Hunting Your Audience by Braxton DeGarmo

(This is the second part of Braxton's post. Read "Audience? What audience? here.)

For many, finding their audience is like a novice out duck hunting. Imagine, up at the crack of dawn, sitting in a blind on a gray autumn day. You’ve thrown out some decoys, hoping they attract the right ducks, and sit—and wait. An hour later, nothing. Two hours, four hours. You rub your hands for warmth and say a quick prayer. Suddenly, you hear them. You look up and there are thousands of ducks heading your way. But then, the flock passes by overhead. They aren’t landing with your decoys. In desperation, you raise your shotgun and shoot into the middle of the flock. Two ducks fall into the water nearby . . . while the rest fly on.

Yep, as an Indie author, finding the right audience has been like that. I started out blind to all things marketing. Branding my book covers? Took three tries. The decoys? Ads aimed at people I thought would like my books. Rubbing my hands for warmth was actually wringing my hands wondering what to do next. And my attempts at advertising? Pretty much a shotgun blast that brought in a fraction of a fraction of the readers the ads went to.

I’ve learned much by doing and a lot more by failing. If only the failed attempts weren’t so expensive . . .

Not all of the failures were my fault. The market keeps changing. What worked last year isn’t

working now. As I write this, we—I and nine other authors—are about to release a box set of brand new novellas: Kill Zone: Ten Deadly Thrillers. Our goal was simple. Sell enough (at

$0.99 on pre-order) to make the USA Today bestsellers list. Jan Thompson spearheaded the effort after a box set she developed last year made the list. Despite the efforts of ten authors, we’re a week away from release and have only 20% of the numbers we need.

A year ago, advertising on Amazon held a good chance of turning a $200/month author to a $10K/month author. Then everyone and his cousin flocked to Amazon ads. Now, you’re fortunate to get your ads to show. Facebook was the same way a year before that. Bookbub, the holy grail of book advertising, accepts fewer than 20% of submissions. They’ve turned me down 15 times. Other promotional venues have shown moderate success, as long as I gave my book away for free. With over 25,000 eBooks given away, I’ve grown tired of that.

So, the bottom line is that you really do need to understand your audience because it will require thinking outside the box to be someplace where they can find you . . . as well as faith and prayer. How do you stand out from the ever-growing crowd? First and foremost, write a quality book. Then, with that knowledge of your audience, find a venue that directly targets them. Don’t go with a certain promo just because everyone else says how great it is. That might be old news. For me, I’ve got a new place to try—now that I have a fresh perspective on my audience. And with faith and maybe more than a little prayer, that effort should pay off.

Have you discovered other ways to "stand out from the crowd" to get your book into the hands of your audience?

~~~~~~

Braxton DeGarmo spent over 30 years in Emergency and Family Medicine, both in and out of the military, before retiring to focus on writing in 2014. He writes from a Judeo-Christian worldview, but he writes his stories to reach and entertain people of all backgrounds. Many of the incidents in his books are based on real occurrences, people, and experiences in his own life, such as learning to escape a water crash in a helicopter. Human trafficking, medical kidnapping, government corruption, and other social injustices have become the premises used for his stories. And the technologies described in his books are all current . . . and possible. His latest novel, Kidnapped Nation, was released in April of this year and is book six in his MedAir Series of suspense and thrillers. Kill Zone: Ten Deadly Thrillers will remain available for a limited time after its release October 3^rd.

Audience? What audience? by Braxton DeGarmo

We all know what an audience is. A big challenge for many is finding that audience. That’s certainly true for Indie authors, and becoming truer for trad pub authors, whose publishers expect more and more marketing from them.

If you Google the phrase “finding an audience as an author,” you’ll come up with dozens of blog posts and articles on the topic. They all pretty much say the same thing. You might read the first one and your eyes glaze over as you think, Duh! That’s obvious. But had you truly considered it before and acted on it?

A lot of it is just common sense. Geographic: Where do my readers live? Are they urban or rural? Does their climate have them hibernating over long, dreary winters with a pile of your books by their reading chair to brighten the day? Demographic: Age, gender, race, native language, social status, and more. Some bloggers tell you to know your target before writing your book. True, to a point. You don’t want to write for action-oriented males, ages 18-25, if your real audience should be women, ages 25-50, seeking a romantic escape . . . because their own action-oriented male is asleep on the couch. <Ahem>

A branch of demographics has been labeled psychographics. That might include things like

readers’ backgrounds/upbringing; their health; their goals, beliefs, and values; and their lifestyles. Then there’s their behavioral traits. Do they prefer paperback or eBook? Are they already loyal to your genre? Do they tend to buy on impulse and throw money at books, or are they Amazonians who struggle to pay $0.99 for a good book? (Yes, that’s a dig at Amazon, the epitome of love/hate relationships for authors.)

The answers to some of these questions really are apparent. The USA is the #1 market for books and the native language is English, obviously. But some answers don’t become clear until you’ve established yourself as an author. If you’re just starting out, your demographics are likely to look like . . . you. Makes sense. You’re writing what you like, so it stands to reason that others like you might as well. By the release of book two, you’ll likely have discovered other traits that help broaden your perspective about your readers. Things like Facebook pages and Google Analytics (to track your website) can be a tremendous help.

Having said all this, there is one thing all these blogs and articles don’t mention—our faith. As Christians, we can’t ignore our beliefs when discussing audiences. Are you writing to the choir? Maybe you want to pull fence-sitters back to earth. Perhaps you’re called to reach the fallen, heathen world. Maybe it’s not a task of you finding your audience, but of God’s targeted audience finding you . . . and Christ through you. Knowing this, understanding God’s goal for your writing, is what really counts before writing your book.

So, you’re thinking, Okay. I’m getting a sense of who sits in my audience. What next? Well, stay tuned for Part 2.

Have you found your audience? How did you go about it?

~~~~~~

Braxton DeGarmo spent over 30 years in Emergency and Family Medicine, both in and out of the military, before retiring to focus on writing in 2014. He writes from a Judeo-Christian worldview, but he writes his stories to reach and entertain people of all backgrounds. Many of the incidents in his books are based on real occurrences, people, and experiences in his own life, such as learning to escape a water crash in a helicopter. Human trafficking, medical kidnapping, government corruption, and other social injustices have become the premises used for his stories. And the technologies described in his books are all current . . . and possible. His latest novel, Kidnapped Nation, was released in April of this year and is book six in his MedAir Series of suspense and thrillers. Kill Zone: Ten Deadly Thrillers will remain available for a limited time after its release October 3^rd.

Using YouTube to Develop your Platform by Karla Akins

Are you using video to gain interest in your writing and build your platform? Author Karla Akins provides her experience and reasons why you should consider it. -- Sandy

Karla: It’s no mystery why people have been drawn to TV and movies since the 1950s. Video on the web isn’t any different. People love relaxing and pulling up a short video to enjoy. A lot of people I know don’t watch TV anymore. They’re getting their news and entertainment exclusively from YouTube. I’m one of those.

Using video in your marketing strategy is an ingenious way of connecting with users. That doesn’t mean you have to abandon written content. Kristy Cambron is an author who combines both mediums beautifully on her blog. In fact, she is who inspired me to jump on the YouTube bandwagon.

If you want to stand out in today’s competitive book market, consider video. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Video is shared 1200% more often on Facebook than pictures (via simplymeasured.com).

2. Video is the best way for your readers to get to know you personally.

3. Video is more memorable than written copy. Our Internet culture is making us blind to ads. We have learned to ignore them. It’s harder to ignore a good video.

4. Video appears in 70% of the top search engine results.

5. Videos increase the time people spend on your website pages.

It’s relatively easy to start a YouTube channel. Here’s how I did it:

1. I chose a name for my channel other than my own name. Some people advise this. Others don’t. But since I wanted my channel to be more than for promoting myself, I chose a name (Sparrow Song Radio) and Logo. However, I always, always put a link to my website IN the video and in the video description, no matter what the topic.

2. I hired the cool video intro to my channel at Fiverr. It cost me a whopping $25.

3. I decided what topics I would cover on my station. I have many more episodes to be edited that aren’t yet posted.

4. One of the ways I develop video content is by interviewing other authors or people that fascinate me.

5. You don’t have to edit videos or have an expensive camera. You can start with simply talking into your phone’s video camera. Most YouTubers start this way. As my own channel grows, I plan to buy better equipment but for now, I’m using what I have. You have to start somewhere!

6. Later, you can learn to edit videos to make them “fancier.” Explore video editing software. It isn’t as difficult as you think! I started out with Windows Movie Maker and graduated to Camtasia. I love Camtasia. It’s very user friendly, but it’s not for advanced users. Still, for me, it’s perfect. (Price: $299 for PC; $99 for Mac.) One caveat: editing videos is very time consuming. Especially when you’re first learning. At first you may want to block out a substantial amount of time for this. 

7. I embed my videos into my blogs but I also have a dedicated “channel” site for them: SparrowSongRadio.com. 

Really, the possibilities are endless with video! My channel has a talk show launching soon. It’s tons of fun building a platform this way.

If you'd like me to interview you for your book, let me know! We love authors at Sparrow Song Radio!

Yours for writing on and on! Karla

Have you used videos for building your platform? Any questions for Karla?

 

~~~~~~

 Karla Akins is the author of The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots and countless short stories, biographies

and other books for middle grades. She currently serves as President of ACFW-Indiana Chapter and resides in North Manchester with her pastor-husband, twin adult sons with autism, and her mother-in-law with Alzheimer's. Her three dogs and two cats are attentive editors.

So You Have A Book To Sell by Catherine West

Let's face it. As writers, all most of us really want to do is write the book or article or short story. But if we want to successfully publish that work, it means marketing. Today, author Catherine West gives us some pointers to help with selling our work. -- Sandy

Catherine: You wrote your book and got it published! Now, sell it.

Not as easy as it sounds.

Even if you’re with a big publisher and have a marketing team supporting you, it’s a tad intimidating. But, with careful planning, I believe we can all be successful marketers. Here are just a few things that have worked for me:

Reach Out - Once you have an estimated date of publication, gather your potential endorsers and influencers. Contact your community in a personable and friendly manner, giving them an out if they cannot commit to helping you. For most of us in the publishing world, these are your friends anyway, and friends love helping friends.

Create a strong online presence – Create a professional-looking Author Page on Facebook, post often (but not too often), be interesting, share your author friends’ new releases too, don’t be all about ‘me’ and your books. Update your website with current information relevant to your new releases or publishing journey. GoodReads is a must for authors. Create Pinterest boards for your books – readers love these. Instagram is another great visual social media platform. Twitter and Google+ are other ways of connecting online. You may find ‘doing it all’ impossible – choose platforms where you see the best results and concentrate on those. When you do post about your book, be sure to include buy links. Use memes with a quote from the story, this is much better than just blasting the cover a hundred times.

Get Help! - Create a team of enthusiastic readers who will do all they can to help promote. I have a secret Facebook group for my dream team – this is a great way to develop friendships too – because it’s not just about selling your stuff – it’s about creating community. Sales will grow organically from your authenticity.

Guest Blogs & Interviews – Secure these ahead of time so the posts start to hit around launch time and beyond. You want your book to show up in as many places as possible.

Author Chat and/or Launch Parties (Facebook) – This is a fun way to connect with readers and talk about your books and upcoming releases. Use videos. Be available though, because once conversation gets going, you want to be in the middle of it! Offer a few giveaways over the course of the party. I’ve found the best time is afternoon into early evening – I’m on Eastern time so this also allows west coast peeps to participate.

Be Yourself – Whatever methods you choose, one thing I can’t stress enough is just be yourself. Be approachable, be upbeat, don’t fake it. If you’re struggling with something, don’t hide that. Authenticity is everything. Have fun with the marketing process, and remember at the end of the day, it really is God’s thing. And what a gift to be able to follow our dreams!

Even if you're unpublished, you're building a platform. What have you found to be the most intimidating or successful technique for marketing yourself or your book?

~~~~~

Award-winning author Catherine West writes stories of hope and healing from her island home in Bermuda. When she’s not at the computer working on her next story, you can find her taking her Border Collie for long walks or reading books by her favorite authors. She and her husband have two grown children. Catherine’s novel, Bridge of Faith, won the 2015 Grace Award. Her new novel, The Things We Knew, releases July 12th, 2016, through Harper Collins Christian Publishing.


Catherine loves to connect with her readers and can be reached at Catherine@catherinejwest.com

Website – http://www.catherinejwest.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CatherineJWest
Twitter - https://twitter.com/cathwest
GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4715219.Catherine_West
Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/cathwest/
Google + - https://plus.google.com/u/0/108781711729974539211/posts Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Catherine-West/e/B004RWZUHK/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Social Media & Marketing By Carrie Fancett Pagels

Social media marketing---love it or hate it, it's part of the job description if we want to publish what we've written. Carrie Fancett Pagels is here today to share some tips about using social media wisely. -- Sandy

Carrie: Marketing is something writers must do. When I was a psychologist, a percentage of my time was spent on Public Relations/Marketing, just part of the job, as it is for authors. I’m going to focus on one area of modern marketing – social media.

At each point in your writing career, you need to ask yourself – “Am I doing what I need to do to get my writing in front of the readers who will enjoy it?” And look at how you do that. Social media is something that can consume all of your time if you let it. But those books won’t get written if you are on social media all day. Save your social media time for a) your down time in writing (write during your most productive times) and b) the time your readers are most likely to read your posts and c) don’t be a slave to your social media. Try to have a regular and predictable presence on your favorite social media that readers can count on vs. a haphazard one. Also, don’t be one of those folks who jumps in and posts a “buy my book” type of post and runs off. Engage with your readers. Whenever possible, try to respond back to each person who is commenting on your posts, whether that be a blog post or a Facebook post, etc. Who likes to be ignored?

Limit yourself to several media options that you like and are easiest. One caveat – if you enjoy, e.g., Twitter, but never see any return or any connection to it really promoting your brand as an author, then consider dropping it. Every social media venue’s results are personal and individual. What works for someone else may not work for you. Don’t just jump on the next bandwagon because it’s the new thing. Sure, check something out and see if it might fit but don’t push yourself to begin new social media because you’re afraid you’re going to miss out.

As a marketing presence builder, blogging has been maligned. When I first joined ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) we were all encouraged to blog. Regular blogging instills the writing habit. CBA fiction blogging connects you with readers and authors (connections are paramount in marketing) and keeps you on track with what releases are coming out in your genre. The farther you go in your career the more likely you’ll be doing more guest posts on other blogs and it becomes more difficult to keep up with your own blog(s). I prefer group blogging because of the camaraderie and you can help each other out. I have professional endorsements from relationships built with authors, over the years, who I’ve met through blogging that I don’t think I’d have had otherwise.

Combining your two favorite social media outlets can be good. We combine regular Colonial Quills blog Tea Parties for new releases with Facebook events. Does it sell books? Like marketing a practice, this is just one aspect of promoting one’s product. Best wishes!

Which social media site is the most enjoyable for you? Which is the most productive in terms of marketing?

~~~~~

Carrie Fancett Pagels is a multi-published award-winning author of Christian historical romance. All three of her Christy Lumber Camp books were finalists for Family Fiction’s Book of the Year. Twenty-five years as a psychologist didn't "cure" her overactive imagination! She resides with her family in the Historic Triangle of Virginia, which is perfect for her love of history. Carrie loves to read, bake, bead, and travel – but not all at the same time!

Website: www.carriefancettpagels.com

Blogs: Overcoming With God and Colonial Quills
Facebook Author Page
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Links for purchase for Saving the Marquise’s Granddaughter by Carrie Fancett Pagels

CBD
Amazon
Barnes &amp; Noble
Pelican books
Kobo

Marketing as a Small Press Writer by Christine Lindsay

Are you with a small publisher or thinking about signing a contract with one? Author Christine Lindsay gives a couple of the pros and cons you might want to consider. -- Sandy

Christine: Being published by two small presses over the past 6 years, I live in the in-between world with the perks of a traditional royalty paying publisher while carrying the sole cost of marketing the same as self-published authors.

Marketing has been tough to be sure, but now that I’m currently releasing my 6th novel Sofi’s Bridge, and my first non-fiction book Finding Sarah, Finding Me coming out this August, I find that the small presses have given me time to grow as a writer. It’s been a backwards blessing.

The Marketing Perks of a Small Press

It’s hard to break into the market by targeting large well-known publishing houses, and just as hard to get an agent. After I’d won the ACFW Genesis for my first manuscript, and I had a big agent all set to sign me, and then having to tell her that my previous small-time agent had already been turned down by the larger houses, she was forced to withdraw her offer. But…a few months later a small press WhiteFire Publishing was eager to publish my debut novel with its unusual setting (India). WhiteFire was specifically looking for novels that were willing to take a risk on an exotic setting in order to tell a deeper story.

• Having a smaller catalogue, small presses often keep their book in print longer than larger houses, giving me more opportunities to advertise when I can afford too.
• They carry the entire cost of editing your book, create a professional cover, and all the legalities of actually publishing you. I have been delighted with the covers by WhiteFire and from Pelican Book Group. The sweetest part is that they not only wanted but appreciated my input in my covers. For my first two books I even got to have my two daughters as the models on the covers.
• Due to catching the eye of small presses through submission calls, I have not needed an agent and therefore do not have to share in my royalties with them. 

The Downside of a Small Press

• You do not make as much money as you would with a larger house with their larger distribution to bookstores.
• By the time you pay for your own advertising you’re lucky to break even. But 6 years after my debut novel was published I am starting to see a rise in my royalties.

So how can all these pros and cons work for you as an author?

• My journey with small presses has allowed me to build the number of my titles, and to develop a readership. Now that I have 7 titles out with small presses, and am currently starting to write my 8th, I believe I am in a better position to catch the eye of that big fish agent, and a larger publishing house.
• Writing for small presses has forced me to keep on striving for quality writing. Just because they’re small doesn’t mean they don’t insist on excellence. The slightly more easy-going nature of small presses has given me the time I needed to develop my writing and find my voice. I think I’m in a better spot now to write that breakout novel. And here is where I whisper, “From my laptop to your ears, please dear Lord.”

The lack of marketing from my two small press has hindered my career in some ways, but when I look back I am thankful for the time that has allowed me slow growth. I’m still here, holding my own in a sea of fabulous books, and my career has forward momentum. No small thing to sneeze over.

Have you had experience with small presses? Do you have any more pros and cons to add?

~~~~~

Sofi's Bridge

Seattle Debutant Sofi Andersson will do everything in her power to protect her sister who is suffering from

shock over their father’s death. Charles, the family busy-body, threatens to lock Trina in a sanatorium—a whitewashed term for an insane asylum—so Sofi will rescue her little sister, even if it means running away to the Cascade Mountains with only the new gardener Neil Macpherson to protect them. But in a cabin high in the Cascades, Sofi begins to recognize that the handsome immigrant from Ireland harbors secrets of his own. Can she trust this man whose gentle manner brings such peace to her traumatized sister and such tumult to her own emotions? And can Neil, the gardener continue to hide from Sofi that he is really Dr. Neil Galloway, a man wanted for murder by the British police? Only an act of faith and love will bridge the distance that separates lies from truth and safety.

Read the first chapter of all Christine’s book on her website www.ChristineLindsay.org, including the first chapter of Sofi’s Bridge HERE.

PURCHASE LINKS FOR SOFI'S BRIDGE

AMAZON.com (Paper and Ebook)

Pelican Book Group (Paper and Ebook)

Christine Lindsay is the author of multi-award-winning Christian fiction. Tales of her Irish ancestors who served in the British Cavalry in Colonial India inspired her multi-award-winning series Twilight of the British Raj, Book 1 Shadowed in Silk, Book 2 Captured by Moonlight, and explosive finale Veiled at Midnight.

Christine’s Irish wit and her use of setting as a character is evident in her contemporary romance Londonderry Dreaming and her newest release Sofi’s Bridge.

Aside from being a busy writer and speaker, Christine and her husband live on the west coast of Canada. Coming August 2016 is the release of Christine’s non-fiction book Finding Sarah—Finding Me: A Birthmother’s Story.

Please drop by Christine’s website www.ChristineLindsay.org or follow her on Amazon on Twitter. Subscribe to her quarterly newsletter, and be her friend on Pinterest , Facebook, and  Goodreads