Carrie: In
this article I seek to point out the differences in the types of marketing
required between three books I was published in last year.
“Full
On” Marketing: My novella, Return to Shirley Plantation: A
Civil War Romance, was published by a small press last year. Because this
was my fiction debut and because this was my only “solo” effort published last
year, the novella received the most promotion.
What I did:
- Website redesigned.
- Set up blog tours with over thirty authors who I knew through my blogging connections. The blogging community was very gracious to me in posting reviews, which was a blessing. My own group blog “Overcoming With God” set up a big party for me and we had lots of giveaways. My Colonial Quills group blog had an online Tea Party (these are normally well attended.) We also linked a Facebook promotion with it. My friend Julie Lessman gave me a spot on Seekerville to promote the book. The novella was mentioned on USA Today’s Happily Ever After blog.
- Interviewed on the radio. I also was on BlogTalk radio chatting with the Editor for the series.
- I was writing for The Book Club Network (TBCN) at the time and I purchased a media package which gave me, my critique partner, and the lead author advertisement (a full page ad) and I also was allowed a session to promote my book to the TBCN readers. Many reviewed my novella on Amazon and other media outlets, for which I am grateful.
- Participated in the publisher’s Facebook events.
- With the backing of Shirley Plantation, I did an author tour along with the historian, Julian Charity, who had consulted with me on the book. This was an author’s dream—showing people my story world setting and getting to discuss my characters. We also had a luncheon and writer’s meeting immediately after the tour.
- Book signing at Shirley Plantation at Christmastime.
Concentrated Push: In November, my short
story “Snowed In: A Northwoods Christmas” was published in Guideposts Books two book
collection, A Cup of Christmas Cheer. I was to discover that with the huge backing that Guideposts Books had,
marketing by the authors was not truly necessary. We were under no compunction
to promote.
- I set up a private Facebook Page for the authors who contributed.
- We did a blog hop for six of the authors. I was also invited by several blogger friends to come on their blogs to promote the books.
- Postcards with the book covers on them were ordered and a half dozen of us signed the cards and mailed them around so some of our readers could receive the cards to use like a book plate.
- Book signing in my neighborhood in Virginia. I’ll be doing a book signing in July, in Michigan, at the Tahquamenon Logging Museum, which has my great-grandparents’ log cabin, which is where my story is set.
Wait
and See: I was
also a contributor to a nonfiction book that my friend Cynthia Howerter
co-authored with LaTan Murphy. God's Provision in Tough Times, Lighthouse
of the Carolinas July 2013. Cynthia
participated in a book signing at Shirley Plantation. It was promoted on blogs.
Since I was a contributor and not a co-author, this is a case where one should
follow the lead of others. This powerful book is a Selah finalist.
Have you experienced different marketing processes? What is something unusual you've heard of when it comes to book marketing?
~~~
Carrie Fancett Pagels (www.carriefancettpagels.com)
is a Christian historical romance author whose tagline is “Hearts Overcoming
Through Time.” Carrie served as a psychologist for twenty-five years. She has
two popular group blogs: Overcoming With God and Colonial Quills. Carrie is the
former ACFW Zone Mid-Atlantic Zone Director and Virginia/West Virginia Area
Coordinator and continues to serve as co-hostess of the Tidewater Area
Christian Writers group.
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