Every writer knows, or should by now, that just writing ‘the end’ to a book is only the first step in publishing and marketing a book. If we want to sell, we have to actually ‘sell’. In today’s world of ‘classes’ among the publishers of the world (the Big 6 to Indie Publishers to self-publishing) one thing is still the same: the use of social media in the sales cycle.
What does that mean for writers? Get out there and say ‘Buy my book!’ a hundred times a day? You may or may not know that 2 decades ago it took 2-3 impressions to reach a potential buyer. Now the average is 17 (or so I heard somewhere). That’s a lot!
But getting on Twitter and Facebook and constantly exclaiming how good one is does nothing but turn people away!
So how do we get around this conundrum that is selling but not being pushy, getting in someone’s face two dozen times but again, not being pushy?
My belief is that we shouldn’t use social media to outright sell out book. We should use it to engage in conversation, the sharing of information and that over time a writer will develop a following that, if they writer is any good, will develop into fans and fans into sales and fans into word of mouth.
The message has to be clear and consistent though. You can’t just push the book or never mention it. Balance sharing who you are with your excited news, with inspirational moments and with quips on who you are and always, always be sure to do the same for others.
In a world of ‘me me me’ people like to buy from those who help ‘others others others’ just so long as they remember you were the one who helped them, too.
Now that I’ve shared that, let me tell you all about my latest release, Surrender! ;)
Surrender
Face the past or look to the future? Both will hurt. One could kill her. All her life, Lily Crane has suppressed her childhood memories, masking the signs of abuse with a variety of looks. From brunette to blonde, tall to short — as a Mimic, changing shape is her gift. Her right. Her achilles heel.
It’s Lily’s latest likeness, chosen simply by accident, which threatens to repeat a history she’s desperate to forget. Worse, she must do so without the one man who takes all her pain away: Cael Aldridge.
Cael has no intention of leaving Lily on her own. He never has. Now, with the woman he loves in the hands of a predator who wants Lily for her genetics, Cael will do everything he can to bring her home.
Alive.
He can only pray he isn’t too late.
http://www.aimeelaine.com
Aimee is a romantic at heart and a southern transplant with a bit of the accent (but not a whole bunch). She's married to her high school sweetheart, and with him, she's produced three native North Carolinians, two of whom share the same DNA. With an MBA and a degree in Applied Mathematics, there's absolutely no reason she should be writing romance novels. Then again, she shouldn't need a calculator to add two numbers, either ... but she does.
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Great post on the use of Social media. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSurrender sounds an awesome story!
Nas
Thanks! Hope the post was helpful!
DeleteI share your sentiment, Aimee! It is about engaging with others - getting involved in the community. I rarely even mention my books. They're selling well enough without me messing it up! Besides, that is not why I am blogging.
ReplyDeleteI include links to my books but 75% of my posts are how life is stranger than fiction, so I'm with ya!
DeleteI totally agree, promoting your books without seeming pushy is a hard balance to strike. Very true that social media should be a means of engaging potential readers first, and selling your products second.
ReplyDeleteVery hard indeed! But necessary!
DeleteVery true points here. I don't think you have to worry about the balance Lynda - you make the effort to actually connect with your online contacts rather than blurt at them. I do cringe when I see the me me me peeps online, but I feel a bit sorry for them too; they're missing out on some real connections with people that will support, encourage and motivate them.
ReplyDeleteAimee's book Surrender has a great blurb!
Thanks for the compliment on the blurb!
DeleteI couldn't agree more with this post. I love Twitter for so many reasons and have learnt a lot from it, but I find it SO frustrating when all people tweet about is their book.
ReplyDelete(And don't get me started on auto DMs: 'Thanks for following, now buy my book!')
Oh those are the WORST. I despise those. Makes me want to unfriend/unfollow.
DeleteSurrender sounds like a most scrummy romantic sci-fi thriller! Yay! All the best with your book Aimee! Thanks for hosting Lynda! For someone on the receiving end of the blog spectrum, I guess that's why I like to follow all sorts of blogs - those who use it as a platform for their products and those who just like to blog!
ReplyDeleteTake care
x
I'm like that. I like hearing about the people. I follow people to share about themselves.
DeleteThe book seems intriguing from the psychological point of view, I love good psychological investigations and examinations, but I think the blurb is rather confusing and vague. It is not gripping enough. I would change that.
ReplyDeletelol Dezzy. I can always count on you for your honesty. Personally I love the concept of mimics and the blurb sets up an intriguing premise.
Deleteooh, hope I didn't offend Aimee :( You know I wrote dozens and dozens of blurbs in my publishing house, so I just spoke from the professional point of view. Sorry if I offended the guest :( Will pay for dinner to apologize :)))
DeleteOh dinner! I love dinner! ;)
Deletehugs
I agree. I tend to unlike or hide people that are overly aggressive. I'll buy what I think I will like.
ReplyDeleteTotally with you!
DeleteInteresting book. I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteWhen I released my first book this year, I had a hard time with the marketing. I didn't want to push my book on anyone. However, because of the awesome friends I have made online, my book sold just fine.
That's awesome! And friends help in amazing ways! :)
DeleteI totally agree about not being pushy. Today, peeps don't want things shoved down their throats.
ReplyDeleteHugs and chocolate,
Shelly
Tweeted and FB'd
They really don't, but you still have to get the message out ... balance is key.
DeleteSo timely! I hardly use Twitter these days because I'm sick of the pushy authors constantly selling their books. You're exactly right - I buy from those I like. And I like helpful people, not pushy ones!
ReplyDeleteThat's actually why I use Tweetdeck so I can NOT see all those posts.
DeleteI've followed peeps on twitter only to drop them like a hot tater later that week because ALL they tweet about is 'buy my book!'
ReplyDeleteCan't stand that. I'm all about helping other authors (if they're good) and getting the word out about their books, but I do it because I enjoy it - NOT to gain followers. If I DO happen to gain a friend in the process all the better!
Those are the worst ... telling someone to buy instead of showing them why someone else did. Hmmm ... that sounds familiar. ;)
DeleteGreat post. Retweeting this one.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Deletenicely said. i will keep that in mind when my book is published!
ReplyDeletemy problem is brown nosing...that can be jst as off putting!
Oh, sucking up to people is fun. ;) Just kidding.
DeleteSuch an important article for authors to read in the social media age. It's so easy to advertise, but much more tricky to do so with restraint and poise. I've always said the best advertisement is that done by others. I've no problem with asking for help spreading the word, but it is a problem if you're the only one doing it.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly it! Get others, not family, to do it.
DeleteI agree with you, Aimee. Engage. Still, the marketing/sales game is a tough one. Congrats on Surrender, Aimmee.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteThis is such a great post for prospective salespeople. I myself, have been hunting for sales tips around the internet. Their is so much to learn and understand about marketing both yourself and your product or service. I have gotten some of my best tips off of Labove and Beyond. They post new content each day that contains really valuable stuff. Definitely worth a look.
ReplyDeleteHi, Lynda and Aimee,
ReplyDeleteGood advice and there's a lot of truth to Aimee's post. I realize that I'm buying books by those with whom I've formed relationships. Most of the novels I've read lately are written by blogging buddies.
Me, too! I'm caught up in all my friend's amazing work!
DeleteThat sounds like a fun book! Thanks, Lyn, for hosting Aimee, and thanks to Aimee for the post. :) I absolutely agree; networking is all about relationships. Well, and writing a good book!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! And yes, write a good book! Sooo important!
DeleteWow 17! I guess it's not that surprising since we are just inundated with images from dawn to dusk.
ReplyDeleteSomeone else told me it was more like 100 now. :( Makes it even harder, doesn't it?
DeleteWhat a cool cover!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
DeleteIt's true, I tend to tune out people on Twitter who constantly tweet about their book and how I should buy it right now. It would mean so much more if they would tweet about how hard a scene was to write or how they came up with an idea. That might intrigue me more and get me interested in their story.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the book and best of luck with it!
Great advice. I detest pushy authors. Recently I friended someone on FB and they posted a thank you on my wall for reading their book. I had not. It was quickly removed.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! A lot of people are overdoing it!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't have anything to market right now, but this sounds like handy advice!
ReplyDeleteLove the blurb and cover for Surrender.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteFirst, congratulations on having a book out! I personally don't mind when writers occasionally mention their books or their publishing experiences on their blogs or Twitter account. I don't have a problem with authors asking others to buy their books either- it all depends on their approach.
ReplyDeleteFew people enjoy hanging around with a person who monopolizes every conversation by telling you how wonderful she is, her husband is, her job is, her house is, her everything is, blah, blah, blah. One-sided conversations aren't conversations at all. They're turn-offs. Same thing goes for blogging, or for promoting a book. If a writer truly engages other people and communicates with them rather than talking at them, those other people will WANT to read that writer's book, not because said writer has bragged a bazillion times about how brilliant that book is, but because people come to care about that writer as a person.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting Aimee Lynda. Aimee, your book sounds wonderful. I so agree about the 'me, me, me' author who is not interested in anyone, anything, other than selling a book. I love to help authors who're also interested in what I'm doing or what others are doing also.
ReplyDeleteAimee is so spot on. Lynda, so glad you had her here today! I know for me, I absolutely love reading books from people I'm friends with... it definitely makes a difference. You've got to be more than a "Buy my book!" person ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Amiee! People like people who help people, so I agree that in order to get people to buy or talk about your book, you need to give something back.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteits such a nice & Awesum blog provide info
hope more people discover your blog because you really know what you’re talking about. Can’t wait to read more from you!
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wow--all that math and still a great writer---so many talents---i love that she is a romantic and i love her mc name lily :)
ReplyDeleteI love that she defies the stereotype about math and writing not being able to mix :) Her book sounds like an interesting read :)
ReplyDeleteNutschell
www.thewritingnut.com
Great guest post, Aimee. I totally agree with your thoughts on this. I would feel strange to be constantly telling people to buy my work, anyway. It would be annoying to everyone concerned.
ReplyDeleteJai
Thanks Aimee, for the marketing tips and advice. I agree that balance is the key word. Over pushing our books can turn off readers.
ReplyDeleteWord of mouth is probably the best way to get a book sold. People are I think 50% more likely to buy something if their friends approve of it as opposed to seeing it in an ad.
ReplyDeleteGreat cover and description.
ReplyDeleteThe aggressive buy-my-book messages, posts, tweets, etc. are a turn-off. I agree with the advice.
Good luck with your release, Aimee; it sounds intriguing. Your insight into the power and limitations of social media to sell your book is spot-on. Much of what happens on Twitter and the blogosphere consists of writers soliciting other writers to buy their books (a sin I've certainly committed). That's not where the market is. So the better use of social media is as an extended support group. Any sales which result are mostly incidental.
ReplyDeleteCallie Kingston
Totally loved your post. When I'm "selling" my books I feel an obligation to give something to my potential readers and definitely to those who support me. That's why I like to write posts about the craft of writing or provide helpful links to others who have written things that are helpful to writers and readers. Wow! That sentence needs an editor.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Aimee and good luck.
The cover picture is really captivating...
ReplyDeleteI've noticed that some twitter users ONLY use the platform for aggressive marketing... to "encourage" people to buy their work.
Such wise words. I liked how you ended the post too. It made me chuckle. Good luck with the book release it sounds incredible!
ReplyDeleteI agree you have to put yourself out there, especially if you're a writer. It's tough business out there and to make yourself known, you gotta go with social media. Thank Goodness for social media! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat guest post, Lynda!
This premise is unique. Can't think of anything else like it. And I know people say "gorgeous cover" so it's become cliche, but it really is a gorgeous cover!
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