Just last week, I was given a release date by my publisher for Something About Her! Yay! My first book will be available, in ebook and print, on April 10, 2009. (Doing the happy dance again!)
However, now that the date is set (and not just "some day") it's time to get my butt in gear and figure out my marketing plan. And since November is NANOWRIMO month (National Novel in A Month…actually, I'm not exactly sure what that stands for. Anyone?) I thought I'd give myself a slightly different challenge: Jeannie's Write Your Marketing Plan in a Month (and don't procrastinate) Month.
So that's my November: How the heck am I going to promo my pretty, shiny new book?
The promo work actually started months ago: when I got the contract offer and realized that I'd have a book out there. Since then, I've been reading other blogs, loops and seeing what others are doing for their promotions. I joined a great Marketing For Romance Writers loop. I have a few things, such as this blog (underutilized though it is, but I'm working on that), my website, a myspace page … but they all need to be updated now. And the bigger point of having these is having people visit them…so I have to find ways to drive people to my site and read about the book.
Given my marketing background, you'd think this would be easy, right? Not really. It still requires all the work, all the steps and I don't have definite answers about what will work, what won't work..how much money to invest, etc… So as I pondered all these questions and tried to make a game plan, I thought this might be something worth sharing with you. (And besides, making this into a blog series requires me to actually do things in the order I should.)
So here we go…on a debut author's promotional journey from start finish. Whatever decisions I make or don't make, I'll share here…so you might just see my failures and my successes along the way. But in the end, we'll both have learned something right?
So what I need to figure out: my goals, the steps I need to take, and yes, figuring out that budget. And if anyone else would like to Marketing-Plan-In-A-Month with me, I'll even offer you a promo prize!
AND HERE'S THE PRIZE..
For anyone who comments on each of the Promo Blog Series posts with your thoughts, ideas and plans, your name will be entered into a contest to win an advertising spot, paid for by me, on the Romance Junkies website (one of Writer's Digest's 101 Best Website for 2007). Come December 1st, when we all have our shiny new plans, a winner will be selected and you will get to choose the month your ad runs.
Look forward to promoing with you! 🙂
And for you NANOWRIMO participants out there… comment on any blog and you'll be entered to win a WIP Notebook! I'll give away one a week through November. Comment away!!!
(And if you're looking for where/how to comment…at the top of each post you'll see this little comic-type bubble on the right side with a number in it. Click on that!)
6 comments
Very interesting blog, Jeannie. My first book with TWRP should appear soon after yours. No specific date. And I was starting my marketing plan today. I have more reasons to charge full speed into marketing and promo. My first pubbed book TO LOVE A HERO, a contemporary romance set in Russia, is now available in print after ten months as an ebook. I wouldn’t mind working with you as a blog resident. Please email me if you are interested. I have some ideas too. Mona Risk.
Hi Mona – Thanks for commenting! 🙂 And congrats on your upcoming book, as well! I’d love to learn more about your promo and marketing plans… how far have you gotten in the planning stages? I have a lot of notes right now. LOL (And I dropped you an email!)
My book Understanding Mercy is coming out from The Wild Rose Press in May. I have no idea how to market myself. I don’t even have a website yet. I have to get busy. The ebook comes out in two weeks. This is all a new experience for me and I am anxious to learn from your journey.
Looking forward to this, Jeannie. I’m new to the published author business and can use all the marketing tips I can get. Thanks!
I am also published with TWRP. I write for the Faery Rose Line. Two stories, Soar Into Ecstasy, and Erato’s Tears. I am happy to have another coming up but no release date yet for Virtual Cat-astrophe.
Reece
Hi Jeannie. Found this blog through MJ Rose’s blog. Ah, the interconnections of the interwebs 🙂
Like you, I’m a scrambling new author. My first book, SEDUCED BY SHADOWS, comes out with Signet Eclipse in October 2009. I’m torn between wanting next year to get here NOW and realizing not only are my ducks not in a row, they’re not even in the same time zone.
Here’s were my first steps for a marketing plan: Hurry up and read what everyone else is doing with their marketing; quick put together a website, blog & pages on major social networking sites; choose a half dozen outlets in my genre & establish a posting presence there.