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When it comes to understanding how to promote a novel, I’ve come a long way, baby.
On a scale of 1-10, where 1 = Do I really have to do that? and 10 = I have more Twitter followers than Kim Kardashian, I started around ‘2’ and now hover somewhere near ‘5’ (there’s a great expanse between 5 and 10.)
Though I do some book signings and clubs, it’s already clear digital media and social networking are the places to focus. Here’s where I spend most of my efforts:
While I’m only getting started, I’ve learned a few things authors can do to help pave the way for their success in digital networking:
I wish this could go without saying, but I read a lot of blogs/comments/status updates and…not so much. You’ve heard ‘What happens on the Internet stays on the Internet’ but do you really understand how quickly your content could be exposed to throngs of people? I recently saw some guy’s photo of a botched pizza delivery go viral to over 40,000 people in a couple of hours. Fact is, that’s not really all that unusual. Customer, readers, agents, editors, YOU, can reach more people, faster than ever before. This can be very, very good, or very, very bad. You can’t necessarily control what will go viral, but you can control your content. Be professional.
Your VOICE is an asset. Have fun with it. Being professional doesn’t mean being boring. If you’re in the digital space to check a box on your ‘to do’ list, people will figure that out quickly. If you’re a successful writer, you probably have a unique ‘voice’. That voice is one of your greatest assets. Use it. This will also help you develop your author brand. One way to keep your content fun is to mix up your format. If you usually write blog posts, consider vlogging once in a while, or say it with pictures. Use the occasional animated gif. Examples of two authors who let their voices shine and seem to be having fun while they’re at it are Meg Cabot and Tahereh Mafi. There are many more.
If you abhor the idea of spending energy on digital networking, you might seriously consider hiring someone to help. By the way, don’t wait until you’re published to start. The time to get yourself out there was yesterday.
Engage people—dialogue is a TWO-WAY street, and it’s not always about you. Of course you need to tell people what you’re up to—where they can find your new novel and what you’re working on. Did you get a nice review on Amazon? Have you been interviewed by another author or online group? By all means, send out those links, but do avoid sounding like a bad infomercial or bombarding people with it. Save that stuff for one-dimensional promotions like ads or newsletters. People won’t mind when you occasionally toot your own horn if you mostly post relevant content others find valuable.
Offer advice if you have it. Give someone a helping hand without expecting anything in return. Raise topics of likely interest and ask open-ended questions, then look at the comments and respond back when appropriate—don’t expect others to carry on the conversation. Look no further than Rachelle Gardner or Nathan Bransford’s blog for examples of adding value to blog followers. Be sure to spend time on other people’s sites too. Leave thoughtful comments on someone else’s blog (the earlier the better), participate in on-line book discussions or writing forums. Show your interest in other people.
The Internet can be a great big time-suck. Use it wisely. There are literally hundreds, probably thousands of digital networking sites on the Internet today, and there will be more tomorrow. Not all offer everyone the same value. Figure out where YOUR greatest return on your time investment is (i.e. where your readers are), and go there. This is not the same for everyone. Someone who has created an awesome blog following probably needs to spend more time there to keep up and expand that following. Someone who doesn’t might spend more time elsewhere. I used to stress about weekly blog posts before I realized even when I did them, not a lot of people were visiting anyway. So I made two changes to use my time better and reach more people:
- I decided to update my own blog just frequently enough to keep it from going stagnant
- I leveraged interviews to keep my blogging simple, and started contributing to group blogs.
- I spent more time in places like facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and goodreads where shorter updates were the norm.
After that, I found I genuinely enjoyed the process. One exception to this pick-and-chose approach to digital networking may be when you’ve got a book launching in the upcoming months. In the months prior it’s worth your time to ramp up ALL your active sites to ensure you get the word out.
You still have a lot to learn. Luckily, you don’t have to go it alone. Things can change in the digital world at lightning speed. You probably don’t have time to keep it up with it all. Identify a handful of solid resources. There are only 24 hours in the day and if you’re a writer you’re probably writing, reading in your chosen genre, reading for pleasure, keeping up with at least the basic digital networking, and maybe holding down a day job (or two) while trying to balance some semblance of personal life. Do yourself a favor and realize you’re not going it alone. Connect with other writers, agents and publishers and learn what they do to balance it all.
Question for you: If you’re reading this, you’re a participant in digital media and networking. You make a difference by: following, friending, recommending, reviewing, or rating an author on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr. Goodreads, LibraryThing, Amazon or wherever they are. What would you like to see more of from authors in the digital space?
This post is part of the WORDSERVE Literary Agency blog tour on Marketing!
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