Author Collaborations (Laurie)

Most authors I know don't consider marketing to be among their favorite aspects of publishing. While it's wonderful to make genuine connections with readers, it feels overwhelming to keep up with the latest advice and social media trends. Not to mention the sense of drowning that comes from knowing how many other writers are also out there trying to reach new readers and the ever-changing algorithms that cause the same posts that reached a large audience three months ago to now be seen by only a small gathering of crickets. In the absence of a large budget for paid advertising or a hired virtual assistant, what's an author to do?

One strategy that I've found to make marketing both more fun and more effective is to collaborate with fellow writers! Whether it's a blog, Facebook group, or virtual event, teaming up with other authors means less work for each individual plus a broader reach overall if everyone shares within his or her own network of friends and readers. Not to mention the enjoyment of getting to know your fellow authors better along the way - totally a win-win! 

But not just any collaboration will work well. The wrong partnership could lead to stress and frustration, a failed project, or even damage to your author brand. As the fortunate beneficiary of a number of successful author collaborations over the years, I have a few tips for helping make your team efforts with other writers successful and enjoyable.

1. Every group needs a leader (or two). I love the idea of a group that runs entirely by committee, but my practical experience has been that a group without a leader doesn't go anywhere. We all lead full, busy lives, and if no one is willing to step forward and take responsibility for a group or project, nothing is likely to get done. And while some decisions and plans are great to make with everyone's input, too many group e-mails can get tiresome and may take you in circles rather than in any forward direction. The leader doesn't have to be overbearing or forceful, but it's helpful to have someone take the reins and make executive decisions as needed to keep the project moving and avoid getting stuck in a rut. If you like the idea of working with other authors but are intimidated by the prospect of being a leader, find a co-leader! If you work well together, co-leading a project can be a fantastic way to have someone to bounce ideas off of and to build momentum together, plus it takes a bit of the pressure off!
2. Know Your Goals. No marketing effort will reach every possible reader, and you wouldn't want it to! Every book has a target audience, and you want to make that the target audience of your collaborations with fellow authors. So if you write contemporary fantasy and you met a fun writer at a conference who writes historical romance, unfortunately she wouldn't be the best person to work with on a marketing project. For Lands Uncharted (a group writing effort that I like to think has been a big success!), the focus when we started the blog was young adult fantasy and science fiction. We've expanded to now cover clean fantasy and sci fi instead of just young adult and our posts have branched into other genres like historical fairy tale retellings, but having a focal point in mind has helped keep our posts interesting and relevant for our specific audience and hopefully has put our books in the hands of more readers who will enjoy them!
3. Hand-Select Participants. As I mentioned above, for marketing opportunities you want to work with authors who write in a similar genre or otherwise meet specific criteria to make them a good fit for the project. But you also want people who will be fun and pleasant to work with! For a short-term project like organizing a Facebook party, it might work well to post a general invitation for collaborators and see who responds. But the larger and more long-term the project, the more important it is to work with the right people. Let's face it, certain personalities don't work well together. It's frustrating for everyone involved if one person never responds or always drops the ball. And it makes it unpleasant for both the writers and readers if someone insists on bringing up hot-button subjects or can't respond to others in a professional manner. But, just because you don't know someone well or you're not sure you'd want to collaborate with someone long-term doesn't mean you have to leave them out entirely! We love having guest authors stop by Lands Uncharted for a post or interview - it's a fun, easy way to allow more authors to share about their books and expand our own reach in the process. Plus, what starts out as a one-time guest author interaction on a blog, Facebook group, etc. can turn into a bigger collaboration later on! Many of our current Lands Uncharted bloggers first stopped by as a guest, and those positive experiences caused us to think of them when a slot for a regular blogger opened up :)
4. Set Clear Expectations. Most authors have family obligations, many have a job outside of their writing, and all want to set aside plenty of time for their current and future works-in-progress! So you'll make your fellow writers a lot happier, and have much better odds that they'll actually accomplish the task you're hoping they'll complete, if you set clear expectations right from the start. For Lands Uncharted, every blogger has access to a calendar where we can see what posts we have coming up. When we invite a new contributor, we make clear how often each blogger is expected to post, how long posts should be, etc. so they know exactly what they're getting into if they (hopefully!) agree to join. In a new Facebook group I co-founded (which I'll share about below!), we set the expectation that every core member should aim to post at least once per week. Communicating clear, reasonable expectations both helps your fellow authors know what's expected and allows them to make informed decisions about whether they can truly commit to your project.

Since you're here, you probably know that Lands Uncharted is a group effort among many authors to keep a steady stream of book recommendations, snippets of the stories we're working on, and insights into our lives as writers coming to you several times a week! I'm so grateful to this blog for providing a level of engagement and quality that I never would've had the time or energy to maintain on my own, plus the opportunity to work with so many amazing authors!

And as I hinted above, I'm part of a new group endeavor I'm SO excited about! I've teamed up with Allison Tebo, Hayden Wand, Kirsten Fichter, and fellow Lands Uncharted blogger E.J. Kitchens to form the Facebook group Faith and Fairy Tales! We all write clean fairy tale-inspired stories and are having a blast hanging out with so many fellow fairy tale enthusiasts :) If you're a fan of fairy tales and retellings, I hope you'll join us! (And if you're an author who writes clean fairy tale-inspired books, we'd love to feature you on a Special Guest Saturday!)

Have you ever been a part of an author collaboration, or is there a group of authors you follow on social media or elsewhere? What have you found to be helpful in working successfully with others? Do you have any questions for me about organizing group projects?

Thanks for reading!

Laurie

Writer's Life: Networking & Marketing Tips and Encouragement (Katie)

Writer's Life: Networking & Marketing Tips and Encouragement (Katie)

Writing can be exhilarating and fulfilling. Painting word pictures, teaching new concepts and ideas, creating worlds--for a writer, few things in life are as fun as this. In today's world, though, more is needed from a writer than simply writing. At least, more is needed from a writer who wants to get their work out there for others to see.

Networking and marketing are two tools in a writer's toolbox that can help them get their writing into the hands of readers. You might be asking, What is networking and marketing? The answer can be fairly simple or super in depth, but for the sake of this blog post we're going with the simple.

Networking

Networking is the meeting and forming of relationships with industry professionals. In short, it's meeting other writers, editors, publishers, marketers, or literary agents.

Marketing

Marketing is promoting your goods (in this case, your writing) in order to get other people to read it. Think about the commercials you see on TV, the flyers you find on your windshield from time to time, or the emails you find in your inbox.

Tips & Tricks 

So, you have a basic idea of what these things are. How can you use them to help yourself? How do they relate to each other? What about the introvert? ( I am an introvert, BTW)

Both networking and marketing can be super intimidating for writers, but over the years I've learned a few things I find useful. In no specific order, here are some tips and tricks for networking and marketing that I've been able to use.

1. Find something you ENJOY

There are dozens of ways to market your books. Social media, in-store book signings, mailing out bookmarks and stickers and candles, blog hops, podcasts, libraries or school visits, writers conferences...the list goes on and on.

What I have come to see is that the things *I* enjoy the most are generally going to be the most successful for *me*. If you're a pro at all things social media? Well, use that. If you love and adore in-person events but hate social media? Well, skip the Facebook live and hit the pavement to set up a few library or independent bookstore signings. If you love receiving SWAG, utilize your love and knowledge to set up a fantastic SWAG campaign. 

Every type of marketing has its place, but finding things that can fit with your lifestyle will most likely be the *most* beneficial for YOU. Why? Because you'll actually be able to stick with it, and not only that but stick with it with enthusiasm. Guess what? Enthusiasm sells.

2. Be nice!

Talking to people is very intimidating for me. I generally think that most people are busy and they likely don't want to hear from me. If I reach out to them I might be bothering them. Right? I know I'm not the only one who thinks this way!

But the truth is, the majority of people on this planet just want a friend. Be nice to people, and you'll find it goes a long way in networking (and marketing, too!).

If you're part of a writer's social media loop and someone on the loop asks for advice? Offer some. If they need a beta reader and you have the time to fit it in, volunteer. If you have a book or two out on the market, and a beginning writer asks you to endorse their book, give it an honest consideration before simply answering with a "no."

I'm not saying you can't ever decline a request for help. Lord knows we are ALL busy. Sometimes we must say no. But, if you can say yes, show a little kindness. It goes a long way.

In that same vein, if you read an author's book, or if you listen to an industry professional's podcast, or if you see an interview with an aspiring author and enjoyed it? Tell them! Send that bit of encouragement. Be the light. 

Like we often tell readers when it comes to reviews, it doesn't have to be long! Just shoot them a note to let them know you enjoyed their content. Trust me, they won't forget it.

3. Try something outside your comfort zone

Earlier I said to find something you enjoy, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't ever consider stepping outside the box. Sometimes you'll find you love something you never thought possible. You might NOT find that you love it, but it could still hold big benefits.

Here's a secret. I HATE writer's conferences. I have been to several. I have never enjoyed any of them *that* much. That's not to say I haven't loved the relationships I've formed (think networking!). That's not to say I haven't learned a ton about the craft of writing. I have! But overall, they're very intimidating for me.

Yet, I keep stepping outside my comfort zone and attending. Why? Because sometimes it's good to do things that scare you. It can open doors that would otherwise remain firmly shut (hello networking!).

So, stop by your local independent bookstore. Visit local libraries. Get to know people. Comment on people's social media posts. Design a cool bookmark to go with your book and ask your librarian if you can leave a stack at the checkout counter.

Start a podcast. Speak at a writer's group. Join a writer's group! Whatever "new" is for you? Try that, at least once or twice. You might be glad you did!

Facebook Party Tips (Laurie)

Back in 2017 (how was it that long ago??), I did an "All About" series where I talked about various aspects of marketing and book launches. In case you're interested, they discussed Cover Reveals, Street Teams & Newsletters, and Reviews, ARCs, & Beta Readers. I always meant to do a fourth installment on Facebook parties, but when my book launch came up in early 2018, apparently I never got around to it! Since I happened to be a guest author in a Facebook party just this past weekend, I figured now would be a great time to finally share my thoughts on the subject :)

If you're not familiar with Facebook parties, they're events that happen right on Facebook. Usually they run for a few hours, but sometimes events can be as lengthy as a day or even stretch over a week or month. During that time, people post in the Facebook event, creating a virtual "party" where anyone, regardless of their location, can participate from the comfort of their own homes. I enjoy Facebook parties because they can be a fantastic way to interact with readers, collaborate with fellow authors, and talk about books! Probably other things, too, but the Facebook parties I'm a part of always center around books :)

I've been involved in enough Facebook parties as either a host or guest author by this point that I have a pretty good sense for what works and what doesn't. I'm sure other authors may have slightly different advice, but here are a few tips from my own experiences:

1) Be interactive! The event is called a "party," after all, and nothing will kill the feel of a party more quickly than a string of promotional posts that don't invite others to participate in some way. There are so many options, including questions, gif wars, quizzes, games, etc. And, if your posts do invite interaction, then actually interact! Readers will quickly figure out that your statement of "I can't wait to learn more about you!" wasn't genuine if you never show any evidence of reading their comments. In a really active party (I've seen posts with 60+ comments), it clearly won't be possible to respond to everyone, but make an effort to show you're actively involved.

2) Don't be afraid to promote yourself! I know this seems to contradict what I just said, but read on! If you're hosting a Facebook party or have a slot as a guest author, you've put time and effort into planning for the party and may be offering a giveaway, so make sure you get something out of it! Not every post needs to be promotional, of course, but there are lots of ways to promote and interact at the same time. Find things readers have in common with your characters, share about the theme of your book and ask attendees about how that theme connects with them, make a quiz about the types of magic in your book, talk about the authors that inspire you and find out about everyone else's favorite authors - the possibilities are endless! And having participants sign up for your newsletter or follow you on social media can be a great way for them to enter a giveaway.

3) Graphics are attention-grabbing. Facebook parties can get very crowded with posts, so graphics can be a great way to help your posts stand out. My preference is to use a consistent background and fonts for all of my graphics so it's easy to distinguish my posts from what other authors are sharing, plus it gives off a professional vibe, but a more eclectic look can be fun, too! Either way, graphics can be a great way to highlight book covers, art connected with your books, giveaway prizes,and even a question you want people to answer. These are a few examples from my most recent party in case you're curious!

4) Be responsible. Hopefully this goes without saying, but I know these issues come up fairly often with these types of events so they're worth mentioning. If you are given or sign up for a certain period of time during which to post, make sure you follow through. Double check time zones, since those can get tricky when people from around the country or even world are involved. And if you have any concerns about being able to post during your time slot, you can always schedule them in advance. Dead space from an author no-show makes it really hard to keep the attention of party-goers. Also, if you offer a giveaway, make sure you actually pick a winner, contact him or her, and send the prize. Again, I know none of YOU would do these things, but it's still good to be aware :)


That's all I have for now! I could do a whole additional post on organizing a group Facebook party and finding opportunities to be a guest author, so if that would be helpful to anyone, let me know in the comments and I'll consider it for the future! And let me know if you have any questions! What's your take on Facebook parties? Have you ever been to one, or is the concept too bizarre?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

The Power of Momentum (Laurie)

Whew! You guys, it's been almost two months since my debut novel released, and I feel like I'm still reeling! It's been an amazing (sometimes exhausting!) ride, and I thought today I would share a bit about my biggest marketing takeaway thus far.

Momentum is a powerful thing.

I first noticed the power of momentum when Common went up for pre-order. Once the purchase links were available, I tried to post on a day and time I thought quite a few Facebook friends would be around to see them. Some people clearly did, because soon after I was rewarded with a highly coveted "#1 New Release" flag on Amazon. Yay!!!

But here's the thing. Based on that initial post, I'm guessing that lovely orange flag would've lasted an hour or two, tops. Luckily I noticed it, and I couldn't help sharing my excitement. And that's when things really started happening. THAT post was seen by almost 2,000 people and shared 10 times! As a result, Common continued to be the "#1 New Release in Teen & Young Adult Christian Fantasy" for most of the week!! Not that I was checking... :)

I noticed a similar trend on my recent trip to my hometown in Wisconsin. I had reached out to my former middle school and high school to see if they would be interested in having me speak to their students. They were, and soon I had plans for both the Wednesday and Friday of my sons' spring break. Even though I knew it would make the trip feel even busier, I also asked a popular coffee shop if I could set up a book signing for that Saturday, and they put me on their schedule. Armed with three events in one week, I called the local newspaper to see if they would consider mentioning my visit and / or my book in an upcoming issue. They ended up interviewing me for a feature, complete with color photos of me and my book cover, plus a front-page headline! The school visits and book signing happened just last week and were a huge success (at least by my standards!), resulting in over 70 sales!

Please know that I'm not saying any of this to brag or imply that I'm some kind of marketing genius, but rather to demonstrate the compounding effect of momentum in promotional efforts. I obviously can't do any kind of scientific study on book sales, but I have a feeling that in both cases the positive end result had a lot to do with the chain of events leading up to it. So much of book marketing is out of an author's control, and there's certainly no guarantee of a certain number of sales or a large reception no matter how well you position yourself. But I do think there's something to be said for momentum. While it would be so much easier to spread things out leading up to or following a book release, I can see more than ever why so many authors engage in blog tours, social media blasts, in-person book tours, and other marketing activities concentrated in a certain time period. It can be exhausting and requires a ton of hard work, but if you can achieve that illusive domino effect as a result, then it's so worth it!

I'm not even close to having this all figured out, but whenever my next book releases, you can bet I'll be paying even closer attention to how I time and group promotional activities, just in case I manage to hit another momentum jackpot (or two!)!


How about you? Have you had any similar marketing experiences, or have you noticed anything similar in authors you follow? Any tips for us newbies??


Thanks for reading!
Laurie

Putting Yourself Out There (Laurie)

I hope you've enjoyed my All About posts over the past few months! I'll have at least one or two more additions to the series in the new year, but today I'm taking a break to talk about something else that's been on my mind lately...marketing. But wait, don't go! I know it tends to be everyone's least favorite topic, but I promise to try to make it as painless as possible.

The inspiration for this post came from some research I did on smaller publishers back when I was deciding where to submit my manuscript last year. One of the things I looked at was the number of reviews books by each publisher had, and I found some fascinating differences. I expected to see some measure of consistency among books within a given publisher, but that wasn't the case at all. Within the same publisher, one author's book might have 50 reviews, while another author's book had 5 or less. If we assume each author received similar attention from the publisher regarding cover design, editing, and promotion, what could cause such stark differences in reviews, and most likely, sales?

In almost every case, the author that had substantially more reviews was familiar to me.

Now, I'm not saying any of them were household-name-familiar, in the realm of J.K. Rowling or Marissa Meyer. But I had seen their name before, sharing something on social media, posting in a writing-related Facebook group, guest posting on a friend's blog, etc. They were authors who not only wrote a great book, but also put themselves out there enough to allow people to find that book.

So, this of course leads to the big question - HOW do authors put themselves out there in a world that's constantly bombarded with media and advertising? I can't pretend to be an expert marketer by any stretch of the imagination. But based on my observations since noticing the connection between familiarity and reviews, it has a lot more to do with engagement and building connections than self-promotion.

The authors within my social network who seem to be the most successful rarely post about their books. They share openly about themselves. They respond when someone posts a question in a Facebook group. They encourage and help promote others. They engage in discussions. To sum it up, they act like someone I would like to be friends with. And when others think so, too, that seems to generate some book sales.

As anyone who follows me on social media can tell, I still have a long way to go before accomplishing anything like what I've just described. And even if I ever get there, I'm sure it's not a stand-alone model for selling books. But at least it's a start, and it sure feels a lot more attainable than attempting to conquer the mysterious fields of marketing and advertising.

I know as writers it's so tempting to stick with what we know best: writing. But I'd like to challenge you to give some thought towards putting yourself out there just a little more than you do now. It doesn't have to be big, or even that scary. Join a few writing groups on Facebook and participate when a discussion comes up that interests you. Comment a little more often on your favorite writing blogs. When your author friend puts a new release or sale on social media, consider sharing it. Volunteer for guest blogging or interview opportunities, which can be an ideal way for both you and the blog host to reach new audiences. Open up and share an imperfection about yourself that others might be able to relate to.


I can't guarantee any or all of the above will in fact generate any book sales, but anything that increases your comfort level with getting your name in front of readers and fellow writers is a step in the right direction!


Now I want to hear from you! What commonalities have you noticed among successful authors? Have you tried any of these strategies in the past, or are there any you plan to try? Do you have any tips that I neglected to mention that helped you increase your visibility?


Thanks for reading!
Laurie