Today will everyone please welcome Teri Harman to the blog! She's the amazing writer of the new, bewitching novel, Blood Moon and is here to talk about book promotion, especially for a first time author.
Promoting a first book is an intimidating task. It’s hard to
strike a balance between useful, effective advertising and blatant, shameless,
annoying self-promotion. I have found that the best way to promote your first
book is to get other people to do it for you.
4 – Do face to face
Being a fellow JFP author, I received a free advanced copy of Blood Moon in exchange for an honest review. So long as I'm being honest, I wasn't sure it would be for me. I'm not big on paranormal, which includes witches. That's not to say there aren't some witch stories I really like, but I'm extremely picky.
1 – Get to know your local, independent bookseller
I know it’s all digital, all the time now, but a good Indie
bookshop with employees who care about you and root for you can still have a
huge impact on helping your first book succeed. Shop in the store, talk to the
employees, get to know them and let them know what you are doing with your
writing. Ask for advice – these people really know the book business.
2 – Have a blog/website with your name as the web address
Most of us have blogs now (if you don’t, start one now!). One
small piece of advice that can make a huge difference is to have the name of
your blog be YOUR NAME. Don’t try to come up with something clever or cute,
just YOURNAME.wordpress.com or even better YOURNAME.com. If it already exists,
use AUTHORYOURNAME.com. This makes it so much easier for people to find you in
a web search. And you want it to be easy for people to find out about you and
your new book.
Also, be sure your blog looks professional and is very easy
to navigate. It should only take seconds for people to find out about your book
and where to buy it.
The thing that has helped me the most is having done lots of
book reviews/blog tours for other authors on my blog (and bi-weekly book
column, monthly TV book segment). Authors love to return the favor! We support
each other ‘cause we know how hard it is. Some of the strongest assets you can
have to help promote your new book are other authors you’ve helped in the
past.
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| Teri Harman |
People who like YOU will want to tell people about your new
book, even before they’ve read it. Attend and/or try to present at conferences,
library events, book events, etc. Talk with the people who attend, who are in
charge. This is often scary, but work at being good at it. It’s networking! You’re
not just selling your book, you are selling you; you are a brand.
5 – Have a meaningful social media presence
Yes, you have to be
on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. to help sell your book. But don’t be a
walking advertisement for yourself only. Be social. Post things your readers will
want to see. This is another great way to get other writers and authors on your
side – promote them and they will promote you. Talk about your real life too.
Be a fun, engaging person, not just an author with a book to sell.
Thanks Teri! Good to know! Below is the link for Teri's giveaway. You can also find her other author links below.
My Review
Luckily, there wasn't anything to worry about with Harman's story. I found myself drawn in right from the get-go. The way in which Teri introduces the major love interest can be overdone and/or cheesy, but I thought she handled it beautifully and was immediately rooting for couple.
Her villain was one I especially liked. Well-rounded and fleshed out, exuding just enough douche-baggery for us to want to claw his eyes out, he kept the story rolling forward.
The ending was epic enough for me (you guys know me and my high stakes neuroses) and left things just open enough for sequels to be written, if Harman so chooses. On the other hand, the story stood well enough on its own to give the reader closure.
In short, this was a quick fun read which (witch?!) I thoroughly enjoyed. Anyone who likes paranormal, especially witches, ancient magic, grimoires, witchy ancestors, etc., will really love this book. But don't take my word for it. Visit Teri's links and check it out for yourself.
Oh, and have FUN doing it. :D
Have a great weekend everyone!
Have a great weekend everyone!
I love being able to mooch advice from others who have done the learning-- thank you for being so generous with sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Liesel!
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