MARKETING FOR WRITERS

Our very own Cait London has graciously agreed to share some of her writing wisdom on our blog. Read, learn and enjoy.

November 2016 The Bride’s Basket (book 3)

The Business of Writing

When you’re a career writer, craft, time management and consistency count. But the business of writing may play a higher percentage of effort and time in your career.

While traditional publishers sell many of my books, I’ve written my newest series as an “Indie”. This means, I am responsible for not only the bookkeeping, but the marketing and promotion to make those books successful. I calculate loosely that three-quarters of author’s time is dedicated to the business end of writing. UNLESS that writer has a dedicated team working for him, including a web designer, a virtual assistant, an editor, a marketer, etc.

I’ve just attended a writers conference dedicated to marketing and promotion. Five days and nights of multiple workshops running every hour. With a new book coming out in November, the third in a series, The Bride’s Basket, I am now deep into testing what I’ve learned at Novelist Inc. a group for professionals.

In networking with other professionals, I learned that it is best to focus on:

·         Subscribers for an e-newsletter. (I’m using Madmimi.com because of ease.) It is best to use a mail system such as MailChimp or Madmimi. This so the spam machines won’t kill newsletters. These require the sender’s email address from a website.

·         Using contests by professionals to add to that subscriber list. Currently, RyanZee.com multi-author ads and whatever giveaways, contests. Landing Pages are essential.

·         From that subscriber list, I asked for beta readers and am so far thrilled with the results. Beta readers can be used to help with reviews, etc. They can help with ideas, circulating your information, etc. (If you wish to beta read for me, please email cait at caitlondon.com?)

·         To send to beta readers and contest winners, I’m using Bookfunnel.com, one of the best writer-helpful inventions ever.

·         To prepare files for Bookfunnel, I’m using Vellum.pub (only for Mac). Vellum is miracle formatting software which takes a Word file and spins it into different files suitable for Kindle, Kobo, Nook, etc. and epub. It produces beautiful graphics with your choice of book styles. You upload that file to the specific retailers. In Spring 2017, Vellum plans to add the paperbook create element. I’ve used a lot of software, including formatting CSS and hand formatting for CreateSpace, so Vellum is a miracle to me.

·         Vellum also produces an epub format, suitable for SmashWords and when exported can be used as a PDF that is also used by Bookfunnel. Yes, some people don’t use e-readers and prefer PDFs.

·         With these files available at Bookfunnel, files such as ARCs, contest winners, etc. can be sent directly to the recipients.

·         Facebook Ads. I’m gearing up to learn these, but every heavy self-promoter I queried recommended these ads.

·         A proper website. For ease, I’ve used my blog during a family stressful time, but am preparing a proper website at BlueHost.com (I recommend this webhost.) This will be my second proper website with BlueHost.com, but this time, I am building it in WordPress. Mooberry for grids is an excellent plug-in.

·         I regularly use Adobe Elements for graphics, banners, etc. but plan to use more Canva.com Did you know that visuals are 94% more likely to get a reaction than text? And 40 times more likely to be shared?

The above represents only a small portion of the work some writers do—if they do not have teams providing for them. There are more that can be added to the list, including JoAnna Penn’s podcasts at TheCreativePenn.com. Mel Jolly at AuthorRx.com also provides great informational enewsletters for organization tips. (She’s a Virtual Assistant helping others.)

I hope that shares a glimpse of what an author is expected to do business-wise. There are different approaches: Many travel and speak at conferences and booksignings. Many stay online, etc. But writing for publication and sales is a business.

BIO:

 USA Today Best Seller/NY Times Author Cait London's book list includes romantic suspense, paranormal, contemporary, humor, *western historical, and women's fiction. Always busy, she travels and loves any distraction. Her small town NorthWest upbringing is relived in her stories, also her life experiences as the mother of 3 daughters and as an artist. She's learned her family's German; she's forgotten it and French, but may attempt Norwegian. Her awards include: Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, RT W.I.S.H.(s), RT Career Achievement, Laurel Wreath Award, RIO, Overall Sales Performance, Best Paranormal, Booksellers Best, WRWA Reader's Award, Dorothy Parker Award for Excellence and various nominations.

>>NOTE: *This author thoroughly researches her books, driving the Oregon Trail, the NW gold trails and the sites of her stories.

 For More:

**Visit her website: www.caitlondon.com

**Follow her on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Cait-London/e/B000APJLZA

**Sign up for her newsletter: http://mad.ly/signups/199386/join

**Facebook: www.Facebook.com/CaitLondonBooks

**Twitter: www.Twitter.com/CaitLondon

**Goodreads: www.GoodReads.com/CaitLondon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MEMBER INTERVIEW - Cait London

Please welcome one of our most well known authors, Cait London.

Thank you, Sleuth’s Ink for inviting me. I’m a happy member of this mystery group, which presents unusual, helpful programs and good fellowship. For years, Shirley McCann, V.J. Schultz and others have built and maintained this writer's group. I enjoy it very much.

Tell us about your writing journey.

2016 will be the 30th anniversary of my first published book. I started with an agent, Ray Peekner, and with Berkley Publishers in a category line called Second Chance at Love. From there, I had 4 more agents, including Curtis Brown and Wm Morris. Several historical romances for Berkley and Dell followed. At the same time I wrote category romances for Harlequin.

While still writing for Harlequin, I wrote romantic suspense for HarperCollins. Most of my career has been writing for two traditional publishers at the same time. With copy edits and galleys going back-and-forth, this was not easy. Add in the old-style promotion we used to do, such as traveling to speaking engagements, signing books, etc. and it’s a busy schedule. Some writers are still doing this now, but the Internet has changed that picture dramatically. During this frenzy of writing, publishing, promoting, I was also a single mother raising 3 daughters.

Over the years, I've had best sellers and received awards. Harlequin and HarperCollins are still selling my Cait London books.

Can you tell us a little about what you are doing now?

I am now dealing with my back list and working on new projects. 

Acquiring back list rights is not easy, yet it is like real estate and valuable in different ways. Publishers want to hold rights and so do some agents. This is why I recommend scanning legal agreements for later reference. Moving forward with your back list needs to be considered carefully. Choices have to be made: Do you update older books, spending time and money on them, or leave them and move forward. I love my books and I wanted them out in readers' hands.

I am a DIYer. Learning and doing self publishing took time. I’ve always been regimented, but shifting lanes to Indy publishing hasn’t been easy. Taking on the business end of publishing is a big job; it isn’t for everyone. The learning curve is steep. “Each to his own” rule applies. However, services can be hired. If you do hire, make certain those services are the quality you need and deserve. 

 What has inspired you lately? 

In early October this year, I attended a professional’s only conference, Novelists Inc. {http://ninc.com}This conference is unusual because it’s all leading edge information. It’s mostly Indy geared now, though many members are “Hybrids” writing for traditional/legacy houses and Indy publishing; no agents or traditional publishers are featured.

 NINC impacted my plans for 2016 and forward. Right now I’m listening to Joanna Penn’s The Creative Penn {http://TheCreativePenn.com} podcast, and give it high marks. This podcast does not deal with how to write, but how to market and balance your creative times with necessary promotion. There are also interviews with people who are successful in promotion/copy writing (blurbs/ads etc.) One of the sessions dealt with dictating your books. I’ve used Dragon successfully with my PC for articles and blogs. (At one time, I had 3 blogs AND a full blown website.) I’m in a creative/fertile “nesting” period right now, writing away and learning.

What does the future hold for Cait London?

My plans for 2016 include:

1. Get back into dictation.
2. Collect all the articles I’ve written in the last 30 years about how to write and stash them in a folder for a potential book. We need more of those, don’t we? (To understand that last question, know that I have won awards for humor.) However: I highly recommend Dwight Swain’s Techniques of Best Selling Writers. Study it, mystery writers.
3. Complete my book list {http://caitlondon.blogspot.com/p/books.html} up on my website {http://caitlondon.com} and linked. This is challenging.
4. Switch my full website name domain to something I can manage for now.
5. Indy publish a new completed book that is currently with my copy editor. Finish the WIP. Write the 3rd/4th Novelette in a series, lift a free short series to Wattpad. (Thank you, Shirley McCann, for pushing me into Shorts.)
6. Publish more back list. This includes getting ISBN, formatting, and covers.
7. Covers: More consistent looks. Work with designers (I like artistic filters).
8. Review of my current published books’ metadata. I just heard this: Constantly review. We learn as we go. Or we should. Makes sense.
9. Redo my Amazon author profile and link my out of print/reverted rights - traditional/legacy books with my own Indy books.
10. Do some i-Book coupons, some free books, and some Goodreads giveaways.
11. Take more online courses, re: marketing on Facebook.
12. A friend and I are considering meeting for a formal brainstorming session. Each brings to the table 5 things about their WIP for which they need help. Time is equalized. That equal time is an essential agreement, or someone dominates and someone comes away frustrated.
13. More stepping outside the usual, i.e. attending NINC - testing what works. I might even draft up a business plan. (A little humor, you know.)

Now let me ask you: What are your writing/publishing plans for 2016?

Thanks Cait for sharing some of your insights and knowledge with us.  

Please visit her website {http://caitlondon.com} and join her e-newsletter
{ http://mad.ly/signups/105014/join}. Giveaways and contests, you know, plus what I’m doing—like crocheting and painting, which will turn up in new books/shorts.

Link to her Amazon Author page

http://www.amazon.com/Cait-London/e/B000APJLZA/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1447529237&sr=1-2-ent