Marketing and Promoting Your Book with a Facebook Event, Part 3

It gets frantic. It gets chaotic. It’s hard to keep track of all that’s happening! It’s a blast!

But if not well-prepared, the adventure can turn ugly. Nobody shows up. People show up but leave too early. Your posts are so far in between that people lose interest. Your posts aren’t engaging so you get little response. Four hours is a very long time! (Or one, even, if it’s dragging.)

I’ve been attending on-line Virtual Book Launch Events for a few years now. Before I became an author hawking her own books, I never knew there was such a thing. But, you know, there’s something about the magic of book contracts and promotion expectations, to thrust one into the midst of figuring things out.

I was part of a group book launch for our romance anthology and each of us only were responsible for a segment based on our story in the collection. It was well-attended and lively.

At each event for other authors I attended, I made note of what the virtual book launches included. Here’s what I found. Features that were the same in each of the events were:

         Themes

Cover art displayed

         Book blurb available

         Purchase info easily found and often presented

         Links to author pages of various sorts

         Giveaways (often run by Rafflecopter www.rafflecopter.com free basic

service, but they have paid plans with more options); tweet,

post, share to win

         Video or audio links (including book trailers for author’s own or others’

                  books; might be links to music or YouTube videos of content

                  related to your book)

         Pictures related to the era/theme/topic

Some of the virtual launches also included:

Trivia questions of the era/theme/topic/book to win prizes

         Pictures of foods you are “serving”; sometimes with recipes

         Opportunities to be named in next book, or vote on a character name

         Links to free stuff on the author’s site--bookmark, excerpts, etc.

Here’s the plan for my Facebook Launch for Pastabilities:

1)   Start the event with the book trailer for Pastabilities and run it once every hour of the event because some don’t stay the whole time and others arrive late.

2)   Provide links to YouTube cooking videos I made.

3)   Provide links to YouTube videos of short mystery stories spaced throughout the event hours.

4)   Provide links to YouTube cooking videos I follow.

5)   Post recipes from the book and accompanying pictures throughout the event hours.

6)   Share pictures from my Pinterest board of what characters look like.

7)   Post pictures of Phoenix and Glendale, AZ throughout the event hours.

8)   Give away free books, recipe cards, and cooking gadgets.

9)    Post fun food facts, kitchen gadget reviews, and provocative statements about the book content.

10)                   Post a link to an excerpt for the second book in the series, Prime Rib and Punishment.

11)                  Post a link to a book club guide for Pastabilities and an offer for me to participate in one via Skype/Facetime or in person.

12)                  Create trivia questions to post about the book, mysteries, cooking, police

procedures, etc.

13)                  Create lists of other mystery writers to invite and questions to ask; feature one or two each hour.

14)                  Prepare a series of tweets and Facebook posts that you ask friends to post to invite more people to the event.

15)                  What prizes will I give out for which questions? (apron, recipe cards, recipe

books, signed copies of my books and others’ book, measuring devices, pot holders, and so on).

16)                  Create an hour-by-hour outline of content/contests/videos/and so on.

17)                  Don’t overplan. Allow time for attendees to ask and respond to questions and to interact with one another.

My big Ah, Ha! was that while writing is a solitary pursuit, a book launch is a celebratory sharing. People want to be part of that energy! This post focuses on virtual (as opposed to live event) book launches and what happens in them.

In last week’s post, I gave you my template for planning a Facebook event. Do all that first, then start on these items.

Posting plans for the Facebook Book Launch of my culinary mysteries:

Here is the tentative plan I drafted for the Facebook event celebrating the re-release of Pastabilities (formerly Mission Impastable) in the fall. I’m planning the event for one week after the release date I’m given to ensure the book is available. That’s just a little insurance policy decision based on past experience!

For my Facebook Event, I’ll invite people from my on-line writing and cooking groups. This is several thousands people. Sadly, the actual number attending will be much less. However, by asking friends to tweet and announce my event on Facebook, I have the possibility of many people I don’t know attending. FB will track invitations and acceptances, but keep the event public so anyone can drop in.

 I am planning a four-hour event. The book cover and buy button will be prominent, as will the book blurb and early reviews. I’ll post a link my web page, blog, and Twitter account in a pinned area at the top. When the party is happening, messages scroll by fast.

In the invitation, I’ll tell attendees to bring cream cheese, chutney, and crackers with them. The first post is a recipe from Pastablilites for a quick appetizer to munch on throughout the event.

Four Hour Event:

Welcome to all and show book cover. Thank them for attending. There’s still time to invite other friends to drop in (give the link to invite others). Give overview of what’s coming up

Post the recipe for “Alli’s Super Easy and Elegant Cream Cheese Appetizer” from Mission Impastable

Post question 1

Post the book blurb

Post early reviews

Announce prize winner for question 1

Post question 2

Food Facts you might not know

Play book trailer (or reviews, cover, blurbs) for guest author

Interview/interaction with a culinary mystery author who wrote TITLE

Post a recipe from Pastabilities with a picture

Play book trailer for Pastabilities

Give Pinterest link to the board for Pastabliities’ characters and scenes

Announce prize winner for question 2

Show YouTube cooking video I made for Hermosillo Salsa.

Post question 3

Post a link to an excerpt for the second book in the series, Prime Rib and Punishment

Post a link to a book club guide for Pastablilities and an offer for

me to participate in a book club meeting via Skype/Facetime or in person.

Play book trailer (or reviews, cover, blurbs) for guest author

Interview/interaction with culinary mystery author who wrote TITLE

Announce prize winner for question 3

Post question 4 (winner announced at beginning of next hour)

Links to short mystery stories on-line

Share titles and synopses of the six books in the series

And so on.

Continue in this vein--some repetition, some new content. Your helper person(s) might be in charge of the posted answers to questions and determining winners as well as managing the posting of on-line videos and other content like pictures or recipes, freeing you to respond to questions, conduct interviews, and facilitate interactions with other authors.

Next week, in Part 3, I’ll give the nitty gritty of setting up the actual event on Facebook. See you then! In the meantime, start planning your event.

Marketing and Promoting Your Book with a Facebook Event, Part 1

A Facebook author event is an on-line Facebook page set for a specific time frame and either an invited or open-to-the-public happening. Most often there are games, giveaways, contests, and content provided.

It’s not that planning and running an author event on Facebook is so difficult, but there are a lot of moving parts, so I split this post in two with Part I this week and Part II next week.

Part I will focus on the prep for a Facebook event.

Part II will focus on how to set it up and what happens during and after the event.

Planning an event or happening on FB is a little complicated, but not too difficult. Just be well-planned before you go to set it up, then fill in the blanks. Set it up. Let ‘er rip.

With adequate prep, the event should go off smoothly. But before the event there are decisions to be made and materials and/or resources to accumulate.

Planning your Facebook Author Event:

1)   What kind of event are you planning?

A book launch? A connect-with-you event for fans? An “Author Takeover” event to allow connection with multiple authors? Fundraiser for some cause important to you and connected to what you write?

In an Author Takeover, gather a variety of authors in your genre (from around the world if possible). Or perhaps you are in an anthology. Get those authors to participate. An example of the fundraiser might be raising money for Desert Labrador Retriever Rescue if your books feature a rescue dog as an on-going character.

Name your event and select a picture to represent the event! Choose something memorable but short like “Pastabilities Book Launch.” The picture, of course, would be the book cover. Create a description that is concise, punchy, and use hashtags to aid in the spreading the word of the event.

2)   Allow 2-3 months prep time.

You need this time for planning and gathering materials and resources, but mostly for building buzz about the upcoming event. Drop hints on your FB author page, your blog, and your website. Post things like “Save the date! July 15^th is a BIG event coming your way.” Or, “Be my date. I want to spend time with you on July 15^th? Got a couple of hours?”

If there are multiple authors involved, set up the schedule for when each must be available for their part of the event. Have them promote the same way you are on your social media avenues. Provid them with copy so all they have to do is copy/paste.

Be sure to invite those attending to follow you on your FB author page and to subscribe to your website. Post that information periodically throughout the event (people come and go) or have it permanently available on the event site.

3)   What is your timeframe?

Will this event be a marathon 24 hours? Happen for two hours? What time frame works best for your fans in various time zones? What date has the least conflicts with other stuff in your life?

Make it easy for people to attend by making the time and location easy to find. Ask them to respond to the invitation for attendance and to spread the word to others.

4)   Who is going to help?

Even if this is a “simple” event lasting two hours, you will need at least one other person to help out. So get a good friend or friends to pitch in. Doing what, you ask?

If you have contests going on, someone has to monitor the entries and decide on the winner. If you have a successful event, you will have multiple conversation threads occurring simultaneously. When people post something, someone on your team needs to respond quickly.

I accumulate memes, questions to answer, lists of culinary books and authors, recipes, cooking tips and hacks, giveaways, polls, mini-mysteries to solve, etc. that are posted every several minutes. Accumulate enough to post at least 15 times per hour. See why you need 2-3 months?

You have to keep things happening, moving. You 

want people to stay for a long time and not leave 

because the event is boring. With so much 

happening, you need helpers to post and to respond 

with you.

Okay, you’re now ready to set up and run your Facebook author event. Come back next week to see how that works. If you have some suggestions to add, please comment below. I’m always trying to get better at this promo stuff!

Professional Development for the Professional Writer

I attended another workshop on marketing and promotion last Saturday run by Holly Roberts, USA Today Best Seller author. We can never get enough of this stuff, right?

In the fall, I attended one at our local Historical Novel Society meeting. I paid nothing for this one and gained a purse full of gold from Marylee McDonald’s stellar presentation.

I buy books on marketing and promotion. I read articles on marketing and promotion. I take classes when I can. Since this is not an area I feel confident in, I seek the information from knowledgeable others. As a professional writer, I have a responsibility to keep learning and growing. It’s my career, so I must assume the bulk of the responsibility for my success while being grateful for support from my publishers.

Every source says first write a good book. Well, I try. I do the best I can, but when I compare myself to Louise Penny, Jaqueline Winspear, Diane Mott Davidson, and others, I can see that my writing is not at that level. Yet. But I’m working on it. Honest.

However, the marketing thing can take over your life. At last Saturday’s Holly Roberts’ workshop, I learned so much about how to create a compelling ad, what I need to do on Facebook, and more. With four Facebook author pages, I need to up my game and post more content on each.

Okaaaay!

To figure out, maybe, how to be more efficient while being more effective with marketing and promotion, I am “attending” a Facebook group’s marketing strategies week-long focus beginning next week. For free! Maybe this one will be the magic bullet. Care to join me? Check out the 12-Minute Book Launch Challenge for yourself. 

I’ll be writing a limited series of what I’m learning/have learned about marketing and promotion. Come back next week for tips on building your mailing list and how to use it.

What are you doing that’s been effective for marketing your books without sucking up your whole life? Please share below.

Facebook: Are you struggling with the book marketing energy-time drain, too? Commiserate with Sharon Arthur Moore at http://bit.ly/2F6ntIO

Twitter: Are you struggling with the book marketing energy-time drain, too? Commiserate with @Good2Tweat at http://bit.ly/2F6ntIO

Should You Be Using Instagram as an Author?

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Instagram seems to be everywhere and on the lips of many. Do you have a personal Instagram account? How about an author one?

I was curious about this feature on the social media horizon. Back a few years ago, everyone was talking about Pinterest. I thought it of no relevance to me. I enjoyed looking at the pictures of food and vistas, but there was nothing that drew me into the Pinterest world.

Until. Hmm.

I read an article about authors using Pinterest as part of their writer’s platform. Hmm. After reading more, I joined up and developed my boards. I wrote a blog post about Pinterest for authors on this blog. Check it out. I love my Pinterest Boards and am so happy I started them.

So, here we are a few years later, and I’m thinking, “Hmm. Is Instagram the new Pinterest in terms of something I should add to my platform?” I went hunting for the answer. 400 million+ users? Hmm.

After looking at tons of Instagram pictures on dozens of author sites, I’ve concluded that this one isn’t for me. Instagram is a largely visual medium with few words. So is Pinterest. One big difference for me, however, is that I just don’t see posting regular pictures to Instagram so my fans (they are legion, don’cha know) can follow my plot points or character development. To be honest, I don’t know how I’d make it work for me.

Maybe you are an author using Instagram very successfully. I’m happy for you. Post a link in the comments, and I’ll check you out. With Pinterest, benign neglect works. I periodically add to my boards or even create a new board as I did for “Intrepid Women.” People find me and follow me with little effort on my part.

You have to be more intentional with Instagram. It works best for authors who already have a large following. Those fans want to know see pictures of the next book signing. Use popular hashtags so you find a new audience to add to your fans. Also, follow others and interact. This is true of all social media.

Fans are eager for a cover reveal. They enjoy the pictures you snap for them to vote on who looks most like your protagonist. You can announce book releases. Show your human side with pictures of you reading someone else’s book, of you in your writing nook or researching. Run contests (like selfies with your book cover; one-sentence stories; dressing like a character, etc.) and give prizes (like your book; Amazon gift card, etc.). Post a character’s picture with a teaser quote. Ask questions to get fans interacting.

Instagram has to be for somebody. Sure, Pinterest does, too, but people (like me) go hunting for food porn and happen across new boards to follow. People with like interests sort of accidentally find you on Pinterest. Not so much on Instagram.

If you want to add Instagram to your platform stable, first build a base of potential followers by announcing on Facebook, Twitter, etc., and to your e-mail list that you are on Instagram and encourage them to follow you. Then post interesting content. Don’t post more than once a day (unless it’s a book release day, then you can post several times). Follow other authors (and other creative professionals) to see how they use Instagram. Get ideas everywhere to keep your content fresh.

Hmm. Did I just talk myself into jumping in to Instagram?

Intrigued? Curious? Want to read more about using Instagram as an author?

5 Ways to Use Instagram as an Author

How Authors Can Build Their Audience on Instagram

7 Ways Writers Can Use Instagram

Instagram for Writers

Top 7 Ways Authors are Using Instagram

12 Writers You Need to Follow on Instagram

How 25 Authors Are Using Instagram

5 Good Reasons for Authors to Use Instagram

Bloggers need readers. Please share this post with others if you found it helpful. Here are some copy/paste messages all ready to go.

Facebook: Authors, should you be using Instagram as part of your platform. Sharon Arthur Moore’s post gives ideas and other resources if you’re thinking of trying it. http://bit.ly/2xB7cZo

Twitter: @good2tweat examines how and why #Writers use #Instagram as part of a social media platform. http://bit.ly/2xB7cZo

Guest Post: "The Best Book Promotion Advice I Ever Got" by Ann K. Howley

I am delighted to share my blog this week with fellow Oak tree Press author, Ann K. Howley. Her first book is Confessions of a Do-Gooder Gone Bad. Her post certainly made me examine what I can do to promote my work and help others along the way Let's give a good "Write Away" welcome to this new author on the publishing scene.

“Solve, don’t sell.”

That’s what Beth Caldwell, a local businesswoman, who is a powerhouse leader amongst women entrepreneurs, said in one of her live webinars a year ago.

“Nobody wants you to sell them something to them. They want you to solve their problems.”

I was skeptical. After all, I was the brand new, baby author of my first book, a humorous memoir about growing up in Southern California during the Sixties and Seventies. How on earth were my funny stories going to solve anyone’s problems?

But I understood her point. I know enough about marketing to know that consumers essentially buy things that they think will make their lives easier, more organized, convenient, less painful and, of course, sexier.  Everyone has certain pain points in their lives… wrinkles, a closet full of clothes that no longer fit, or an overgrown lawn. That’s why we buy cosmetics that make us look younger, clothing that make us look slimmer, and self-propelling lawn mowers we barely have to push to cut the grass.

People buy things that solve their problems.  So the key, Beth claimed, is to know where the pain is.

It all made perfect sense if I wanted to sell kitchen gadgets or snake oil, but I still didn’t know how this applied to a small-press author who was trying to figure out how to promote her first book.

“It doesn’t matter what your product or service is,” Beth explained. “You still have to find the pain points in people’s lives. And you do that by listening to what people say. What questions do people ask you the most? What do they want to know?”

I wracked my brain thinking about this, but I still didn’t think it made a lot of sense for me. I just couldn’t see how my book was going to be anything other than an entertaining and enjoyable read. But I took Beth’s advice to heart and I started to listen to people. As I told my friends, family, friends-of-friends and friends-of-family about writing a memoir, I began to hear the same thing over and over.

“I always wanted to write a memoir,” people wistfully told me. “How did you do it?”

Then I realized something important. THAT was the pain point.  People kept telling me they always wanted to write stories about their lives and they just didn’t know how or they needed a little guidance to start.

How could I have missed it? That had been MY pain point. For decades, I wanted to write. I had stories practically bursting out of me.  And when I finally started to write, it wasn’t because I knew what I was doing, but I believed I had a story to tell and I was determined to write it. I was elated when Oak Tree Press published my book in 2014.

Small press and indie authors know that book marketing is never as much about selling as it is about connecting with people. And if Beth Caldwell was right, then maybe I could connect with people who were just like me  - people who wanted to write a memoir and needed the encouragement to try.

I had previously called several libraries to ask if I could come in to talk about my book, but more than one librarian warned me that sometimes nobody comes to author talks. This time I asked a local librarian if she thought her patrons might appreciate a presentation on how to write a memoir. She immediately scheduled a date. Since my first presentation in January 2015, I have been invited to speak to many library groups and organizations. The local community college asked if I would do two intensive 4-week workshops on writing and publishing a memoir. Later this year, I will be speaking at a writer’s conference and at another book event where I am, by far, the least well-known author amongst all the other speakers.

I’m not a bestselling author and I don’t pretend to be a literary genius. I still have much to learn. But I’m a proud, published author and I have learned many things about writing and publishing in my own writer’s journey over the last few years, and I am eager to share my experience. When people who attend my workshops buy my book, I feel like it’s an added bonus.

I love when people read my book. I genuinely appreciate every Amazon reader who has honored my book with a 5-star review. But the greatest satisfaction and fulfillment I have experienced as an author is to offer advice to people who want to write and to help, in some small way, to solve someone’s problem.

Beth Caldwell was indeed right when she said “solve, don’t sell.”

It was the best book promotion advice I ever got.

Ann K. Howley, who is a regular contributor to Pittsburgh Parent Magazine, was thrilled when her humorous memoir, Confessions of a Do-Gooder Gone Bad, won an Author Zone Book Award in October 2014.

Website www.annkhowley.com

Do-Gooder Gone Bad Blog http://annkhowley.com/blog/

Twitter @annkhowley

Email akhowley@gmail.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Confessions-of-a-Do-Gooder-Gone-Bad/697332883669295 

Promo and Marketing for Writers, Part 2

I signed a contract for book two in my culinary mystery series, Prime Rib and Punishment, and it will be followed a two-three months later with book three, Potluck. While those are in production, I will be writing Ancient Grease in which Alli and Gina work for a cruise ship as demo cooks. 2015 is going to be a good year for me!

Jeana, our marketing guru at Oak Tree Press, just e-mailed me with some requests, one of which is sending her my year-long, month-by-month marketing plan for Prime Rib and Punishment. The plan begins three months prior to release and continues for at least nine months after that. I had to complete one for Mission Impastable, too, but I know a bit more now than I did when I created that one.

I have a guest on “Write Away” next week, but I will share parts of my marketing plan with you two weeks from now so you have a sense of how to produce one if your publisher requests it or you are indie publishing and wonder what a marketing plan can (not must) look like.

But here are some tidbits for marketing and promotion as teasers:

I will order business cards as soon as the book cover is finalized. I am hoping we go for another “food on a fork” picture like Mission Impastable. I like the simplicity and the branding effect of a similar style cover. Remember, I like to use the real estate on the back side as a reason to keep my card so I will be pulling recipes from the next three books for that purpose.

A couple of years ago, I ordered car magnets for my doors. I’ll be getting another pair of magnets for PR&P and other books in the series. It is cheap, passive advertising. I drive to the grocery store and somebody asks me about the book title! Everywhere I go, my name and my book title go along.

Of course I’ll be announcing my new title this month to the readers of my cooking column in a small local newspaper. I already show the cover of MI; I’ll just add in PR&P when it’s ready. I am fortunate to have this free advertising opportunity each month.

I’ve arranged for some guest spots on blogs later this summer, and I’m doing a fall podcast that will allow me to tout all three books.

I’m going to create some of those Rotten E-Cards with promo material (you have to be careful not to violate their guidelines), but I know they catch one’s attention when they pop up in a Twitter of Facebook feed.

Tweets and Facebook posts will let people know something comes this way! I am asking ten people to post tweets and Facebook posts (which I prepare in advance). The reach of ten others to their followers/friends will greatly extend my exposure. I prepare those in advance for distribution to them with instructions for when to release the messages.

I know these items are pieces of my marketing plan, but I have to put more effort in pulling off both a virtual and in-person launch. My plan will tell Jeana that’s what I’m doing, but I will have two other documents with the details for each.

What has been successful for you in book promotion and marketing? Please share below so we all learn!

Be sure to stop in next Tuesday. Sue Faris Raatjes is back with tips for those who want to write for the Christian fiction market! And in two weeks, I’ll share the marketing plan for Prime Rib and Punishment.