Showing posts with label book promotion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book promotion. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Writerly Things: Black Friday-Cyber Monday Promo Results

Hello my lovelies,

As you may (or may not) know, I did my first Black Friday through Cyber Monday promo....
and was very disappointed with the results. Because results are what matter, right?

Let's start with the good stuff:

I got several shares during my promo (thanks everyone on Facebook and Twitter who shared!)

I noticed something interesting on Facebook. I did not promote my posts as my budget is... limited at best. Facebook gave my promotional posts a lot less exposure than my other posts. (None got more than 20 views, even though most of my posts get 40+ views at any given time.) Very shady, Facebook!

I got a lot more engagement on Twitter, despite not promoting my posts. Makes me more inclined to spend my valuable limited budget there.

I got about the same number of views directly on my blog. I also shared on Pinterest and Google + and with several promo groups on Facebook, Google +, LinkedIn and Goodreads, but got no notable reaction.



Fortunately, I did not spend a penny, but I did spend upwards of 15 hours of effort in planning, promoting, and after analysis.

At my other jobs, 15 hours of work gross's me $300.

From my promo? $9.38

Ouch.

Back to the drawing board.

What are your top tips for promotion? Share in the comments below.


Sunday, April 19, 2015

Update on the Homefront

Things are about to get very exciting. I have in my hands Lynette White's Enemy Unmasked, and am beginning edits tonight! She is releasing in July so I will have my hands full getting her to market in time. But I am excited for the challenge.

I am also going to be gearing up to edit Hell School: Fresh Meat for a September release, as I don't want to be rushed between Lynette's release and my own.

I also have the sequel for The Hunters demanding to be put to paper. It has started haunting my dreams so I best stop ignoring that.

What does all this mean for my lovely readers?

Well, you will probably be seeing more posts about editing... and less book reviews. I am bummed too, believe me. But at the same time, it is refreshing to get back to editing!

You will also be seeing a lot more of my poetry posts as they are quicker and easier, given the important stuff is already written.

If you need me, please be patient. Things are going to be a bit crazy busy around here!


Friday, February 13, 2015

Writer's Ramblings on Marketing

Before I get going on this ramble, I want you all to know that I am going to have a special post on the 14th as part of a sort of Anti-Valentine's day blog hop being done by several horror writers. Be sure to come by and check out my post, and then visit the link to the other authors posts. It is sure to be fun!

Alright, so on to the ramble of marketing. My "real job" is working for an advertising company promoting programmatic advertising. A really great tool. I actually took the job in hopes of being able to pay for my own campaign eventually. After a year, I can't quite afford the campaign. But I love talking to people about programmatic.
Image Courtesy of Death To Stock

I have started a sort of mini version of the campaign on my own, hoping to boost sales to the point where I can afford a full campaign with my company one day. I love doing content writing, like these blog posts. I love creating ads, setting up blog hops, getting reviews, doing book shows and many of the other aspects of marketing. I love engaging with readers on Goodreads, Wattpad, and figment.

But I have spent more on marketing than I have made. I spend more time on marketing than I get to spend writing. I feel like no matter what I do, it doesn't seem to be making an impact. If I am lucky, any single social media post gets 20 views. I can count the number of people reading any single blog post on one hand (Thanks mom!)  My all-time website hits are less than most companies get in a month. I've tried doing Youtube video reviews, but the time and effort just weren't worth the limited exposure. I need to do more research on making videos more efficiently.

I am a jack of many trades, and a master of none. Sometimes I wonder if the time and money I am investing in promotion is a waste. I wonder if I would be better off investing that time in my writing exclusively. I wonder if I should hire others to do the marketing for me. And yet I cannot invest such huge amounts of money without knowing if I will get better results than what I have achieved myself.

Despite getting very positive reviews for all of my books, I have not seen that those reviews have helped with sales. Despite starting ad campaigns through social media, adwords, and other sources, I have not seen an uptick in sales. Part of the problem is that I make so little on each book sale that it is hard to recoup that in marketing. Part of the problem is that a lot of the "free" media that once was available has been diverted to those willing to pay. (I am totally calling out Facebook here!!!)

It is hard to build a grass roots campaign. I need people to share and tell others about my work. But how do I inspire you to share? How do I get in front of you wonderful readers when there are so many others competing for your attention?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Are you wondering how you can help?  I know I am not the only writer struggling with this. You can help. Share your favorite authors. Help us get the word out about our books. Write a review when you read a book. Tell your social media fans what you are reading. Pin books. Retweet, share Facebook posts, share our blog posts, Tell us what you think.

Until next time,

Keep Reading!

Friday, January 9, 2015

Best Laid Plans


Hello my lovely readers, we have an exciting guest post today from author Anne Conley, sharing her story. For those who are fans of romance, this looks like a fun read! 

Let me let Anne tell you about her story.

Once upon a time, I wrote a short story for an anthology.  The anthology didn't do all that well, and after about six months or so, I decided to re-write the story, and make it longer.  It's a cute story, fluffy, not like most of the Stories of Serendipity.  But I like it, and the readers that I've heard from so far like it too.

This go-around, I'm trying out KU, so at the moment, The Best Laid Plans of Boys and Men is only available on Kindle.  But it's FREE to KU members, so I'm hoping it will help me gain some exposure and maybe even a few new fans...
The Best Laid Plans of Boys and Men tells the story of the whirlwind May/December romance between Taylor and Alexander. While Taylor is completely caught off guard by Alexander’s maturity and the difference between him and every other boy she’s dated, Alexander’s busy trying to figure out how to tell her he’s the lawyer suing her pants off. 

Here is the Amazon Link I hope everyone enjoys this little story of mine, about Alexander and Taylor.  I sure did enjoy writing it!
Excerpt from the first chapter of The Best Laid Plans of Boys and Men:
Alexander
The bell tinkling over the door announced his entrance into The Unique Hairtique, and Alexander was immediately assaulted by the scents of chemicals and shampoo.  Why did women put this shit on their hair?  This was why he went to a barber shop for his trims.  Clean smells were what he was used to, not this…
“Hi!  Can I help you?” He looked into the eyes of an angel—eyes which were a deep hazel, moss green fading to an earthy brown at the edges.  She was standing at the station nearest to the door, sweeping hair from the floor.
“Uh…yeah.”  He found himself swallowing past a sudden lump in his throat, wondering where it had come from.  Alexander Gibson was never at a loss for words, but the dark blonde hair piled into a messy bun with tendrils artfully escaping called to him.  “I need a trim.”
“I can get you.  Come have a seat.”  She emptied the dustpan into a trash can and opened a drawer on a rolling cart, whipping out a smock for him to wear.  “Same style, just a little shorter, right?”  Her fingers ran through his dark hair, sending a tremor of goose bumps up his arms.  They toyed with the silvery hairs at his temples, lightly plucking the shock of hair over his forehead.  “You like this long on top?  Or do you want it out of the way?”
“What do you think?”  For some reason he wanted her opinion.  She was quite a bit younger than him, but he was fascinated by her—her lips, her eyelashes, the rosy bloom on her cheeks.  He’d always had that shock of hair there; he didn’t particularly like his hair super-short.  It was one of his best features, not that he was vain about it, but women seemed to like to play with that particular part. 
“I think it’s sexy,” she grinned at Alexander, and he felt a stirring under the smock at the way her lips formed the word.  He thought she was sexy too, but he kept that to himself.
He grinned back at her, suddenly feeling twenty years younger.  “Then I’ll keep it.”  He watched as she grabbed the spray bottle from the cart to wet his hair.  “Um… can I get the works?  A shampoo and everything?”  He suddenly wanted to prolong this experience.  What had started as a chore had turned into something he needed to savor.  He’d never had everything done for him at his barber shop, but the need to feel this angel’s hands in his hair was suddenly extreme.
Her eyes widened in surprise, but that was the only reaction to a man asking for the pampering afforded by a place like this.  Most men he knew only let the stylist wet their hair and then cut it.  She swiftly hung the spray bottle back on the cart and smiled again.  Her smile aligned something in Alexander’s insides.  This woman was doing something to him, and he couldn’t explain it.  Nor did he want her to stop.
“Sure.  Follow me back here.”  She turned and strode to the back of the shop where a row of sinks waited.  He watched her backside move under the tight black capris she wore, pretending he had ex-ray vision, ridiculously glad for the smock hiding his stiffy.
Five minutes later, Alexander was officially in some erotic heaven he’d never experienced before, and he’d completely forgotten why he’d come here in the first place, only that he never wanted to leave.  “…Christ…”  Words could not describe the feelings of her hands on his head, massaging his scalp, running through his hair, lathering it up.  “That feels so good.”  He looked up at her to see a smirk on her face.
“It’s the best part of the whole hair-cutting experience.”  Her smirk turned to a wicked grin, and Alexander was helpless to stop his raging boner.  He crossed his legs to hide the bulge.  Instead, he focused on what he could see of the woman hovering over him, rocking back and forth with her movements.
This was quite possibly the most sensual thing he’d ever experienced.  While she washed, his eyes crept to her exposed cleavage and the black lace peeking from the black v-neck t-shirt she wore.  He watched the cleavage bounce—smooth white skin, marked with a tiny mole at the top of her left breast—as she lathered his hair vigorously.  Her toned biceps and forearms flexed with the movements, and he was powerless to do anything besides close his eyes and relax with a groan.  As soon as his eyes closed, her scent overwhelmed him—a light floral scent, mixed with an underlying musk that screamed female.  He inhaled deeply, desperate to cling to the images of skin sliding across skin, tangled sheets, and sweat that suddenly invaded his mind.



Who knew haircuts could be so steamy?!

Anne was kind enough to send me a copy and I will be reviewing it in the coming weeks. Anyone want to read along and do a group review? Go download your free copy and let me know in the comments below. I will get in touch with you before my post to get your thoughts on the book as well!