Marketing When No One is Listening

“You have to stay out there.”

“If you don’t promote yourself, no one will find you.”

Do those sound familiar? If not, no one is pushing you out loud. It’s true. If you don’t market, no one can find you. Be it paid ads, marketing departments, blog tours, you name it. They all have advantages. If they have the right reach and can target the market you want, they can be effective. That being said, I feel like for the most part my efforts fall on deaf ears.

It hurts when you see other authors being shared, but somehow you’re forgotten. It’s doesn’t help me motivate myself when I see small businesses being supported and never my books. Because lets face it, most authors are a small business. So what can we do when it feels like no one is listening? Well, push harder. Push through it And when in doubt, be creative.

I am trying new tactics. Yes, still pushing my books, but maybe in a different way. I want to catch more eyes, make people smile and laugh. I want them to see the business they support is human and wants to make them smile.

What are you creative ideas?

These are my latest. Thoughts?

The Pains of Helping Others Market

Marketing is a pain in my behind. Ask any author out there. Marketing isn’t generally why anyone went into writing. Turns out writing, although a lonely profession, requires lots and lots and lots and lots of networking. Why you ask? Well simple. You are one voice and unless you know millions you will need others help.

In return for others help, it is expected that you would help them. This is the hard part. Obviously not everything out there is going to fit your blog. You have an environment that you worked hard to get. You branded yourself. You branded your blog. So the tough choices are now who and what do you allow on your blog?

I have someone close to me start selling health products. Some are weight loss. Some are general natural vitamins. I really, really want to help him out. It’s hard to make a living making sales. The issue is I don’t blog about health products. I don’t have the audience for this. Well maybe I do? I am not a health expert though and regardless if I attract mom’s attempting to take baby weight off, or some men looking to resemble some of the alphas in romance novels, I don’t really want to brand myself as someone pushing products.

So what about other books and authors? They are all the same right? No not really. Although I like YA books and some science-fiction, most people who read my blog came to me for romance. I want to recommend books that would appeal to those that have come to trust me as a romance author and a romance genre junkie. I want to support as many authors out there, but I have a brand to uphold so I find that I have to say no. It’s hard though. I hate letting people down.

So networking is huge, but be careful about making good choices. It is just as important for you to advertise to the correct target market as it is for you to share pertinent information to your personal network.

(My dog is currently blowing bubbles in her water making it really hard to write a serious post.)

For those starting out, have you picked your niche or are you still finding your way in marketing? For those with experience, do you find it hard to turn away people with the wrong message for your audience? If you have great advice or another blog that has helped you with marketing, please leave that information for others!

One in a Million Snowflakes Celebration – Oh and My Birthday

It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to.  Although, I have no reason to cry.  So let’s celebrate my birthday and One in a Million Snowflakes, part of the Winter’s Sweet Kiss anthology. 

The weekend for Winter’s Sweet Kiss was quiet for promotions, so I thought I’d warm things up with a giveaway.  Plus, what better way to celebrate your birthday.

So here are the super simple ways to enter.

Leave a comment about your favorite scene from my story, One in a Million Snowflakes (try not to spoil it for those that haven’t read it yet. Just something simple, like ‘When Angela makes hot chocolate’.)

OR tell me which story you look forward to reading first.  I never read anthologies in order.

Or thirdly, if you can’t make up your mind, tell me what your favorite kind of romance is, such as contemporary.

What do you win you ask? A wonderful sampler of Nutty Pam’s granola, handmade right here in Colorado.  It’s cold and currently snowing.  Think it might have had something to do with the setting in the story? Anyway, that’s not all.  You also get Nick’s favorite drink, hot chocolate.  Now that you are all snuggled up with your book you’ll need a bookmark.  I’m also adding an autographed bookmark.  (please note, this giveaway is only eligible to those in the USA for various reasons.  One is international food laws and two, shipping costs.).

So leave me a comment and your email so I can contact the winner.  Happy Holidays and happy reading.  You have until midnight MST on the 24th to enter.

Don’t forget the giveaway for Winter’s Sweet Kiss.  A paper copy of the book and a gift card!