Saturday, 29 October 2011

How To Market Your Writing - The Right Way

Purely for advertising purposes ...
In my attempt to finish my Writing Magazine - October issue (I'm still a month behind!) - I was reading an article which got me thinking, and made me want to blog.  I did have another idea for a blog post, but that can wait for next week, or even tomorrow.

Funnily enough, I didn't get to the end of the article, real life got in the way - the washing up was just nagging to be done! If interested, it's p46-47, Just The Right Cup Of Tea by Rebecca Woodhead.

It's about finding your network niche, and one of the paragraphs, which made me decide to blog said, 'As with all other networks, it is important not to pitch.' Thank you, Rebecca. She continues, 'Rely on what marketer Diane Hochman calls "the nosy gene" to guide people to the blog URL in your profile. In other words, be engaging and make sure your profile has a link to your blog and books. Keep all your sales message to your blog.' 

I don't know about you, but I do follow some on Twitter who really I shouldn't bother with, because all they tweet about is 'Their book available here'. Boring!

Don't get me wrong, I appreciate Twitter (and Facebook and wherever else) is a place to share your excitement if you've got a new book about to be published, etc. Even tell me where you're blogging. I like that. But don't ram your book down my throat. (If I ever do this - once I become a Successful Published Writer - you have permission to slap me!).

Diane Hochman is right. If I like you, find you fun, I go click on the URL and look at your blog, and find out more about your book that way. I'm a writer, I'm naturally nosy. I don't enjoy my wall (on Facebook or Twitter) constantly reminding me of your book and where I can buy it and how much for.

Excuse the dust!
<---- This is the piles of books I have to read already... (some on this shelf are actually my husbands - the Patricia Cornwell's) and there are ones tucked inside the bookshelf standing up I haven't read either. Even targeting myself to read 40 books per year, this pile is still not going down. Plus the book pile I have to read on my Kindle are growing. Seriously, I don't actually have to buy any more books for a year, I've got plenty for next years reading!

The reason I buy more books than I need is usually because the author hasn't actually knocked her book over my head, she's done it by much clever marketing.

n.b. This blog post is not aimed at any of my writing friends, because you don't do this. It is aimed at those 'friends' that won't even read this blog because they've just friended me to plug their book. Harsh, but true.

If you agree, please leave your comments. If you think I am harsh, please comment, too! Does it annoy you, or not?

p.s. I sneaked in picture of Richard Armitage there... he looks better on my Facebook profile than my dusty old bookshelf!

Right, better finish off reading this article now ... and the rest of the magazine.
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16 comments:

  1. Cherie Nicholls29 October 2011 at 19:13

    I completely agree. If I get a new follower request on twitter I always check to see the persons previous tweets. If they don't seem to have done anyting more then tweet the link to their book I won't accept the request.

    If I wanted a constant sales pitch I would watch a shopping channel.

    I think communication is the key, if you talk to and engage people they will be more interested in your work and interested to find out.

    In my opinion anyway.

    Great blog doll

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  2. Teresa F Morgan29 October 2011 at 19:21

    That was quick, Cherie! I really should do that more with Twitter.

    lol! Love the shopping channel idea.

    Thank you for your opinion :D

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  3. BeeCycling29 October 2011 at 19:22

    Good stuff! Yes, the marketing and only marketing thing is annoying. The nosiness will take care of it. If someone who's a writer follows me on Twitter, or sends a friend request on Goodreads I'm going to at least go click through and take a look at what books they have out.

    Funnily enough I'm about to write a blog post on a broadly similar subject. Probably be up tomorrow. (Not that I'm marketing that to you. ;D)

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  4. Teresa F Morgan29 October 2011 at 22:47

    Hey, you can pimp your blog any time, Becky ;-) And well, great minds think alike. I'm sorry if it looks like I stole your idea but honestly, I was reading Writing Magazine, and I just was so grateful to see this confirmed in 'writing' by a professional ;-) that it made me want to blog, straight away!

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  5. Sarah Tokeley30 October 2011 at 00:21

    I so agree. It's wasted on me anyway, because I'm skint. Any spare pennies go on the books of my blogging friends - who hooked me with their blogs, not their books :-)

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  6. Xandra James30 October 2011 at 11:18

    It's one of my annoyances at the moment; writers that are all 'me, me, me'. Please, tell me to shut up if I ever try to sell you one of my books like that!! lol.

    Seriously though, there are better ways to connect with potential readers than to bombard them with marketing tweets. It makes you remember than author for all the wrong reasons.

    Great post, Teresa :)

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  7. Anonymous30 October 2011 at 11:41

    I followed you here from twitter because I was nosy :)

    I 100% agree with everything you said. Being engaged with others is the key, and I love how easy it is on Twitter.

    I would also add if someone is bombarding twitterland with the RT's of others, I prefer they ADD something interesting to the tweet.

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  8. Teresa F Morgan30 October 2011 at 13:10

    Sarah, yes, I'm more inclined to buy a book from an author who I've interacted with over fun stuff. I feel myself digging my heels in and adamant in not buying a book if the author whacks me constantly with it!

    Xandra, we'll keep an eye on each other then. Don't get me wrong, new authors are allowed to get excited about their books, latest publishings, I like to see that. But if it's constant, 'find it here' tweets/FB messages, it gets boring.

    Aimee, thank you for posting and being nosy I much prefer to engage with people and chat. I have friends who we spur each other on in our writing... because sometimes we all need a motivational kick to get us writing again. But these are the people I enjoy chatting to.

    I agree with the RT thing, though you have to do it from Tweetdeck... I haven't worked out how to do it in Twitter without it just retweeting.

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  9. Anonymous30 October 2011 at 14:19

    Great post Teresa and I completely agree. If I ever fall in the trap of doing that, please shoot me where I stand ;-)

    I would add another one to that list of annoyances. Those authors that are constantly retweeting fan tweets. You know the ones - Oh I read your book and it was so awesome tweets. I don't mind the odd one, but when every single one gets retweeted and not much else said - well.

    Thus endedth my rant for today ;-)

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  10. Anonymous30 October 2011 at 16:06

    RE retweeting. I do it from HootSuite, though I think a friend of mine does a copy and paste with RT with comment in front and it works. I think. Hmm might need to research that cuz now I'm curious.

    And to add to Doris's most excellent comment, I'd beg people to please NOT send out a gazillion retweets in the space of five minutes. Most annoying.

    Boy, I'm sounding grumpy lol. But mostly, I love twitter.

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  11. Annalisa Crawford30 October 2011 at 16:14

    Hmm, great pic!! I agree totally. Facebook/Twitter should be about engaging with your audience.

    Luckily (?!) I have nothing to sell at the moment, so you're safe from me!

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  12. Teresa F Morgan30 October 2011 at 19:56

    Okay, Doris, we'll watch out for it. And I agree, again, sometimes it's good to share some stuff, Twitter is good for it, but otherwise put it on your blog, and share that way. Admittedly I have had my book reviews retweeted by the author, but generally they are not authors who abuse the system, so that's okay ;-)

    Aimee, yeah, I've thought about copy and pasting, but then it doesn't 'link' the RT. Sometimes, I think the tweet doesn't need an explanation if it's a joke or self explanatory, but if I want to 'add' something, I'll open up Tweetdeck to do it.

    Annalisa, I'm in the same boat. Though hopefully one day, we'll have books and publishings of sorts to get excited about :D But we must remember this rule ;-)

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  13. Anonymous31 October 2011 at 10:41

    I so agree! There are a few people I'm following/following me who just constantly promote their book..and nothing else! They are about to be history! Glad to see someone else with a TBR (to be read) list as long as mine! Great blog!

    Elaine44X

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  14. Teresa F Morgan31 October 2011 at 13:51

    Thank you, Elaine. Yes, I think when I get a bit more organised, I might go through my Twitter. I've followed so many people back out of politeness, and then realised they've just friended me to bombard me with their book.

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  15. Anonymous2 November 2011 at 21:07

    First of all I have to say I love your book shelves, they are very much like mine; chaotic, fun and full of interesting literature!

    I also agree. It's amazing how many people follow me just for a follow back in order to pimp their book. Marketing and promoting is hard work but it has to be done properly and most importantly, professionally. When I receive automated DM's which I suspect many of these tweeters are using, I immediately grow cold towards them. One of my pet hates on Twitter.

    I do occasionally plug my book in a tweet but try not to do too often. However, I have a few in my timeline who very rarely interact (which is what I thought Twitter was for) and simply try to direct their followers to their book wherever it's available. I have tons of information on my blog about my published book and also about the current one I'm working on so I really hope I'm able to get the balance right.

    CJ xx

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  16. Teresa F Morgan3 November 2011 at 11:10

    Crystal, thank you! The bookshelf used to live in the second bedroom, then I wanted to turn that room into the 'play room' for the kids, so I moved it to the study. Nearly thought about selling the shelf, but glad I didn't and squeezed it into my already cluttered Study.

    It's okay to mention your book once in a while. It raises intrigue. I always mention The Wedding Favour and at what stage I'm at with it, or if I'm ready to throw it in the 'virtual' bin! (As I work on screen, more than on paper). But it is these people who follow you, hoping you'll follow back, then will bombard you about buying their book.

    To be honest, there are so many peeps on Twitter who I do chat to, and would love to buy their book, and one day hopefully I will. These people will come before anyone who is pushy with me :D

    I think you've got the balance right ;-)

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