Writing and Publishing News

We’ve all heard (and used) the term—“if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But what if it IS broken? What if your book sales are not what you had expected or hoped for? What if your promotional efforts (or lack of) are not producing sales? Then it’s time to change your tactics.

People ask me why my Klepto Cat Mystery books aren’t available for the Nook, for example. Well, Amazon offers an exclusive package through their Kindle Direct Program and, since sales have been amazing from the start of my relationship with this program, I haven’t considered making a change. I’m constantly trying to come up with ways to sell even more books, however, and to get more exposure for them. Wouldn’t you?

Are your book sales meeting your expectations? Maybe you’re offering your novel in print form only and sales are disappointing. I can tell you that novelists are devouring books on e-readers. Consider formatting your book for Kindle, Nook, etc. and see what happens.

Of course, you’d better also be promoting your book like crazy—getting exposure for your book. Contact reviewers of books in your genre, visit blog sites and websites related to the genre and post something, go out and talk about your book, build your own website and offer irresistible content—contests, fun facts about the era or topic of your book, etc.

Another way to ramp up your sales is to add to your “merchandise.” Create a series. The more books you have, the more sales you can expect. If your cover or the theme of your book is a real eye-catcher, offer coffee mugs, pens, note cards, t-shirts…

I’m a believer in opportunistic promotion. In other words, always carry bookmarks and offer a couple to someone you see wearing a t-shirt depicting the theme of your book–a cat, horse, antique car, movie or cartoon character, for example. Leave bookmarks lying around in restrooms, on picnic tables, on the bulletin board at the library… Carry a book with you and pull it out when you’re having lunch, sitting on a park bench, waiting for a plane. Yeah, read your own book. What better way to capture the attention of other readers…

Sure some of these suggestions won’t necessary garner huge numbers of sales, but these are things you can do in the course of your ordinary day. Why spend a day out among potential readers and not use the opportunity to get exposure for your book? In fact, you can wear a t-shirt with your book cover on the front—or back, have jewelry fashioned to represent your book title or theme, wear a baseball cap with the book’s title or carry a tote bag with the cover on it.

Be brash or be subtle, but do something that’s going to get your book noticed. If you don’t, who will? And if no one does, your book will die a very fast death.

If you’re still confused or intimidated by this thing called book promotion, be sure to read “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven, Low Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.” www.matilijapress.com/PromoteYourBook.html Also available at Amazon in print, for Kindle and audio.

It occurs to me that book promotion is something like gardening (or dieting, or parenting). Think about it, there are no absolutes in book promotion. What works for one author and one book might not work for another. Isn’t this true of gardening, dieting, and parenting? Your garden tomatoes might thrive one year and struggle the next. They might grow well in one spot and shrivel up in another. The diet plan that trims your friend’s figure, might add inches to your waist. Likewise, the method of weight-loss you used in your twenties, may not work when you’re in your fifties.

Book promotion is another one of those unpredictable activities. However, as in gardening, for example, there are some constants. Garden plants needs soil, light, food, and water. A book needs an audience. In a garden, our goal is fresh vegetables or, perhaps, a lovely landscape. Our goal as an author is readers—interested, paying readers. But, in either case, how we achieve the goal may differ tremendously.

There are hundreds of methods of book promotion. Sometimes it takes experimentation to discover those that work for you and for your particular project. But it is imperative that you know who your specific audience is, that you write for that audience and, when it comes time to promote it, you know where your readers are, and how to approach them. Then you must nurture them—keep your book in front of them, constantly remind them of the benefits to buying your book, and make it easy for them to purchase it.

The next time you decide to stick a plant into the soil, you’ll be more successful if you consider, not where you want it to grow, but where it will have the best chance to survive. If you apply the same concept to your next book—if you write the book your audience wants and keep them in mind while you’re writing it—it will have a better chance for success.

To learn more about publishing and book promotion read Patricia Fry’s books, “Publish Your Book, Proven Strategies and Resources for the Enterprising Author” and “Promote Your Book, Over 250 Proven , Low-Cost Tips and Techniques for the Enterprising Author.” Coming soon from Patricia Fry and Allworth Press, “Propose Your Book, How to Craft Persuasive Proposals for Nonfiction, Fiction and Children’s Books.”

Novelists are starting to get it! That is, they’re beginning to understand that they, too, must market their books. And those authors who are marketing, are selling.

I received a note this morning from Elinor Florence, long-time journalist and new author of Birds Eye View, a historical novel. She has logged a dozen marketing dos and don’ts for novelists at her blog site and used some of my ideas in her post. Read it!

http://www.allysonlatta.ca/2015/04/28/12-book-marketing-dos-and-donts-from-novelist-elinor-florence/

Today I’d like to do a shout-out for some of my favorite bloggers. Naturally, they either feature cats and/or books on their blog sites; preferably both.

Dru’s Book Musings http://drusbookmusings.com. Here, you’ll find reviews by Dru because she believes that “reading is a wonderful adventure.” And how better can an avid reader justify his/her time reading than to post book reviews and guests posts?

Fur Everywhere. http://www.fureverywhere.blogspot.com Sierra reviews books, talks about cat health and antics and the photo she shares across the top of her blog site is absolutely charming. If you’re looking for more blogs relating to cats, check out her large list of them—scroll down and look to the right side of the page for the links. Her goal is to “inform and entertain cat owners and lovers.”

Cat Chat with Caren and Cody http://www.catchatwithcarenandcody.com Caren reviews books and products related to cats and offers book giveaways. This site is informative and entertaining.

Mochas, Mysteries, and Meows is a fun place to visit. http://mochasmysteriesmeows.com. Melissa and Truffles host book and product reviews, guests posts and they feature Caturday Art, Tortie Shorties and Truffles even conducts her own interviews. According to Melissa, this site is for everyone who enjoys the cozy moments in life.

The Conscious Cat is another important site for cat people. http://consciouscat.net Here, Ingrid King hopes to present “conscious living, health, and happiness for cats and their humans.” Yup, you’ll find book reviews, product reviews and many articles featuring the health and well-being of our precious cats.

Socrates Book Reviews http://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com. Yvonne is most interested in cozy mysteries. She provides a gigantic list of other blogs she follows, but it’s hard to find. To locate this list, click on “View my complete profile” on the right panel of any page.

Michelle, at Miki’s Hope reviews a wide range of books. Check out this site here: http://wwwmikishope.com

Ellen Pilch has a lot of fun on her site,15andmeowing. http://www.15andmeowing.com Here, you’ll find cats galore.

Kitty Crochet is a blog about writing, reading and stitching. http://kittycrochettwo.blogspot.com. Here, Brenda posts book reviews. She, as well as most of the others, also host blog tours.

Mum’s Writings, Mysteries and More http://bookread-mumswritings.blogspot.com. Here, Dee shares and discusses books—even those involving cats.

How many times have you worked hard on a promotional piece for your amazing book, only to have a recipient slam you back with his promotion? Perhaps you’ve made it a habit to respond to someone else’s book announcement with your own promotional blast. Not nice, in my opinion, and kind of a slap in the face, don’t you think?

Okay, here’s my take on this. We’re all working hard to have our books noticed. Those of you who’ve stepped into the shark-infested waters of publishing know that it’s not an easy swim. It’s a lot of work keeping sales up, maintaining an interest in your book, getting word out to new readers. In fact, it’s a rather constant activity. Keep in mind that other authors are going through pretty much the same struggles you are.

Most of us don’t enter into the big book promotion race with a marketing background. Many authors are downright timid, embarrassed, and even repulsed by the necessity of promotion. Others are so gung-ho they even step outside the bounds of courtesy.

Are you’re one of those (and I’ve met several) who, when you receive a new book announcement or other promotional piece, you immediately return the “favor” in the form of your own promotional material? Why not first acknowledge the sender? If you have the time and incentive to send something, why not make it generous—“Hey, congrats on your new book (accomplishment, award, milestone, etc.).” Maybe establish a dialog with the other author, “Love your title.” “Who did your cover?” “What’s been your best promotional ploy?” THEN, if you must, promote your book back. It’s okay, in my opinion, it’s just that I’d like to see a little more give as well as take—a tad of finesse—a more gracious approach. Wouldn’t you?

Yesterday, many of you received my promo piece announcing my 50^th published book and the 10^th in the Klepto Cat Mystery series.

PAWtners in Crime is now ready for your Kindle. Order it here: http://www.amazon.com/PAWtners-Crime-Klepto-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B00WFSE646/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1429620489&sr=1-11&keywords=patricia+fry+klepto+cat

Catnapped, the first in the Klepto Cat Mystery series is FREE April 22- 24, 2015. These Kindle books are selling at a rate of one- to three-thousand copies per month. Get your FREE Kindle copy of book number one—Catnapped—and find out what all the excitement is about. http://www.amazon.com/Catnapped-Klepto-Cat-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B00DAHFS1G/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1429622111&sr=8-4&keywords=catnapped

Something happened yesterday that made me think about the strong role human nature plays in our level of success as authors. While some authors do well, others fail to meet their own expectations. In fact, the majority of authors fail in this publishing climate and that has been the case for many years.

Why? Because most authors do not understand the concept of book promotion and are not interested in educating themselves. They are in denial and prefer to stay that way. But the core reason for their reluctance to conform may be more deeply ingrained than most of us realize. It may be an attitude some of us learn from childhood—stay close and private, don’t trust, and certainly avoid unnecessary interactions with others.

Yesterday, while I was walking, a driver acknowledged my wave of thanks for stopping at a crosswalk to let me pass. She smiled and nodded. I was rather shocked. Even though I step up my pace when I’m crossing while a motorist waits, and even though I generally wave in thanks, most drivers simply ignore my courtesy and my gesture and drive on.

Later during my walk, in an area where there are no sidewalks, I walked around the street-side of a parked car. When I saw a car coming toward me going east and heard another one coming from behind me heading west, I trotted quickly around that car to give the motorists room. The oncoming driver acknowledged my courtesy with a nod and a smile.

“That’s it!” I said to myself. That’s what’s missing with so many authors whose books are not selling. They are not engaging their readers through their marketing efforts and sometimes even through their writing. They are not considering the reader. They don’t know what their audience wants, where they are, and how to approach them. They aren’t communicating. They may be “speaking” but they aren’t being heard.

It’s like some of the authors I’ve observed in booths at book festivals. They sit quietly behind their stack of books in hopes that someone will come along and buy one. They don’t notice or, perhaps, they can’t relate to, the authors who are actually selling books by engaging passersby.

Folks, if you are an author or plan to become one and you want to sell books, consider your obligation to your reader. Forget about what you want. Think about what they want.

It’s sort of like dating. I’ve heard women say, “I just can’t find anyone I can connect with. All I want is a nice guy who treats his women right and who will take me to nice places…” Once that woman changes her tune and starts thinking about what she can bring to a relationship, she is more apt to make a love connection.

Today’s sermon…I mean post…should give you something to ponder. And while you’re at it, think about your behavior when you’re behind the wheel. Do you acknowledge the gentleman who eases back to let you enter a busy street? Do you give someone room to make a lane change where appropriate and safe? Do you give a walker a little extra space where possible? And when you’re walking, do you hasten your pace when crossing a street and thank the driver who stops for you? Do you walk as far away from the street as possible so as not to be in the way of traffic?

It’s all a matter of putting yourself in the other person’s place. Understanding his or her situation or perspective and respecting it. You can’t sell books if you don’t know your audience and care about them enough to accommodate them.

Patricia Fry has a series of books for authors. Be sure to order your print, Kindle, or audio copies of “Publish Your Book,” “Promote Your Book,” and “Talk Up Your Book” from amazon.com. Also available in print here: http://www.matilijapress.com