So You Want to Self-Publish: Stage Thirteen

STAGE THIRTEEN: RELEASE PROMOTION

So you’ve finished a book, and you are getting ready to launch it – this is the time when you need to decide exactly what promotion you will be utilizing for the release of your book. Some avenues I’ve taken:

·         Release Blitz/Blog Tour – I’ve hired companies who have set this all up for anywhere between $30-$80. I’ve also found that having my PA set this up and creating the HTML post and Facebook post myself works just as well and doesn’t cost me any extra money. My PA uses Google docs for the sign-up form and utilizes her blogger list she’s built up over time.

·         Thunderclap – I’ve launched multiple “successful” Thunderclap campaigns in my time, however, I haven’t seen many results immediately after. Thunderclap is an app that has supporters sign up to either tweet or FB message a preset message of your choosing the day you set the campaign to go live. Most people use these in the case of a sale or new release. I’m sure it can be successful if utilized in the correct way. I haven’t quite figured that out yet.

·         Newsletter blast – Letting your newsletter subscribers know when you release a new book is one of the easiest and most effective ways of release promotion. I use Mailchimp for my newsletter distribution. It’s easy to understand and follow.

·         Reviews – setting up reviewers ahead of time to post release day and release week reviews is also an effective marketing strategy. Generally, I like to have at least 10 release day reviews. I have a review team I enlist for this every release.

·         Recruit Street Team Members – Find Readers/Reviewers who really connected to your words and ask them if they’d like to join a street team/reading group! You’d be surprised how many people are actually interested in something like that.

What I've Been Waiting Forever to Feel

It happened.  

Finally. 

After 11 years.  

I felt it. 

I keep thinking I'm in some amazing dream that I can't wake up from. 

I don't want to. 

I felt a fraction of this a decade ago with someone I didn't deserve. 

I never thought I'd feel this way again. 

This time it's different.  

You're different. 

Oddly enough, I didn't have butterflies this time around.  

But God damn am I giddy. 

I don't ever want to forget the day we met.  

October 2nd, 2016.

I don't ever want to forget the way you make me feel.  

Pretty, flawless, happy, giddy. 

Please don't be a perfect illusion.

I've been waiting forever for you. 

Mark my words, if you asked me to be yours, I'd say yes. 

In a heartbeat. 

You're everything I could have ever wanted and more. 

I don't think I've ever been more intrigued in my entire life.

I want to know all of you.

God, I hope you feel the same way too.

So You Want to Self-Publish: Stage Twelve

STAGE TWELVE: WHAT PLATFORMS WILL YOUR BOOK BE AVAILABLE ON?

Biggest E-Book Platforms:

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Itunes, & Kobo, Draft2Digital, Smashwords

Biggest Print Book Platforms:

Createspace, & Lulu

I have been publishing since 2014, and in my opinion I’ve had the best success with Amazon and Createspace. Everyone is different, and everyone will have a bit of different experiences, but the majority of my readers come from one website. I also have all of my books currently enrolled in Kindle Unlimited, so that means for 90 days I am exclusive to Amazon. Honestly, I make very little to nothing off each page read in that program, it’s normally around half a cent, but that’s where I make my money. More people read my books through that program then buying them outright.

I did try B&N and Kobo, but had very little to no success with either. Sometimes it’s just a matter of playing around with the different platforms and pricing.

I should also mention that I use Smashwords as well to distribute to the other platforms apart from going direct.

Release Blitz: Weighing of the Heart by Jessica Florence

 

Weighing of the Heart by Jessica Florence Release Date: September 28^th, 2016

Synopsis:

What Happens when the myths of old become reality?

Thalia Alexander has lived her life in peace until her twenty fifth birthday when she has a strange dream about a man.

A tall, dark, and sexy man that shows up at her work the next morning.

Tristan Jacks is trouble with a capital T, but for some strange reason she is drawn to him like nothing she has ever experienced before. He has this possessiveness and adoration for her that she can’t explain. It’s like they have known each other forever.

Thalia’s strange dreams continue to stalk her as her relationship with Tristan builds to be a love that will last the ages.

And when those dreams and reality start to clash, will Thalia be able to handle the truth?

Could the world of ancient myths truly exist in modern times?

Add to Goodreads

 Buy Links:

Amazon

iBooks

B&N

 KOBO

About the Author:

Jessica Florence, Kaleidoscope of Romance When she’s not writing her next invigorating story. You can find her running her own business, and spending time with her husband and daughter in southwest Florida. Jessica loves to interact with her readers!

Facebook / Website / Twitter

Cover Reveal: Perfect Tenn by Heather Dahlgren

☆☆PERFECT TENN COVER REVEAL☆☆

Like Sexy guys? Like to laugh? Like romance? Than you'll love this.

☆Perfect Tenn by Heather Dahlgren☆

What can I say about my life?

I teach four-year old’s, my friends are few and far between, and my parents’ sex talk would make a Playboy Bunny blush. Dating, well I think my drawer of toys can answer that, just ask my mother. I live with my best friend who I can’t survive without – Oh did I forget to mention he is sexy as f*ck.

Tennyson, my best friend, decides he will figure out my love life. My hero, not really. His idea of helping me out is setting me up with loser after loser while he bangs every skank in the city. However, with a little persistence from him, much unwanted advice from my mom and pushing from my friends, I give date after shitty date a try.

Thing is, something holds me back. Something I can’t exactly put my finger on. I solicit Tenn’s help to fix the potential problem. Bad Idea. It won’t be easy, it will be fun, but shit I hope it’s worth it.

I’m Regan Banks and my life is about to change, big time.

TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32052273-perfect-tenn

So You Want to Self-Publish: Stage Eleven

STAGE ELEVEN: PRE-RELEASE PROMOTION

There are a few ways you can hype readers up for your book.

Cover Reveal – This is the first impression people have of your book. Make sure this and the blurb are attention grabbers. You can set this up yourself if you know html and don’t mind emailing a lot of blogs. Otherwise you can hire a company to help you with this. A few honorable mentions are: Xpresso Book Tours, YA Bound Tours, and Enticing Journey Book Promotions. 

Release Blitz – 1 spotlight post on a blog, multiple blogs take part in posting on the same day. Information about your book, the cover photo, buy links, teasers, excerpts, and more will be provided to the bloggers. Again something you can set up, but it is a lot of work.

Blog Tour – These can run anywhere from 5 days to a month, just depending how much you are willing to shell out. The blogs can do spotlight posts, include excerpts, do Q&A’s, and more. I would recommend going through a company the first go around just to see how it works. I’ve used YA Bound Tours, Xpresso Book Tours is another reputable agency, and Obsessive Pimpette Promotions does all of these things for free!

ARC Reviews – Providing readers an early version of your book (edited or unedited, at your discretion) to post an honest review on release day. This is a great tactic to generate buzz by having reviews when it releases to the public.

Get professional teasers made and pimp them out on all the Facebook #TeaserTuesday posts. If they have branding on them the better, even if they don’t match the book exactly. You just want something eye catching.