Lisa Bergren ~ Creative and Collaborative Marketing Tips

 
Lisa T. Bergren is the author of over forty books, and the latest is the Grand Tour Series, beginning with Glamorous Illusions and continuing on with the newly released Grave Consequences and the upcoming Glittering Promises. When she’s not messing around on Facebook or Twitter, she’s usually researching or writing her next project. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three children. You can find her at LisaBergren.com, Facebook.com/LisaTawnBergren, and @LisaTBergren.

Collaborative Marketing
By Lisa T. Bergren 
 
So you’ve shouted the news about your new release on Facebook, Twitter, and your author web site as well as covered it in your author newsletter. How else can you get the word out about your book?

Form a Website/Blog Loop

In 2012 I released a YA series and after another author read Waterfall, I was invited to take part in an ABA-oriented scavenger hunt, in which I hosted a YA author and yet another hosted me. We formed a loop of about 30 stops, and it was so successful, it’s been oft-repeated and gone on to incorporate more than 100 authors, with three separate arms. Now everyone wants in, but you can’t always take part.

What readers loved was that they both gathered clues for a potential prize, but also learned about new authors they’d never heard about. What writers loved was that readers who had never heard of them, now had, and were buying their books.

So I brought that same concept over to my Christian-fiction pals, and we formed a loop last summer and fall, and will do so again this May. Each hunt has brought me at least 1000 new visitors to my web site, and gotten at least 900 to focus on my name, title and cover for a minimum of a minute. You just can’t buy that kind of advertising.

Do you have 6-10 author friends with published works? Consider rallying the troops for your own version of our scavenger hunt! Figure out the dates, get firm commitments from all involved (if you have a broken link, you’re in deep weeds), and then get your party started! Speaking of parties…

Throw a Twitter Party & Invite Your Author Pals

In conjunction with the last hunt, I had my first Christian Fiction Twitter party, which was fairly successful. It’s hard to judge how many took part, because many see the Twitter stream but don’t jump in to comment. I’ll try it again this summer, and do more build-up to hopefully get more engagement. But let’s face it. If you’re into Twitter at all, there’s a voyeuristic aspect that’s kind of fun. If someone’s dialoguing with another, you can click on that person’s stream and put the conversation together. It’s almost like listening in. And readers get a special thrill over listening to authors talk to one another. It’s like being given entry to a secret club. Why not give them that thrill and talk a lot about one another’s books? They’re listening. Even cooler? Use a unique #hashtag and readers can continue to discover that conversation for months to come! Speaking of conversation with friends…

Cultivate Friendships with Book Bloggers

Let me introduce you to your new BFFs: Book Bloggers Who Already Adore You. They won’t think of your new coziness as usury. They’ll think of it as mutually beneficial. J You’ve likely been sent 25-100 free copies of your newly published books. These weren’t meant for your grandma and her buddies at the retirement center. These were really meant for you to give to influencers--people who will influence others to all flood the bookstore or online retailer and buy your book. Now if your grandma is one of those, give one to her. But then move on to book bloggers!

PLEASE NOTE: There are more and more book bloggers all the time. Savvy women have discovered that if they commit to blog, books will come. What you want to find are those book bloggers who both have some decent traffic and engagement on their site, but also LOVE YOU AND YOUR WRITING. You’re looking for the kind of blogger who would, honestly, promote your book, even if they had to go borrow it from the library to read/review. The kind of blogger who talks, and people listen. Know of one…or ten? Send ‘em a free, autographed book. Consider offering another as a prize if they do a special post or interview with you, which you can, in turn, link to on your Facebook author page (you have one of those, right? No? Get thee to the Book of Face immediately and create one!)

AN ADDITIONAL NOTE: If you’re an indie-published author, many book bloggers refuse to review you. I know. It stinks. But there are some who will—and it’s even better if you can send them an e-file rather than go through the expense of posting a paperback. Check the blogger’s guidelines to find out if they’re open to indie- or self-published works so you don’t burn that bridge you’re working so hard to build.

So there are a few ways to take publicity from lonely to a corporate experience. Bring in your friends and have fun with it!

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Impressions vs. Connections

Liz Johnson graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a degree in public relations and works as an editorial and marketing manager at a Christian publisher. She is a two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist, and A Promise to Protect is her fourth novel with Love Inspired Suspense. Liz makes her home in Nashville, TN, where she enjoys theater, exploring the local music scene, and making frequent trips to Arizona to dote on her two nephews and three nieces. She loves stories of true love with happy endings. Keep up with Liz's adventures in writing at www.lizjohnsonbooks.com, Twitter @LizJohnsonBooks, or Facebook.com/LizJohnsonBooks.

NR: Leave a comment for Liz and be entered in a drawing for her book. Continental U.S. residents only, please.

Impressions vs. Connections

I applied for my first job in Christian publishing when I was twenty-one, just about to graduate from college. I didn’t get that job. Or the next one. Or the next. But about the time I turned twenty-five I was offered my first gig in my dream industry as a publicist. I accepted it in a heartbeat.

Never mind that I didn’t really know what a book publicist did.

During my first week at that job, someone explained to me the difference between marketing and publicity. In the simplest terms marketing was paid for and publicity wasn’t. At that time, at that publisher, marketing equated to paid advertising and publicity was any other coverage that a book might get—interviews, reviews, etc.

Publicity and marketing had clearly defined parameters, easily stated goals, and measurable results. Separating them was clean and simple. And as such, many publishers were set up with publicity teams separate from their marketing teams. Sure, they were often referred to together. “Let’s hear from marketing and publicity.” But the teams mostly worked independent of one another.

Seven years later, I’m still in Christian publishing, now as a marketing manager for a nonfiction group. And, boy howdy, how the times have changed!

In early 2006 blogs were the new thing, Facebook was still only available to limited colleges, and Twitter hadn’t even been launched. Tumblr wouldn’t show up for more than a year and the initial closed beta launch of Pinterest wouldn’t happen until March 2010.

The digital explosion has changed the way that publishers and authors reach out to readers in more ways than I could cover in one blog post. So let’s just talk about a new definition of marketing and publicity specifically for novels and what those definitions mean for novelists.

At a recent ACFW conference, someone (and I can’t remember who, so please forgive me if I’m stealing this from you) said, “Marketing is about impressions. Publicity is about connections.” That may be the most succinct and accurate definition I’ve heard in this new era of publishing.

Let’s unpack this for a second. Impressions—if you’re not familiar with advertising lingo—are the number of people exposed to the product you’re trying to sell or the brand you’re communicating. Classic print, television, online, and radio advertising fall into this category. So every time I see an ad in my Entertainment Weekly, I’m an impression to their marketing team. Regardless of my choice to buy the product, I count as a pair of eyes that have seen a book cover or new dvd.

Connections—well, that seems pretty self-explanatory.

But is it? Are you talking at your audience? Or with them? Are you opening a dialogue or sending a message?

Connections are opportunities for readers to hear from the heart of an author. That may not always be a two-way conversation, but it’s deeper than a book sale or jacket copy. It’s a chance for writers to express why they feel so strongly about their topic or why stories and struggles mean so much to them. It’s an opportunity to build a rapport with readers that isn’t easily broken.

As I’ve considered the idea of connecting with readers, I’ve pondered promotions that could be either an impression or a connection. Take a blog post for example. In the early days of blogs, an author’s posts were considered publicity. Without question. But what about posts that are clearly sales copy and sent out to the ether without any follow up? Aren’t those just gaining impressions? How do they differ from posts where the author responds to every comment? Those conversations are building connections.

What about a booksigning? Historically they’ve been considered publicity and usually organized by a publicist. For the authors who stop and talk with each person who comes through the line, connections are formed. But what about the best-selling author who doesn’t even look up as the line moves along.

Katie, a friend of mine, was planning a trip to Mississippi several months back. She heard that a famous author would be in the area while she was there, so Katie stood in line at a small bookstore to meet the author and get a book signed. Imagine Katie’s dismay when the author never acknowledged her or even stopped talking with a personal friend. Katie walked away with a scribbled signature and a bad taste in her mouth. Is that a connection?

What about bookmarks? Marketing teams are usually responsible for these. And if they’re left on a table somewhere with no follow up from the author, they’re collecting impressions. But what if a simple bookmark was used to open a dialogue? If a scrap of cardstock has both the cover of Nicole Quigley’s Like Moonlight at Low Tide and an invitation to join an online conversation with the author about bullying, has it become publicity?

If readers are discovering our books, it doesn’t really matter whether a promotion is labeled as marketing or publicity. And publishers are realizing this. Some are even integrating their teams to the point that one team member is responsible for both publicity and marketing for an author.

So what does this mean for us as novelists?

1. Both impressions and connections are important. They go hand in hand. Some readers will buy a book just based on a cover and concept they like. Others want to really know the author before spending their hard-earned money. Great promotions often include both.

2. Connections aren’t a guarantee. They take effort and planning.

3. How you choose to connect with readers should fit your strengths. If you’re a visual person, maybe you’re pinning on Pinterest. Maybe you love to keep it short and sweet. Try twitter. If you’re long-winded like me, blog posts may be your wheelhouse. You don’t have to do it all. Figure out what works for you and connect that way.

4. Connecting doesn’t always mean starting the conversation. If you can add value to a discussion already going, don’t miss the chance just because you didn’t initiate it.

5. Be open to connections that can become impressions and vice versa. I recently took a handful of my newest book to my dentist’s office. I was there for a regular visit and planned to leave a few on the table in the waiting room for other office visitors. But when I showed the books to the staff, their eyes lit up. I ended up giving every copy I had with me to the hygienists and front desk team and chatting with them about reading, writing, and books in general. I hoped for impressions and instead got four connections and a promise that they’d look up my previous titles, too.

6. Gaining impressions isn’t just up to publishers anymore. Years ago publishers may have been responsible for gaining all of a book’s impressions through advertising, but that’s no longer the case. Authors have the opportunity to offer giveaways on GoodReads.com or swap book ads on blogs with friends. And that’s just a couple ideas.

As always, I recommend working with your publisher’s team. Every publisher has its own strategy, so ask how you can be involved and bring your own ideas to the table.

If you’re not yet published, it’s never too early to begin making connections, discovering the outlets that you feel most comfortable with, and building your network. Then when it’s time to bring your book into the discussion, you’ve got a head start.

Do you struggle with consistently making connections and impressions? Which do you find easier? Are you more apt to be swayed by an impression or a connection? What’s worked best for you to reach readers?

A Promise to Protect

Navy SEAL Matt Waterstone knows about keeping people safe. When his best friend's sister is attacked, Matt promises no harm will come to Ashley Sawyer-not on his watch. But Matt's not the only protective one. Ashley will do anything to safeguard the residents of the battered women's shelter she runs. She's sure she can handle the threats she gets in return. What she can't handle is the way Matt scales the walls around her heart. Yet when she falls prey to a crime web more sinister than she'd realized, trusting Matt could be the only way to survive.

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