One of the major problems facing authors today is finding their reading audience. With the marketing burden being placed more and more on the writer’s shoulders, building an on-line presence and interacting with readers is becoming the popular way to go.
If you’re a gifted author who is fortunate enough to sell
out your first printing quickly, you probably don’t need to read this study. ‘Be sure to tune in later as things are
achangin’.
But if you are like the most of the authors in today’s
market place, finding readers and building relationships is the key to your sales
success. Authors are setting goals and trying to use social media to accomplish
them. They are joining groups of all kinds and using on-line tools to find
their readers. Authors have to overcome a lot of problems. They find out quickly they
must take action and work hard to succeed.
It is study time again and I am fortunate to have a group of
outstanding, Award-winning authors whose opinions I value highly. Over 30
authors helped me with this study.
Starting Point
You must know your audience before you to start looking for
your readers. Several authors in our group discussed where to start.
Dianne Harman
Author Dianne Harman @DianneDHarman is Award Winning
Bestseller Romance author. Dianne explains the problem.
Finding a reading audience is one of the most difficult
things an author has to deal with, particularly if you write contemporary
fiction which crosses several genres…I'm a believer that no one is going to
look for your works if they're under a rock, so I think multi-exposure is
critical. If you write in a very specific genre, I think it's much easier to
target your audiences.
Luke Romyn
International
Best-Selling Author Luke Romyn @LukeRomyn
writes Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy novels.
Luke echoes the problem.
In today’s writing market, indie authors are faced with the
most daunting of tasks: promoting themselves. For myself I rely heavily on
social media, with around 320,000 followers on Twitter and over 12K on Facebook
and Goodreads, it’s a decent chunk to market to. Hopefully they, in turn,
repeat what I’m posting and it expands exponentially from there, in theory.
Start by defining your genre
R.S. Guthrie
5-Star Mystery Author R.S. Guthrie@rsguthrie
writes Mystery & Thrillers, essays, and short stories. Rob says this.
[Seek] the specific reader groups for your genre on
Goodreads, Facebook, or any other social site. When specifically looking for
readers, you want to target forums, groups, etc. that closely match
your writing. No sense spending a lot of time in Romance groups when you
write Science Fiction. :)
Brent Hartinger
Brent Hartinger @brenthartinger
is the author of The Russel Middlebrook series. The movie version of his novel:
Geography Club will be released later in 2013. Brent’s advice on genre.
You just happen to write something that fits the cultural
zeitgeist at a particular time, or is in a genre that is unexpectedly breaking
(vampire, erotica, dystopian, etc.). Talent counts for something here, and I
know others have found success buying reviews or manipulating the Amazon
logarithms, but I think this kind of success is mostly just organic.
S.R. Grey
Author S.R. Grey @AuthorSRGrey is the Author of the A
Harbour Falls Mystery series. Susie talks about the start.
At the time, and as a new author, I knew I had to make the
right contacts from the start. For me, those contacts included readers who were
interested in Romance novels, Mystery novels, and/or Romantic Suspense books.
One of the best ways to find and get to know those readers is by creating a
strong and active presence in social media.
In the current publishing landscape, establishing a
readership base is essential for an author to achieve any level of success with
his or her novel(s). For me, embarking on this vital step began long before my
first novel, Harbour Falls, was published.
Goal Setting
You need to set goals and develop a strategy to accomplish
them. Building relationships and creating name recognition by engaging your
followers to gain exposure is very important.
Strategy
John Huffman
Award winning Indie
Author John
W. Huffman @johnwhuffman writes
Historical Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers. John talks about a basic approach.
I work through all venues available to me, such as blogs,
email, twitter, pinterest, facebook, multi-authors networks, online interviews,
and support groups on a daily basis...and your network is an excellent example.
Mohana Rajakumar
Award-winning Author Mohana Rajakumar
@moha_doha is an author based in Qatar. She has a PhD and has been involved in
various foundations supporting young writers. Mohana adds this.
I use social media to 'give'; I share posts, comment on
people's blogs, and in general am a reader so that when I need readers they can
do that for me.
Ron Fritsch
Author Ron Fritsch @RonFritsch is a self-published Historical
Fiction Writer. Ron shares his approach.
So how do I find readers? I write fiction appealing to
readers who are willing to read something different -- as long as it
makes sense and speaks more to the ages than the moment. I find those readers
through honest book awards competitions and reviewing services. My first
three novels have won a total of ten awards and a number of highly favorable
reviews.
Find and build relationships
Cate Beauman
Author Cate
Beauman is a Romance, Mystery
& Thrillers Writer. Cate had this to say about relationships.
I think the most important part of finding and keeping
readers IS the relationship we build with our audience. There's a fine line
between promoting our work and being annoying. Yes, we want to keep our readers
in the know with what we're working on and when our latest releases will hit
the market, but if all we talk about is selling, selling, selling, we're not
building lasting relationships.
Readers want to know who we are. If they take the time to
e-mail us, it's vital to respond. If they make comments on our facebook fan
pages, do them the courtesy of replying. If as authors we're constantly taking
but not giving in return, we're turning people off. Each reader is a customer,
but more, they are people looking to build a connection.
Name recognition
R.S. Guthrie
5-Star Mystery Author R.S. Guthrie@rsguthrie
writes Mystery & Thrillers, essays, and short stories. Rob discusses the
importance of being recognized.
Early on it's about name recognition. You aren't going to
sell a ton of books on Social Media anyway; it's really more about a positive
presence. RETWEET a lot! Help other authors out (especially more established
ones).
They'll notice the assists and most will respond in kind.
Make sure you have an author page on each of the major sites (FB, Goodreads,
Amazon, B&N).
Engage - Reach out
C. S. Lakin
Award-winning Author Susanne Lakin @CSLakin is the author of the
seven-book fantasy series The Gates of Heaven. Also, Susanne is a freelance
copyeditor and writing coach. Susanne comments on engaging readers.
I feel it’s more casting a wide net of your presence online
and responding back to readers, engaging them where you can.
Exposure
Claude Bouchard
Best-Selling Author Claude
Bouchard @ceebee308 writes
Mystery & Thrillers novels in the Vigilante Series. Claude had this to say.
What it boils down to is exposure and looking to continuously expand it. The more people hear or read about an author and his/her work, the higher probability of finding new readers.
Price/Places
Joseph Lallo
Joseph Lallo @jrlallo is
a bestselling author of the Science Fiction & Fantasy series: The Book of
Deacon Trilogy. Joseph adds an important point:
For me, I find that finding readers is more about making
your book available in the places and for the prices that people most look for
them. I try to keep the prices of my books reasonable, and I price the entry
book of a series lower than the rest to offer an incentive to new readers.
Using Social Media
Having a strategy is required if you are looking for results
from social media. Using Twitter and Facebook is all about engaging and
building relationships.
General
Melody Anne
NYT and USA Today Best Selling Author Melody
Anne @authmelodyanne is the author of many Romance and Young Adult novels. Melody
speaks about her approach.
I use these as communication and
promotion tools. I love speaking with my fans and try to answer as many
questions as possible, though it's getting harder and harder as I have a lot
more messages coming in. I also do all my promotions through all of these
sites, such as giveaways of iPads, Kindles and gift cards.
Claude Bouchard
Best-Selling Author Claude
Bouchard @ceebee308 writes
Mystery & Thrillers novels in the Vigilante Series. Claude added this.
I can't see how my presence on
social media sites didn't help in finding readers. It's through these very
sites that I receive interview requests, book feature offers and so on. It's on
Twitter that I most chat with readers and potential readers and am often asked,
"Which one should I read first?"
Strategy – Hashtags
Karin Cox
Australian Author Karin Cox @Authorandeditor is the prolific author of
more than 28 titles, from travel guides, to natural history, to illustrated
children's storybooks. Karin discusses her strategy.
I don't tend to find readers via
social media as much as my readers find me, by which I mean they buy a book
online and then like it so they go to my social media pages. I think readers
come from many different sources—groups I interact with online (including some
for other authors), and by that I mean interact with, not spam; friends, family
and acquaintances I know or meet in real life; those I come into contact with
on Facebook or Goodreads, and those who see me about thanks to promotional
efforts (advertising on FB, twitter and Goodreads).
Jan Romes
Author Jan Romes @JanRomes writes
Romance fiction novels. She is a member of Romance Writers of America. Jan said
this.
I think finding readers is a cocktail of tweeting,
interaction on FB, book signings, word of mouth and serendipity. A high
degree of the latter. Serendipity places a huge role in the other parts of our
life; it only stands to reason that it plays a big role in our readership.
Jade Varden
Crime and Horror
Author Jade Varden @JadeVarden is the
creator of the Deck of Lies book series. Jade added this.
I look for users who like books and movies that are similar
to my work, usually through hashtags or certain keywords. If I find their
profiles to be interesting, I follow them and hope they’ll follow me also. I
also look for followers of profiles that I follow. I focus most of my efforts
on Twitter, because as a YA author this is where I will find a big potential
audience, but I’m also active on Goodreads.
Twitter (followers- unfollow) - Facebook (circles)
Lizzy Stevens
Amazon Best Selling
Author Lizzy Stevens @LizzyStevens123 writes
Paranormal, Romance and Woman's fiction. Lizzy said this about twitter.
All authors have to find their own way, but for me I
mostly use twitter. That's my favorite social media outlet. The key to finding
an audience and a following is to be yourself. Get on twitter and chat with
people. Start conversations. Don't go on there and say "Buy My Book"
every time you tweet.
Jake Raymond Needham
Author Jake Needham @jakeneedham is
a best-selling Mystery & Thrillers Author. Jake discusses using his Twitter
audience.
I have about 55,000 Twitter followers so that’s my primary
platform for keeping in touch with readers who want to keep in touch with me. I
also find I get a few tweets almost every day from new readers who have
discovered my books through Twitter.
Relationships and Engagements
Joseph Lallo
Joseph Lallo @jrlallo is
a bestselling author of the Science Fiction & Fantasy series: The Book of
Deacon Trilogy. Joseph added this.
Now, once I've earned the interest of a reader, I find
social networks are a great way to keep in touch with them and learn what
things they like and don't like. While social networks do lead to word of mouth
advertising which is crucial to finding new readers, I still focus efforts with
social networking on fostering an open and friendly relationship with readers.
Joanne Lessner
Author Joanne Sydney Lessner @joannelessner writes
Mystery & Thrillers including the Isobel Spice Series. Also, she is a
singer, actress, writer and mom. Joanne discusses her on-line presence.
I'm pretty active on Twitter and I have a Facebook author
page. With Twitter, I try to adhere to the 80/20 rule of only promoting my work
only 20 percent of the time. The only times I ignore that is during a promotion
or blog tour. Then it necessarily gets upped, but every time I tweet something
promotional, I follow it up immediately with a personal, non-book-related
tweet.
Kathy Bennett
Bestselling suspense
Author Kathy Bennett @kathywriteslapd is an
author specializing in Mystery & Thrillers with Women Sleuths. Kathy talks
about her routine.
Most of the social media interaction I do is on Facebook. I
usually post once a day on my author page and check back several times during
the day and respond to any comments. Not very many readers comment, but the few
who do are very loyal. I'm building strong relationships with those
readers.
Jen Blood
Jen Blood @jenblood is
a Bestselling Mystery author of the Erin Solomon series. Jen had this to say.
To this point, I've found that my use of social media is
more to strengthen my relationship with my reading audience than to actually
find them in the first place. I've had moderate success attracting readers
through Twitter, and started my own Facebook group specifically for fans of the
mystery/suspense/thriller genre (BloodWrites), but by and large the results
I've gotten from those efforts have been to connect with fellow authors.
Joining Groups
Joining groups and forums are a good way to find your
readers. Also, author are finding out that Multi-author networks and guest
posts are a good place to hang out with readers and other authors.
Multi-Author Networks
Ron Fritsch
Author Ron Fritsch @RonFritsch is a self-published Historical
Fiction Writer. Ron talks about networking.
Currently the most important to me are the Association of
Independent Authors and the Facebook group, Indie Writers Unite! While
they provide loads of useful information (as does HBS Author’s
Spotlight), they don't directly help authors find their readers, nor do they
claim to.
Caroline Leavitt
Caroline Leavitt @Leavittnovelist -
New York Times Bestselling Author Caroline Leavitt is a Literary Novelist.
Caroline also is a writing teacher and book critic. Caroline adds these sources
to the basic groups.
I am always on RedRoom.com and
SheWrites.com, and that's it!
On-line Support Groups
Here is a list of some good
on-line groups. There are many more popping up all the time that are very good
resources. Some are genre specific. You need to do your own study.
World Literary Cafe
– http://www.worldliterarycafe.com/
The World
Literary Cafe is an online community that bridges the gap between readers
and authors, with the mission of paying-it-forward in the literary field,
promoting great literature, and bringing together the literary community.
Independent Author Network
– http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/
The World Literary Cafe is an online
community that bridges the gap between readers and authors, with the mission of
paying-it-forward in the literary field, promoting great literature, and
bringing together the literary community.
Independent Author Index
– http://indaindex.com/
The Independent Author Index
is designed to offer independent authors another avenue of exposure. It is also
designed to be engaging and interactive.
Association of
Independent Authors – http://www.independent-authors.org/
A unique community of
independent (self-published) authors who are professional in everything they
do. They write and publish, not on a whim, but with dedication and commitment
to their craft.
Using guest posts
Joanne Lessner
New York Times
Bestselling Author Caroline Leavitt @Leavittnovelist
is a Literary Novelist. Caroline also is a writing teacher and book critic.
Caroline likes guest posts.
I've written a lot of guest blog posts, either by contacting
bloggers directly or through a blog tour—I had an excellent experience with
Goddess Fish Promotions.
Hangouts
Karin Cox
Australian Author Karin Cox @Authorandeditor is the prolific author of
more than 28 titles, from travel guides, to natural history, to illustrated
children's storybooks. Karin had this to say about hanging out her readers.
I visit a lot of blogs in my genres and leave comments if they've posted something interesting, and I interact occasionally on their Facebook pages or twitter. I'd love to spend more time just "hanging out" in forums and sites that suit my demographic, but I also know I need to stay productive, which sometimes means limiting how long I spend online.
Using On-line Tools
Besides using social media tools like Twitter and Facebook,
the majority of authors have websites. Some are very simple. Some are very
complex.
Another tool that is quite popular to help find and build a
reader following is an author blog. Some author use KDP Select from Amazon to
find readers.
Website - Email list – Newsletter
Kathy Bennett
Bestselling suspense
Author Kathy Bennett @kathywriteslapd is an
author specializing in Mystery & Thrillers with Women Sleuths. Kathy tells
about her newsletter.
My newsletter is quarterly unless I have a new book coming
out or something else of importance to let my readers know about. My email list
is growing and I'll be running a contest soon to try to increase the
subscriptions to my newsletter.
Terry Ambrose
Terry Ambrose
@suspense_writer is the author of the McKenna Mystery series and a member of
Murder, We Wrote. Terry uses his newsletter.
I use
my monthly newsletter, The Snitch, as a means to communicate with readers I
have met online or in person. The mistake I feel most authors make with
newsletters is making them purely promotional. If I'm going to subscribe to a
newsletter, it needs to provide me with something of value to me.
In
keeping with that philosophy, my monthly newsletter includes a recipe, contest
information, and a tip on how to avoid a current scam or con. I also provide a
link to my most popular posts, whether they are an interview with a bestselling
author, a scam tip, or a book review. The most recent copy of The Snitch is
available at http://terryambrose.com/thesnitch/The_Snitch/
Jake Raymond Needham
Author Jake Needham @jakeneedham is
a best-selling Mystery & Thrillers Author. Jake also uses a newsletter.
Jake told us this about his newsletter.
For the last couple of years, I’ve been
writing something called ‘Letters from Asia.’ Taken all together, my
letters amount to something that I call ‘a sort of blog,’ but they’re really
more like exactly what the title says they are: letters written to my readers
from wherever I am in Asia.
Mostly, I’ve been writing about the real people, places, and
things that appear in my novels in fictional form, but recently I’ve slipped
over into a few other topics, too. Each letter is posted on my
website http://jakeneedham.com/category/blog/,
but it also goes out by email to about 900
people who have signed up to be included on my mailing list (you can do that
here: http://jakeneedham.com/join-list/.
R.S. Guthrie
5-Star Mystery Author R.S. Guthrie@rsguthrie
writes Mystery & Thrillers, essays, and short stories. Rob uses his
newsletter.
The best way I have found is to have a newsletter or email
subscription where people signup. You really need to have a blog, make it
relevant, and post to it at least once a week. Offer people an "easy email
signup".
I've found these work the best because all a reader must do
is submit their email address and, best of all, most applications that allow
you to offer this are free and they will email all or most of your blog text to
the reader's inbox so they can read it there. This is a great way to
reach a readership and to get your brand out there.
Gary Ponzo
Award-Winning and Pushcart-Prize nominated author Gary Ponzo @AuthorPonzo is the author of the
series of thrillers. Gary gives us his take.
I don’t find readers in any group online setting. Most
of my email contacts come from readers who contact me with positive thoughts
about my work. I always let them know I’ll add them to my reader contact
list and send out a broadcast email whenever I release a new book. But
that’s the only time I contact them—no spamming my random thoughts in an email.
Blog with interesting stuff – including links
Jade Varden
Crime and Horror Author
Jade Varden @JadeVarden is the creator of
the Deck of Lies book series. Jade discusses her blog importance.
I maintain a regular blog where I write about
self-publishing, being an indie author and books. I get a good amount of
conversation on my blog and through Goodreads, which has a feed for my blog. Of
course, you’ll find information about all of my books in both places. I also
promote my books regularly through tweets, which I write daily.
Lizzy Stevens
Amazon Best Selling
Author Lizzy Stevens @LizzyStevens123 writes
Paranormal, Romance and Woman's fiction. Lizzy uses her blog also.
My second favorite thing is to blog. Host guest bloggers on
your blog. You will pick up new readers when people come to read what your
guest is doing. Cross promotion like that is a very helpful tool to pick up new
readers.
KDP Select Helps
Dave Folsom
Dave Folsom
@davefolsombooks is a Mystery & Thrillers author based in the Northwest. Dave
uses Amazon’s KDP program.
Mostly social networking, networking with other writers, and
personal contacts with readers. I've begun to like Amazon's KDP program
since over time a large percentage of sales come from that source as compared
to the other outlets.
Claude Bouchard
Best-Selling Author Claude
Bouchard @ceebee308 writes
Mystery & Thrillers novels in the Vigilante Series. Claude likes the KDP
program.
Another aspect which can't be neglected was the KDP Select program (when it worked) combined with advertising with the big ones at promo times. Following a number of successful Select promotions, I saw sales across my entire series increase which told me, folks liked the first (free) book and were willing to buy the others.
Special sites
C. S. Lakin
Award-winning Author Susanne Lakin
@CSLakin is the author of the seven-book fantasy series The Gates of Heaven. Also,
Susanne is a freelance copyeditor and writing coach. Susanne comments on KDP.
I preschedule most of my tweets via socialoomph so that I don’t have to do
each one manually...The most important thing, of course, is to write a terrific
book and have it professionally edited so that it will hold up to scrutiny and
eventually rise above the masses of books that do not meet high standards of
excellence.
Dave Folsom
Dave Folsom
@davefolsombooks is a Mystery & Thrillers author based in the Northwest. Dave
uses software to schedule is social media activity.
I use HootSuite to schedule Twitter, Facebook
Google+, LinkedIn, etc. three times a day. It's the only way I've found
that didn't require spending the whole day at it. It seems to have worked
as part of a total marketing scheme.
Karin Cox
Australian Author Karin Cox @Authorandeditor is the prolific author of
more than 28 titles, from travel guides, to natural history, to illustrated
children's storybooks. Karin had this to say about program she uses.
I also have a pinterest board for my books and I post inspirational images up there as I write and share the images of other "pinteresters". I think it is a good way to create more visual exposure.
Mohana Rajakumar
Award-winning Author Mohana Rajakumar
@moha_doha is an author based in Qatar. She has a PhD and has been involved in
various foundations supporting young writers. Mohana added this about another
program.
Be the kind of person you want to know more about on social
media. I'm having the most fun on Instagram
right now because photos allow us a completely different access.
New Tools are Coming
John Huffman
Award winning Indie
Author John
W. Huffman @johnwhuffman writes
Historical Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers. John talks about a new tool.
A growing promotional venue is online author skypes with
book clubs, which I will be doing more of with the new cable connection, since
it is almost impossible to do so now with my satellite hookup.
Problems to Overcome
The road to finding your readers is not a straight,
four-lane highway. There is a time problem and there are targeting problems. You
have to maintain focus, for sure. The question you have to ask yourself is if
continue to maintain your current schedule, do you have time to get involved
with your readers, write your stuff (which is why we are all doing this) and
have a life? There are easy questions.
As several authors replied, this is an area where I really
need help! I use Twitter, FB, and Goodreads, but I don't feel like I'm really
connecting with readers. I'll be looking forward to your post! Here are some of
the problems that need addressing.
Time Suck
C. S. Lakin
Award-winning Author Susanne Lakin
@CSLakin is the author of the seven-book fantasy series The Gates of Heaven. Also,
Susanne is a freelance copyeditor and writing coach. Susanne comments on time
needed.
Authors need to realize two key points: The good news is
there are readers all over the world who will want to read their book! The
not-so-good news is it takes time and effort (and patience) to find those
readers.
Luke Romyn
International
Best-Selling Author Luke Romyn @LukeRomyn
writes Mystery & Thrillers, Horror, Science Fiction & Fantasy novels.
Luke adds this about time.
I think the most vital thing is to find what you can do in
the time you have and stick to it. Grow your audience from there, rather than
stretching yourself thin, hoping to catch dribs and drabs of readers from each
source… They’re pretty standard, but exposure is exposure, and free exposure is
the best any indie author can ask for.
Paul D. Marks
Awarding-winning Author Paul D. Marks
@PaulDMarks is an Author of noir, mysteries, satire & mainstream fiction.
Paul had this to say about the time problem.
There are so many avenues to try to reach readers these days
it's hard to know which to choose. And I think an author can dilute their time
too much by trying to use too many of the social media sites. So I
suggest focusing on one or two, maybe three at the most. And hitting the
ones where you think your type of readers are.
Tracy Meyer
Tracy Hewitt Meyer @tracyhmeyer writes gritty,
edgy Young Adult/New Adult fiction and Adult Romance. Tracy said this about
lists.
At this point, I use Twitter and Facebook as my social media
outlets. I have tried other sites like Pintrest, Google+, etc., but I can’t
keep everything organized when I’m spread too thin. It’s information overload
and I can’t devote significant time to anything if I’m on too many sites. So, I
narrow my focus.
Target Problems
Dianne Harman
Author Dianne Harman @DianneDHarman is Award Winning
Bestseller Romance author. Dianne discusses a targeting problem.
Marketing Tea Party Teddy was a wake-up call for me. It's a
political intrigue work of fiction, with a suspenseful love story which is set
in California. I thought politicians, staffers and everyone involved with
politics would jump on it. They didn't. I realized that this group (which I
targeted) was much more interested in breaking rumors and scandals and their
next "gig" than reading. It turned out my reading audience was once
again, people who like a good read.
Staying Focused
Patricia Zick
P. C. Zick @PCZick (Patricia Zick)
is an award-winning writer for her essays, columns, editorials, articles, and
fiction. Patricia discusses her focus.
I'm afraid I don't have any magic formula. I experiment. I
write. I publish books. Perhaps my focus is too spread out as I write novels
about Florida and the environment and I've published several nonfiction books
on various topics. I'm feel most days I'm floundering as I search for the magic
to gather readers to my books.
Action is the Key
Try to get a Lists of your readers, looking for Feedback, gaining Exposure and doing Giveaways.
Develop a Target List
Kathy Logan
Award winning, best-selling author Katherine
Logan @KathyLLogan is the author of the Celtic Brooch Time-Travel Series.
Katherine said this.
I have a large Twitter following (148K). Every time someone
tweets that they’ve read my book, I engage them in a conversation and encourage
them to share their reading experience with other readers by posting a review.
What I haven’t done and am going to start doing is to keep a list of all
followers who have shown an interest in my books or have read them. This has
been a missed opportunity in marketing the next book because I have no way of
notifying them individually of its release.
Using Giveaways
Jen Blood
Jen Blood @jenblood is
a Bestselling Mystery author of the Erin Solomon series. Jen added this.
… when I'm having free or discounted promotions, social
media is an excellent way to get the word about that (either using hashtags on
Twitter, or by targeting the innumerable Facebook groups focused on e-book
readers).
That has resulted in attracting readers who have ultimately
become diehard fans of the series. Additionally, I have used targeted searches
on Twitter to find users with interests that line up with the novels I write --
fans of the mystery genre, fans of television shows that echo the themes/pace
of my novels (Castle, The Mentalist, etc.) -- and have followed those
individuals.
It is hard work
Brent Hartinger
Brent Hartinger @brenthartinger
is the author of The Russel Middlebrook series. The movie version of his novel:
Geography Club will be released later in 2013. Brent’s advice.
[It is] hard, time-consuming work. You have to make yourself
available as much as possible to your fans and readers, using all the tools
everyone talks about: a blog, Twitter, a newsletter, Facebook, and public
events. And then you hope your fans will like you as much as they like your
books, and then spread the word via social media and word-of-mouth.
Susan Oleksiw
Veteran Author Susan Oleksiw is a
bestselling author of the Mellingham series and the Anita Ray mysteries. Susan
added this.
Finding readers is hard work, and reviews play a role to
some extent, but some of the success is just building a readership over time,
adding one or two or more readers every day.
James Moushon
I’m a self-published
Mystery Author and the writer of the several book publishing blogs. I had to
add this about how social media is being used today to put this post in prospective.
I spend almost all day reviewing authors and their books.
Here are some of my experiences. Of the over 600 authors I have reviewed in the
last 6 month, all on bestsellers lists somewhere, only 35% have over 100
followers on Twitter. (Some have no account, some just a token account.)
That didn’t sound possible to me. I needed to check this
somewhere else. So I looked at the top 100 Mystery books and their authors for
2013. Actually, that amounted to 69 authors. (Some had more than one bestseller
in the year.) Over 30% had no account and 10% of the ones who had a Twitter
account had less than 1000 followers. Again, these are the top Mystery authors.
Now they may be all in with Facebook or some other on-line
media but Twitter was not the popular choice.
Quick Summary of the Takeaways of our Study
1.
Write a good book
2.
Look for exposure – Do interviews
3.
Reply to comments – keep in touch
4.
Keep building Relationships
5.
Attend conventions, conferences and festivals
6.
Know your audience and market to them
7.
Be yourself, don’t oversell your books
8.
Comment on blogs, share posts and retweet
9.
Do guest blogging
10. Use
cross-promotion and links
11. There
is no Silver bullet. No magic formula. It takes hard work.
Some sources from the HBS Author’s Spotlight Crew
Leti Del Mar - How To Self-Publish: A
Do-It-Yourself Approach
Connie Flynn - BOOTCAMP FOR NOVELISTS BASIC
TRAINING MANUAL
Matthew Iden - Telling Your Tale
Joseph Lallo - Interviews with Indie
Authors
M.R. Mathias - The First Ten Steps
Phyllis Zimbler Miller - TOP TIPS FOR HOW TO PUBLISH AND MARKET IN THE AGE
OF AMAZON
Indie eBook Marketing: When
You Get to the Fork in the Road, You Must Take It.
To review the complete responses from the HBS Author's Spotlight crew, click here.
To review the complete responses from the HBS Author's Spotlight crew, click here.
Follow me:
Follow Me on Twitter:
@jimhbs
Or EMAIL at: jim@jamesmoushon.com
View my website: James
Moushon – Mystery Writer
Or visit my blog: The eBook Author Corner
Take a look at my Author’s blog: HBS Author’s Spotlight
Or my Mystery blog: HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle
Check out the
Jonathon Stone Mystery Novel:
Coming Soon: Another Jonathon Stone Mystery: Game Of Fire
