TOPIC: Marketing & Promotion - Bookmarks

APOLOGIES - Joss Ware was scheduled for today but due to deadline commitments she's been unable to visit. We'll catch up with her on a later date.

Having talked to many book sellers over time, one of the promotional items they request from authors and publishers is bookmarks. Readers enjoy receiving and collecting them.

I know I keep those put out by my favourite authors, particularly if they have a picture of the book cover or characters and dates for book releases.

And, if gauging by the number of requests that come over my writing loops, authors are interested in finding places that make bookmarks. So, I'm happy to share what I've done along these lines. 

Most of my promotional items come from Vistaprint. I LOVE Vistaprint! And while they don't have a bookmark product I've converted one of their other products to serve this purpose.

I used their oversized postcards (not the standard sized postcards). With a bit of time and tweaking I can fit three per card.

Prior to designing what I wanted though,  I gathered together some bookmarks from stuff I'd collected over conferences or had sent to me with book orders etc. I picked what I liked from them and designed the features to suit me. A couple of must-put-on's - website, ISBN # & publishing house - that way regardless a reader can find me or my book on the net. I also wanted my back cover blurb.

One of things I discovered the hard way - just be careful if you put something on the back that it's the same direction at the front otherwise it'll be upside down. It does take some fiddling putting in the info, aligning it and making it all fit properly as you're working side-on but it's worth the time you spend on it.

When they arrive you'll have to guillotine them yourself - they cut to 4.5cm x 21.5cm width & length, so make sure the back and front pictures/text all fit in the width. It's fiddly to do but possible.

I chose a solid colour template - back for my design. For the pictures headshot pictures I used on the back I cropped the book covers.

Front Side

Front side - font I used was Humanist 521, size 9 (for the publisher, release dates, ISBN data down the bottom) & 10 (for quotes & book log lines).

Reverse side

Reverse side - font I used was Humanist 521, size 8 (for one of the blurbs) & 9 (for website & other blurbs) & 10 (for the title & book number).

As you can see I used bold and italicised text only on the front and some of the back. Plain text for blurbs. Makes it stand out more than plain text.

Signing up to open an account at Vistaprint is free. And as I said before, it will take some fiddling to set up the bookmark postcard - especially as you have to design it looking at it sideways - but it's worth it in the end as you'll then have it on file in your Portfolio.

Just be aware that uploading the photo's of your covers could cost unless you strike a Vistaprint "free upload" offer. Unless you're in a rush to order bookmarks, wait until those freebie promo's are sent out then order them then.

Previous posts on Vistaprint products I've used:

• Being a Published Author
• Promotion series links

TOPIC: Marketing & Promotion - What works?

Unfortunately, the general consensus is a lot of marketing/promo done by an author is unmeasurable.

But, as authors, I think we can make educated guesses on what works, and what doesn't, if we do some research and gather data using the process of trial and error.

Before being published I followed, watched and researched 4-5 of my favorite authors and looked at their websites, blogs, Facebok pages, Twitter posts and so on, and took note of what they were doing, how they did it and what appealed to me in what they did.

I also read a lot of results of reader surveys run by a variety of organisations (like RWAmerica, ARRA and other independent studies).

I came up with a list of things that have helped me shape my promotion & marketing plans (of course, I tweak them as I go as I learn more after each book and time passes).

Here is a small list of points I thought worked well for me (and keep in mind this will vary from author to author):

• writing the next book is the best form of marketing and promotion ever!
• other than the above, word of mouth is one of the most powerful selling tool
• giveaway books ie. a selected number during your blog tours, giveaways at conferences, newsletter prizes to subscribers, Goodreads etc.

The last point feeds word of mouth - how do I know this? I've had readers email me to say they won a giveaway, lent the book to a friend and their friend has liked it enough to want to buy their own copy.

When readers email me I offer to send out signed bookplates for their friend if they'd like one. I used this as a chance to send out a doodad/bookmark/postcard as well (see "doodad" comment below). This may seem small bikkies but I believe every sale counts.

Something else I've noticed that may help:

• mentioning when your books are significantly discounted or on special at certain places like Amazon, The Book Depository, B&N. I did this on my social media network - FB, Twitter, my newsletter and so on.

Now, while I can't give you 100% proof of sales through doing this, I can only share my observations with you and you can make up your own mind about whether this worked.

I made a point of looking at click-throughs from my newsletter - where subscribers went looking - and tracking things like sales rankings on The Book Depository, Amazon/Author Central, Barnes & Noble etc. I did this on a daily basis for a period of time AFTER I announced these discounts.

What I noticed was this...sales rankings rose. So, I guess one could assume that there may have been some sort of link to advertising discounts and these results.

(As an aside, one thing to be wary of is doing this too often. Bombarding readers with these announcements can be regarded as spammy. It's a very quick way of annoying them and they'll unlike/unfriend/unsubscribe/unfollow you.)

• Doodads - as a reader I like receiving "stuff", particularly if it's from a favorite author, whether it's postcards, bookmarks, pens, giveaways etc. These "doodads" puts your work/name in front of the reader and anyone else who sees it, every time they use the refrigerator, write or carry something.

One point to consider is that whatever you giveaway should serve a dual purpose. It should advertise your product (the book) and it should be practical. Gauging by emails and comments from readers, things like refrigerator magnets, pens, cups, notepads, tote bags seemed to have worked well for me.

Personally, I quite like calico tote bags you can take them shopping or to work with you (with a book cover & website on the sides). I use them mostly as grocery shopping bags and the number of times I've had people comment and ask about them is amazing. They're (subtle) walking advertisments, small billboards on legs.

• As a reader I also like free stories for subscribers of newsletters, and snippets of new releases during blog tours (the varied the better as I will follow an author around on their tour getting information about that book), "special extra's" about the book (a bit like the extra's on a DVD, character outlines, bloopers, deleted scenes and so on).

So, as an author, this is what I've tried to incorporate on my website, in my blog tours, on my blog and in my newsletters.

Of course, some of the promotional items require a budget (like the "doodads" & postage) but if you set yourself a strict limit it's doable.

This is my 2c worth on promotion and marketing outside of writing a damn good book! :-)

Does anyone else have an hints or advice they'd like to share on this topic?

TOPIC: Marketing and Promotion - Websites

Marketing and promotion can be a controversial topic, especially when writers get together and discuss the topic.

Opinions vary widely, some say it makes no difference, some say that's what your publishing company should be doing for you, some say every little bit helps.

Regardless of where you stand on this topic, in today's market I think it's safe to assume authors have a responsibility for doing something in this arena. Yet another skill we need to attempt and gain some proficiency in.

What sort of promotion or marketing should I do? Well, that varies from author to author.

But the one basic essential marketing and promotion tool any author should have is a website, and this applies to unpublished authors as well.

Unpublished authors should be thinking about creating and establishing a web presence well before signing with a publishing house, purely because once you jump on that merry-go-round you're going to have enough of a learning curve to undertake without the added pressure of getting a website up an running.

If you leave it too late, there's nothing more frustrating for a reader than learning about a new and upcoming author, searching out more information about them and discovering they don't have a website up and running.

Please don't put up a website without content or one that has a collection of messages saying "under development". It's great way to turn readers off and make sure they never come back (same goes for a website that isn't updated regularly - but more on that in a minute).

Another good reason for unpublished authors to have a website - agents and editors could go looking for you once you begin submitting work or querying them. If you're placing in contests, same applies. Judges (aka potential readers) might also go looking for you.

Back to your website. Think of it as your base of operations - and because I'm a huge sci-fi fan - equate it to a space station.

No matter what galaxy you hail from, your space station will be the first port of call for all travellers. They'll search for it and is the one place they'll be able to refuel and find supplies - aka find out about you and/or your books.

Having a website is an essential, even if it's the only marketing/promotional tool you use as an author.

What should I have on my website? The bare necessities include a home page, biography page, books page (if you're pubbed) and contacts page.

Label your page tabs clearly, don't use some obscure term. You want readers able to find content on your website, not pulling their hair out in frustration when they can't. You want them coming back time and again, not avoiding it.

Keep your website simple, easy to navigate. Make sure it reflects your brand (and if you want to know what that is, then check out Nikki Logan's post on this here).

If this is your first foray into planning and designing a website, go look at your favourite author's websites. This is the easiest and best way to work out what appeals to you.

What grabs your attention from their sites? Look at the content they've placed on their pages. Is this something you'd like to have on yours? This is how I developed mine.

You'll find over time you'll redesign or overhaul it. A website shouldn't be a static thing. It should always be evolving, and this brings me to one of the most important things about creating and maintaining a website.

Keep it up to date!

Let me repeat that.

Keep. It. Up. To. Date.

Once a month maintenance - up date your home page, make sure you have your latest releases, cover blurbs, and buy links posted, make sure you have a series book list in chronological order.

Do this and your readership will be happy. And you'll keep them coming back.

If you build it, they will come!

Any other tips or hints on websites, folks?

TOPIC: Being a Published Author - Vistaprint is my new friend!

As promised this post will be entirely devoted to the mantra - Vistaprint is my new friend!

For any author, this website is a gold mine of promotional items - you name it, they probably have it. And best of all, they run "freebie" product sales, where you only pay for postage.

Used wisely, and sticking to a budget (see previous post titled Promotion & Marketing), you can stock up on useful items to compliment your giveaways or make up surprise swag packs to send out while on blog tours etc.

One warning though, Vistaprint can be addictive! :-)

And to balance that out, one piece of advice - make sure the items you purchase are useful or practical. Don't waste money by purchasing something a reader will throw away at the first opportunity. Magnets are winner all round - practical, useful, visible, pretty and timeless.

Here are some of the items I designed and had made up, all were chosen from the "freebie" stock deals Vistaprint sends out regularly - designs are limited, so sometimes I had to choose from what was available and match it to my website brand as best I could. I also spread out my purchases over several months. Special deals for various products occurred at different times too.

Book banners (small)

Book banners (small) require a high resolution jpeg image - at least 1MB to be clear and crisp when printed. I included the book series name, imprint line and my website address.

I've used these at library visits, book signings and other promotional events.

Book plates

Address labels (aka book plates) - because I planned to send out some giveaways of VENGEANCE BORN direct from The Book Depository to contest winners, I couldn't sign them personally.

So I went with book plates, which were just Visaprint address labels. I removed all text from the address boxes and got them sent to me blank. I sign them and post them off separately.

Door magnets (small)

Door magnets (small) - again high resolution jpeg images of my book covers. I also included my website address on them.

Magnets

Magnets (large & small) - practical and visual. Promoting my covers, release dates, website.

I've given them away at any visit, signing, to friends and acquaintances or as surprise swag to readers (particularly those who followed my blog tour as a "thank you for your loyalty" gesture).

Door magnets

Door magnets (again) - these I send out as swag or special giveaways to my newsletter subscribers.

Postcards (standard)

Postcards (standard size) - again high res.jpegs for a crisp, clear image. Covers on front. Blurb, cover quotes, release dates, website address on the back.

I sent them out to bookstores, libraries and blogs.

Back of postcards

A dual set also went out with every giveaway copy of VENGEANCE BORN, or as swag.

I handed them out at author talks, library visits, even put some at the local general stores for people to take.

Rack Cards (front)

Rack cards - Just a different version of the above but used for the same purposes.

The longer format on the back gave me the chance to add more detailed book review quotes. It also allowed me to fit both books on the front.

Rack Cards (back)

I take them along with me to things like book signings, talks, book club visits etc. I often ask that people take as many as they like and hand them out to friends who may be interested.




Sticky notes, business cards, notepads, keyrings -  all used as giveaway swag.

I just deleted the address and replaced it with the phrase, my website address and my name & brand line.

The key ring and notepads are for special giveaways or contests run on my blog.

Lawn sign (small)

Lawn sign (small) - again high res jpegs of my book covers for this. I kept the text simple and easy to read. I ordered two.

These I lend to libraries and bookstores to advertise upcoming events. They can be placed in windows or displayed on notice boards.

Business cards - I turned one of Vistaprints standard business cards into a "With compliments & thank you" card. I hand it out with everything I giveaway.

Brochures

Brochures - like the rack cards. Just a different presentation.

I included the imprint line, a book reviewer quote and website address on the front.

On the back the title, series name, blurb, release date, ISBN numbers, and website address again.

Brochure *back)

Stickers

Stickers - just a bit of fun.

I add them to any envelopes or packages I send out ie. giveaways.

Flyers - special one off's. Kept simple in text to advertise a coming event.

I posted them up on noticeboards in the local communities.






The most frequently used/sent out items so far are magnets (all sorts), book postcards, my modified "With compliments & thanks you" business cards, and the address labels I converted to book plates.

So, now repeat after me - Vistaprint is my new, best friend!

Any questions?

TOPIC: Being a Published Author - Promotion & Marketing

Authors no longer just write. Promotion and marketing is expected by editors, and to some extent agents, and it's one thing you can have some control over.

It's a necessary evil as it takes you away from what you should be doing - writing the next book - but who else is better qualified or more invested in making sure your book gets the exposure it needs?

I have just two pieces of advice for anyone wondering how to start.

• Make a plan & a budget (be flexible with your plan but stick to your budget).
• Be organised (well in advance first time around).

Why? Because the whole snowball that is promotion and marketing will be overwhelming enough to handle without the added stress of doing everything at the last minute.

Every plan will be unique to the author and book and as I can only speak from my experiences, some of the things I did may or may not appeal or apply to anyone else, so read with a critical eye. I apologise for the length of this post but there was so much valuable information to share that to cut it would short change you.

I'm also no expert, but I'm willing to share ideas that may give you a launching point or spark some thoughts of your own. So take on board whatever you find useful and discard the rest.

My debut novel, VENGEANCE BORN, with Berkley Sensation released on February 7th, 2012. I began working with my publicist in June 2011.

I wrote out a rough plan of what I wanted to do in the months leading up to release day, emailed my editor and publicist to keep them informed and find out what they were doing so we didn't double up.

Here's what I came up with.

JUNE

• Contact my publicist & editor to begin discussion on promotional ideas. I began so far in advance because I had no idea what was involved and wanted to be well prepared.

JULY

• Create an ARC list of paranormal romance/fantasy blogs for early reviews (easy to do if you've spent the time previous knowing which ones accept your genre & what their review policies are, I became familiar over the last few years with these sorts of blogs and bookmarked them for easy recall).
• Send list to publicist.
• Begin formulating a personal wishlist of network contacts for my blog tour in February - include other authors, friends & book blogs.
• Decide on how many weeks I'd run my blog tour. I went for two weeks prior to the Feb.7th release date and four weeks after. Six weeks total. And then I worked out how many visits per week I could handle - I went with two to three.
• Saved old book packages ie. from orders received from The Book Depository, as I knew I would need them for my giveaways in January/February.

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER

• Publicist began sending out ARC's to reviewers from our lists.
• I contacted local Australian specialist romance bookstores here in Australia - Rendezvous, Intrigue, Rosemary's Romance Books etc. - to let them know I had a book being released in the USA/Canada on Feb.7th. I emailed them first with a letter of introduction and asked if they would be interested in promotional items or information about the book. All replied in the positive, happy to promote a local Aussie author. Some even offered to feature the book on the front page of their monthly catalogs, websites and in-store book displays.
• Sent out a Media Kit to these bookstores - author bio, photo, book cover & blurb, release dates & where, website links, book postcards for distribution to customers - and to the couple who requested an ARC, I sent a copy to them for review.
• Discovered Vistaprint and their "free" items.
• Contacted via email friends, authors & book blogs requesting the opportunity to guest blog or be interviewed.
• Contacted local area bookstores with the same information.
• Continued to save book packages.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER

• Created a budget covering anticipated expenses like postage, Vistaprint products (aka postage), travel to talks/visits/signing in local area, paper, paperclips, envelopes etc.
• Began writing & scheduling blog posts & snippets of VENGEANCE BORN teasers for my own blog in the lead up to and through the release date month. I wanted this all done so as I wasn't tied up with my own blog when I was "out on my cyber tour" with VENGEANCE BORN.
• Began examining and looking at other author's newsletters as I wanted to create one of my own to coincide with my release date. Eventually decided to trial Mad Mimi and began writing first newsletter.
• Kept an eye out for Vistaprint specials (Vistaprint is my new friend has become my mantra).
• Responded to replies from friends, authors & book blogs for blog tour dates and formalised my itinerary for late Jan./February.
• Began answering interview questions, writing guest blog posts for blog tour.
• Plan giveaways and surprise swag packs for blog tour.
• Continued to save book packages.
• Started mentioning the pre-buzz build-up on my website home page (continued to post monthly updates featuring buy links and advance reviews).

Copies have arrived!

JANUARY 2012 (pre-buzz build-up to release day)

• Organise and run Goodreads giveaway of a VENGEANCE BORN ARC - I ran it for a month, from Jan.7th to Feb.7th and ended up with 2300 people entering and almost half that many adding it to their To Read list.
• Contacted local media - newspaper, libraries, bookstores etc. to arrange articles, interviews and visits.
• Pre-buzz updates on my website home page (featuring buy links and changed advance reviews).
• Took advantage of Vistaprint freebies for flyers & postcards advertising these events (Vistaprint is my new friend!).
• Donated a copy of VENGEANCE BORN to three local area libraries (a one off decision to kick start local interest).
• On my own blog began posting snippets and pre-release posts on VENGEANCE BORN books characters, world-building etc. - a bit like the special features section on a DVD, to generate interest.
• Finished and scheduled my first Mad Mimi author newsletter to go out a week before release date.
• Continued writing & completing the last of the guest blog posts and interviews for VENGEANCE BORN blog tour.
• Editor asked me to write a "Dear Reader" letter for promotion opportunity on the Berkley Paranormal website page.
• My author copies of VENGEANCE BORN arrive - celebration time!
• Collate advanced reviews for promotional posts on website & blog.
• Write personal thank you emails to book reviewers.
• Agent contacted me to inform me of interview requests from some other book blog sites who wanted to interview me for the release of VENGEANCE BORN. Scheduled them into my tour.
• Began promoting pre-buzz build-up on all social media sites ie.Facebook, Twitter, my blog etc.
• Sent on positive advance reviews to my editor & publicist (which they use as further promotion).
• Local friends ask to buy my book - order in copies for them.
• Blog tour commenced late January.

FEBRUARY

• Every post on my personal blog scheduled to further promote VENGEANCE BORN.
• Local media interviews in newspapers, library visits, bookstore visits etc.
• Blog tour continues - posting replies to commenters takes a lot of time.
• Advertise on my social networking sites dates of my blog tour.
• Goodreads giveaway finishes.
• Giveaways and surprise swag packs being won by readers.
• Collate advanced reviews for promotional posts on website & blog.
• Send reviews to publicist.
• Write personal thank you emails to book reviewers.
• Connect with readers via email and social networking sites. Maintain these connections.
• Locals still asking to buy my book - sold out of copies I'd previous ordered, have to order more in. Sell out again. Rinse & repeat.

MARCH

• Locals still asking to buy my book - have to order more in. Rinse & repeat.
• Finish blog tour.
• Analyse positives and negatives of the whole promotion & marketing process.
• Begin thinking about next blog tour for ALLIANCE FORGED.

Book Signing

Lessons learned from my first release day and everything associated with it:

• Interviews, guest blogs, preparing personal blog posts ahead of schedule and advertising on social media all takes time.

More than you expect or think. What I expected and got were two different results. I think I can safely say the time I anticipated doubled. But that's something that comes with experience and every author needs to go through the process to understand and realise what it costs them personally.

• Stick to a budget.

It's tempting to go all out but don't. Invest a percentage in promotion but there is such a thing as going overboard. Time, followed by postage, were my two greatest expenses. Next time all international giveaways will be ordered from The Book Depository instead of being sent from me.

As much as I liked giving away signed copies, it's cheaper to send a book plate than a book, particularly overseas, and if I want the best bang for my buck then this is what I need to do (at least until I earn mega-bucks as a best-selling author and can budget more to this area! (-: )

• Vistaprint is my new friend.

If you haven't discovered this company then get thee to the website (or a similar company) and explore. They will become your new best friend with the freebie deals they run regularly and are great for things like book postcards, magnets, pens etc.

Keep in mind your brand when you design items (see previous post by Nikki Logan).

• Kiss goodbye to the majority of your productivity time for any new book writing for whatever time period you designate for release day/blog tour activities, especially if you're juggling another career, a family, other commitments or all of the above.

Promotion such as writing up interviews, guest blogs, pre-buzz build-up, social media sucks a huge amount of creativity and energy from you. And the excitement associate with it is also a drain.

I had promotion for VENGEANCE BORN, line edits for ALLIANCE FORGED, and I was writing Book #3 first draft along with whatever life threw at me. I don't think I slept more than 4-5 hours a night from late January to the end of February. Not something I'm keen to repeat ever again.

• Analyse the blogs you visit while on tour.

Look at exposure/following readership numbers of the site. How they present your guest blog or interview. The quality of the comments left. Interaction of readers. If they run a rafflecopter style counter, how many people enter your giveaway.

Some blogs I felt warmly welcomed at and reader interaction was tremendous and some commented more than once, engaging in a dialogue and wanting to connect with you.

Others not so much.  Some blogs, while large on follower numbers and potentially good exposure, were inundated by frequent fliers, commenters participated just to win the giveaway - eg. "I like the sound of this book." or "Thanks for the chance to win." It made interacting difficult and I felt like I was wasting my time being there.

View book blog sites with a discerning eye. Was reader participation worth your time and effort to do the interview/guest blog? Does potential exposure outweigh this? I ended up writing a list of book blogs and other sites I'd revisit next time around. I couldn't justify returning to some, despite the potential exposure value, because the time and effort wouldn't be worth it. Certainly food for thought.

• Make local connections.

Library Visit/Talk

Where ever you live there are nearby bookstores, libraries and media. The whole media interview thing was my bug bear this time around - I honestly don't like newspaper interviews or radio, give me a library talk or any other sort of informal chatting event any day.

One of the positive spin offs of contacting and personally meeting local bookstore owners for me was that one of them featured my bio and VENGEANCE BORN in their Australian page in their Autumn book catalog - home grown local Aussie author slant - and also advertised our arranged book signing event. The catalog was distributed to a target audience of 50 000 households in the Central and Western regions of NSW. Talk about excellent exposure!

• You will check out reviews of your work - good, bad and ugly.

It's human nature. The important thing is to celebrate the good, promote that and try and ignore the bad and ugly. DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO RESPOND IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM. Hard to do, but necessary.

Let me repeat that.

Ignore the bad and ugly.
Celebrate the good.

 Your sanity won't survive otherwise.

• Let readers know when your books are on sale.

When your books are discounted, tell your readers. For example, I did this when The Book Depository had 24% off special for ALLIANCE FORGED (pre-order as AF had yet to be released). The really cool kicker- they also had a bonus 10% everything sale going at the same time (so, a double bonus!).

I also mentioned the savings made if they wanted to purchase VENGEANCE BORN too. I posted an announcement on all my social networking sites, my blog and subscribers newsletter.

Two things I noticed as a result of doing this.

1. From my newsletter & Facebook analytic information my subscribers or followers clicked through to The Book Depository - no definite idea if it resulted in sales BUT...
2. The TBD sales rankings of ALLIANCE FORGED & VENGEANCE BORN rose over the next few days.

ALLIANCE FORGED's sales ranking jumped from #78 548 to #37 667, while VENGEANCE BORN went from #14 334 to #13 231. Coincidence? You decide.


So, there you have it - my plan, the details of my first blog tour, the lessons learned and experiences shared. I hope some of this has been useful to you. If anyone has any questions about any of this, please ask, and I'd be more than happy to answer them.

Stay tuned for my next post - "Vistaprint is my new friend!" - where I share the sorts of promotional items I designed and used for my books.

TOPIC: Author Branding (courtesy of Nikki Logan)

In a previous post I looked at some of the things you might need to consider BEFORE you receive THE CALL.

Today, I'd like to deal with author branding - a topic dealt with really well by Nikki Logan in a workshop I attended at the 2011 Romance Writers of Australia conference.

The following notes are taken from this workshop and just touch on this subject but give a great overview and some useful definitions on what it is. At the end I've also included some web articles I've found that also explain it well.

Author Branding
From Nikki Logan's "The Romance Writer's Brand" 2011 RWA workshop notes:

Do you recognize this brand?

The Importance of Branding
What is branding? In a marketing context, the term ‘branding’ refers to how you position yourself in the marketplace and how you make others perceive you.

Like a symbol burned into the hide of a particular line of cattle (denoting a particular quality, a particular heritage, a particular breed of cow), your brand will allow readers to recognise your quality, your heritage, your breed of story from amongst the rambling flock of others...

...A brand is a promise. Harlequin has lines which offer different reader promises. Each of those lines is simply a glorified publishing brand with a specific positioning statement.

A promise - to seek out new life and new civilizations and going where no one has gone before...

Types of Branding
There are three primary types of brand:
1.    Name as Brand;
2.    Genre/sub-genre as brand;
3.    Specialty as brand

Name As Brand – Recognise these?  Nora Roberts. Stephenie Meyer. JK Rowling, Stephen King, Dan Brown.  These contemporary authors could sell a shopping list if they wrote it (or put their name on someone else’s list). Their name is literally their brand and readers will buy on the promise of their name alone.

Genre/Sub-genre as Brand –  what do the following write? JR Ward. JD Robb. Stephanie Laurens. Sara Douglass. Stephen King. Danielle Steele.  These people have all turned their genre (or sub-genre) into a brand. Their names have become synonymous with the genre.
 
Specialty as Brand – Here’s some authors that ‘specialise’ within their sub-genre.

•    Dan Brown – mystery/adventures with mystery/adventures with cerebral, religious overtones
•    Karin Tabke: hot cops
•    Phillipa Gregory: Tudor historical
•    Nikki Logan: nature-based romance 

An internationally recognizable brand

A well established brand tells a publisher/agent that:

1. You have marketability (if you got their attention you’ll get reader attention)
2. You’re serious about your business (so you have to get it right or you’ll look like you’re not serious about it)
3. You believe in yourself as a writer (a half-arsed brand or a brand that shifts and changes won’t fool anyone)
   

A well established brand tells a buyer/reader that:

1. You know what you’re doing
2. Builds author ‘promise’
3. What sort of story/genre you represent

Some articles from the net:

Author Branding 101
Marketing 101: Author Branding
What the Heck is Author Branding & How Do You Do It Anyway?

All food for thought.

Have you thought about author branding yet?

Gearing up for Release Day...

It's been a long time coming (about 17 years).

With my debut fantasy romance, VENGEANCE BORN, due for release on February 7th, the countdown to R-Day begins.

That's Release Day for anyone who doesn't know, LOL.

It'll be my turn to be in the spotlight - and I'm gearing up for some serious online promotion.

Here's a list of blogs where you can find me (and some giveaway opportunities) over the next couple of months... very exciting (and exhausting) :-) :

• January 17th - "Author of the Month" at Love Lines from Love Books
• January 24th - Helene Young's blog
• January 27th - Romance Bandits
• January 31st - Regency Seductions
• February 5th - Australian Romance Readers Association blog
• February 6th - Mel Tescho's blog
• February 6th - Goodreads Giveaway (signed ARC) ends
• February 7th - RELEASE DAY!!!
• February 10th - The Qwillery
• February13th - Romance Book Paradise
• February 16th - Darkside DownUnder blog
• February 16th - Get Lost in a Story blog
• February 20th - The Book Bordello
• February 22nd - Minxes of Romance
• February 23rd - My Bookish Ways

During the tour, you'll learn more about the characters and the world of VENGEANCE BORN, and there will be plenty of chances to win giveaway copies (ARC's & paperback).

I'll be posting quotes from the book and giving you insights into the hero and heroine on my blog, so keep checking back to get the lowdown and sneak peeks. :-) So, with all this happening, come prepared to party with me!

And here's your first event, folks!

To kick off the celebration - TRIPLE GOODNESS - 3 giveaways!!!

• A signed ARC of VENGEANCE BORN
• And 2 x special Light Blade series prize packs (a mix that may include a cap, t-shirt, book magnets, notepads etc.)

If you'd like to go in the draw (winners will be randomly selected), have some fun and answer this question...

If you could spend an afternoon having coffee & a chat with your favorite paranormal/fantasy hero or heroine, who would it be? And why?

The winners of the prizes will be announced midday, January 19th (Aussie time). Have fun!

GUEST BLOGGER: What to do first? (with Vonnie Hughes)

Vonnie Hughes is my guest blogger today and she's a woman on a mission. Read on...

What to do first?

Are any other readers/writers in the same dilemma as me? If so, help!

In May, The Wild Rose Press accepted my romantic suspense, LETHAL REFUGE. To tell the truth, it started out more of a thriller but TWRP prefers the softer romantic suspenses so I took out the multiple points of view and eased back a bit on the punchiness. So there we were, TWRP and I, happy little campers. Publication date: 13 January 2012.

In June, Aurora (who are now owned by Musa Publishing) accepted two Regencies from me. Their titles are THE SECOND SON and MR. MONFORT’S MARRIAGE. Their publication dates? Umm…the week before Christmas and—you got it; mid January 2012.

Then my original publishers, Robert Hale Ltd, UK, contacted me and asked if I would like my hardback Regency, COMING HOME, e-published, a venture they were entering into with great trepidation. They probably figured they’d start out with someone who had at least dipped her toe in the waters of e-publishing. And of course you guessed it: publication date, early January.

As any self-respecting author knows, marketing books nowadays is hard slog, time-consuming and downright embarrassing. Look at me! Buy my book! You have to force yourself to remember it’s all about the book, not about the humble author. But can you imagine the marketing necessary for four books over only six weeks?

I cast out questions on a couple of loops and eventually got a sane answer from an Australian author named Kez Delaney. She sensibly said, “Do it one at a time.”

Aha, but there is a little sting in this tale (tail?) You see, COMING HOME is actually the prequel to THE SECOND SON. So I should probably bundle the marketing in some way. But they are from two different publishing houses.

It all just gets messier! Anyone out there with any ideas? Anyone? Please…

As a little incentive, gentle readers, an eco-friendly, calico tote bag (see below) is up for grabs for one lucky person who offers Vonnie the most practical idea.

You have until noon, Monday 12th Sept. (Aussie time) to leave an answer. The winner will be announced Tuesday 13th Sept.

TOPIC: Life on the flip-side...

This article was published in the WRITERS' LIFE column of the August 2011 edition of  the RWAustralia Hearts Talk magazine.

With conference fast approaching, part of the fun of attending one is meeting the authors and listening to their stories of ‘life after getting the CALL’. I took it all in with keen anticipation, dreaming of the day I walked in their shoes, but it wasn’t until I stepped over the threshold that I really understood what they were talking about.

Simple fact is getting the call really does change your life in many, many ways. Some good, some unexpected.

What initially caught me by surprise after getting that email was the speed with which everything happened. I had a week to accept the offer.

Having done the research yonks ago I was already in the process of submitting queries, so contacting my top list of I’d-kill-to-be-represented-by-these-agents was a matter of whipping off a few emails alerting them to the book deal on offer.

I can’t stress enough if you’re submitting work to editors, and intend being represented by an agent then make the time to find out about whom you’d like to represent you. Leaving it to the last minute is stress you don’t need.

Why? Well, that seven days will be manic (particularly if you’re working across time zones). Let me repeat that.

The.Week.Will.Be.MANIC.

Organise representation, scheduling phone calls, e-mails to’ing and fro’ing from your agent and editor, and then sealing the deal with the publisher. Be prepared for a week of little sleep.

And if this isn’t excitement enough for you, the prospect of embarking on two new professional relationships – with your agent and editor - is a feeling you won’t ever forget.

Another thing, if you end up with a multiple book deal offer, like I did (ie. a series), have a short outline of your books ready to send your agent/editor. Think back cover blurbs. With only a week to negotiate the deal, and most of that taken up arranging representation by an agent, I ended up writing two extra blurbs in less than twenty-four hours. Not recommended.

Once the initial chaos of representation and the deal is over, the decision of deadlines needs to be made. These dates go in your contract. I knew what I could produce word count-wise and thought I’d factored in things like family, work, the publishing process, health-issues, unexpected interruptions etc.

Remember all those sessions at conference where you heard authors say ‘be disciplined, produce a daily word, write even though you don’t feel like it’? Engrave those words on your forehead or pin them up in your office at eye level. You no longer have the luxury of time or procrastination once you have a legally binding deadline.

Producing my first and second contracted books has been a huge learning experience but the one thing I now understand is that it takes more time than you think to juggle everything.

It’s life vs. the publishing process (sending in a synopsis & sample chapters, author bio/photo, acknowledgements page, revisions, copy edits, cover copies, galleys, marketing and promotion etc., beginning the next book and repeating that process).

It all takes time away from writing your next book. Next contract (yes, being optimistic here!), I’m adding another two months minimum to the deadline.

One of the true eye-openers of being under contract is the precious amount of time I have for reading for pleasure. Pre-call I read 3-4 books a week, now I’m lucky to read a book a month.

Another lesson I learned – it’s easy to get tied up writing your own stories and end up feeling ‘stale’. Reading for pleasure is a must, even when I’m writing. I need it. It’s like a respite or recharging of the batteries.

It’s been an amazing journey so far, a lot of exciting firsts – getting The Call, receiving the first cover, being hit by the realisation that my book is really going to be in print, finding out who’s going to write the cover-quotes of my book, and meeting fair dinkum deadlines.

I have a quote on the wall in my office that says, “When I’m writing I know I’m doing the thing I was born to do.” (Anne Sexton). It’s so true. I’m almost a year into my journey and while I’ve yet to experience the joy of seeing my first book on the shelves, I wouldn’t give up or swap what I’m doing for anything.

Yes, the learning curves have been steep, and I know I’m still wearing L-plates having just crossed over the unpubbed-pubbed line, but I love my ‘new career’ - the learning, the passion of creating, the pressure and stress, the satisfaction of meeting goals, they’re all part of the life I’ve chosen for myself.

It’s a delicate balance between portraying the joys and the reality of being published. I don’t want to discourage anybody or put anyone off achieving their dream, but I hope that by sharing some of my journey with you, yours will be that little bit more informed.

See you on the flip-side!

The Gifted Gecko winner!

Thanks to everyone who dropped in to say hi to Robyn over at The Gifted Gecko website - there were some great hobbies/crafts/interests mentioned there.

Now for the fun part - announcing the winner of the lovely dozen mini-scroll sawed angels giveaway! Robyn put everyone's name into a hat and randomly chose one.

And that person is...

Jenn J.McLeod
 

Congratulations! If you can drop Robyn a line at robyns (at) clearmail (dot) com (dot) au you can make arrangements to claim your prize.

The Gifted Gecko - craft of a different sort!

One of the things writers need to do is keep their "creativity well" topped up. Often that may involve getting away from the laptop and pursuing a hobby or craft or an interest.

I have a number of hobbies, some I indulge in (or take more seriously) than others. One I enjoy whenever the urge strikes (and I have my camera ready) is photography. Many of my photos are framed and on display around my house. Most tend to be of nature or animals, although I have done portraits and, for a time, I had a weekend job as an semi-professional wedding photographer.

More labour and time intensive is my love for patchworking - there's something so absorbing about creating patterns with different shapes and pieces of material. When I have an hour or so up my sleeve I like to get out in my garden (which mostly tends to fend for itself, thank goodness) and potter about.

Today, I have Robyn Styles, a professional artist and personal friend visiting the blog to share her passion for art. She and her husband, Darryl, have a number of specialised skills under their belts (some I'd never heard of until they introduced me to them) and this is something they've turned into a business over time.

Robyn, thanks for joining me here. Can you tell my readers a little bit about The Gifted Gecko?

Thanks for having me Kylie.

Robyn - owner of The Gifted Gecko

Firstly, The Gifted Gecko actually started out as Robyn's Crafty Celebrations but when I had sooo many women tell me that their husbands would put their foot to the floor if they saw the word craft as they drove through the village, I knew a name change was in order.

I was looking for something catchy & I love geckos, hence The Gifted Gecko, where unique handcrafted creations are born. 

I know you and Darryl are the artists behind many of the works displayed in The Gifted Gecko. Can you share your stories about how you both ended up in this business and your experience with the art you produce?

Long story short, I had a job then didn't have a job. Work in the area is almost non existent, and the government said I had to look for work.

Having family members with serious health issues meant I needed to be flexible to fit in doctors visits, hospital stays & the like. So, the only option I open to me was to work for myself. So, I turned to what I knew best. Craft.

I've always enjoyed some form of craft and most of it I've learned from family members, was self taught or from a course I attended (ie. leadlighting). My love's are leadlight, woodwork & paverpol (garden statues made from fabric), but I do lots of other craft as well (knitting, recycled art, crochet etc.).

I'm always learning something knew & I also love to share what I know. I can honestly say I am never bored, it's just a case of which craft.
 
Darryl's been doing woodwork in some form or other most of his adult life. He's taught me so much & together we learned the art of scroll sawing. His health does not allow him to do much, however, the business gives him the opportunity to poke around in the workshop producing beautiful pieces of work for the shop.

Do you display your art anywhere besides your shop?

I've just spent four days at the Coonabarabran Arts & Craft Expo selling my work & demonstrating various crafts. I've also attended the woodwork festival in Tamworth and gone to some markets.

I list where I'm going to be on the CLASSES & EVENTS page of my website.

I've also organised craft activities for bus & school groups (bookings essential) in the shop. There are some interesting things to see & do within the local community while you're here - the Diprotodon Walk following the sign-posts around the village, the look-out over the Liverpool Plains at the top of High Street, visit the oldest war memorial in Australia in the local park, just to name a few. 

I've spent quite a few hours having a cuppa (among other things) and chatting with you at The Gifted Gecko. It's also the place I sometimes go to nut out plot points and character motivations (must be the caffeine)! It doubles as a tea-shop, doesn't it?

Yes, it does, Kylie.

The Gifted Gecko is located in a small village on the Black Stump Way, a major highway through inland NSW, & I thought most people travelling through might like the idea of stopping for a cuppa and a browse, so I've made The Gifted Gecko a tea shop as well.

The menu is simple, healthy and tasty. My specialty is a delicious pancake with fresh fruit, ice cream (low fat) & syrup. 

Where can readers find The Gifted Gecko online?

The Gifted Gecko website, my blog or page on Facebook.

On the website I have divided the products into categories to make shopping easier. Simply copy & paste the product code & description (which can be found when you click on the photo) onto the order form & send it to me I will then email you with the total including postage & payment details.  

Where can travellers find The Gifted Gecko and when can they drop in?

You can find the The Gifted Gecko in Tamba Street, the main street that runs through the middle of Tambar Springs. The shop is painted black and white, you can't miss it.

The village of Tambar Springs is situated between the townships of Gunnedah, Coolah & Coonabarabran on the Black Stump Way in NSW, Australia. So, you can say "it's in the middle of somewhere!" LOL

Normal business hours are:
Wed-Fri 10am to 5pm
Sat & Sun 10am to 2pm
(or by appointment)
ph. +61 (02) 6744 2445
* Any closures, planned or otherwise, are put on my blog. 

Robyn, thanks for sharing with us your passion for your work. I hope everyone else has found it as interesting as I have. 

As a bonus, Robyn has generously donated a dozen mini-scroll worked angels as a give-away.

All you have to do is drop over and visit her website and leave a comment about what you like to do to relax or take time out from your busy schedules. It can be a craft or hobby or an activity you like doing to unwind. 

We'll both announce the winner on our websites on December 13th.