Book Selling 101 - Introverts: Alert!

As some of you know, I have been a published author since 2009 when my first book, The Ninth Curse, was released. However, I can honestly say I have missed out on almost SEVEN years of promotional opportunities because of my ignorance about what it takes to sell a book.

I am here to enlighten you a bit and, hopefully, give you some ideas on how to promote your book. And it all begins with the problem many of us writers have: Introvert tendencies.

Yes, I am an introvert. Some of my close friends and family may not believe this, because I can be incredibly loud and chatty when I know someone well. Along with my introversion, I also have a terribly self-conscious personality. I don't like a lot of direct attention on myself. I feel like talking about my writing face-to-face with someone comes across as bragging. That is why I thought the internet was such a great thing: there is a distance between me and other people. It is a much more comfortable environment for me.

Well, sadly, these qualities (introversion & self-consciousness) are both terrible ones for an author who wishes to sell books.

I think we all want to believe that if we just pick the right online promotion - a Facebook ad, a blog post that gets a piles of views, a tweet that goes viral, a few more reviews on GoodReads, a blog tour, etc. - that our books will suddenly sell.

I've been waiting for that to happen. Although these online avenues do sometimes pan out for some authors, this has not worked for me.

2016 arrived, and I decided to change up my whole game plan. Go outside my comfort zone. Put myself out there. It all started with handing my book to my hair stylist.

Yes, my hair stylist.

That translated into me talking to my local bookstore and getting my books on a "local author" promotion table, which led to my reaching out to the local newspaper, which led to the library inviting me to do a book signing, which has led to increasing sales and a self-confidence to talk about my books and my author self at a large women's charity group, my church and with scattered acquaintances all over town. I've met more people in the last month than I have in the last 5 years. All positive experiences.

The few books I dropped off at the bookstore have sold, and I've delivered more. A stranger to me saw my article in the newspaper and requested the library order one of my books - she checked it out, and it is also on hold for someone once it comes back.

I now realize that I have to pound the pavement and get out there in order to sell my books and find readers. Now that I've had success with my one local bookstore, I plan on reaching out to a couple of small towns nearby with bookstores and see if they are interested in carrying my books. I am also going to talk to the manager at a supermarket in town that has a local books display.

My book sales are on an upswing (nothing major, but impressive to me) and I'm hopeful some of those sales will lead to word-of-mouth sales or reviews.

And this has all happened in less than 2 months! So, let me boil down what I've learned for you...

Book Selling 101 - Tips for Introverts:

1) Reach out to people you know. Your hairdresser, nail tech, mail delivery person, church friend, etc. Believe it or not, people think it is really cool that you wrote a book. They want to hear about it! Have a business card or bookmark ready to hand to them.

2) Be positive and confident. Don't make excuses for yourself or your books. Talk about your book with a smile on your face. Even if you think it is not a book this person might read, they may buy it for a friend or relative. Your book is awesome! Act like it.

3) Talk to bookstores. Small, local bookstores are interested in featuring local authors. They know it gets people in the door. Be professional. Come with an author bio and be ready to talk about your books and what genre they fit into. Most likely it will be sold on a consignment arrangement, so be prepared to stop by occasionally to see how the book is selling.

4) Call/email local newspapers or magazines. I am lucky enough to live in a pretty small town. Our newspaper features a lot of local events and talent. If you don't have a newspaper like this one, try any number of local events/arts papers that you see in your neck of the woods. They are always looking for content. Contact them and tell them about yourself and your books and that you think their readership might be interested in hearing about you.

5) Visit your library. Libraries sometimes have a local writer table or display. Why not donate your books to your library and meet with the person in charge of the displays?  Ask to do a presentation on writing or your books. Libraries like to have interesting, engaging events for the community.

6) Call the local radio station. This one is next on my list! We have a few local stations that have featured local content at various times throughout the day. Or some radio stations read off events and happenings in town. If you have a reading or signing happening, call them and let them know you want to be added to the calendar.

Those are just a few tips I have. A writer has to come out from behind the computer screen once in awhile and reach out to readers. People love to get to know an author. They think you are interesting! Many wish they had written a book. Project yourself as a successful person, and people will fall in line behind you. Don't be afraid to tout the awesomeness of your accomplishments and the books you've written!

Any other tips that have worked for you when selling a book? Please comment! I'm open to suggestions!!!

Some Good Advice a Marketing Professional Gave Me

This past Monday I met with very nice man who works for a local graphic design firm.  I needed to get some promotional materials together for my upcoming book signing (March 12th at 1 pm for anyone who wants to stop by. Check out my last post for details!). Nothing too fancy. I wanted some decent bookmarks and a one-sheet that attendees could take home with them.

I am okay at design (as I did design two of my book covers), but it takes me a LONG time to accomplish a decent design. And I don't know the trickier aspects of PhotoShop in order to layer images and do other nifty things. So I decided to spend some dough on a professional to design some things for me that I could use for more than just my book signing event.

Thank you to Keokee for taking on the job!

The interesting thing about Keokee is that they are also a small publisher. Mostly non-fiction, local kind of stuff. Not my area. So they are an interesting combo of graphic design, marketing and publishing, which is great to find in a small town.

After I met with my contact, we discussed what I was looking for, my books, etc. And he was kind enough to talk about other promotional ideas and what has worked for some authors. One of those things was a Facebook page.

Now, I have had a Facebook group for quite a few years now. At the time I created it, I don't think Facebook pages for businesses were really that widely used. I invited my Facebook friends to join the group and posted news about my writing there. I had maybe 2 strangers ask to join my group, but no wide outreach beyond my own friends and family.

After finding out the importance of using Facebook to promote my author-y self and explaining how I create such a page, I went home and immediately set up an author page on Facebook.

Check out my Facebook Author Page!

Although I have my blog, which I use mostly for StitchFix reviews and some other reviews, along with writer topics, it doesn't work quite the same as a Facebook page. I have no idea who is reading my blog and no way to reach people who have visited before. A Facebook page gives me more personal connection with readers. I am not just a writer who wears StitchFix outfits while I craft my next story (although my blog may indicate that).

So, if you are interested in learning more about what interests me, where I live, how I entertain myself, what I might be reading or watching on tv, please connect with me on Facebook. I'd love to have you!

Book Signing Event on March 12, 2016

Well, this is a week of big news for me. First, the lovely newspaper article. Then, yesterday, my local library contacted me about having a book signing in March. I have done a little bit of tutoring there in the last year, so they had my contact info. I was very flattered and excited!

I had considered doing a book signing, but since that was new to me, I got a little scared about how to go about organizing one. East Bonner County Library is taking care of that for me...and is even willing to do a bunch of promotion for me! What a perfect way to dip my feet into the book signing waters and figure it out with the support from my community.

As of right now, I do not have a time for the event. I will update my graphic above when that happens. Also, I think I may have a more professional flyer to post once the library starts their PR campaign. But I whipped this together today to start getting the word out.

If you live anywhere near North Idaho, please consider attending. I will have all 4 of my books available for signing, plus some other little goodies to give away.

I'm In the Newspaper! and 3-star Review Makes Me Happy!

This post is an interesting combo. First, I was lucky enough to have my local newspaper feature me yesterday on the front page of the Sunday paper! The story is not available online, so I have posted a pic of the newspaper to prove that it really happened!

Hey! That's me!

I have a very difficult time promoting myself. I don't like direct attention on myself, so I like to do things from a distance - through the internet, for example. But I realized that I need to get over that problem because in order to sell books, I MUST sell myself. So 2016 is going to be the year of getting over my fears and just going for it.

My next thought (encouraged by friends) is to set up a local book signing. I might even reach out to the next largest paper to see what I can get out of that. Maybe after I garner a few more reviews on Amazon. We'll see.

So there's that big news.

Next is that I discovered another review posted by someone on GoodReads. I believe this person won my book in a GoodReads Giveaway. I was very happy to have her rate and review my book...even though she only gave me 3 stars and discussed what she did not like about my book in her review.

Yes, you heard that right, I am HAPPY for a middling review with complaints and criticisms. Why is that, you wonder? Well, first let me post a couple of quotes from her review (if you want to read the whole thing, click on this link).

"While the characters and dialogue fell a bit flat for me, the story kept me going."

Hard to read that my characters and dialogue did not resonate, but, hey, that's how she felt. The nice part was, even with the criticism, she still kept reading. She actually did say some other nice things about the book, but this quote was my favorite:

"Overall it wasn’t a bad read, just not my cup of tea. I have recommended it to my mother and a few others who expressed interest after I told them what it was about."

And that, my friends, was a winner of a review. She recommended my book to OTHERS, even though she admitted it was not "her cup of tea" (also a quote from her review).

Her 3 stars were a fair 3 stars. I want honesty, people. Not high fives. I understand that my book may have flaws and might not be for everyone. And that's fine. The more honest reviews I receive, the better it is for me. Thank you to Colleen for telling it like it is...from her point of view.

UPDATE 2/2/16 - My local paper added the newspaper article to their online version late yesterday. However, only the first few paragraphs are available to read. Better than nothing! Click here to read the partial article.

Five Stars for Acapulco Nights - Another New Review

Wow! I just got notice this afternoon from another lovely reviewer, Book Reviews by Debra Gaynor, that she gave my book, Acapulco Nights, 5 stars! I'm supremely flattered.

Check out Deb's blog for other great reviews!

 

Please check out her review of my book:

Debra Gaynor's Review of Acapulco Nights.

 Thank you, Debra! I appreciate your time. :-D

How to Find Book Reviewers for Your Wannabe Bestseller

Most authors know that book reviews are the stuff of dreams. If only I had 10 more reviews, you think, I could be selling a lot more books. You look at other books by nobody authors and wonder how they managed to get so many reviews on Amazon or GoodReads. Is my book so crummy and uninteresting that nobody wants to read it? If I wait long enough, will readers start typing up those reviews ASAP?

Buy here:

amzn.to/1OUEZR

I've been there. My 4th book, ACAPULCO NIGHTS, was released in September 2016. It was a labor of love. None of my books, even those published by traditional publishers, have done well. I just enjoy writing so much that my main goal is to write a new book, not get people to read it. If my writing were all about the sales, I would've quit a long time ago.

However, I will admit it is frustrating to spend a lot of time on writing, editing and designing a book cover then going through the process of formatting for Kindle, other e-book file types and print and ending up with minuscule sales numbers. Secretly, all of us authors are hoping that our book is amazing and will fly off the shelves.

The Big Lie: All of those reviews you see are spontaneous writings of excited fans.

The Truth: You need to request reviewers to review your book.

Now, of course, many reviews are happy readers wanting to express their unsolicited opinion about a book they read. And big-time authors for sure have lots and lots of spontaneous reviews written by fans.

But for us little guys, what do you think the odds are that some random person is going to find your book on Amazon just by clicking around? And then what are the odds that that random person is going to buy your book, read your book and post a review? That is a very rare person indeed.

I was ignorant of these things when I was first published. My first book, THE NINTH

Buy here: amzn.to/23fbfoX

CURSE was published by a reputable small publisher, Samhain Publishing, and I really did think they would generate reviews and my presence on their website would be enough to get some decent sales. I was very very wrong.

Although I think I wrote a great book, it got very little notice. I even had a hard time getting friends and family to read it/review it. (I am not blaming my friends or family for this, but I'm just being honest. Even friends and family will not necessarily write you a glowing review!)

So, here I am a few years older and wiser, and I am starting to learn the truth. You need to reach out to bloggers and other reviewers and ask them to review your book.

So How Do I Do That?

1) Start with a review request letter. Introduce yourself and your book. Explain what you are looking for (a review). Discuss the genre, the audience, the length of your book, and add a blurb. Tell them what versions of your book are available (print or e-book) and provide links and contact information. 

This letter will be your 'base' letter that you will edit and alter depending on the interests, needs and requirements of the reviewer.

2) Research book reviewers. I know, I know, how do you do that? Just randomly search the internet? Here are a couple of ways you can find reviewers that might be interested in your book:

• Any book blogs you might read. Start with what you know. Maybe there is a reviewer online who you already follow on Pinterest, Instagram or Facebook. 
• Check out the resources in the Book Reviewer Yellow Pages.  This is a whole book updated every year with book reviewers, their likes and dislikes, how to contact them, etc. 
• Go on Amazon. Look up books by well-known authors in your same genre. Look at the reviews. Try to find names of reviewers who have an Amazon ranking (Top 100 or Top 1000 reviewer, for example) and look at their Amazon page by clicking on the link. Most of them will have a contact email or a link to a website. 
• Other Authors. If you have online friendships with any authors (big or small), ask them to do a review exchange. You'll read and review their book, if they will do the same for you.

 These are just a few ideas. I am sure once you get started, you will think of other ways to find book reviewers.

3) Tailor your review request letter to match what the reviewer wants to know. If there are no guidelines to find on a website or Amazon page, try mentioning where you found their name and why you think they might be interested in reading your book. Make it personal!

4) Be prepared to provide a free copy of your book to the reviewer. Many book reviewers write reviews because they love to read, not because they have huge book budgets to spend on random books. As a writer, you need to be prepared to invest in yourself and hand out free copies.

5) Be patient. Many book reviewers will tell you they are months behind. Don't bother the reviewer once you've sent the free copy. They are doing you a favor by reading your book. If you haven't seen a review posted in about 6 months' time, and if the reviewer did not give you an idea of when your book review might be available, perhaps contact the reviewer with a gentle reminder about your book. Don't be a pain in the butt!

What Can You Expect?

Just to give you an idea...for my book, ACAPULCO NIGHTS, I contacted 75 different book reviewers. Most of them never even responded to my request, which I took to mean 'not interested.' Out of the 75 I contacted, 12 said they would review my book. So realize it takes a lot of time and effort to get someone interested in your book!

I am still waiting on most of these reviewers to find time to read my book. Four  of them have posted reviews since I started this process in late September. I am planning on contacting some more reviewers, but it does take time to track them down, contact and wait for a response.

Have you found a good source for book reviewers? Or do you have a question for me about this topic? Leave a comment below!

Review: VOLOOM Styling Tool

Today I have to thank my wonderful sister for providing me with the inspiration for this blog post. She and I are both plagued with fine, straight hair. We have tried all sorts of styling tools, styling products, blowdrying methods, etc. to amp up the volume, but nothing ever seemed to work. When I hit my early 30s, I came to the conclusion that I should just get over the annoyance I have with the hair God gave me, and just roll with it. Why wish for something that will never be?

If you are a fine-haired person like me, you know what I'm talking about. Mousses, sprays and gels only weigh down your hair more. Even using the wrong conditioner can create flatter hair. For about 5 seconds in the morning, your hair has some of the volume you want from the blowdryer and hairspray, but then it disappears. Ugh. It's enough to drive a girl mad.

Enter the Voloom styling tool. 
I had never heard of Voloom before. My sister got one for Christmas (I think she purchased it for herself) and raved about what this tool could do. She sent before and after photos to me, and I was impressed with the difference in the volume of her hair. Now she is a Voloom evangelist. She has told all of her fine-haired, flat-haired friends about the wonder that is Voloom. She also finds herself noticing women on the street who could benefit from Voloom and secretly yearning to tell them about it.

So, she decided to buy me a Voloom as an early birthday gift! I got my Voloom yesterday. I used it one time, and now I am also a believer! Below is a before-and-after pic of me. The before pic on the left is me, just after blowdrying my hair. No products used. The after pic on the right is me, with just the Voloom use. No other styling product used.

Notice the difference in volume? It's amazing! I am even going to grow out my hair to a longer length due to the awesomeness of this tool. I have been using a very layered, shorter style for a long time now in order to create as much volume as possible. Now, I am free to have the length of hair I want.

What is Voloom?
Voloom is a styling tool that looks a lot like a straightening iron with a 'waffle' like pattern inside. It crimps your hair, providing lift and volume in seconds.

How do you use Voloom?
You plug in the device. Let it heat up to the proper temperature (different types of hair, need different temperatures) - the heating up only takes about 1 minute. Then, you lift off the top section of hair on either side of your part, clip it out of the way, and take an individual layer of hair underneath and crimp it near the roots for a second or two. You only crimp the layers underneath that you cannot see...you also do not crimp the hair that will be visible next to your face. Once you are done, you unclip the straight hair on top, and voila! Instant volume.

In order to create the best volume and a nice-looking hairstyle, you should only be crimping from the roots to just above your ear. Any lower, and you won't have that volume appearance you want with fullness around the crown.

This still makes no sense to me. Help!
There are a lot of videos on YouTube about how to use the Voloom:

This review was entertaining and real.

You can also go on the Voloom website to view some short demos and see before-and-after pictures.

Tell me more about this miracle tool.

As a woman who lived through the 80s and those massive, glorious hairstyles of the time, I wished Voloom existed back then. I was unable to really do much with my hair: perms never worked, curling irons did nothing to impart volume, hairspray and mousses were useless. I was a sad 80s teen.

1) Voloom is incredibly quick and easy to use.

2) The volume lasts all day, even into the next day. If you don't wash your hair every day, you could wake up after sleeping on your Voloom-ed hair and still have the same volume as the day before.

3) The more layers underneath that you crimp, the bigger the volume. You can even do the back of your head.

4) You will never have a bad hair day again!

I am a pretty regular gal. I don't wear a lot of make-up and I don't spend hours on my hair. I don't consider myself a girlie girl. But this tool has made my life infinitely better just in one day. I feel better about myself and my appearance. My hair has the volume and lift I'd always dreamed about. I now have the option of different, longer hairstyles that I'd rejected due to past disappointments.

The Voloom costs $129.99 (Amazon with free shipping). Sounds pricey, I know. But think about all of the tools you've tried in the past. All of the volumizing products and shampoos that never really worked. The Voloom is a quality product that will last for years and provide instant improvement to your hair. It will make you more confident about your appearance. 100% worth it, ladies.

My sister and I are both so impressed with this product, we wish we could be commissioned salespeople. I can imagine setting up my booth at the local county fair and selling hundreds of these. All you need to see is a demonstration, and you will be sold on what this product can do for you.

Let me know if you have tried Voloom or if you have any questions about Voloom works in the comments below. Thanks for stopping by.