scrubbed. I do not have a message ready to send. I have not even decided on a service. My market plan/schedule is half done, my guest post is blank. I'm frustrated and stressed and feel technologically inept. Plus, I have not started on my scene.

I realize I have Author-Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.

So I write this blog.

Marketing on Amazon

This past week, I let my novels sit and stew while I concentrated on setting up the Catholic Writers Conference Online and put some effort into my author pages on Amazon.

This is something I've been meaning to do for a long time. Amazon is right now the big bear of online selling, so it should not be ignored. I've read many success stories of authors who say their sales increases are due to working Amazon. So this week, I made a list of things to do and got on them.

First, I had to log into amazon's author central. If you do not have an author's central account, get one.https://authorcentral.amazon.com This lets you do a lot of things including adding information about you and your books.

Next, I updated my bio, added some pictures. Simple stuff, though I don't think I'll really have a lot of sales success from them.

Then I opened up each book's page and got to work on the info. This is the stuff like reviews, summaries, etc. Your publisher should fill in some of it, but a lot gets left blank. I put in reviews, the back-cover information and revised the product descriptions where they were the same as the back-cover blurb. I also added my genre-specific bio.

There's an interesting section called "From the Author." You're supposed to add something about why you wrote the book, etc. I put in some snippets from interviews, a guest post I wrote on building the world for Neeta Lyffe, etc. (Time-saving key: re-use what you already have if you can.) It made for an interesting mix, I think.

I read an interesting blog about the importance of tagging books on Amazon, so once or twice a week, I ask folks to tag my books. I post the request on Twitter and Facebook, then to whatever genre-specific group I belong to. I don't know the results yet, but I'll let you know. I've got a record of my amazon ratings.

Also on my list are some sillies like listmania, joining a group or two, etc. I'm aiming for a small task a day.

What are your ideas for Amazon?

Video Book Trailer Class Available

The next class at The Marketing Mentor will be on making your own video book trailer. This is a fun and useful marketing tool, and can take as little as a weekend to put together once you know how. We'll discuss:

--basics of an effective trailer
--where to get free photos and music
--the nuts-and-bolts of working with Windows Movie Maker
--what to do with it when it's done

You must have a computer that can handle Windows Movie Maker or be familiar with your own movie-making program. (The only program I know is Movie Maker, so I won't be able to answer questions on others.)

If you do the homework, you should have your own trailer by the end of class! (Not promising Oscar quality, but fun!)

The class costs $30 and runs 4-5 weeks. Register at http://www.karinafabian.com/index.php?name=Content&pid=24. Payment is via PayPal.

I'd also like to remind folks of my newsletter "The 30-Minute Marketer." Too often we get advice on what marketers should do, but not a lot of direction. IE—we need that coach to tell us "Do this—here's how!" Each week, I give you tasks. You will learn as you do. The newsletter is just $12 for 52 issues. You can sign up at http://www.karinafabian.com/index.php?name=Content&pid=24 (scroll down)

Re-evaluating My Blogging

I've been thinking a lot about my blogs lately. I figure I spend 4-6 hours a week on them--writing, posting, cross-posting--but I don't get a lot of commentary or hits. I also don't feel like I add a lot of unique or useful information to the readership, which is probably why I don't get a lot of hits. Do you really need me to repost a YouTube video or give lessons about writing? Really, the only unique thing about what I have to say is what I say about me or my books. And constantly writing about my own writing is kind of obnoxious. (Though, yes, I do it.)

Lately, I'm wondering if I wouldn't be better off putting that time into articles I can sell, guest blogs I can give to others who do have a readership, press releases or updates on my social networks. Six hours is a LOT of time; used well, it can do phenomenal things for others and myself. Is blogging really the best use of that time?

I know: I'm tipping the sacred cow of writing and marketing on the Internet. But maybe it's time. The Blogsphere is bloated, and so much of it is intellectual junk food. Do I really want to add my fries to that?

This week, I'm asking all the folks in my groups to take this survey and give me their opinion. I'll take it all under advisement, then give everyone the results and announce my decision.

Book Signing = Sitting

BTW, BX is the Base Exchange, kind of a mini-mall on the Air Force base.

Need a Socialite's Guide to Social Networks

Social Networking 101, anyone?

I've never been a social person. I was shy and unpopular in school, had a small cadre of friends in college (who I hardly hear from anymore), and don't have a lot of local friends as an adult. When I was in the military, my lack of insight into the social structure of the workplace hurt people's impression of me; like one commander told me, "You do excellent work, but no one knows it."

Small talk doesn't make sense to me. If I need something, I ask for it; if I get it, I think the person. If I don't, I ask again. I'm a good nag. If I see someone in need, I offer to help. I'm a good helper, too. What I'm not good at is the in-between: just hanging out, making contact for the sake of contact, calling someone up "just 'cause." I feel like I'm wasting their time--and I guess I give the impression that someone who did that to me is wasting mine.

You'd think, then, that writing would be the ideal job for me. I sit at my computer, wrapped in my own little world, chat with writer friends via IM or the couple of chats I attend, and sometimes meet others in person at conventions or events. If I need to interview someone, I've no compunction about getting on the phone and cold-calling.

Unfortunately, my social ineptitude is hurting me where marketing is concerned. I belong to a few dozen social networking sites, form MySpace to Ning, Yahoo to forum groups. I make my little sites, post my little news...but then what?

I really hate glitter graphic comments of "Have a happy..." I don't want a strawberry on facebook. When someone posts news on a Yahoo group and I see there are already 20 congratulations, I don't feel like I need to add to the traffic just to add a "ditto." And while I answer questions and occasionally ask for help, I feel like most of the time, I'm just promoting myself as a product. I don't much like that either.

So, like in high school, I'm present. I'm known. But am I "popular"?

No one gave me a handbook on how to be popular in high school. I'm still looking for one on how to make real connections on social network sites. Telling me to just leave comments is very artificial to me. what do I say if I don't want to post a useless glitter smiley?

Got any ideas?

Marketing Tip: What's in a Name? You May Be Surprised

Found this article in Sharing With Writers, a newsletter of the Authors Coalition, which is full of fantastic marketing ideas and sound advice. If you like it, consider subscribing. it's free: To subscribe to Sharing with Writers send an e-mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HoJoNews@aol.com.

New Studies in Why We Buy

Judging Products by Familiar Names: New studies confirm that we don't care much about the quality of something or maybe even the cost; we judge products by what they're called and how well we know that name. The University of Cologne asked participants to pick between to airlines, one with a name they knew and one without. Mot chose the name they recognized.
Then the researchers planted negative suggestions about the big - name airline's safety record. People still chose the big - name, big - recognized airline. So, tell me that marketing your name (first) and your title (second) isn't important and I'll tell you that you've got it backward. Your name will be around a lot longer than any one specific title.

You might want to read Gerd Gigerenzer's Gut Feelings: The Intelligence of the Unconscious. You'll be convinced of the effectiveness of repeated exposure to a brand (yep, your name, your book's title). As a psychologist the Max Planck Institute for Human Development, this author conducted a study. People sampled peanut butter from three different sources. All were the same peanut butter but 75% of the testers thought the butter in jar that had a brand name on it was better than the other. Stanford did a similar study with French fries and the ones in MacDonald's packages won mouth - down. Now, for my theory. Yeah, it's great if you can get on Oprah. But with many (MANY!) links and mentions all over the web a few mentions in print, and maybe even a review or two, you can be a brand name to your niche audience. It's grassroots branding and most branding starts that way.