New Ventures…

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Catherine West Author, Hidden in the Heart, Marketing, Promotion, Publishing, Street Teams, Yesterday's Tomorrow

Wow. I don’t know where the time goes. If you’re still hanging out here with me, I thank you! I’m definitely not a reliable blogger, am I?
Well, things are getting busy in my neck of the woods. I’d like to share a little bit of that with you today.

This summer, I will be re-launching my two previously published books, Yesterday’s Tomorrow, and Hidden in the Heart.  They’ll have new covers, be available only on Amazon, but in e-format as well as hard copy for folks who like a physical book. 🙂

While I’m excited about the possibilities here, I also know the work involved in launching a book. So I’m starting to put together strategies that I hope will be successful in helping me make the most out of this new venture. I’d love to find a whole new market of readers who will enjoy my books and future books that may be published, as well as holding onto the faithful readers who’ve supported me in the past, because you guys rock!

I’m in the process of putting together a “Street Team” – which, if you aren’t familiar with the term, is basically a group of folks willing to invest time and effort to help promote and get the word out about a product –  in this case, that would be me and my books. 🙂  This might involve tweeting about the books, hosting me on your blog, sharing links on Facebook, doing a Pinterest exchange with me…all kinds of things, but the big idea is to act like you have a bull horn and tell the world about…me. Uh…yeah. Okay, I’ll pretend to not be blushing…

Of course you have to believe in what you’re promoting, so if you haven’t read my stuff or don’t know me from Adam, I don’t expect you to jump on board. But if you’re connected to me in other ways and feel like you could be an effective member of my street team, would you let me know?

I’ll be setting up a Facebook Group where I can connect with everyone and update as to how things are going and what to do when, so I’ll add you to that if you let me know that you want to get on board. And for those who may be asking, “What’s in it for me?” Well, aside from my undying love and affection, I dunno yet. But I’ll think of something. 🙂

You can contact me here, on FB, Google +, email through my website or send up a smoke signal…

So that’s what’s going on with me at the moment. Thanks for walking along the road with me – it’s an exciting journey, isn’t it?

(Okay, how about this? The first 25 Street Team members will receive a little token from Bermuda. 🙂 Sorry, can’t do a plane ticket, but I’ll find something fun!)

Marketing Or A Root Canal?

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Authors, Catherine West, Facebook, GoodReads, Marketing, Social Media, Twitter, Yesterday's Tomorrow

 I’ve never had a root canal and I pray I never have to, but when I’m faced with marketing my books, I sometimes think I’d rather face down the dentist’s drill.

This is not for the faint of heart, folks.

To be honest, I think I suck at it. For one thing, I’m kinda introverted. The idea of shouting about myself from the rooftops makes me shudder. I’m also not terribly organized, so it’s been hard to formulate a great marketing strategy that actually works. And there’s the kicker. What works and what doesn’t? What should I spend my time on that will really help promote my books? Who do I talk to? Who do I ask to help influence my writing? Who will get up on the rooftop with me, and tell the world they’re missing out if they haven’t read a Catherine West novel yet?

Well, seems I’ve exhausted my list of family and friends already… 🙂

I’m asking all these questions because I have no answers. I don’t know why some books just seem to take off and some don’t. Is it better marketing, better writing, a bigger network? There are so many avenues these days, an author must choose wisely where she hangs out.

I enjoy GoodReads and spend a bit of time trying to interact there. I like the fact that readers can post reviews, and I encourage this, as I do think the number of positive reviews of a book can influence a purchase.

Twitter is a phenomenon unto itself and I’m not sure I quite get it. I have over a thousand followers, but do they all really see my tweets? Do they care? Probably not. I’m not convinced you can sell anything through Twitter, but you can promote. Same goes for Facebook. I have a personal page and an Author Page (if you haven’t Liked it yet, please do!), but there again, I’m always asking myself how much is too much? Should I really be pushing my books over Facebook? Do people think I’m a pain in the rear if I do? Do they think I’m dumb if I don’t?

Social media, for me anyway, has always been fun. I love Facebook (hi, I’m Cathy and I’m a Facebookalohic…) I love the interactions with family and friends on both my pages, so I’m hesitant to take advantage of that. I’ve seen the barrage of updates and tweets from authors promoting their books daily, sometimes several times a day. Frankly it turns me off more than anything. It’s like those telemarketers that call the minute you sit down to dinner…nobody wants that kind of reputation. I sure don’t. I’d rather create a community where I can get to know my readers and they can get to know me, and let the marketing evolve naturally. But how do I create that community without letting people know about my books? It’s a conundrum I haven’t quite come to grips with.

So what’s the answer?

If you’re an author wading through marketing waters, I’d love to hear your thoughts. What works for you and what doesn’t? 

If you’re a reader, tell me what might work for you? What gets you to take another look at a book you hear about through social media? Why do you hit that ‘purchase’ button?

Why wouldn’t you? 

To discover Catherine’s novels, Hidden in the Heart and Yesterday’s Tomorrow, please visit her website. You can read the first chapter of both books HERE.