Getting Yourself Out There - Promoting - Janet Lane Walters

 

Getting Yourself Out There

 

 

     One of the most vital and difficult things to do is to get out there and promote yourself. Sometimes this can be very expensive and finding ways to do this without spending much money is good. Name recognition is what’s important. But getting your name out there means finding ways to promote yourself. I’ve found two ways that are inexpensive and fun (at least for me.)

The first is blogging. I have a blog and I blog every day. Not really me, since sometimes I feature my own books and other times, I feature other authors and their books. That will pull readers to other sites. Now I have monthly blogs. One is Sweet and Saucy where the first day of the month, I’m able to feature a book. This is taking me and my books to a new venue. I also post monthly on this blog. This year, I’ve decided to accept invites to other blogs once a month. Thus finding new places and potentially new readers. Don’t know how this will work but at least my name is out there again and again being seen by new people.

I’m fortunate since I write in several genres but my advice is to look for blogs that specialize in what you write, mysteries, young adult, science fiction and fantasy. Volunteer to write a post. Read the posts there and make comments. Then maybe choose to blog elsewhere once a month. If you have a blog, open it to your fellow writers as some of us have done and even open it to other authors. I found my monthly gig by having the author post on my blog.

Another thing is when you are a guest on a blog, periodically check to see if anyone has commented or asked questions. If so respond.

The second recommendation is to join Marketing For Romance Authors. Though Romance is in the title, people of other genres do belong. They do a number of different ways to promote yourself. So look at their site and join the group. Lots of information here and questions answered. This will give you a number of ways to see what they do.

MarketingForRomanceWriters@yahoogroups.com,

 

I’ve been using their Wednesday #MFRWHooks link to promote my books. I know Helen Henderson also does this. You can either post a different book every week. Since I have such a large back list, that’s what I’ve been doing. I am almost finished with my list and will start going with series next. Once a week, you need to do this and once you get into the habit, it’s not that difficult.

These are the ways I’ve been promoting and what this means is that I’m out there several times a month and people are seeing my name. I know of at least once when someone said they were buying my books. Not sure if they did but I’ve triggered interest.