My guest-blogger today is Marcia James, an author of “hot, humorous romances”. Her debut comic romantic suspense, AT HER COMMAND, was released in trade paperback and e-book last year from Cerridwen Press. In June 2009, she’ll have a short story in a Berkley charity anthology with nine other authors. After a career in marketing and advertising, she enjoys PR almost as much as writing love scenes. Marcia offers her 150+ file of author promotion information to any author who requests it. Just email her through the “Contact Me” page on her Web site: http://www.marciajames.net/.Please join me in welcoming Marcia. Here's her guest blog post:
When I was offered the chance to guest-blog on Melissa/Ariana’s blog, I asked her if I could talk about my favorite topic: author promotion. I never get tired of chatting up readers and authors about their favorite types of PR. I would love to hear opinions and suggestions from posters on this blog. ;-) Readers, what types of promotional items—bookmarks, excerpt booklets, autographed book plates, trinkets?—do you like to receive from authors? Authors, what are your favorite or most effective promotional efforts—blogs, chats, paid ads, booksignings, workshop presentations? Readers and authors, which PR things do your dislike? For example, I’m not a fan of public speaking, although I make myself present PR workshops to get my name out there. I also write PR articles, and the following is one from my Web site’s Articles page. I hope you enjoy it! – Marcia
THE PR BUDDY SYSTEM: The Benefits of Author Cross- and Co-Promotion
By Marcia James
Self-promotion. Say the word aloud in a room full of authors and watch a fingernails-on-the-blackboard shudder run through the crowd. Promotion can be a scary drain on time and finances. For this reason, savvy self-promoters are joining forces with other authors to share the expense and effort—a sort of PR buddy system.
The simplest form of cross-promotion is reciprocal links—authors posting each other’s URL links on their own sites. Cerridwen Press author Paige Cuccaro added a clever hook, posting both links and photos of other authors’ offices on her Web site’s popular “Writer’s Cave” page. And debut Samhain author Janie Mason has a Happily Ever Afters page with links and photos of authors and their spouses.
Another form of cross-promotion is guest-blogging, a free and easy way to introduce yourself to another author’s readers and vice-versa. Melissa/Ariana offers many guest-bloggers this opportunity. {{Thanks!}} Another example is Kensington author Shirley Jump, who has featured guest-bloggers on her recipe-filled “Eating My Words” blog. She even offered me, a non-cook, a shot at posting on my Avocado Body Paint recipe. It was a fun PR opportunity that cost nothing and required only a short commitment of time.
Interviews are another enjoyable way to cross-promote. Each month for my Web site’s “James Gang” page, I interview an author who has “James” in his or her name. The monthly “James Ganger” brings traffic to my site by announcing the interview to readers and email loops, while my fans learn about the featured author. And the interviews themselves can be used by the James Gang’ authors as part of their print and online press kits.
Co-promoting with other authors is another smart PR move. Many writers are banding together to do co-op ads or form group blogs. One example is the Vamps & Scamps blog. Kensington’s Dianne Castell, one of their ten authors, said, “The Vamps and Scamps loves guest-bloggers, too—both authors and readers. It’s fun to discuss books from both viewpoints.”
Authors can co-promote through a variety of joint ventures. For example, a group of Ohio authors, under the leadership of Berkley author Lori Foster, has a MySpace page. As one of these authors, I was able to dip a technically challenged toe into the MySpace pool without jumping in—possibly over my head—with the time commitment of my own page.
Another way authors can co-promote is conducting workshops together at conferences. Taking it a step further, Dianne Castell has joined her best friend Lori Foster to host their own conference, their annual Readers & Authors Get-Together in Cincinnati. “It’s a fun, relaxed weekend of readers and authors, and now agents and editors and publishers,” Castell said.
Creativity is part of a writer’s “toolbox”, and many are putting it to good use in cross-promotion. For example, Ellora’s Cave/Cheek author Michele Pillow sometimes does scavenger hunts, in which readers search authors’ Web sites, then answer quiz questions or locate hidden logos to win prizes. “I participated in the Halloween Scavenger Hunt,” Jenna Black said, “and my Web site hits [went] up hugely.”
Sourcebooks/Samhain author Terry Spear has turned her talent at making award-winning teddy bears into an author PR op. “I’ve been making specialty bears for authors’ books,” Terry said. “When they have their contests, I advertise their books and the contests on all my loops and my sites.” She also teaches online workshops, using examples from other authors’ books in the courses.
Mira author Brenda Novak is an amazing promotional role model. Her well-publicized, annual online auction for diabetes research offers an opportunity to join other authors, readers and industry professionals for a wonderful cause. “Everyone gives great stuff, but those who get creative and really run with it get spotlighted in my newsletter, [which] goes out to 22,000, and on the front page of my Web site,” Novak explained. In addition, she’s co-promoted her books. For example, she joined three other authors to produce a poster for bookstores when they all had a book coming out at the same time.
These examples of pro-active co- and cross-promotion are just a fraction of the opportunities available today. So the next time you hear the dreaded “self-promotion” word, don’t cringe. Instead, connect with other authors. The possibilities are endless.
When I was offered the chance to guest-blog on Melissa/Ariana’s blog, I asked her if I could talk about my favorite topic: author promotion. I never get tired of chatting up readers and authors about their favorite types of PR. I would love to hear opinions and suggestions from posters on this blog. ;-) Readers, what types of promotional items—bookmarks, excerpt booklets, autographed book plates, trinkets?—do you like to receive from authors? Authors, what are your favorite or most effective promotional efforts—blogs, chats, paid ads, booksignings, workshop presentations? Readers and authors, which PR things do your dislike? For example, I’m not a fan of public speaking, although I make myself present PR workshops to get my name out there. I also write PR articles, and the following is one from my Web site’s Articles page. I hope you enjoy it! – Marcia
THE PR BUDDY SYSTEM: The Benefits of Author Cross- and Co-Promotion
By Marcia James
Self-promotion. Say the word aloud in a room full of authors and watch a fingernails-on-the-blackboard shudder run through the crowd. Promotion can be a scary drain on time and finances. For this reason, savvy self-promoters are joining forces with other authors to share the expense and effort—a sort of PR buddy system.
The simplest form of cross-promotion is reciprocal links—authors posting each other’s URL links on their own sites. Cerridwen Press author Paige Cuccaro added a clever hook, posting both links and photos of other authors’ offices on her Web site’s popular “Writer’s Cave” page. And debut Samhain author Janie Mason has a Happily Ever Afters page with links and photos of authors and their spouses.
Another form of cross-promotion is guest-blogging, a free and easy way to introduce yourself to another author’s readers and vice-versa. Melissa/Ariana offers many guest-bloggers this opportunity. {{Thanks!}} Another example is Kensington author Shirley Jump, who has featured guest-bloggers on her recipe-filled “Eating My Words” blog. She even offered me, a non-cook, a shot at posting on my Avocado Body Paint recipe. It was a fun PR opportunity that cost nothing and required only a short commitment of time.
Interviews are another enjoyable way to cross-promote. Each month for my Web site’s “James Gang” page, I interview an author who has “James” in his or her name. The monthly “James Ganger” brings traffic to my site by announcing the interview to readers and email loops, while my fans learn about the featured author. And the interviews themselves can be used by the James Gang’ authors as part of their print and online press kits.
Co-promoting with other authors is another smart PR move. Many writers are banding together to do co-op ads or form group blogs. One example is the Vamps & Scamps blog. Kensington’s Dianne Castell, one of their ten authors, said, “The Vamps and Scamps loves guest-bloggers, too—both authors and readers. It’s fun to discuss books from both viewpoints.”
Authors can co-promote through a variety of joint ventures. For example, a group of Ohio authors, under the leadership of Berkley author Lori Foster, has a MySpace page. As one of these authors, I was able to dip a technically challenged toe into the MySpace pool without jumping in—possibly over my head—with the time commitment of my own page.
Another way authors can co-promote is conducting workshops together at conferences. Taking it a step further, Dianne Castell has joined her best friend Lori Foster to host their own conference, their annual Readers & Authors Get-Together in Cincinnati. “It’s a fun, relaxed weekend of readers and authors, and now agents and editors and publishers,” Castell said.
Creativity is part of a writer’s “toolbox”, and many are putting it to good use in cross-promotion. For example, Ellora’s Cave/Cheek author Michele Pillow sometimes does scavenger hunts, in which readers search authors’ Web sites, then answer quiz questions or locate hidden logos to win prizes. “I participated in the Halloween Scavenger Hunt,” Jenna Black said, “and my Web site hits [went] up hugely.”
Sourcebooks/Samhain author Terry Spear has turned her talent at making award-winning teddy bears into an author PR op. “I’ve been making specialty bears for authors’ books,” Terry said. “When they have their contests, I advertise their books and the contests on all my loops and my sites.” She also teaches online workshops, using examples from other authors’ books in the courses.
Mira author Brenda Novak is an amazing promotional role model. Her well-publicized, annual online auction for diabetes research offers an opportunity to join other authors, readers and industry professionals for a wonderful cause. “Everyone gives great stuff, but those who get creative and really run with it get spotlighted in my newsletter, [which] goes out to 22,000, and on the front page of my Web site,” Novak explained. In addition, she’s co-promoted her books. For example, she joined three other authors to produce a poster for bookstores when they all had a book coming out at the same time.
These examples of pro-active co- and cross-promotion are just a fraction of the opportunities available today. So the next time you hear the dreaded “self-promotion” word, don’t cringe. Instead, connect with other authors. The possibilities are endless.
