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Promotion without losing your mind


Surviving promotion without losing your mind, money and soul.
Ashlyn Chase

You know you have to do it. If readers aren’t aware of your book’s existence, they aren’t going to buy it. If you don’t know that, you must be dreaming or have a huge fan base to buy your books and do all the selling for you by word of mouth. Yeah, that doesn’t usually happen. Even if you’re with a large publishing house, you’ll be expected to make the occasional public appearance. The bottom line is: if your books don’t sell well, your publisher might not love you anymore. If your publisher doesn’t love you anymore, someone else’s books will be published instead of yours. It’s not like they’ll go under without you or that there aren’t several other authors waiting to step into your shoes. Unless you’re a big deal and you’re publisher loves you for your name, alone, you need to promote your books.

Now, what about the new or relatively unknown author? They need to promote their books even harder. Their budget for promotion may be very limited so they have to find venues that are free or very inexpensive—mainly on the Internet. Perhaps that’s why chat loops, blogs, ezines, and review sites are springing up in record numbers. New authors are some of the most Internet promo savvy authors out there—because they have to be.

I'm not new, but all my previous work has been in another genre. This is my first mainstream, mass market paperback. Therefore, I'm promoting hard! I'm not quite halfway through my "I Must be Nuts" blog tour. (See my news blog for my 22+ guest blog stops) http://ashlynchase.blogspot.com and today is my first of 4 local book signings. I forget what our June blog theme is here, but hey...I'm stressed and it flew out of my brain somewhere.

Knowing that, let’s move on to the survival aspect. I went to a workshop given by Vicki Lewis Thompson on promoting according to your personality. If you’re an extrovert, lucky you! Promoting your books in person will be easy. People will automatically gravitate to you and they’ll even forgive you if you act like your own biggest fan. And, by the way, you have to be when promoting your work. If that’s extremely uncomfortable for you, it might be easier to hire a good publicist, pay for advertising, and give loads of promos to venues willing and anxious to distribute them for you.

Most authors dread promotion. In my typical overly honest and irreverent way, I’ve even referred to it as “pimping” my book. But I have a secret. When I’m having fun, it isn’t work. ‘Playing’ with readers online is fun for me because I can let my outrageous personality shine through and readers have a blast. Ultimately, they look at my website and buy my books—at least I hope so. I’m sure there are those people who think I’m a lunatic and run the other way. Oh well. They’re no fun, anyway. So, there’s my secret in a nutshell. Promotion can and should be fun.

Now for the promotion...

Look to your left. See my book cover over there?
Click it and it will take you to Amazon.com
If you want more information than is on that page, you can check out my website.
http://www.ashlynchase.com

Okay, are you sold now?
Then go back to Amazon. com.
There's a buy button and all you have to do is click it.
Yes, do it now, please.
You'll have an awesome book to read and my publisher will love me.
(And I'll love you!)

Thanks!
I now return you to your regularly scheduled day.

Comments

  1. Congrats on your crazy tour Ashlyn! I know it will all pay off and we'll see amazing sales and you'll reach a whole new market of readers. Have fun at your signing today!

    Danielle

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  2. Good luck, Ash! I'm an introvert, but I still love to talk about wolves, and werewolves, and hunky alpha heroes! When fans are asking me questions about the series or telling me who all else they want to see in a new story--I'm totally rejuvenated. Have fun with your blog tour! There will be another around the corner as soon as you're done with this one!!! :) And you'll have more fun!

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  3. Good luck promoting the book - it can be rough and take lots of time. Yet hopefully worth it in the end!

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  4. For me, promotion is the hardest part. My hat's off to anyone who can do it well!

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  5. Thanks, guys.

    It went really well. I enjoyed the readers who stopped to talk--even if they didn't buy.

    And plenty bought too!

    Ash

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  6. Good luck with the Tour Ash, they are exhausting but fun. I'm a real people person so I don't mind going and promoting my books. I'm speaking at a book club later this month. It's going to be a hoot.

    Robin :)

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  7. Good luck on your book club speech, Robin!

    Excellent idea. Once thing I've found is when you let people know you, they're a whole lot more apt to love you.

    Hugs,

    Ash

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