I’m not sure I am the best person to be talking about getting noticed. Getting the news out about a new book is not overly easy. This is called “platform.” I have three main avenues in my platform.
I have a Twitter account. On that account, I am active in the writing community. I follow writers and pay attention to what they are doing. Conversely, there are authors on Twitter who are one-song posters. Almost daily, they post a picture of their book cover with a pitch and link. Some post the same Tweet, recycled. This seems self-serving, and I rarely follow such a person.
I host #LineByLineTime on Twitter, and the participants are a talented bunch. They know and support what I am doing, and I support their work and efforts as well.
I am not a big Facebook guy, and I sort of wish I had been more active. I have many friends, and I did a cover reveal and then posted about Members of the Cast. The response there has been very positive.
For years I have written humorous anecdotes to a list of friends by email. Many have complimented my writing through the years and said they look forward to the next bit of nonsense. I announced Members of the Cast there as well, and a number responded with enthusiasm.
The hardest part of self-promotion is to ask/suggest that kind remarks written to me be posted as a review. I have steeled myself to the task and do ask. Members of the Cast has seven reviews in nine days. I am thankful they have all been ***** reviews.
I post on this blog and Tweet about the posts. This builds traffic to my website. Folks return to websites that change. If they look at your site and never see anything new, they soon decide it is not worth their time to look again.
The last and probably most important part of being noticed is to stir the pot. Think of clever ways you can keep the book in front of your platform.
I am running a contest, asking readers to find the place in the book in which “George makes a cameo appearance.” That has been fun, and there have been a number of guesses. I post an occasional picture that represents something in the book. And I occasionally generically thank all who have posted reviews.
Results? Well, I have never published a book before, but there has only been one day without a sale, and that day 900 pages were read via Kindle Unlimited. The best day of sales was 34 copies. Not a landslide, but better than a jab in the eye with a sharp stick.
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