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Book Marketing for Self-Published YA Urban Fantasy Book Series

2/26/2017

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​When I started writing my first book, I was very naive and ignorant for what was to come. What I realized after years of struggling to gain readership was that book marketing is just as intensive and important to an author as is writing a good story. I'm going to lay out a few tips in this post that may help you to navigate the intricacies of book marketing in this new age. 


​What's in a Name?
Since your name isn't Stephen King or J.K. Rowling, you need to make a name for yourself. Branding is just as important to an author as it is for consumer products. What is your name? Are you going with a pen name, your own name, or an initialized version? I went with initials because I want more focus on my stories than my gender or my own story. Once you've decided on your author name, stick to it. Amazon isn't very flexible when it comes to changing names, and your book reviews won't switch over if you change it during the midway point (I know from experience). 

Audience Targeting
Who are you selling your story to? Is there a specific demographic, gender, or  interest group? For the younger generation, it is difficult to gain the interest because you've got to get into places that young people will see your stuff. I would suggest going to an event, such as Comic-Con or a gaming expo or something in that realm. There are many book expos that you can sign up for as well. 

Social Media
The easiest, and cheapest, form of marketing is to gain an audience through social media outlets. That includes Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, Youtube, Bookbub, and others. I suggest getting these going before you ever write a single word of your book. Wattpad is also a good tool in gaining feedback on your writing. Interact with readers, authors, and others in the industry so that you can tweak your writing/story so that it will be perfect when you finally decide to release it. Plus, gaining early interest and reviews will help to get your name out there.

Giveaways
Goodreads and Amazon are a great way to get your book out there for readers. I always do a Goodreads giveaway for at least one paperback copy of my books. This will help add your book to reader's lists of books, and Goodreads will constantly send mailings to those readers about your giveaways. Amazon is great for adding twitter followers or tweeting your messages to that social media outlet. It will also send your ebook to potential reviewers.

Reviews
This is one of the most important tasks you'll undertake as an author. To gain reviews for your books is crucial in gaining exposure. Amazon, and many other book blogs, will look at your reviews to assess potential for further marketing of your books. You've got to get at least 50 reviews for Amazon or Bookbub to place your novel in their marketing emails. 200 reviews with an average of 3.75 stars out of 5 is worth more than 20 reviews at an average of 4.5 stars. To start, I would suggest asking friends and family to read and review, then you've got to get readers to place that review. That is the difficult part. Bug them. It is worth it.

Newsletter
The mailing list is essential. Its a bit daunting to get up and running. I suggest starting with Mailchimp since its free for a certain number of emails, then switch over to another mailing service. I would also suggest getting your website to pop-up a window that collects emails that you can utilize in reaching out to your fans. I would start by doing a newsletter every few months, and then every month. Include your updates, new giveaways, book releases, etc.

​Advertising
There are many websites out there that you can pay to advertise on, but they are not very effective. I know, I've tried. Paid way to much, and didn't receive that much in return. The best course, if you are paying, is to use the Amazon Marketing Services (www.ams.amazon.com). I use keywords that relate to my novel, along with a few other authors or books in my genre. This will post your book in the display for sponsored products, and is the best way for readers to find your book. Facebook advertising is also good, but its way too expensive.

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The B.E.A.R. Giveaway, Book Two, Updates, and More! 

6/16/2013

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Goodreads members and fans have asked about when book two will be released, if they can get a copy of the first book for review, and what the status is on the second edition of the first book.

BOOK TWO
I figured I'd let everyone know about the specifics in one blog post. So, book two in the Sonora Series (Sonora, and the Scroll of Alexandria) will be released at the end of this or the first of next year (January/February 2014). I'm halfway through the first draft, and should be at the editors by fall. The ARC release copies will most likely be sent out via my reviewer pipeline, and massive Goodreads Giveaway.

*Secret Book Two Spoiler --- Yeti will be making HER debut, and Sas will be very excited about the reunion ;)

THE B.E.A.R. GIVEAWAY
I'm very excited to say that the first edition of Sonora, and the Eye of the Titans has been re-edited (due to some unforeseen errors in the first published copy). It is better than ever, and to commemorate the new edition, I'll be doing the first ever B.E.A.R giveaway.

Bloggers, Editors, Authors, and Reviewers will be able to sign up on the website (http://www.sonoraseries.com) for a free copy of the new edition so that they may post reviews, comments, etc. on their blogs, websites, Amazon, Goodreads, and any other book related websites. Signups are now, but the second edition copies wont be sent out until the beginning of September. If you fall under one of the B.E.A.R. categories, please go to the website and sign up, and you will also be eligible for an ARC copy of the second book when it it released!
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I got a bad book review... What do I do now?

9/3/2012

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You move on. 

As an author, its very easy to take bad reviews to heart. They dig inside you like a cancer, and destroy creativity. You start doubting your ability to express yourself and your characters. A bad review can close you off to the world. The reality is that every author has received a bad review. In fact, some of the most acclaimed writers have received scathing reviews.

Here are a few:

Lord of the Flies
"an absurd and uninteresting fantasy which was rubbish and dull."

The Great Gatsby
"This is a book of the season only" 


No one will ever receive 100% praise for their work. You will always have critics. What you need to decide is whether taking that next step is worth it. Do you really want a career as a writer? If the answer is yes, than the only one inhibiting you from realizing your dream is yourself. From this point forward, you take every review, find the worth in it, and become that much better.
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Iconoclast Bookstore Full Review

1/16/2012

3 Comments

 
"In his debut novel, Hall jumps into the frantic high school world of Allora Sona and her three best friends, Katie, Dax, and Tanner.  After a series of strange events the friends discover their otherworldy origins and of a civil war taking place on their home planet, Sonora.  As they begin their training to join the fight as rebels of Sonora, the teens also discover that their inheritance is to protect their loved ones from creatures sent to Earth to assassinate them.  The friends must find a way to overcome the petty distractions of their earthly lives as they train for the grisly battles ahead, and as they search for the weapon that will lead them toward safety.  This action-packed novel creatively explores and redefines many of our own ancient myths, and serves well as the opener to an exciting new fantasy series."

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    Fantasy & Science Fiction Author with the focus on making reality that much more fantastic, and searching history for unique opportunities to tell a different story than the ones in textbooks

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