#AuthorToolBoxBlogHop
Narrowing down goals from daunting to manageable isn’t just for writing or publishing. (See: Organization Tip: Writing Goals) Many of us have marketing goals that can benefit from this technique, too.
This year, I plan to promote one backlist title a month.
1. I've drafted out which months will be devoted to which books.
2. I’ve mapped out exactly what I can do.
For Each Book I Have:
- 3-4 YouTube videos a month (finished 1-2 months ahead of time)
- 1 image for Litsy a week (created ages ago)
- 1 tweet a week (pre-scheduled)
- 1 Facebook post a week (pre-scheduled)
FYI: Litsy is a fun app for book lovers that you can download for free. It's like a cross between Goodreads and Instagram. I love it, and the community there is the friendliest I've ever found.
3. When I can, I'll do a sale for my series and $10 - $20 ads to promote that sale.
1. I've drafted out which months will be devoted to which books.
2. I’ve mapped out exactly what I can do.
For Each Book I Have:
- 3-4 YouTube videos a month (finished 1-2 months ahead of time)
- 1 image for Litsy a week (created ages ago)
- 1 tweet a week (pre-scheduled)
- 1 Facebook post a week (pre-scheduled)
FYI: Litsy is a fun app for book lovers that you can download for free. It's like a cross between Goodreads and Instagram. I love it, and the community there is the friendliest I've ever found.
3. When I can, I'll do a sale for my series and $10 - $20 ads to promote that sale.
I don’t have so much stuff on my list that I won’t have writing time. Most of the tasks could be done in a day or two. Some tasks need to be done beforehand, which only requires some planning.
And the thing about these goals is that I’m not trying to make a specific Amazon rank or sell a certain number of eBooks. Admittedly, those goals are tough. I don’t know what will result in sales or how many sales could come out of what I do. No one does. A goal to reach #1 or sell X amount of eBooks can devastate you if you don’t come close.
For me, depression is a real struggle, and that sort of disappointment could set me back big time, as it has in the past. I know better now not to set such a goal or even look at ranks when I do promo. Then how would I know if they work, you ask? I pay attention to other factors: comments, likes, shares, visibility, and the number of reviews, though I no longer read reviews. Rather, I glance. If I see a 4 or 5 star, I may skim the review, but I avoid anything that can set my depression roaring. Live and learn, right?
Anyway, as I was saying, these goals are about getting them done. That’s it. And those are the best goals because if you set out to do them, you’ll achieve them.
Each thing I do on my list for the month receives a nice, big, fat check. And that feels good.
Remember, don’t burden yourself with a big goal. Give yourself a break!
QUESTION: Do you make plans for promo?
Promoting back titles is very important.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good promo plan, Chrys. And I agree about watching what can trigger depression and about setting achievable goals. I love a good check mark. :)
ReplyDeleteCheck marks are a lot of fun, aren't they? :)
DeleteWhy beat yourself up further with super lofty goals anyway?
ReplyDeleteNot worth it.
DeleteI think doing what you feel comfortable with and can do without getting too overwhelmed is important. We only have so much control over the process anyway.
ReplyDeleteThat's very true. So many factors are at play. As long as we do what we can and don't overwork ourselves, that's what counts.
DeleteGood luck with all those goals! You're such an organized person. If I had more than one review for any of the books I've released, I'd probably want to stay away from the reviews section too. It's not like responding will change someone's opinion, unless the person has a specific question or issue that was worded respectfully and merits being addressed.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carrie-Anne!
DeleteI wouldn't advise replying back to any review. I've never done it. I've heard and believe that reviews are for readers not the authors. A review is someone's opinion, and they're allowed to have it.
You seem to have a good plan going Chrys.
ReplyDeleteYvonne.
I like to think so. :)
DeleteGreat post. Cheering for you.
ReplyDeleteYup, keep the goals manageable. I wonder if there's a way to track how much various things do impact your rank? But that would change depending on other factors as well, probably. Good luck with your promo efforts.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there are ways. I know there's Amazon ad tracking, but I never used it and don't know much about it. But you're right that many factors depend on the results...what is done, the genre of the book, the audience, even the day and time of the year. lol
DeleteThat sounds like a great plan--both for promoting the back-list books AND for keeping yourself sane. I need to do more of that, and that means learning more about all those social media things!
ReplyDeleteThanks for these concise and practical posts!
Social media can be overwhelming. I don't do much on Twitter, but I like Facebook, Instagram, and Litsy. Those are fun and within my abilities. Plus, I often share the same thing on all three, which makes things easier.
DeleteMy motto is pacing - but I'm not too good at it. I admire you, Chrys for setting these goals and steadily writing despite everything. Promoting a back-list seems to make sense - I just need to create one that's as impressive as yours.
ReplyDeleteActually, writing very little. I have so much going on. lol I don't feel my back list is so impressive. Every author is different. Use and promote what you have. One book makes a back list. :)
DeleteYeah, those huge goals can just be a time suck and drive one nuts. Doing what one can do and meeting the goals est is the way.
ReplyDeleteIt sure is, and the best way. :)
DeleteGood plan, Chrys. Thanks for sharing your strategy for book promo. It can be overwhelming for sure. Ads are effective. Not sure what Litsy is but I will be checking it out. Depression sucks!
ReplyDeleteLitsy is an app for book lovers. It's a cross between Goodreads and Instagram, but the people there are so inviting and awesome. If you download the free app and join, look me up. :)
DeleteSounds like a good plan! I think it's good that you don't really read reviews. I know that heavy criticism has sent me into depression in the past, so I'll probably have the same strategy in the future to avoid that.
ReplyDeleteIt's always a good idea to know what you'll do before you have reviews. I hadn't thought of it and wish I had. Of course, my curiosity got the best of me, and boy was my anxiety high every time I checked. Not fun.
DeleteGood luck with your plan. I hope it works. I need to do some promo with my back titles.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patricia! I've seen you so some promo for you back list titles, and I think you do a good job. :)
DeleteGreat to see you are super dooper organized but maybe it's time to branch out into something new like a YouTube Channel if you do not already have one.
ReplyDeleteIs this a joke? lol I do have one. I mention it in this post. 😂 I think this is a joke, but I’m just so tired. Haha
DeleteYour plans sound great. I hope to promote some of my older books this summer too. They've been too neglected. Here's to your success
ReplyDeleteAnd to your success!
DeleteGood luck with everything Chrys! All your plans sound excellent!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHello, I've mapped out what I want to do and am making decent progress. I nee to jumps tart a few things though but overall doing a pretty darn good job. Best wishes to you and your visitors.
ReplyDeleteThat's great, Stephen! Keep it up!
DeleteA to-do list can be very helpful because it motivates you to get things done; it is very satisfying to cross off all the items on the list. I've never published anything, so promotion isn't something I have to worry about. If and when I do get published, I'm kind of hoping that mind control will be an option by then. Just kidding. Sort of.
ReplyDeleteMind control to help with sales and such would be wonderful! lol
DeleteI think you have a great attitude. I've struggled with frustration (maybe depression) over underwhelming results, but I have to recognize that I can only make the effort; I can't guarantee the results. That's why I shifted from a word count to a time spent system for my writing quota.
ReplyDeleteI think the question of "where to look for validation" is a very tricky one.
Among other things, I like to have a few "very nice" first readers, who always provide a very gentle response. And sometimes I save kind remarks in a folder, so that I can remind myself of those times. And sometimes I'll take a break; go for a run, play a video game, do something that offers a guaranteed "win", but still feels challenging.
Thank you for sharing. Good luck with your promotions!
Thank you, Adam! And thanks for sharing your struggles with me and what helps you get through them. I like the idea of saving kind remarks to reviews during times of need. Sometimes we all need those reminders, like pep talks.
DeleteI really like this approach to backlist marketing. Going to pre-schedule it for a post on Facebook now!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Raimey!
DeleteThanks for the inspiration. I really need to do a better job at promoting my backlist. For a marketer who now teaches marketing, I'm certainly not following my own advice.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could stop reading reviews. Curiosity always gets the better of me.
I would love to be part of your marketing classes to know your secrets. ;)
DeleteGreat tips! I'll start using them later this year :-) Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Ronel!
DeleteThanks for a glimpse into your schedule. I just bought a fancy Moleskine Monthly planner to use for planning marketing efforts and nothing else.
ReplyDeleteA planner for marketing is a great idea. I only use a spiral notebook, but now I want to upgrade it!
DeleteThose are some hefty goals, and I hope they all work out well:) For my promos, I do book tours, mailing lists, etc.
ReplyDeleteHefty? I don't think so. I can do them easily.
DeleteYou amaze me with your planned productivity. I hope it works out well!
ReplyDeleteThank you! So far, I've had a few sales and a few new reviews. That's all I hope for at this point. :)
DeleteThanks for sharing your approach to marketing. I frequently wonder how much time and effort (and money) other authors put into marketing their books. Your structured approach looks great. I,too, get frustrated with lack of sales and reviews. I tend to dive back into writing rather than asking what I can do better to market myself and my books. I need to change my approach.
ReplyDeleteI tend to put a lot of marketing into my books, but usually because I don't see much happening and I want to try to find some way to change that. lol
DeleteYour marketing tips are always useful. This is an area where I’m still struggling so thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! I still feel like a novice when it comes to marketing, though.
DeleteSo far all I've done is cover reveals and virtual blog tours. Both were fun and well supported by my author friends. I don't look at rankings either. That's not why I write. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAnna from elements of emaginette
That's not why I write, but in regards to publishing I used to look. Not anymore. Less anxiety that way.
DeleteI think trying something without any big expectations and seeing what comes of it is a great approach. I'm not sure what Litsy is - off to Google that :-)
ReplyDeleteList is a fun app for book lovers, like a cross between Instagram and Goodreads. I love it. The community is the most inviting I have ever found.
DeleteI love your details Chrys. Yes, it is very important :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erika!
DeleteThese sound like some great and achievable goals! I've never done any YouTube videos so I admire your creativity in wanting to create them. Good luck with all your promotion!
ReplyDeleteI started doing YouTube videos to prepare me for a live YouTube Interview, a radio interview, and a public speech. It helped, and I found that I enjoy doing them now. :)
DeleteLitsy sounds great. I will have to check it out thanks for sharing about it. You have wonderful achievable goals, ones that are in your control and not the control of others like hitting a specific rank or getting a specific number of reviews. I really like how diverse your strategies are. I will be checking out your videos. Thanks, Chrys. I get excited every time I see you posting on organization because I know I will learn something valuable.
ReplyDeleteYour comment just made my day. I was actually wondering if my posts on organization are enough for this blog hop and those who participate. I was really doubting this feature until now, so thank you!
DeleteGreat goals here, Chrys. You make plans and stick with them. Bravo. All the luck with promoting your older titles. And Bravo for your having the old titles to promote. All best to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Victoria!
DeleteThank you for sharing your personal story and how depression affects you. It's great you've created a plan that works. I hadn't heard of Litsy before so I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteIf you join Litsy, look me up!
DeleteSounds like a good plan. Wishing you all the sucess. Thank you for being honest and open.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Kelleyn! Thanks for commenting.
Delete$10-$20 ads? That sounds very reasonable. Where do I find that? I thought they were super expensive. I just looked up Litsy but they don't have it for the MacBook and I have an Android. Wah!
ReplyDeleteElsie
I scheduled a $10 ad with ReadFree.ly. I'll share how it went. :)
DeleteI've never heard of Litsy before. It sounds useful so I'll add it to my list to look into :)
ReplyDeleteYou're super organised! I wish I could get things done ahead of time. As it is I set too many goals and sometimes get overwhelmed.
I'd be so tempted to check reviews for my books, but I know I'm the type of person who'd take them to heart so I'll fight that curiosity!
Litsy is so much fun. I highly recommend it.
DeleteThis is a good plan for backlist promos.
ReplyDeleteThanks for mentioning Litsy. I'll have to check it out.
Litsy is my new favorite place to be. :)
DeleteGood luck with everything! And thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Hoda!
Delete