Take it from me. When researching the topic of marketing for fiction, it seems there are about as many “experts” out in cyberspace and our local bookstore as there are writers of fiction. Each one believes they have the formula for success. Yet, when you check their sales numbers on Amazon or CBD (if they are Christian-based), their sales are often not very good. What does that say to you and me? What it tells me is that selling books is a lot like creating a product. Some become household names, like Kleenex and Ford. Some were mistakes that found…
Tag: marketing
This is our archive pageIs Writing More Enough?
You’ve probably heard it said, “To sell more books, a writer must write more books.” There’s some truth in that statement. If you write more GOOD books, people may stumble upon you in a bookstore or hear about you via word-of-mouth, and, after reading book #4, ask, “What else has this author penned?” And another set of eyeballs has been tapped. However, is that enough? Do writers of fiction have to spend every waking moment (when not actually writing) Twittering, Facebooking, and whateverelse-ing to get their name “out there”? Rob Eagar, founder of Wildfire Marketing, would say, “Yes, and No.”…
Tips from the Pros: Grace Fox
Greetings from Marti Pieper in heading-toward-summer Mount Dora, Florida. My husband and I are enjoying this brief season when we can still leave our windows open at night for some cool air. I believe the subject of today’s interview, author/speaker/missionary Grace Fox, is experiencing slightly different temperatures in her home in British Columbia, Canada. But I’m sure the warmth of her personality more than makes up for any chill in the temperature. Grace and I have enjoyed our connection as Christian authors and speakers, and we have grown to appreciate and pray for each other although we have yet to…
MARKETING: TAKING A LOOK AT PINTEREST
A Note from Carol McAdams Moore Do you remember the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words? Sometimes that is difficult for authors to embrace. We are used to painting pictures with our words. Using an actual picture to communicate an idea makes us stop and reroute our creative process. If you are an author, or an aspiring author, it is important to take that “reroute” to capture the attention of your readers. Why? Pinterest is a growing avenue of social media. The savvy author will have a well-planned presence on Pinterest.
Annoying Marketing
Grace and Peace to you from C. Kevin Thompson! Does anything annoy you when it comes to authors marketing their own writing? A barrage of Facebook posts, perhaps? Sent out like Hootsuite clockwork to all the pertinent reader groups? “Buy my book! Buy my book! It’s only 99 cents for another two-and-half-days.” Or what about constant twits from the infamous Twitterverse? “Buy my bk! Buy my bk! Only .99 4 2.5 more days.” Okay, so I jest. A little bit. We’ve all probably been guilty of this kind of annoying marketing at some point. It’s one type, according to Jonathan…
How to Blog About Your Book without Blogging About Your Book
Greetings from Jocelyn Green! If you’re like me, the idea of blogging about your book in an attempt to earn sales is about as appealing to you as standing on the street corner holding a sign that reads “Buy My Book!” And yet, if done strategically and with finesse, blogging is a great way to prove your credibility as an author, connect with readers, and grow your audience.
Surprise! God Is Sovereign!
Hello from Kathy Collard Miller in the desert of Southern California! Have you ever been surprised by God’s sovereignty? Early in my writing and speaking ministry in the 1980’s, I felt the need to make things happen. It felt like I needed to force things to happen. I even seemed to hear from the publishing world that it was up to me to make things happen. And within a decade or two, I began to learn that I needed a platform and it was all up to me. I felt tense.
Make it Your Best Year Yet
Personally and Professionally I (Pam Farrel) have selected a word and a verse for the year each January since I was 19. Bill and I when we married at twenty, continued this tradition. Download our Your Best Year Yet goal-setting worksheets. Selecting a Word for the Year helps provide focus. We each choose an area needing the most growth, help or improvement. By focusing our energies, choosing a Word for the Year, a verse, a theme and a clarifying question, we often see powerful results.
Marketing: Seven Benefits of Bookmarks
A note for you from Author Carol McAdams Moore A bookmark is an effective marketing tool that can be used by authors and retailers alike. When my tween devos came out, the creative people at Zondervan put together some amazing bookmarks. With each of my marketing efforts, I am increasingly more thankful for those bookmarks. Here is a list of seven benefits of bookmarks.
Tips from the Pros: Lane Jordan
Warm, wonderful New Year’s wishes from Marti Pieper in Mount Dora, Florida. The Christmas decorations have been packed away, the trees stored or placed at the curb, and writers are poised at their keyboards. We all find ourselves ready to fulfill some of those resolutions to write more and procrastinate less. I hope you’ve included marketing and promotional activities in some of those resolutions. If so, today’s interview with author and speaker Lane Jordan should help. I know you’ll enjoy hearing from this accomplished speaker who has turned her desire to speak into a series of books based around various felt…
