Back to Business: Some (Counterintuitive) Advice about Book Promotion via Blogs

As we work toward the building of a marketing plan for your book, here's a QUESTION:
In seeking bloggers to participate in book launches, blog tours, etc., should you reach out to...

A - the bloggers with the largest follower numbers, or
B - the bloggers ones who most love your genre and/or book?

ANSWER:
B

Of course, a blogger who loves your work and ALSO has a strong following is terrific. I follow several "power-blogs" run by people I adore--people who truly love their books and their work.  That said, the thing about the blogosphere right now is that it is ENORMOUS. It requires people to be selective and specific about their virtual travels. More followers does not always mean more return-traffic nor does the follower number quantify how many people genuinely use the blog's book recommendations as a resource. It takes one click to follow--but it's more of a commitment to stay connected to and continue to read and use a blog.

While some would say that all publicity is good publicity, my experience suggests that it is reader LOVE that helps books get traction. A blogger who appreciates your genre, writing style or even your other work (e-zine and paper magazine articles, publications in other genres, Twitter comments in #yalitchat, etc.) is more likely to give your novel a THOUGHTFUL read and, possibly, review. S/he is more likely to suggest your novel to other, like-minded people for whom YOURS is the truly the book they seek.

Bookstore people often talk about the power of the hand-sell. The joy they take in putting the perfect title into a reader's hands, and in sharing books they love with others. Bloggers have told me similar things. And it doesn't take a 1,000+ following to hand sell. Sometimes it's the smaller, independent blogger that can connect your books with more individual readers.

ONE TIP: Get over the numbers game...  Finding the right bloggers for your book via their stats is like submitting a manuscript to an agent simply because they list "YA" in their "represents" genre list (and not researching their client roster, interests or sales records). After a glance at the numbers, check out a blogger's own blogroll or link list. Does this blogger's taste in OTHER BLOGGERS resemble your own? Are they connected to a genre community in which you, also, read or write?

ANOTHER TIP: Put your money where your mouse is... If you discover an awesome blog, let the blogger know. Leave a comment. Share your thoughts about a book you both loved. Ask a question, if appropriate. CLICK, darn it!

A THIRD (AND FINAL) TIP: Speak up... If you are working with a blog tour service, take the time to share your list of favorite blogs, to discuss how the blogs are selected by the service, and what types of blogs you think will best connect you to your audience.

Not every blog lasts indefinitely. Not every blog gets traction. And neither does every book. But what does live on and, I believe, will always exist (even in the Amazon-buys-Goodreads ocean in through we writers currently doggie-paddle) is the passionate, vibrant, thoughtful community of online lovers of story. Find your people. Whether in cyberspace or library chairs, book lovers are people. And people are what matter.

Next Monday: After all this brainstorming, how to start actually writing your marketing plan.

Reading Thursday & Bookanista Linkies

As I continue my struggle to balance writing, blogging, parenting and ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF LIFE, one thing I have realized that I miss is writing a weekly book review. Given my current deadline situation, it's not realistic to complete reading and writing a (thoughtful) review every week, so I'm going to compromise with a new feature, "Reading Thursday." It'll be a mixture of reviews and other reading-related posts. Today, I'm going to point you to blogs I have recently discovered that are great resources for contemporary YA and verse novel readers.

INTO THE HALL OF BOOKS is the blog of an amazing reader, Asheley, whose reading list, terrific challenges, and (this is selfishly my own preference!) Contemporary YA month feature make it special. But her thoughtful, detailed reviews are what make it spectacular.

FOR THOSE WHO KNOW is a blog devoted to verse novels and the people who write them. Cool, huh? Interviews with greats like Sonya Sones, reading lists and other verse novel resources.

Both of these books also feature simple, clean designs that make them a pleasure to read.

If you've got a few moments for clicking, give 'em a try!

 

For more bookish goodness, visit my Bookanista buddies...

Katy Upperman  delves into THE SHELF ELF

Jessica Love delights in THE DISENCHANTMENTS

 



Sunday book signing

As I gear up for the Stages on Pages book tour this fall, I am paying much closer attention to what goes on at bookstore events, particularly multiple author programs.  This past Sunday I had the pleasure of hearing Kimberly Derting, Lisa Schroeder, Mandy Hubbard, Cat Patrick, Eileen Cook and Suzanne Young speak at Third Place Books.  Three things I enjoyed about their program:

1. Nice focus question.  Each author took a few minutes to share a bit about the inspiration behind their latest novel.
2. Camaraderie & humor. The panel was friendly and lively with authors taking turns fielding and answering questions.
3. Prizes & treats. Who ever minds eating Jelly Bellies and having the chance to win free books or CDs? Not moi!



See my name in the middle?

It was also great to meet two amazing book bloggers: Sarah of Sarah's Random Musings and Candace of Candace's Book Blog, who asked me to sign this cool author autograph bag.  It's the first time I've been asked to sign anything (besides my own bookmarks). It felt very surreal...but nice!  


Of course, I couldn't resist getting some autographs myself.  So...without further ado, this month's giveaway is THREE SIGNED BOOKS--whoohoo!!!  Enter here!

Reading Instead of Writing

Perhaps it’s not the oldest trick in the book but, for me, substituting reading for writing definitely feels like cheating. After spending the morning putting final touches on the dances for Bugsy Malone, I “took myself out to lunch” at Barnes & Noble. Three (expensive) writing magazines and a grande decaf mocha later, I had discovered several intriguing playwriting workshops, some neat fiction contests, and a screenwriting software bargain BUT could make use of none of these because I had created NO LITERARY PRODUCT. This brings me to the Writer-on-the-Side dilemma du jour: What is the best way to divide your time between creative writing, career development research and education, and the unlovable task of self-promotion? I find it to be a real chicken-or-egg equation. You must discover the contest/publisher/program before you can submit to it but the time and effort required to research such matters eats substantially into the time needed to create quality material to send. (And don't let's even begin to discuss the time it takes to maintain a blog!) I’ve tried daily rules, like “Write 5 pages first, then find 5 places to send work,” and weekly protocols, such as “Write on weekdays, submit on weekends.” The perfect formula continues to elude me. If you’ve found one, you should definitely right a book about it!