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Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Monday, strategy, target audience, Marvelous Marketer, Add a tag
Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: vlogging, suzanne young, the naughty list, Marvelous Marketer, author, interview, Monday, Add a tag
Today, we have Suzanne Young, author of The Naughty List.
I asked her to share with us a little about her marketing and how her great blog has helped her in this industry.
Take a look!
Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: smark chicks tour, Monday, melissa marr, alyson noel, kelley armstrong, Marvelous Marketer, Add a tag
Today we have a special treat. Melissa Marr, Kelley Armstrong, and Alyson Noel are here to talk a little about marketing and their upcoming Smart Chicks Kick it tour (10 authors/8 cities).
First, can each of you tell us a little about your author career.
MM - I taught university lit for a while. In 2003, I switched to part-time teaching and allowed myself 3 years to try writing. In 2004, I wrote the short story that evolved into my first published novel (WICKED LOVELY) in 2005. I wasn't very optimistic - there was no major paranormal YA market yet. (not even Twilight) In 2006, I had just decided to go back to fulltime teaching when WL sold. Harper bought WL and the yet-to-be-written INK in a 3-book deal. Right now, I'm writing the 5th WL novel.
KA - My first adult book (Bitten/Otherworld series) came out in 2001. Book 11 (Waking the Witch) will be released in August. I also have a crime series with 2 books so far. For this tour, though, the focus is my young adult paranormal trilogy. The third book in the Darkest Power series (The Reckoning) comes out in April. Right now I'm editing the first book in the next YA trilogy.
AN - I’m the author of 12 novels for adults and teens, including the bestselling THE IMMORTALS series, and its soon to be released spin-off series, beginning with
Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: interview, Monday, mandy hubbard, prada and prejudice, Marvelous Marketer, Add a tag
Hi Mandy, thanks for joining us this week! Tell us a little about yourself and your books.
My book on shelves, PRADA AND PREJUDICE, is about a fifteen year old girl who trips in her Prada heels, hits her head, and wakes up in 1815. I have four other books in the pipeline, most notably my August 2010 release, YOU WISH, about a girl whose every birthday wish from the last fifteen years came true-- starting with a life-sized MY LITTLE PONY.
I got started like most do-- querying. I landed an agent in 2006, but it took two years (and nine drafts) for Prada & Prejudice to sell. It's a rather long story, but if you'd like to read about it, I recapped it here, on my blog.
Selling my debut novel (as part of a two book deal) was sort of like breaking through a logjam, and I've sold three other books since. (including a book about Nascar, Driven (June 2010, Harlequin); You Wish (August 2010, Razorbill) and Shattered (Written as Amanda Grace, Flux, 2011)
Blogging has been really amazing for me, but at first, it had nothing to do with marketing. I met my critique partner(s) through livejournal, and I really don't think I ever could have been published without them. I used livejournal as a way to socialize with other writers and document my journey.
I do get a lot of traffic to my blog these days, most notably to the "road to publication" tagged posts. After my book deal, I went back and unlocked the entries dealing with rejection. The ones where I whined and moped that it would never happen. I was hoping that other writers who were struggling with rejection would recognize that we all felt like that at one point, and perseverance is what it takes to get beyond it.
You are very active in the social networking community. How do you use the various channels to get the word out about your book?
I think it's important not to be obnoxious when you're on the social networking platforms. If you be yourself and try to make genuine connections and friendships, you create a far more lasting impr
Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: jennifer Hubbard, Secret Year, Marvelous Marketer, agent, interview, Advice, Monday, Nathan Bransford, Add a tag
Happy New Year everyone! Welcome back to the Monday Marvelous Marketer Series. The series will evolve with some new features this year. To provide your input, please take my poll on the side and give me your ideas on what you would like to see in the series this year.
We start the year off with the one and only Nathan Bransford. I'm sure we all follow his famous blog as he steers us through the publishing world. Today, he's here to share some of his Marketing knowledge.
Hi Nathan, thanks for joining us. As if you are not busy enough! Pretend that some people here don't know who you are and tell us about yourself.
Hi Shelli.
Curtis Brown Ltd. is a New York-based agency that has been representing authors since 1914, and over the years has represented an incredible array of legendary/bestselling authors. I was fortunate to have joined Curtis Brown out of college in 2002 as an assistant in the San Francisco office. I had grown up in a small town in Northern California (my parents are farmers), and living in San Francisco and working in publishing was a dream. I’ve been with Curtis Brown ever since, including a few years in the New York office, before I returned to San Francisco and began building my list in earnest.
I also recently wrote a middle grade novel called JACOB WONDERBAR AND THE COSMIC SPACE KAPOW, which will be published by Dial Books for Young Readers in 2011.
Nathan also runs a very popular blog - if you have not checked it out yet. It is a valuable resource! You can also follow him on Twitter and Facebook. It's OK he likes to be cyberstalked! ;)
Congrads on your book deal. Give me a corn dog and space any day! Thinking with both an author hat and agent hat, what do you think are the top 3 things authors should do to promote their book?
I actually only have one thing on the must do list, and that’s to have some sort of Google-able, professional web presence, whether it’s a blog, website, Facebook page… anything that is th
Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: contest, interview, winner, Monday, Tricycle Press, publicist, Marvelous Marketer, hayley gonnason, Add a tag
"Thanks for Following this Turkey" contest!
Thanks to everyone who played in last week's contest. The winner is TESS!!!!
Tess, please email me offline to schedule your free consultation and choose your book. :) Congrads!
Marvelous Marketer!
Today we have Hayley Gonnason, a publicist from Tricycle Press.
Hi Hayley! Thanks for joining us today. I am sure everyone is excited to hear from a publishing publicist. But first, tell me a little about yourself, your background/experience, and your role as a publicist.
I got my start as a publicity and sales associate at a small publishing house called Northland Publishing/Rising Moon/Luna Rising, which has since closed. I’ve been a publicist for Tricycle Press, the children’s book imprint of Ten Speed Press, for just over three years.
First let me ask, do you see a difference in publicity vs marketing in the publishing industry?
That’s a pretty difficult question to answer because marketing and publicity often go hand in hand here at Tricycle. A simple way of looking at it is that with marketing we’re spending direct money to promote a book and with publicity we aren’t. My job as publicist is to promote Tricycle Press books to the media to create buzz and make people want to buy our books.
As a publicist with Tricycle Press, can you give us some insight as to what happens in your typical day?
One of the nice things about my job is, there is no “typical” day. I always have to be ready to shift gears. We recently had a book launch party and there was a miscommunication and books were never ordered for the event. When I found out, I had to drop everything to make sure the books were there in time for the event. In the end the launch went off without (as far as people attending knew) a hitch but little things like that come up all the time. When I’m not dealing with stuff like that, I’m working on creating publicity plans for upcoming books, establishing and obtaining relationships with media contacts, and arranging events for authors and illustrators.
What types of publicity do you do for your authors (ARCs, blurbs, signings, materials, collateral)? And, does your role vary by author or is there a set standard of publicity that all authors get?
At Tricycle,the marketing and publicity dept. covers everything you mention above. We create sales materials, arrange events, create collateral to promote the events, solicit blurbs and early reviews, and attend trade shows—and that’s just to start. As publicist I pitch books to the media and if authors/illustrators have a platform that makes for an interesting/newsworthy interview, I pit
Blog: Faeriality (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags: Marvelous Marketer, author, Marketing, interview, picture book, Monday, chicken dance, Tammi sauer, Add a tag
Hi Tammi. Thanks for stopping by today! We appreciate you taking time out of your Chicken Dancing. :) Before we dive into your marketing advice, can you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m the author of the picture books Cowboy Camp and Chicken Dance as well as the forthcoming titles Mostly Monsterly, Mr. Duck Means Business, Princess-in-Training, and Oh, Nuts! There are two additional titles I’d love to add to the list, but I’m still waiting to sign The Official Paperwork.
Although I thoroughly enjoy what I do, I never planned on being a children’s book writer. I had always assumed I’d grow up to be a third grade teacher, but two sentences from my favorite college professor at Kansas State University—Dr. Marjorie Hancock--changed my life: “Tammi, you have a gift with words. You should pursue publication.” Knowing she believed in me made me believe in myself. Marge, one of the chickens in Chicken Dance, is named in her honor.
I this it's amazing how some of us writers never actually set out to be a writer. We just followed a whim and a passion. How have you gotten yourself out into the writing world?
Online presence has been important. I have two websites and a blog.
The first website is my author site. This site is managed by me which consequently means it’s very basic.
I also maintain a blog pretty regularly.
I can see you think having an online presence is a good thing :). Given that, what three marketing channels - would you say - are most important to an author or illustrator?
1. A web presence is crucial. At the very minimum authors should have a website. It’s an easy way to let people know who you are, what you write, and how to contact you.
2. The idea of promotions shouldn’t make people want to curl up under their desks with a Dr. Pepper and some frozen Milky Ways. Even the most introverted authors can find ways to promote that fit within their comfort zone. Shrinking Violets
3. Don’t evolve into such a shameless self-promoter that you turn people off. Yes, it’s great to get the word out. Yes, it’s exciting to share your news/joy/every-written-word with the world. But do it in doses people can swallow.
How do you feel about social networking as part of a marketing plan?
I'm on Facebook, LiveJournal, Twitter, Kidlit Book Trailers, and the Verla Kay Blueboards
Besides being online as well as involved in social networking, what other advice do you have for authors/writers regarding marketing?
Strive to do something unique. Put a new spin on what others are doing. Make yourself stand out.
Keep your online content fresh. Give your readers a reason to go back to your website, Facebook Fan Page, etc. An easy-to-do example: add a What’s New? section to your website and regularly update it.
What creative things have you done to promote Chicken Dance?
Let’s see…I’ve been known to wear a chicken hat on occasion.
The Chicken Dance website offers freebies, dance lessons, and much, much more. The dance lessons portion is one of my favorites. Dan came up with the idea to post brief videos of us teaching new moves. Currently, Dan’s move “The Bellyache” is available. Every so often, we’ll be adding a new move to keep our readers (and dancers!) coming back for more.
Dan and I have a Chicken Dance Video Contest that offers faaaaabulous prizes. The link to the page and the commercial.
We also have a Chicken Dance Fan Page on Facebook that offers occasional contests, fun videos, and an "On the Road with Elvis Poultry" photo album.
In addition to my own Twitter account, I twitter from the perspective of Elvis Poultry. Always wanted to know about the life and times of a rock and roll rooster? What does he read? What does he eat? What goes on behind the scenes of the Final Doodle Doo Tour? Then follow Elvis Poultry. It’ll have you all shook up.
Did you market yourself to agents/editors before you got published?
I didn’t market myself to agents/editors before I got published. I was so new, it never occurred to me to try. Instead, I studied the craft. I readreadreadreadread. I wrote a really awful manuscript about a grandma and banana bread. But I pushed myself to get better. And better.
I joined SCBWI and attended conferences. I researched publishing houses. I researched agents. And I tried to find the perfect matches for me and for my work. Eventually, those efforts paid off. Not only am I working with some wonderful houses--Sterling, Simon & Schuster, Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt, and Bloomsbury--but I have the amazing Laura Rennert for an agent.
Thanks for sharing your marketing advice with us today!
Thanks for having me, Shelli. Thanks, too, for this wonderful site. I've learned so much from my pit stops at Market My Words!
Great marketing tips Shelli. Would it be necessary to ever include a brief summary of this in a query to an agent or editor?
These are great tips!
And I think I guess eye color as the lie (though I can't remember . . .) :)
This is great, thanks!
Planning my website, so this is awesome, THANKS. Wondering, if the author has books with varying audience interest or on differnt topics, should they look for the common denominator in their books or have seperate sections for different agegroups and interests on their site?
Thanks again for these great tips.
Ooh, just what I needed. Thanks, Shelli!
I am trying to lose 8 lbs in 9 weeks to finally be the weight on my driver's license again! :)
Excellent marketing tips as usual, Shelli! Thanks!
Great tips. I always laugh when I see someone refer to her novel as being for a MG and YA audience. Yep, that narrows it down. ;)
Wonderful tips! This post is tucking into my favorites marketing folder.
Excellent advice.
Excellent thoughts. It's going in my marketing folder. Thanks!
Great tips to think about. Can you sometime do a post about swag? Except for bookmarks, why do authors need them and do people/bloggers really want them? Personally, I'd rather spend the money on more books for giveaways. But am I missing something?
Really great tips, Shelli! I remember telling my writing students how important it was to be able to identify their target audience. Always, they would say, well, you are, and it frustrated me to no end. I would tell them, yes, I'm going to read it, but if you were selling this, who might want to buy this?
Very helpful, Shelli! thank you