Robin Writes

So I have this Tribe. It’s a street team, sorta kinda. Here’s what you have to do to be a part of it:

Talk about my books—online and in person!

Tell your local bookstores and other venues about my books—and see if they want me to come visit!

Hand out—anonymously, if you’d prefer—swag and stuff, like bookmarks, stickers, postcards!

Host a giveaway—I’ll provide the prizes, plus something special for you!

And whatever else you can think of!

Wow, that’s a lot of exclamation marks . . . Sorry about that! (see what I did there?)

What’s in it for you?

Well, you know, you get to hang with me at all these events . . . plus, you get my newsletter every month that includes, um, news, and updates on books, pre-ordering specials, swag, contests, insider info, and a few other things that I haven’t thought of yet! (oops)

So, what do you say? Sign up today!

No worries, I’m not turning to poetry—that just sorta kinda happened . . .

Last week, I gave you a list of possible sites to market your book, and now, as promised, I’m going to tell you what happened:

I submitted REDUCED to Kindle Books and Tips and was told that my book would be blasted at 9:00 a.m. on Friday; it was. It went live on their blog at 2:00 p.m. The email and the blog had a list of half a dozen books, and mine was near the bottom; the higher-paid featured book was on top, of course.

My cost: $25

My sales, twenty-four hours after the blog went live and twenty-nine hours after the email was sent: 50.

That’s a pretty big jump, and yes, I’m happy about that! I may well do it again, but I want to try a couple other sites first, just to get some perspective. But I’m not going to go crazy with this; I’ll do another one next month.

I also, starting in November 2014, hired Breakthrough Promotions. They are a publicists out of Texas, and they have quite a few media connections. They offer different packages, depending on your needs, and my contract with them runs six months, through April 2015.

I’ve had three online features, plus five radio interviews—two in California, and one each in NY, Virginia, and Orlando; I have one more scheduled, to date, in March.

As for sales, my December sales from 2013 to 2014 doubled, and my January sales—not counting the most recent promotion above, tripled.

So, yes, I think this is worth it. For me. It might not be for you. That’s something only you can decide, based on your book(s), your career, and your finances. Some authors thrive on media appearances, some would rather hide in a closet—but the only way to sell books is to get yourself, and your books, out there. And sometimes that means spending a little cash.