An Author’s Forum on the Four-Letter Word We Have All Grown to…eh, Love? Marketing! (A Seriously Write Blog)

Return on Investment. It’s called R-O-I in the business world. Well, actually, it’s called that everywhere these days. I’m an educator by day, and we use it. It speaks of whether or not what you spend your money on has the old “bang for the buck.” The same can be said of time we spend. And as I get older, the former is just as critical as the latter!

So, as a writer, what are your ROIs? Think of what you spend and what you spend it on, and ask yourself this simple question: Is it giving me the bang for my buck?

I just read an article recently that said authors (not just people, but authors) spend an average of two hours and twenty minutes on social media a day. No doubt, much of that is marketing stuff. And no doubt, some of it is that “Squirrel!” moment when you went to that social media site on a mission and found yourself sitting there thirty minutes later laughing and shaking your head at the internet’s latest version “The People of Walmart” photographs.

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Annoying Marketing (A CAN Blog Post)

Grace and Peace to you!

Does anything annoy you when it comes to authors marketing their own writing? A barrage of Facebook posts, perhaps? Sent out like Hootsuite clockwork to all the pertinent reader groups? “Buy my book! Buy my book! It’s only 99 cents for another two-and-half-days.”

Or what about constant twits from the infamous Twitterverse? “Buy my bk! Buy my bk! Only .99 4 2.5 more days.”

Okay, so I jest. A little bit. We’ve all probably been guilty of this kind of annoying marketing at some point. It’s one type, according to Jonathan Gunson, fiction authors should never do on a regular basis.

As I read Gunson’s article, I thought of my morning routine, getting ready for work as an assistant principal. While shaving, getting dressed, etc., I normally watch a local news channel to catch up on the news and weather. There is one aspect of this morning ritual I have grown to despise, however: All the local dealership commercials and car manufacturer ads. Not only are most of the local commercials cheesy and poorly done (the scripts are horrible!), but it seems that every commercial break has at least four. Sometimes, back-to-back-to-back. If you want to know who’s got what on sale, just ask me. It’s been drilled into my brain, like a jack hammer in the hands of my dentist.

Does that make me want to run right out and buy a new car? I think you know the answer to this one. And that’s why I drive a 2006 SUV…

What became crystal clear to me while reading Gunson’s article was something my Bible reading has been preaching to me for months. It’s all about relationships. Gunson mentions the fact that a writer must become “interesting” to his or her readers beyond—and often before—the reader ever picks up the author’s book and actually reads it. Just tossing Twitter salvos into the masses and hoping someone says, “Oh, wow! I’ve got to get me a copy of that!” is pie-in-the-sky thinking, to put it mildly and politely.

Think about it. How did you come across your favorite authors? What drew you to them? Many times, you hear about a book via word of mouth, which is still the best kind of advertising ever, bar none. So, let’s say that’s how you heard about Author X. You follow through and buy the book recommended to you by your best friend or colleague at work. You read it and like it. What do you do next? Check to see if Author X has anymore books, right? If Author X does, you buy another. However, all the while, what else are you doing, if you are a normal reader? You’re finding out about this author. Besides the author bio in the back of the books, you go to Author X’s website when you get a chance. You may even check out Author X’s Facebook/Twitter/Etc. pages.

Now, here’s where it gets real. If you, the reader of Author X, find the author interesting, if you find the author engaging, if you find the author maybe has similar interests or writes about other topics—maybe on a blog or in a monthly newsletter—that help you deal with someone or something, then a relationship is formed that goes beyond the normal, average “author/reader” relationship. You may even seek this person out when he or she is in town to get a book signed. You may even travel many miles to hear Author X speak at a conference or convention.

If you’re like me, you’re not an expert on this field. I’m an author. So, by nature, I’m an introvert. I have “loner-type” tendencies which border on being vehemently hermitic (If I may coin a term). I function best in the world of imagination and the crafting of words. I’ve had jobs in sales before, and I’m glad I can do others things. Otherwise, my family would have starved to death years ago. I’m not a salesman, never been a salesmen, and have never played one on TV. I couldn’t sell a heater to an Eskimo in January during a blizzard.

And yes, my publisher wants me to help sell my books. You just have to grin and bear the logic.

This relationship piece, though, is something I can do as a writer. Over the last several weeks, a thought keeps resurfacing. You’re an assistant principal in a public school, and a real good one, too. You have a plethora of things to offer folks who have children and/or grandchildren in school. Writing about education from the inside may not be what I write about when I take off my A.P. cape and slide in front of the computer, but could it help others better prepare their children for success in the ever-changing world of public education? You betcha. Could it help build relationships with folks from all walks of life who otherwise may never hear of C. Kevin Thompson, the author of fiction? Sure. Would I also be opening doors to other writing ventures not yet real or imagined? Possibly.

No matter how I slice it, it all boils down to relationships, not slick marketing techniques which often have an adverse effect over time. I don’t want to be known as “that annoying author who always sends me the same advertisements over and over again. He’s worse than the Toyota dealership!”

Instead, I want to be remembered as the author who helps readers, too. “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12; New American Standard Bible). Then, when I do have a new book launch, I can alert my new “friends” and allow them to be my mouthpiece. It’s that kind of marketing a reader can truly appreciate. Why? Because they are helping a friend.

 

To see this article on the Christian Authors Network website, click the link below:

 Annoying Marketing.

Don't be shy...you can leave a comment here or there after you read it.

Have a blessed day!

"How Many Four-Letter Words Do You Need? (A Seriously Write Blog Post)

This blog entry is my first as a Regular Contributor for the Seriously Write blog for writers. I am humbled and consider it a privilege to be a part!

 How Many Four-Letter Words Do You Need?

Facebook. Marketing. Twitter. Platform. Blog. Followers. Brand. Instagram. Website. Goodreads. Constant Contact. Ebooks. Analytics. Hits. Page Views. Likes.

Okay, so they’re not all literally four-letter words. But admit it. You feel like they are sometimes:

“If I hear one more person talk about ‘platform,’ I’m 

 going to jump from one!”

“Twitter is for those who can’t spell and have to do so

 in 140 characters or less.”

You’ve probably read scores of articles and books on those four-letter words. Spend 30 minutes here, 15 minutes there, an hour a week everywhere. Right?

I did the math: 126.4 hours a day would get all their suggestions slated into my daily routine. That includes eight hours for actually writing my novels, and six hours for sleep.

Oh, wait, I forgot to add family time.

So much for sleep.

Of course, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. Yet, the truth of my words rings true. For many authors, the push to be successful motivates them to do it all. They believe what they read and act on what they believe.

But I have a question for you: What are your goals as a writer? What defines success for you?

I’ve wrestled with these questions. When I first started writing, all I wanted to do was “get published.” Ever been there? The problem, I soon found out, was that I had not written down “getting published” as a goal, per se. It was a desire. There’s a difference.

A big difference.

When you set goals, there is a sense of accomplishment when you reach them. You have to reassess at that point. Set new goals based on your present state of affairs. When you chase desires, on the other hand, there’s always “something more” to attain. Old desires give way to new ones. When I got published, we celebrated as a family. But then, another desire arose.

Sales.

Another four-letter word. I wanted to write full-time. I needed sales. Ever been there? In America, sales denote success, or the lack thereof. Capitalism at its finest. But when you couple this desire with naiveté, you get a pushy writer who goes off the Christian rails. The kind of writer publishers and agents talk about at conferences…and not in a good way.

Are those your goals? Getting published and great sales? Is that why you got into writing? If so, good luck. You’re gonna need it.

Can I suggest a better way? Bloom where God has you planted you. As you write, continue to improve on the craft. Remain faithful. God will use you. And don’t be afraid to let Him define what that looks like. Let Him help you set the goals. The last thing we need is more of the same. The Body of Christ would look funny if we were all ears and noses (cf. 1 Cor. 12). Christian publishing is no different. There are many readers out there who may never pick up the Bible or an Amish romance, but may pick up your book. Make sure it’s worthy by allowing God to take those four-letter words, wash them in the Blood of Christ, and produce a beautiful garden with your life’s work.

To see this article at Seriously Write, click on the ling below:
https://seriouslywrite.blogspot.com/2014/10/how-many-four-letter-words-do-you-need.html