Marketing Monday

 Yeah, yeah, I'm no expert on book marketing.  Like so many authors, I pretty much suck at it.  Half the time I feel like a kid jamming my book in people's faces, begging them to buy.  "Please, sir, will you buy one more?"  And people hate it when you sound needy.  Ever date a needy guy? (Or if you're a guy, a needy girl?)  It's a total turn-off.

So, anyway, how does a person who totally sucks at something pull it off?  I can't answer that question.  I can give you a few tips that could bring you some minimal sales, though.  What I'm talking about is using Facebook Groups to generate sales, movement, and interest.  

First off, it's free.  My marketing budget at the moment is $0.  It does take time, though, so if you ain't got the time, then this probably isn't for you.  But, seriously, if you don't have 20-30 minutes a day to devote to marketing, then you'd better find some funds or something.  It doesn't cost you anything to join a Group in Facebook.  Find the group, join the group, post to the group.

Second... okay, there is no second... just more thoughts... 

I have a list of Facebook Groups I belong to (only 25, but I'm working on building it out).  These groups are for any books, for the most part, but I usually post to them when I have a book on sale or free.  Actually, if memory serves, free usually moves more books - naturally.  People like free.  Hell, I like free.  So, what I do is I set a book up for a freebie set of days, then I print out my list of FB Groups and I get to work.  The first morning, as early as possible, I start going down the list and posting my marketing stuff for that book to each post in turn.  When I post, I mark it on my printed list - date and time.  The next day I post to the groups again, just a little later.  They tend to get testy if you post more than once in 24 hours.

Of course, you need to come up with some snazzy marketing verbiage.  Do your best.  I come up with something, post it.  The next day, I change it up a little.  I do this for every day my book is on sale or free.  Typically, five days in a row.  (If you're going to generate residuals, you need to go at least 5 days or the 'Zon doesn't pick up on the fact that your book is moving and needs to be in the KU 'woohoo look at this book' lists and junk.)  It also helps if you have a marketing image of some sort.  Sure, if you post a link, it'll show your cover.  Sometimes that's not enough.  Get something pretty or make something pretty.  It doesn't even have to be that hard to do... but that's a topic for another day.

Okay, so full disclosure, in case you were getting ready to rake in the sales.  I might move 75-100 free books over the full 5 days.  I occasionally sell a couple books, too, and get a couple people reading it in KU.  I'm not making a ton of cash here, folks.  But for a book that hasn't moved at all in a couple years, like mine, doing this can at least make your books visible again.  And if you have been selling books all along, you can find new readers.  Maybe readers who will go through your whole backlist.  

Anyway, like I said, it doesn't cost anything but time.  And these days, you can't beat that price.  

Any questions?  This isn't comprehensive, I know.  It's just a quickie splash of advice.  If you have a question, leave it in comments and I'll get to you as soon as I can.  I will be jammed up with other stuff this morning, so if your comment/answer doesn't appear, check back later.

Have a great day!  And good luck!