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Get Yourself Out There!
Before I started writing with the intention of publishing, I don’t think I ever noticed writers. I knew who wrote different stories, I had authors I liked, and I would buy their books. I’d read the inside flap for blurbs from authors who liked the authors I liked and I’d use those as recommends for my next buys. I got recommendations from my friends and my family.
Now, I check out websites, look for blogs, and visit their biographies on their publishers’ websites. Authors have forums, newsletters. They’re on Facebook and Myspace.
I can’t tell whether I do these things because that’s what we do in this technological age or if I do that because I’m a budding author and therefore more interested in author-ly things.
But either way, I’ve found a plethora of information about authors and their work by visiting their media outlets. This makes me wonder, what works?
One of my new favorite authors is Jessica Andersen. She writes an exciting new paranormal series about the Mayan End Date. Her website (www.jessicaandersen.com) is Mayan inspired as well and it piques my interest for her books. Some authors don’t go to this kind of effort for their websites. I don’t think that a less exciting website or no website would keep me from reading their stuff, but I think a really nice website can definitely help.
Some publishers promote promote promote, others not so much. Same for agents. Personally, I love Kristin Nelson’s blog (www.pubrants.blogspot.com). I feel like everyone checks it out. Therefore, her authors get exposure in part because she seems so cool.
But as a fledgling author, I feel a bit overwhelmed. I haven’t sold anything yet so I’m not ready to start promoting. However, forewarned is forearmed.
So, what do you think are the best ways to promote? Whose websites do you really admire? Suggestions for marketing for the rest of us?
Books by the Crew
36 comments:
I'll be honest, I don't really check out most author's website, but I like to think when mine is up...when I am published...it will be visited. Hubris, they name be 2nd Chance! (I went and looked it up to make sure it's the right word...BTW) (I do know how to use the internet, some.)
Gots ta remember that the way to figure out what works is ta get out and see what works fer others!
Jane-o and I are planning some promo stuff at RT. Doing nice things fer others fer some attention, hopefully from the right people. Oh, and because we're nice people and want to do nice things. (Is Dee around to smack me for using 'nice' too much?)
The Cap'n is sending me some of our RRR postcards to spread around...that's how I found the ship. So that worked. (Or didn't, depending on how you feel about me...;) )
No idea right now for marketing other than a website. And a decent one at that. It's a bit overwhelming for the unpub'd and the pub'd author I imagine. And I check out authors webpages too. I love it when they have research stuff up that you can check out.
That would be Dare. Duh. More tea necessary.
Candice Hern not only provides a BB but wonderful research links for historical writers. She's one of the most generous writers out there. I'm not ready for a website yet, but Frauke from Croco Designs has set up most of my agent's clients and Tessa Dar's new site, too.
I love author websites. One author has this amazing site, and of course, for the life of me I can't remember who. But the page opens with an office, like you're sitting behind the desk, and there's all these things to click on, like her typewriter, phone, desk drawers, books on the bookshelf, etc. So on the desk drawers are fan letters, the phone takes you to a contact page, etc. Really, really cool.
I think websites are important - I have one up and going, though there's no *real* information on it yet, so that if anyone happens (say, and agent or editor) to google my name, it'll pop up first.
Chance - I think you're incredibly "nice." And I remember at the NJRWA conference that they had an entire room of promotion stuff. Bookmarks and postcards, all kinds of stuff.
And I think you're right; it isn't about reinventing the wheel. Just see what everyone else does that works and follow along. :)
Tiff - I love websites with research too! I know that I read fiction, but when a world is created with a lot of factual info, it gives me the chills. :)
Maggie - Candice Hern's site is great! And you're right, she's so gracious. I think that when authors are so helpful and welcoming it makes me want to read their books. Maybe it's just me....
And Tessa's new site is lovely. I'll remember that person, when I need a site. :)
Hal - Do you mean JK Rowling's website? Because I love hers. It's a desk like you reference. Check it out... www.jkrowling.com/en
I don't write at a desk so if I were going to use this idea it'd have to be a picture of my ratty couch with the coffee stain from where I got clutzy.
Hmmm... maybe not the most welcoming thing for others but I think it's rockin'.
The one Hal is talking about is Julie Garwood. (www.juliegarwood.com) It's awesome.
I don't check out the website of every author I read, but they do come in handy when you're trying to find their booklist or determine in what order a series should be read. I don't think I've ever been able to find a good website for Johanna Lindsey and I hate that Nora's books are just listed by title with no blurb or anything. I realize with a list the size of hers, that would be daunting, but at least link us to Amazon or B&N so we can check it out.
I think bookmarkers are a good idea, but anything larger than the typical bookmark is useless IMO. I mean, I love our post cards and they worked since Chance found us, but for an individual author, I wouldn't waste money on anything larger than a bookmark.
I don't have a website and when I ever get one, it's going to take lots of work to figure out what it should look like. Simple, contemporary, but not too girly or flowery. If I was going one today, I'd hire Frauke as well. That website of Tessa's is amazing!
Julie Garwood! Thanks Ter - that's the one!
JK Rowlings is cool too - it's amazing what you can do with flash.
Terri - part of the reason I started a website so early (I know no one but me ever visits it *g*) is so that I can play different styles/looks. Right now I have a weird red-on-black thing going on, that needs work. But hey, I'm the only one there! lol
I visit the website of every author I read. I love Julie Garwood's website! How inventive to have such an interactive website.
I like authors who ahare writing tips, and their methods of research. It frustrates me if an author I enjoy doesn't update thier website. Websites are the marketing tool of our generation. I like Writerspace. I've discovered a lot of new authors through that website, and the monthly contests are awesome. Author Island is great too.
I also admire authors like Pamela Clare who blog and have an interactive Yahoo group as well as a website. It makes me feel like as a reader I matter to her.
I have a personal blog, no website. It seems kind of pointless right now. I dread when I do get one. It will be one more reason to procrastinate on the internet.
So you design the site yourself? I took a web design class way back in 2000 I think, and I have no memory of any of it. Couldn't do it today for anything. And don't want to! LOL!
Lisa - I've never heard of those two sites so I'll have to check them out. And all of this sounds so TIME CONSUMING! That's the biggest struggle with promoting. If you're fortunate to have writing as your only occupation, then it might be easier. But if you are writing and holding down a day job, as MANY authors do, I have no idea how they get all this done. AND write. LOL!
Jessica's website is very appealing; and I've been to both JK Rowling (surprise, surprise) and Julie Garwood's websites and love the interactiveness of them. Sherrilyn Kenyon's is also good for this reason, but I really like Jessica's timeline she has for the Mayan--and I don't think Sherrilyn has that available. I'm not sure she could do it. *LOL*
I did postcards because I like postcards myself. *LOL* They make nice sized bookmarkers; and I like the opportunity to be pithy in a bigger space. It's harder to be pithy on a bookmark. Plus the postcards were free. Always a bonus.
Ter - yeah, I did mine myself. It's very basic *g* The hubby does a lot of web design, so I just bug him whenever I run into something I don't know how to do (which is pretty much all of it!)
I'm aimin' ta have me website up on March 15, or a day or so later... I gotta clue Jane-o into this discussion, she's lookin' fer ideas to put on 'er page...
I 'member all the promo stuff last year at Pittsburgh. I still have a bunch of it. But only one or two things saw me buy a book. And they are books I would have bought anyway, once I'd seen them. I think promo stuff like that is more for the fan who already likes you... I did get some nice lipgloss I still carry with me! And a nail file...but from who? I have no idea!
So, spend yer money well and wit' thought!
I love contests on author websites, esp those that require reading an excerpt and answering a question (or watching a preview video). Pamela Clare's been doing polls on her blog, which I think is cool too - basically any way to get (and keep) readers interactive
OK, I explored. Both JK and JulieG have amazing websites. But from a newbie perspective, and knowing that not everyone has a fast connection...I find flash annoying.
I took a ton of webdesign classes about five years ago, when flash was just starting up and it drove me crazy... Mainly because of the download speeds necessary. And the extras you needed on your computer to play it...and the constant updates you needed to play it. And not everyone has the memory to spare on their computers to have all those things!
OK, I'm a dinosaur and things may have changed a lot, but still! I believe in keep is simple, stupid.
Maybe an author could invest in two sites, when they have the moola. One more lo-tech and one hi-tech. I'll have ta check out thers later.
The first place I go when I find an author I like is Google. There have been one or two I couldn't find a website for and it is very frustrating (LaVyrle Spencer is one and I'm sure that's because she stopped writing being for the internet explosion). It's amazing how much play the internet has in sucking readers in.
Robyn Carr is one of those writers who has a Yahoo group and she stops in and comments regularly, as does Eloisa James, Julia Quinn, SEP and Candice Hern on their respective message and bulletin boards. I don't know if that draws readers in but I'm sure once they are there it keeps them.
Another thing that I love is all the extra stuff you can find on author's websites - advance excerpts, extra chapters, timelines, family trees, and personal reviews/recommendations. I was reading a Liz Carlyle book and wanted to know if it was connected to another and stumbled upon all of her family trees. It was very helpful. It seems a lot of her books are connected.
I'm with you on the Nora Roberts site, Ter. I just went to her site and it's not as informative as I'd like. I will allow for the fact that she has an awful lot of books, but if I were her I believe I'd hire someone to straighten it all out. Especially since more than anyone else her books are constantly being re-released under different and combined titles and she's constantly pissing off her readers!
Hal - so you cheat. Well, that's different then. LOL!
Chance - Some create sites where you can choose if you want to do the flash site or the non-flash site. I think that's probably very helpful.
Irish - I know, right? If anyone can afford to pay a professional to give her the most kick ass website, it's Nora. But knowing her practical, straight forward personality, my guess is she figures the books speak for themselves and will sell regardless of her site. Hell, she probably doesn't even need one. LOL!
Ter - Julie Garwood's website is cool! I never visited before, but it is really informative and interactive. I liked some of the bookmarks I got from the NJ conference. I still have them.
Marn - I checked out the site today (to make sure I typed the right address) and I think they recently updated the typewriter. I was sure it was one of those old black manual ones before. LOL!
Isn't that pretty? Did you have the sound on? I love that you can open the windows and the birds are chirping.
Lisa - I agree, that websites and blogs are our promotional outlet.
Many authors do facebook and Twitter too. I think keeping status updates is so time consuming. I don't do enough interesting stuff to sound like I have a cool life on status updates. I stopped doing them. It's too depressing. LOL!!
Hellion - Postcards are good bookmarks. And I would never call you pithy. Eloquent. Verbose. Thought provoking.
:)
I'd never checked out Sherrilyn Kenyon's site before but it's good. That trailer for Acheron is pretty wow. I think it's funny that I can't watch things the least bit disturbing or scary but I love reading them. (That makes me sound like a whackadoodle, but whatever).
Hal - I like your website a lot. It's captivating.
Chance - They gave you lip gloss!? That's awesome! What a great idea! I love lip gloss.
I think I like the flash sites. But I bet they're pricey.
JK Rowling's site has a low tech version, for faster download. That's a cool idea.
Ter - I loved her site. I loved the birds and the landscape outside. :) Very her. :)
Irish - I think that's a good point. I don't think that all this stuff can "get" the reader for you, but I think that it can draw them in further and keep them better, maybe. If they are already inclined to like a writer's stuff. :)
And I love family trees. I'm not sure exactly why, but I'm a sucker for family trees. And reappearing characters, you know, when a happily married couple from a previous book shows up in a new book. I love that. *sigh*
Nah, my friend Pam is a whackadoodle, Marn. She watches horror flicks (when she bothers to watch them) through her fingers, but will read vampire stuff. She loves the dark-hunters. *LOL*
I like family trees too. The only chance I have for keeping up. *LOL*
Oh and ditto about the family trees. I can't keep things straight to save my life. I'd be lost without them.
Oh, geez, I'm exactly like Pam though! I do that same thing. :) No horror movies, but I'm writing, well, what I'm writing!!
I can't watch scary movies or read scary books. Unless it's more psychological thriller. I can read and watch those. But none of that Saw business. *shivers*
That Saw business.... *shivers*
Some be more visually impacted. Besides, once upon a time, all that horror was suggested...now it's jus' too in yer face fer me. I 'member goin' ta all the have-sex-and-die slaughterfest movies while in high school...loved 'em. Not the new ones. They be too bloody now.
I have ta watch what I read. Something jus' stick ta me like bad glue...or would that be good glue? Since glue is about stinkin'!
have sex and die slaughterfests?
Oh, come on! You know these! The teen slaughter movies...the bad girls and boys always end up dead. Usually just after having sex. It's the virgins who live the longest, sometimes even surviving. I always thought of them as morality tales!
The original Prom Night. My Bloody Valentine. Halloween...!
This was in the later part of the 70's, when I was a'courtin'. Or be a'courted. The new teen slaughterfests, everyone dies it seems.
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