Marketing--Aaargh!

OY! I confess. I’m procrastinating. I need to set up a signing or two for NOBODY’S SAINT and then get postcards done so that I can publicize it. I tend to feel like I’m buckshotting the marketing. I would love to know what REALLY works. I can say that I know that getting out there and signing books does. I was very good about doing that with the first book, not so good with the second. I need to be much better about that this time around. I’m not talking about formal signings, mind you. Those are fun for seeing friends and all, but it’s what some authors call “drive-by signings” that count. That’s just dropping into bookstores and signing stock and introducing yourself. At RWA, a bookseller told us that autographed books sell two-to-one over others. Booksellers are also more likely to put them face-out and less likely to strip and return them. It allows me to meet the folks in bookstores, too, and hopefully that makes them more likely to hand-sell my books. Not to mention that it’s just plain fun! The travel time takes planning, and that’s where I fell down before. I just need to plot out a few local road trips in March!

I’m also submitting ARCs (advanced reading copies) to various websites (see www.paula-reed.com for links). I try to send to the sites that are high on the Google and Yahoo engines, although those change. One of the really good things about review sites is that they often give interview opportunities, and people do seem to enjoy reading them. I’m part of a contest over at Romance Reader at Heart right now (so if you read this blog, you have an advantage). I also give books to review sites as giveaways for prizes.

Speaking of giveaways—this is my latest promo effort. I’m giving books to websites and charities and other chapters. At this point, I feel like it’s worth the expense. I have three books out (or will very soon) so one giveaway has the potential to net two sales plus word of mouth. We’ll see if I get any feedback on this.

Finally, I meet with readers groups and have spoken a couple of times for local women’s business groups. These are always a kick. Book clubs are so much fun! Especially romance book clubs. To them, your characters are as real as they are to you. Broader book clubs never seem to mind the chance to read something light, and they always have great questions about writing, in general. The speech I’ve given to business groups is about how I’ve used writing as a way to heal. I usually get great questions from that, as well.

I know people who’ve paid big bucks for ads in ROMANTIC TIMES magazine, but as someone pointed out, it takes several ads to make an impact, and a first-time advance doesn’t really cover that. Kensington did a group add for the debut writers when INTO HIS ARMS first came out, which was great. The thing is, I wonder how many readers really get this magazine. It seems like romance writers are the only ones I know who are aware of it. Ditto AFFAIRE DE COEUR. I don’t pay for ads in either place, but I definitely send them ARCs.

One thing that should be very interesting is to see how the new cover concept goes over. I admit, I was ambivalent about the cover of NOBODY’S SAINT, but the guy with the abs on LOVING MERCY has that book selling like hotcakes, so I’m thinking that my guy with his very sexy brown eyes will reach out and snag a few new readers.

If you can think of anything that has caused you to buy a book you might not otherwise have bought, feel free to post a response! I figure I’m still very much in the learning curve here!

One more thing, completely unrelated. The letter I wrote about last time—it was from Azerbaijan. How cool is that?