Patience might be a virtue, especially in marketing

But that doesn't mean I have any. For those of you out there working on writing your first book, there's something else staring you in the face. Something you may not have thought of. PROMOTION AND MARKETING. Basically, they're the same thing. Call it what you will, it's driving me crazy.

Many people are still under the false impression that a publishing company covers all of the costs of marketing. They believe that all they have to do is turn in their book and POOF it magically gets advertised. Um...WRONG.

Even if you're already a big name in the industry, not ALL of your promotional efforts will be paid for or arranged by your publisher.

And if your an indie author you're totally on your own. You are responsible for many things you might not think of as marketing, but it is. Such as the presentation of your book. This includes the layout and text (does it look professional, free from errors and typos, etc.,), the blurb (Is your book description interesting?) and the cover art. People DO judge books by their covers and this part is crucial.

Not only are all those things vitally important, they are just the bare minimum.

What I know I want to know and I'm sure many others are asking is, "What really works?" I really wish I knew. As both a traditionally published and independent author, I'm still struggling to figure this out after 4 1/2 years in the business.

Here's a rundown of my efforts. (based solely on my opinions and observations) I will share what I believe worked and didn't work so far.

Print ads - One of the first things I did when my first book came out was start looking into print advertisement. I researched where (which kinds of magazines) my readers (target audience) were most likely to find me. After all, it wouldn't do much good to place an ad in a magazine romance readers would never see.

I took part in a joint ad with other authors in Realms of Fantasy. (By the way, that magazine is now out of business.) At the time it had a good reach and was distributed in many local bookstores. To me, that was a plus.

The ad cost me $120. It looked nice and I was very proud. However, the first QUARTER of royalties from my first book only earned me around $450.

Being short on cash, I didn't try this again. However, one of my publishers was kind enough to choose another book of mine to place in an ad that they paid for in Romantic Times Magazine the year before last. Sales for the book in question were low, despite the fact that the ad (which I couldn't have afforded) was beautiful.

Print ads are impressive, but in my opinion, they are a total waste of money.

Online ads - There are a wide variety of these available. Some work and some don't. In my experience the cheaper ads pay off more as you don't have much invested. Plus, I'm working on a nonexistent budget.

I've put a $5 ad up at Coffee Time Romance on several occasions and saw an over all jump in sales for the quarter in which the ads appeared. It was a small jump. We're talking about 50 copies above average for the entire quarter. Not big at all, but well worth $5.

The biggest return I ever saw on an ad was in ARe's newsletter. (All Romance Ebooks) I placed a cover ad for $15. I think the price has changed since then. I sold 84 copies of the book in question THAT WEEK. The combined sales for the month on the title I advertised alone was $238 above what they had been the month before. That's for the MONTH and not the quarter. Of course, this book was also with a larger publisher. That could have made a difference as well. However, at the time the title had been out for over a year.

In my opinion, ads in online magazines and forums are well worth the price.

As for social networks - I have no idea if promoting on social networks pays off or not. My thing is, I don't want to spam people. I took part in Triberr for a little over a month and ended up dropping out of a very large tribe. For those not familiar with Triberr, basically it's a way to have lots of people re-tweet your blog posts all over Twitter. Yes, that's really simplified, but it suits the purposes of this post. Many of the people in my tribe didn't post about topics of interest to my twitter followers. Sure, I picked up about 100 followers, but I also lost a lot. They felt like they were being spammed and I must agree. I've stopped following people who's Twitter feeds are nothing but non-stop advertisement.

Maybe a much smaller tribe with a focus on paranormal romance might work. Who knows? On the whole, I found Triberr to be a huge pain in the butt. I'm still in 2 very small tribes about marketing for authors.

Facebook - I have a fan page and a personal page. I've heard many experts say how you should keep your personal page seperate. I think that's bull. I don't post anything on Facebook that I wouldn't say in public. I'm not one of those people. I don't have drunken pictures or lots of F-bombs or photos of my family so that someone can stalk them. LOL I'm there to network. If I happen to find an old friend from school, great.

The idea of seperation might work for those in a different industry, but not for me. In my case, I think it would be counterproductive. I am what I do. I write. I am a writer. What the hell difference would there be in my pages? Not much. I talk more on my personal page than I do on my fan page. The fan page is mostly for updates on books and blog posts.

Sure, I post links where my books can be purchased. But that's not the only thing I post. Does it work? Who knows.

Myspace - This is almost totally pointless as everyone has migrated to Facebook. However, I keep it updated with new statuses through Ping.fm. This lovely little service updates all your social networks at once:) I've got mine set to update my Twitter, Myspace, Facebook, and Yahoo accounts all at once.

Goodreads - Many people swear by this. I'm not one of them. I do have an author page at GR and I have rated a few books, but not many. I have my page set up so that the RSS feed from my blog shows up there, giving me a chance to reach a larger audience. The reason I don't go to GR often is simple, I feel unwelcome. Many of the reviews there (and not just for my books) are mean-spirited and just flat rude. It seems to be a hangout for the more venmous to converge. Now if you're on GR and are a nice person, don't be offended. I'm sure there ARE nice people there. I've met one or two. But like I said, not many.

Linkedin - I have an account, but haven't taken the time to get to know how it works. I have too much to do as it is!

Amazon forums - See my opinion about Goodreads. It applies here as well. AUTHORS ARE NOT WELCOME ON AMAZON FORUMS. DO NOT GO THERE.

Yahoo groups - I have one of these too. I'm also a member of many. I chat occasionally and post about my books. Does it work? I have no idea. I visit yahoo groups less and less often as I'm beginning to believe they do nothing at all for sales.

Coffee Time Romance forums - I'm not sure if these boost my sales or not, but I love the people there. I would go just for fun, even if it didn't help me sell more books. Plus, you get to update your signature line with your latest book info. Everyone who sees your signature is another potential customer, right?

Wow. I'm exhausted just LOOKING at this post. LOL I'm certain I've left things out, because I'm constantly marketing.

Oh, I've also got a Website and (you know this because you're reading it) a Blog.

I've done this post to try to help my fellow authors who are out there wondering what works. As I search for the answers to the same question, I'll share my findings with you.

And just in case you're interested, here are the links to where you can find me.

Website - http://www.traceyhkitts.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/traceyhkitts/info#!/pages/Tracey-H-Kitts/73968579374

Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/traceyhkitts

My Coffee Time Author Area - http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1394

I'd like to finish with some words of wisdom. As a very wise editor once told me, the very best promotion is writing another good book. Now that, I can handle:)

It's always awkward when...

Someone says they bought one of my books for their kid. Or they intend to buy one for their kid. Seriously? Why do people assume that I write children's stories? Have they never even looked at the cover art?

No matter how many times I tell people that no one under 18 should read my books, someone is bound to not believe me. There is graphic sex and graphic violence in my stories, and often graphic language.

Though I'm sure most kids have seen worse on HBO by now, I don't want to be to blame for anything. Know what I mean?

Every time I explain this to a parent I feel like they should know better. But, it still happens. Don't get me wrong, it's up to each individual what they allow their kids to see or read. Still, if someone says to me, "I downloaded your book for my 15-year-old." I'm going to tell them, "Please, don't let a 15-year-old read my books."

In my opinion it would be grossly inappropriate. I'm not trying to tell people how to raise their kids; I'm saying I think children should NOT read my work.

I'm not sure how this misconception started, but I DO NOT write children's books.

How much do reviews matter to you?

I've often wondered how important reviews actually are. I try to look at it objectively and not just from the perspective of an author. So, I'll answer the question as honestly as I can from both perspectives.

As an author, it's wonderful to know when someone loved my book. However, it's also more likely that people who HATE it will leave a review. I'm not sure why this is true, but it seems to be. People who love the story seem more likely to send me an email. Don't get me wrong, I greatly appreciate this. Kind words do wonders for encouraging me and keeping me motivated to do what I love. I suppose the people who leave bad reviews do so because they just want to "hate and run." LOL Sending an email might actually open up *gasp* a dialogue between them and the author.

Constructive criticism is often difficult to hear, but totally understandable. Everyone sees things differently and has different opinions. However, bashing an author on a personal level is horrible and should never be considered a review. As a rule, I don't respond to reviews. I have broken that rule once when someone actually called me names. That's right, they attacked ME, not THE BOOK. Still, I was professional and to the point. And I only responded ONCE. (By the way, that review was removed by the site for violating policy. Yes, it was that bad.)

Also, it seems that many bad reviews are planted delibrately by others who seek only to make the author and their work look bad. Why anyone would put such effort into bashing someone else is beyond me, but it happens.

I've read in several blog posts and online discussions that reviewers are uncomfortable when an author responds, even if it's to say "thank you." So, unless someone draws my attention to a review they posted, I don't even do that.

I sincerely appreciate someone taking the time to read and review my work. I read a post yesterday in which the individual said they thought it was tacky for an author to post links to "great reviews." Seriously? We aren't allowed to gush when someone totally gets us and what we were trying to say?

Anyway, as an author, I think that reviews only matter to me when they are in reference to my books. (Sorry, didn't mean to go into a rant.)

As a reader, which I've been all my life, I tend to overlook reviews for the most part. Most of the time, I've already made up my mind to purchase the book based on a few factors.

1. The cover art must catch my attention. I'm sorry to say, but I really do judge books by their cover.

2. Price is the next thing I look at. I'm most likely to purchase the book if it's under $5. The cheaper it is, the more likely I am to buy it.

3. The blurb. I read the book's description. If it sounds like something I might like, the cover looks good, and the price is right, I'll buy it.

Beyond that, I might glance at the reviews, but they have only once changed my mind. That was because I saw a book had rape in it, which I have no desire to read about. (Or see in a movie for that matter.)

Even before I was published, I only glanced at reviews if I was bored or had a spare minute. And they still didn't matter to me. In particular the really bad, ranting and raving reviews (in my opinion) only made the reviewer look bad, not the author.

So, that's my 2 cents on the subject. How much do reviews matter to you?

And the winner is.....

Violet! I put all the names in a hat and yours was the one I drew:) Congratulations! You've won the bag of swag. lol

Send me an email at tracey h kitts @ yahoo.com (minus the spaces) And let me know where to mail your prize.

Thanks everyone for entering. I'll do another contest soon:)

I'm also participating in the June Jubilee over at Coffee Time Romance. Stop by my Author Corner and take a look at excerpts or Dracula's Drink Recipes.


http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/board/forumdisplay.php?f=1394

Contest Reminder

Don't forget, it's still not too late to enter my contest to win a "bag of swag." LOL

Here's the original link:

http://traceyhkitts.blogspot.com/2010/05/because-i-feel-like-it-contest.html


A winner will be drawn in three days:) Good luck!

Red is on Fictionwise!

Red was released Monday on Fictionwise and is already #29 in the Romance category! I'm so excited:)

For those of you who haven't purchased Red yet, you can do so now for 15% off.

http://www.fictionwise.com/

The Harbinger

My official newsletter is up and running:) This is the paper that I've been sending out to Cons for the past few months. The printed version was much easier to distribute. LOL I had a heck of a time getting it onto my website. So, it will hopefully evolve over time, but for now TADA!

You can find it at http://www.traceyhkitts.com

Since I still post most of my news on the news page and/or here on my blog, the newsletter won't be updated as regularly. It's full of make believe news derived from my stories. Why? Just because I got a kick out of it. There's also a page two that I'll hopefully be posting in the next week or so. It has an interview with Marco. (Be still my heart.)

Anyway, hope you guys can dig it.

Writing from the inside out

Have you ever read a story and felt like the writer had actually been there? I'm not talking about just painting a pretty picture, but the ones that really put you inside the action. I was just thinking about the awesome task of world building and thought I'd ramble on a little bit here:) Maybe task isn't the right word either. That sounds like work and to me this is fun. Of course I take it seriously. I even take the jokes I tell seriously, but I do love what I do.

In the book I'm working on right now I'm trying to accurately relay to the reader what I see when I close my eyes. I read a scene to my husband last night to see if he got the picture. When I was done I didn't ask, "What do you think?" or "How did that sound?" I asked, "Did you see that?"

I believe that an effective storyteller can tell the story from the inside out. People don't just want to know where you are, they want to see the sights, hear the sounds. They want to feel it, taste it and if it's good looking they might even want to touch it. LOL

A great example to me is when I read The Lord of the Rings for the first time. I believed that Tolkien had actually been to Middle Earth. It didn't just sound like bull to me. I felt like he'd just been there on vacation and was telling me all about it.

That's what I want to accomplish. I want people to see what I see. I want to find the right words to help them feel what I feel. And just as soon as I get a clear picture of this next scene, that's what I'm about to paint.

The Process of Creation

No, I'm not talking about the Heavens and the Earth here. But, I have recently created a fictional city called Eden that I am quickly falling in love with. If I had to give a brief description I'd say it's somewhere between real life New York and the fictional Sin City. There's potential danger around every corner, not to mention vampires, werewolves and ... priests? LOL Well, it's a long story or it's going to be once I finish it:)

I realized as I began to work on this new book that it's the process of creation that keeps me coming back for more. Sure, getting a royalty check is nice and having readers tell me they enjoyed my book(s) keeps me high for days. But there's nothing quite like putting it all together, seeing all those little bits and pieces in your head form a real person or place, watching your fantasies come to life in black and white. It's amazing.

Some days I still wonder why I didn't finish my degree and become a sex therapist. But not on the days that I get to write. On those days I know what I was meant to do with my life. When I write I feel that I have worth, that all of my random thoughts have the potiential to become something more. And every now and then I find a character like Viktor (master vampire) who also believes in the tooth fairy. LOL

Sleep At Last

Thank God Almighty. For the past two nights I have slept (as the expression goes) like a rock. Not only am I relieved to finally have rest, but I was running out of appropriate bedtime stories. Trust me, you do not want to fall asleep reading the Tell Tale Heart. My husband gets up in the middle of the night, something creaks, I jump up, thinking that some old man's eyeball is underneath the floor. LOL You get the point.

I've never figured it out, but from time to time I just get insomnia. So does my mom, always has. Anyway, I'm about to start for the day on my current work in progress. Though I've not yet decided on a name for the book, it involves a luscious master vampire that I am really enjoying getting to know. I find that it is easier to get into his head, even though I just created his character about a week ago, than some of the characters I've known for years. He just ... comes to me. But, that's a good thing:) I can't wait to finish the book, find it a home, and share it with my readers. You're going to love him too. His name is Viktor.

Morning Musings

Nothing puts me in the mood to write more than a cool rainy day, which is exactly what we have here in Northwest Florida this morning. I know a lot of people get depressed when the sky is grey and overcast, but I love it. I love the rain and the sound it makes when it hits the tall pine trees outside my window. I love the puddles it makes on the ground. It's almost like an over pouring of natures emotions.

So, here I sit, coffee in hand and I'm about to start working on a new story. Actually, I started making notes a couple of days ago:) I can't wait to finish the scene I have in mind. I have no idea yet what to call this story. However, the hero keeps intruding on my thoughts. The story begins with these line, "The black-cloaked figure waited silently at the end of the path. And as he waited, his hunger grew."

I can see him now, the hood of his long cloak pulled up to cover his long dark hair. His silvery grey eyes glinting in the faint light of the moon. And the cool wind, blowing past my face, brining with it the scent of his cologne. Ahhhh. I love vampires.

Don't worry, there's a hot werewolf in this story too. I have no idea what I'm going to do to him yet, but I have plans for my vampire. *insert wicked laugh here.* LOL

Upcoming Contest and Chat

Shot Through the Heart

For readers looking for something more than chocolate this Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14th, there's something wicked you don't want to miss.

Join Authors
Tracey H. Kitts
Annmarie Orgeta
Angelia Whiting
Janet Lane Walters
Shawn M. Casey
Donna Michaels
Rayne Forest
Desiree Lee
And Melanie Grant from The Essence of Romance

They'll be posting on three yahoo groups simultaneously.
EbookLove
New Concepts Reader's and Author's Group
And Forbidden Fruit

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/new_concepts_pub/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eBookLove/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/forbidden_fruitisalwayssweeter/

Join the fun
Thursday, February 14th
As they give love a bad name

Don’t forget to join one or all of these groups to participate. You must be 18 or older.

It's time for some Pillow Talk!

I'm featured today at Michelle Pillow's Author Blog:) Stop by and check it out.

My Happy Dance:)

As promised, like you were waiting for it (LOL) here's my happy dance! At first, I wanted to post this to celebrate my new book contracts, but now it's more of a celebration to have my computer working properly again and to be recovering from the flu:) Either way, life is good and here's my happy dance.

Scavenger Hunt begins today!

That's right, it's time to start looking for those little devil hearts. The prizes and participating authors are listed in one of the posts below. However, you can also find the information on the news page of my website.

http://www.traceyhkitts.com

Happy hunting:)

The Dread Moon has a face!

Wow. I was so surprised when I found out two days ago that the latest book in my werewolf hunter series has a cover already! And from the looks of things, this is my hot new vampire:) I'm so excited. The artist really captured the feel of this book, in my opinion, and I can't wait to share it with readers.

Shot Through The Heart - Scavenger hunt begins tomorrow

For those looking for more than chocolate this Valentine’s Day, look no further. Each of the participating authors has hidden a “devil heart” somewhere on their website and it’s up to you to find them. The contest will run from January 25 through February 29.

Here’s what you’ll have a chance to win:

A free download of Object of My Affection by Tracey H. Kitts
A copy of Eros Arrow on cd in PDF format, Annmarie Orgeta
Free PDF of both Valentine's Day Do-Over and VDDO Part II: The Siblings, Donna Michaels
30-day trial to Essence of Romance, Melanie Grant
One .pdf download of Under a Painted Moon, Rayne Forrest
A .pdf of The Drinking Game, Chris Redding
Prize will be a download of choice either from Angelia Whiting or Angel Lynn


Where to begin the scavenger hunt:

Tracey H. Kitts – http://www.traceyhkitts.com/
Annmarie Orgeta - http://www.annmarieauthor.bravehost.com/
Angelia Whiting - http://www.angeliawhiting.net/
Shawn M. Casey - http://www.trevaneandcasey.com/
Donna Michaels - http://www.donnamichaelsauthor.com/
Rayne Forest - http://www.rayneforrest.com/
Desiree Lee - www.desireelee.com
Chris Redding - http://www.chrisreddingauthor.com/
And Melanie Grant from The Essence of Romance - http://www.eordb.com/


Here’s how to play:

Simply locate the graphic on the author’s site and email the ENTRY FORM to tracey h kitts @yahoo.com (without the spaces)

In order to be considered for a prize you must be 18 or older and have the correct URLs listed.

Winners will be selected randomly from correct entries and should be notified within a week of the contest’s end. The deadline for entry is midnight (eastern time) February 29, 2008.

ENTRY FORM:

Your Name:
Your email:

Participating Authors: Location of graphic:
Tracey H. Kitts
Annmarie Orgeta
Angelia Whiting
Shawn M. Casey
Donna Michaels
Rayne Forest
Desiree Lee
Chris Redding
Melanie Grant from The Essence of Romance


Remember, the contest begins tomorrow:)

Happy hunting,

Tracey
http://www.traceyhkitts.com/

The Dread Moon and Brain Dead

These are the two new titles that I've just signed with New Concepts Publishing. I thought I'd share a little more about them:)

The Dread Moon: Book three in the Lilith Mercury: Werewolf Hunter Series.
Lilith's reputation as the best in the business has spread, and not just to the lycanthrope population. She's just been hired to find the original vampire. The vamps want what everyone else wants, equality. However, she will soon realize that the original vampire isn't just out for blood, or the return of rights to his people ... he wants Lilith too."

Brain Dead
Jane Masters has no idea she's a necromancer. Luis Phillippe is the vampire responsible for the power mingled in her blood. Though her love life improves dramatically after meeting Luis, Jane faces a more urgent situation than dating a vampire; her boss is a zombie and it might be her fault. As Luis reveals the details of her past life and the source of her power, they learn there's a killer on the loose and Jane is next on the list. As for her newly discovered past with Luis, her heart remembers him. But will she survive to love him this time?

Good News!

I signed two book contracts Thursday night! I just wanted to share the good news with everybody. I’m still flying highJ I’ve also been trying in vain to upload my happy dance to youtube. LOL I don’t know if something is wrong with my computer or their uploader. Oh, well. When I finally have it, I shall subject you all to my happy dance. LOL

Writing Horny

That's right, this post is about writing horny. See, writing horny is a lot like going to the grocery store hungry. Sometimes, you just shouldn't do it. You always end up with something you didn't need, but it looked good at the time. Maybe you crave something sweet, so you end up with chocolate instead of fruit. Or, maybe you end up writing about a vampire foursome, like in my case. LOL

You know how it is. You're home alone, you're bored. You think, "Hey, maybe I'll write a little while I've got a minute." And the next thing you know, Dracula is naked.

The point is, when you write horny (just like shopping hungry) you always end up taking something home with you that you should have left at the store. There are times when the vamps should keep their clothes on and times when they desperately need to take them off. Then there are other times when I desperately need them to take it off.

Maybe the next time I write about vampires, I'll just get an ice pack instead of a glass of wine.