Industry Compass: Goddess Fish Promotions
Posted By Amber Scott on March 10, 2010
Amber Scott, Author and Reviewer
by Amber Scott
1st Turning Point First Mate
Copyright © 2010 Amber Scott
Grab your caffeine of choice and settle in for some candid answers with Marianne and Judy of Goddess Fish Promotions, Long and Short Reviews, and more!
Amber: Between Goddess Fish Promotions and Long and Short Reviews, Whipped Cream Reviews and Aurora Reviews, you offer author spotlights, virtual book tour creations, book video creations, banners, graphic artist services, and of course, reviews. Among these services, what would you deem most crucial for an author to consider at any publishing level and why?
Marianne: The absolute most important thing for an author is to get their name out in front of as many people as they possibly can. Visibility is key. You can write an astoundingly good book, build an amazing website and maintain a regular and witty blog, but if people don’t know your name, and as a result don’t even know to look for you or your book, it’s all for nothing.
So, I’d have to say that the spotlights, interviews and tours are most important. Reviews are good, too. BUT, the rest all plays into publicity. I am a big believer in having a professional website, so graphic design of your header, etc., is important (don’t get me started on using freewebs type sites for your author site). Book videos are all the rave and I, personally, love to watch them as much as possible. I absolutely think they can help sell a book if they’re done well. Advertising is important, so banner ads are always good to have on hand, especially if you are working on promoting yourself and not a particular book.
Judy: Someone mentioned to me once they knew about marketing, but not about marketing books. I commented that, IMHO, marketing for authors is not about the book as much as it is selling yourself…letting the reading public feel like they know you. Name recognition is key, especially in this day and time when readers have so many choices.
When people think of you as an author, the picture comes to mind based on what they have read about you and by you in your blog, etc. I’ve read authors who come across on their blogs as “divas”-and, frankly, they left a sour taste in my mouth. Authors who are snarky or difficult to get along with-I’m not as anxious to read their works. I’m that way with actors and actresses I don’t like as well. I think a lot of authors (and actors) don’t take that aspect of public life into account.
Amber: In your fifteen years of combined publishing and promotion experience, what fad have you seen come and go by the wayside?
Marianne: I think it’s less what has come and gone, and more what has come and stayed! Writing and publishing used to be such a solitary business, and you were lucky if you found writing critique partners, because they had to live near you. Networking was difficult, and there was no such thing as ePublishing when I first started pursuing my goal of publication—or even the internet (LOL…it’s odd to think of there being no internet because I’m so dependent on it now). I remember buying Writer’s Market every year, searching for markets, making copies of manuscripts and mailing them in to publishers, typing my manuscripts on a manual typewriter and more.
Now? Networking is easy! Critique partners are online, manuscripts are emailed, edits come via track changes in a Word document and not in red pencil on paper. Things happen so quickly now! It’s thrilling and the opportunities for authors are simply amazing. I’m energized and excited by what is available now as opposed to ten years ago, and it’s just getting better and better.
Judy: I’ve heard it said that the best way to sell your current story is to write a great next story. Don’t sit on your laurels. You have got to be getting your work out there and keeping it out there.
In these days of easy publishing (and let’s face it, anyone with a computer can become a “publisher”), it’s even more important to write a good book and let the public find you. There are so many books and authors to choose from that, to rise to the top, you have to be able to do more than just tell a good story.
One thing that has changed—the sheer numbers of publishers and agents. There are some good; some not-so-good. No longer is the author limited to only a few to choose from. And, this is both good and bad. Now it’s more vital than ever before for an author to do their homework and find out as much as they can about the publishers and agents before they sign any papers.
Amber: Aside from being a clear fan of books and authors, what motivated you to create so many resources for writers on a “shoestring” budget?
Marianne: Because I’m an author on a shoestring budget! I was an author long before we started The Long and the Short of It and Goddess Fish, and it was incredibly difficult to find the money to promote myself. I couldn’t afford software to make my own banners, and the free ones always had the software site printed on the banner. I didn’t know how to make book videos, and all the places I found were $100+ to create them. And decent promotion? Oy! I organized my own virtual tour for my first novel release and it almost killed me. I was so exhausted afterward, I needed a vacation. But, especially in ePublishing, where the royalties don’t run $5000 or $10,000 a book, who has the money to spend? But if you try to do it all yourself, you’ll not only exhaust yourself, but lose the little time you have to write your next story.
Judy: Marianne and I feel that writers can better spend their time writing—sure they could create their own tours, but why should they have to use time duplicating what we’ve already done? We have a database of tour hosts who are ready to host tours. We have collections of pictures, music, etc. for use in banners, videos, and the like. Just like you might pay a little extra for convenience foods to use in the kitchen, a writer’s use of funds might be more effective paying for the convenience of using services from professionals.
Amber: Book video trailers are hot, hot, hot right now. Can you offer any insights on how the number of views a trailer gets translates into sales numbers?
Marianne: We don’t have any hard numbers. To be honest, I’m not certain that anyone does. But, we’ve heard anecdotal experiences from authors who mention that they’ve had jumps in royalties, and the only thing they’d done was release a book video. I imagine it depends on what you do to promote the video as well…making one and sticking it out on YouTube isn’t enough. You need to get it in front of people—upload it to the many book video sites that are out there, advertise it on sites that offer the opportunity, enter it into contests. There is so much you can do to get your video out in front of people to make it effective. Just having a video isn’t enough if you don’t get people viewing it.
Amber: Currently, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are a popular way for any author to name build. What would you say are the three most important things to remember when using social networking tools?
Marianne: The biggest thing, IMHO, is this: If you’re using social networking to market yourself as an author, be professional. That doesn’t mean you can’t tell me you had blueberry pancakes for breakfast, or that your car broke down, or your dog is going in for surgery. You can even complain that you have writer’s block or that your latest round of edits are driving you crazy. It does mean that you might want to consider that ranting about your next door neighbor in a way that makes you sound like you’re a little unbalanced, or lacing your posts with profanity may not be the way to go. Remember, too, that you never know WHO is reading. It could be an agent, a publisher, a possible new reader—and being unprofessional could risk sales and potential contracts.
Judy: Other important things to remember are being consistent…and being interactive. Every post shouldn’t be all about you. Show an interest in other people. And, as I said before, remember that you are portraying yourself to the public. Are you sure that the “you” people see when they look at your blog or Facebook page is the “you” that you WANT people to see? Maybe you should step back and take a look at how you present yourself.
Marianne and Judy: Thanks so much for having us here today. We’d love to answer questions if anyone has any, and we appreciate your time and hard work on this very informative site!
Play Flingby Amber ScottSmashwords EditionFace Your Target… Brooke Munkle didn’t leave a lukewarm marriage just to flounce into the next warm bed. She is focused on re-creating her life and too young, too hot, Elliott Jovovich has no business distracting her. If only he’d get out of her head. If only she didn’t feel so old and boring. Maybe if she keeps things simple, she can allow herself this one indulgence. Who would ever find out? Pull The String… Elliott Jovovich sees through Brooke’s stiff facade. Underneath her struggle to hold it all together, a vibrant woman is waiting to be freed. He tells himself it’s not the chase but the reward he’s after. To win her heart, he’ll even play by her rules, which would be a helluva lot easier if her hostile best friend didn’t fight so dirty. Steady. Aim. Release… Playing cupid wouldn’t be punishment if it were easy. The sneaking around, the spying, compatibility issues, blind chemistry. Brooke keeping secrets. Elliott constantly getting in the way. If she doesn’t match her first best friend in two lifetimes with true love fast, Millie’s partner will be reassigned and he’s all she’s got in this life sentence to fight for. |
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Welcome to 1st Turning Point, Marianne and Judy! I can attest that you ladies to wonderful work, and also that my spotlight on your site did raise the hits to my website considerably. I remember when you first got started–always put up a really good site, practicing what you preach. Thanks for being with us today, and hey, don’t get me started on freewebs. LOL.
Hi Jacquie and Amber! :::waves::: Thanks so much for your kind words
Stopping in early to say howdy and invite questions — I know we only lightly touched on the subjects, so I’ll try to stop in frequently today to answer anything folks might be interested in. Judy has her EDJ so won’t be as available, but will try to peek in when she can.
And, yeah.. freewebs… **sigh**.
Happy Hump Day!
Excellent post!
Thanks for sharing, Amber
Hi, Jacquie and Amber. Thanks for having us today
As Marianne said, I’ll be leaving shortly for the day job (working surrounded by books…hey, it could be worse 
)… so will try to pop in when I can. Looking forward to answering questions from your readers.
Happy Wednesday!
Hi Amber and Marianne,
I was thrilled to read this post. Like every author out there I too am on a shoe string or less budget. Unfortunately I do have a free web and yes I think I know what you are talking about there but as yet have not found one that is affordable…any suggestions? My new book Ancestors of Fire: Book 2 The Empowered Spirits Series is available on the 19th…my publisher has slacked with sending it out for reviews etc as they did on my first book so I’m trying to do this all by myself…again…and we have such a fantastic Marketing dept at my publishers! Don’t know what went wrong but I can understand with over 500 authors to take care of some of us will be lost in the shuffle…anyway..not here to disparage my publisher. I’m here to learn how to promote myself and my work, virtual touring, the works What can you do for me on my short budget…Thanks for being here for all of us!
Have a blessed day!
Brenda, there are dozens of webhosting options that are NOT freewebs that are either free or nearly free. I use http://www.dot5hosting.com for my personal site and it’s only $4.95/month, or doteasy.com which is actually free but without the stuff that makes freewebs sites so unappealing. There’s even wordpress.com, which is fairly simple to use and is priced from free to very inexpensive. I’m sure other folks could chime in with inexpensive or free sites, as well.
The fact is, if you’re trying to be a professional writer, you need to look professional, and a freeweb-type site isn’t.
And… get the most bang for your buck. Network with other authors, be present on Yahoo loops that are busy (and not just a hit-and-run promo dropper). Establish relationships. But most of all — get your name out. Take advantage of anything you can. Guest blog on reviews sites (I know we at http://www.longandshortreviews.com have free guest blogging spots. So does The Romance Studio and Gotta Read Network, and I’m sure there are others I’m not aware of).
As I stated in the interview above, the big thing is to get your name in front of as many people as you can. Marketing is time consuming, though, which is where some folks look for paid help. Again, though, shop wisely. Check out what kinds of stats a site or blog has (and, btw, “hits” is NOT a good representative of visitors to a site — do NOT be fooled when a site proudly proclaims they have a millions “hits” a month. Ask for how many VISITORS they have instead. Here is a link to describe the difference: http://www.buttcamp.com/internet-marketing-hits.htm … I think sites that use a hit to discuss traffic is being dishonest.. but that’s just me).
Did any of that help?
I hear you on the budget, Brenda. With all these rapid industry changes, the author is becoming as much a part of the product as the book, it seems. Marianne and Judy, would you agree that creating a sincere persona readers relate to, that also represents your brand is vital in today’s market?
Another way to get your name out there is through the social networking sites. Join Facebook and Twitter and, again, like Marianne said– build relationships. Don’t just be a drive by promoter. If you have a blog, make sure you bloghop and visit other people. Letting people get to know you can be the most effective way of getting sales
Marianne and Judy, thanks for sharing all of this very helpful information with us. Every now and then, I feel worn down about building name recognition. Today, you guys gave a new bounce in my step and have me excited to tackle my next publicity-related endeavor.
Thank you, Marianne, for the link to the “hits” explanation. I’ve been wondering this very thing as I view the stats for 1stturningpoint.com (behind the scenes). NOW I know the difference.
Amber, great questions and great post. You rock!
Ann Charles
Amber, what a great interview. Your questions allowed your guests to expose insightful responses. . .responses that contain excellent information for all of us. Ladies, thank you for a great post.
…would you agree that creating a sincere persona readers relate to, that also represents your brand is vital in today’s market?
Absolutely! We’ve had people approach us to market a book via a tour — and we always encourage them to market themselves FIRST and use that as a platform to sell their books. It’s why we encourage blog posts about themselves instead of something specific to a particular book. Readers want to know about the author … and if they feel a connection, then they start to be loyal to that particular author.
Think about authors that are “auto-buys” for you. Do you even read the blurb on their book before you add it to your cart? I know I don’t — I don’t care. The author has proven to me that they’re consistent, and I probably even like them as a person (at least as much as I know about them … and I can be a bit of a fan-girl).
So market YOURSELF first.
Thank you, Marianne, for the link to the “hits” explanation.
Ann, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. So many people are just not saavy when it comes to this type of thing, and there is one site in particular that I know of that runs probably 50+ images on every page and then brags about their million month hits. Every time ONE person visits, they generate 50 - 100 “hits” and it’s just plain false advertising.
I’ve made it my goal in life to get out the word.
Hi Marianne:
Thanks for the great advice, which is working for me. I have two cover ads running on LASR. They’ve greatly increased traffic to my buy pages.
Marianne, do you know if SEO ranking is determined by hits or visitors? I’m curious. I’m always trying to soak up more information on SEO stuff.
“…and we always encourage them to market themselves FIRST and use that as a platform to sell their books”–Exactly! The real trick for me is pulling this off without having a book contract in hand. However, I know it can be done, I’ve seen it, but it’s not for the faint of heart. Any advice (Judy or Marianne) for authors who are unpublished (who have manuscripts ready for publication and are playing the shop-around/slush pile game) and need to figure out how to build their platforms?
Thanks,
Ann Charles
I have two cover ads running on LASR. They’ve greatly increased traffic to my buy pages.
Carol, I love to hear this! Thank you
do you know if SEO ranking is determined by hits or visitors
Ann, anyone who matters counts traffic using visitor stats and not hits. And I know SEO ranking are actually negatively affected for graphics-heavy sites. You can find out some of the 200 things they use to assign rankings here: http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/internet/google-ranking-factors.htm
Any advice…for authors who are unpublished… and need to figure out how to build their platforms?
I started my author blog about a year before I published my very first short story. I blogged daily, I blog hopped and built a readership and when the time came for my story to release, I had a following of people already, many of whom bought the story. I had my site and blog built long before I was published. You need to start getting your name out (and the best was is to network on blogs or places like Facebook) BEFORE you are published so you can make a splash from the moment your work is available.
Hi gals. Do you take post dated checks for 2012? LOL
I agree that doing it all yourself is the biggest time consumer there is. I’m finding little time to write lately with my fingers in so many pots. It’s getting close to the time when I’ll need promo experts like you. I’ll call you…we can do the lunch thing. Gosh, now all I need is an agent. HAHAHA
Hugs
Franny Armstrong
Franny, you crack me up
And to all the great folks here at 1st Turning Point, thanks so much for having us! We enjoyed our stay.