Sherlock Holmes is there.

So is Harry Potter.

Heck, even Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is on board with it.

You’ll find these fictional characters on social media. And they’re all from books.

It’s a fun and effective strategy for novelists. Have you considered it? Maybe you should!

Why you want your fictional characters on social media

There are many reasons to create social media profiles for your fictional characters. Here are just a few of them:

1. By bringing your character to life outside the pages of your book, you’re giving readers and fans an opportunity to connect with the character in a way that further bonds them to your writing. This can be especially meaningful for series authors.
2. It helps you create character depth while you’re writing your book.
3. You’ve got something to say on social media besides “buy my book.”
4. You will have an outlet for precious, beloved material cut from the story.
5. It can be more fun than posting as yourself.

Really, how can you resist?

How to do it effectively

As with all social media use, there’s a right way and a wrong way to do this, even when the profile is for a fictional character. Keep these tips in mind as you create profiles and content for your fictional friends.

1. Don’t violate anyone’s copyright.

Make sure the profile image you use doesn’t violate any artist’s or photographer’s copyright. Check royalty-free photography sites but consider paying for a photo just to be safe. 

Your favorite AI tool can help with this, too. QuickWrite, the AI software created specifically for authors, generated this image when I asked for a photo-realistic version of Gabriel Allon, the 50-something Israeli counter-intelligence operative hero of the Daniel Silva series. 

If you’re struggling to find just the right “person” to fit your character, consider using a different type of image to represent the character — an apron or flour sack for a baker, and so on.

2. Really get into character when you post. 

Don’t make the mistake of using your character’s Facebook Page to post the same content you’ve shared on your author Page, whether it’s the timeworn unboxing video or details about an upcoming booksigning.

Is that all your character would be talking about on social media? I think not.

Get into character and have a little fun with it! Your character’s status updates, Instagram Stories and images, or TikTok videos should be created from their perspective, not yours.

Stay away from “buy my book” messages that are inherent in author appearance announcements and focus, instead, on what your character might say or do at or about that event.

3. Look for real ways to engage readers with your characters.

Let your character ask questions, provide commentary on world affairs or politics, share favorite image quotes, request movie recommendations, or post pictures from a book club appearance.

Learn what your audience is interested in, and use your character to share information, ask questions, or lead a discussion on that.

4. Don’t market with your fictional characters on social media. Connect.

Stop thinking about selling books. Focus instead on connecting with readers.

Your character’s social media accounts provide a way to bring that character out of the type on the page and into a new dimension. You get to bring that character to life.

If you’re forcing your character to share details about book signings or $.99 sale days, you’re just trying to sell.

Readers aren’t interested in that. They want their favorite character’s take on what’s happening in the world around them.

Resources that help create content for fictional characters on social media

If you like this idea but have trouble imagining how you’d execute it, consider using social media profile templates that educators use to bring fictional characters to life for today’s social media savvy students.

“Fakebook” is one, but there are others. Just filling out the templates without worrying about hitting “submit” will get you thinking about how you want to approach this.

You might also have fun with “ifaketext,” an online tool that lets you create images of fake iPhone messages — messages that, of course, might have been sent by your character. (I think this is such a cool tool!)

Here’s one I created for two of my favorite fictional characters, Stephanie Plum and Grandma Mazur, from the numbered Janet Evanovich series:

Think about how much fun you’ll have with this — almost as much fun as writing the book!

There’s more to fiction marketing than social media

As you might have discovered, there’s more to promoting, publicizing, and marketing your fiction than using social media effectively.

Master the basics in my popular online course, “Book Marketing 101 for Fiction: How to Build Book Buzz Basic E-course.”

Learn at your own pace with instant access to all course content.

You owe it to yourself to learn what works, what doesn’t, and where to put your efforts. This course will help you move farther faster.

You want your book marketing plan to include more than posting on social media, but for that portion of it, give this idea a try. You might be surprised by how much fun you have and what you learn about both your character and readers in the process.

Does your book’s character have a social media profile? Share the link in a comment! 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in December 2015. It has been updated and expanded.)

Guest blogging is one of my favorite book promotion tactics for all authors because it’s targeted. The more targeted your efforts, the more likely you are to reach the people who will love your book.

Problem is, many novelists don’t write guest posts. And those who do usually contribute to their friends’ blogs or write for genre blogs.

And that’s all good.

But you know what’s even better?

Adding topic specific blogs to your list of potential sites for fiction guest blogging.

Look for the nonfiction nuggets

Novels are often built with or around a wide range of nonfiction subjects and themes. These are what I call the “nonfiction nuggets” in your book. They’re a tool you can use to expand your reach both with the press and topic bloggers.

You can usually find your book’s nonfiction nuggets in its:

• Professions
• Real-life settings
• Hobbies
• Medical conditions
• Industries
• Themes
• Conflicts

Once you identify your nonfiction elements (see the exercise below), you can match them to blogs on those subjects.

What does this look like in practice?

Here are a couple of real-life examples of how you can apply this approach.

I just finished reading Liz Alterman’s “The Perfect Neighborhood.” It has a key storyline revolving around a kindergartner walking home from school alone. The author could write a parenting blog post about what she uncovered during her research about how parents handle the walking-home-from-school situation.

She could also blog for a parenting site about how her experiences with cliquey school mothers informed her character development (because they probably did).

My friend Mollie Cox Bryan writes cozy mysteries. Her Cumberland Creek series is about a group of scrapbookers; the Cora Crafts books are craft retreat mysteries.

For the Cumberland Creek series, she can guest blog for blogs dedicated to scrapbooking because, of course, scrapbookers who read cozy mysteries are the people who are most likely to love her books. That logic applies to the Cora Crafts books, too.

There are so many possibilities for every book.

Complete this fiction guest blogging exercise

How do you apply this to your fiction? Try this exercise:

• Skim through your novel to find “nonfiction nuggets.”
• List them. I’m sure you can find at least three (and probably many more).
• Search for and list blogs on that topic by Googling the topic and the word “blogs.”
• If you’re not familiar with “pitching” bloggers, follow the instructions for doing so in my free report, “Virtual Book Tour Basics: How to Connect with Your Audience and Sell More Books Without Leaving Home.”

Then the fun begins: writing your guest post.

Download my free Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet now

As a writer, you know that guest blogging involves more than just determining what you’ll blog about and who will be interested in that. You know that you have to deliver a guest post that your host will be proud to publish.

Start by reading the tips in my free “Guest Blogging Cheat Sheet.” It details nine best practices that will keep you from making mistakes that undermine your guest blogging success.

This cheat sheet, which you can download as a PDF file immediately, will help you deliver the guest post your host expects. It’s your shortcut to looking — and acting! — like a guest blogging pro.

The simple and easy process of identifying your book’s nonfiction topics and matching them to topic bloggers could vastly expand your reach to readers interested in something that plays a role in your story…and help you sell more books.

What are the nonfiction nuggets in your novel? Share one here in a comment! 

(Editor’s note: This article was first published in February 2017. It has been updated and expanded.)

I wanted to help her reach more potential fans while providing my readers with something useful that they’d appreciate.

When the WordPress system notified her of my link to her site, she promptly hopped over to my post and left a comment.

After thanking me for the mention, she gently chastised me for encouraging people to download her gift. She wanted people to either pin it to a Pinterest board or join her membership program to receive a printable version.

My approach to this is to contact the person privately with the feedback. But here’s the key question about this situation: Am I now a superfan?

What do you think? Should I be?

I AM a big fan of Pat Flynn!

On the other hand, I’ve been a Pat Flynn fan for a long time, so I was pretty sure I’d discover a few new-to-me gems in his new book, Superfans:The Easy Way to Stand Out, Grow Your Tribe, And Build a Successful Business.

I discovered early on through Flynn’s Smart Passive Income podcast that we have the same business values. That keeps me listening. Over the years, I’ve learned a great deal from him and his podcast guests. They often take listeners behind the scenes, sharing what has and hasn’t worked for their online businesses.

Superfans isn’t Flynn’s first book, but it’s the first he’s written that’s relevant to my business and yours. I was pretty sure I could pull some wisdom out of it for authors like you seeking a community of loyal readers waiting for your next book.

On the surface, it’s more relevant to entrepreneurs than to authors, especially those who don’t yet accept that they’re actually small business owners.

But when you replace the term “fan” with “readers,” you’ll soon see that there’s lots to learn as an author. With authors, it’s all about finding and connecting with people you want to become loyal readers.

What can you learn from this book?

When I read a prescriptive nonfiction book like this, I’m looking at it from a few different perspectives:

• Is there content that’s helpful to authors?
• What, if anything, can I apply to my business?
• How is it written, structured, and organized? I do this as a nonfiction writer and author, not as a reader. Other people’s books often provide insights I can use in my own books.

What follows is my breakdown of these three points. What you take away from this book as a reader will be different, of course, because we’re coming at it with different backgrounds. My goal with this review, though, is to help you decide if this book is a “must read” for you, or a “good to know about, but not what I need right now” kind of book.

Specific nuggets for authors

Regarding that first point about relevance to authors, I think novelists will have to work a little harder to see the takeaways in it for them. They’re there, but they will probably be more obvious to nonfiction authors.

For example, in Chapter 1, we learn the importance of using your fan’s/reader’s language when writing promotional text — which can include your book description and website copy. Novelists need to do this as much as anyone else. That first chapter helps you see how you can uncover the phrases and terms your audience uses.

In Chapter 3, you’ll discover how to use an online community such as a Facebook or LinkedIn group to learn more about how you can help or serve your readers.

The advice in Chapter 6 to invite your readers into your writer’s room, so to speak, “where they can share their opinions on where the story should go” is 100 percent relevant to all authors.

Much of Part 3 will be more interesting to nonfiction authors who use books as part of a larger business. It’s worth reading, but it will be harder for novelists to determine how to leverage the concepts.

Part 4 is about protecting yourself from the dark side of this new world of superfandom. It’s something most of us won’t need to worry about, but it’s a good reminder about why and how you want to protect your privacy and stay safe.

As for my own business working with authors, I was happy to see he recommends certain steps that I already do instinctively. I took plenty of notes, too.

This book’s bones

My third bullet point above relates to how I read books like this as a writer more than a knowledge-seeker. Several things about how the book is written and structured stood out for me.

Superfans is organized logically. The author uses an inverted pyramid graphic to explain the structure in the introduction. Like the book, the pyramid is divided into four parts. Each part moves readers through the fan-building process.

As a writer, three other features stand out for me.

1. The stories. Flynn draws from his experience, and those of the many entrepreneurs he has interviewed on his podcast, to bring the concepts to life. Every time I thought, “What would this look like in action?”, he showed me.
2. Exercises at the end of each chapter. They encourage readers to take action on what they’ve just learned.
3. A helpful bonus online course with worksheets and other tools related to each chapter’s exercises. I always encourage authors to create bonus content that readers can access after providing their name and email address. It’s an excellent way to help you continue the conversation with that reader — and turn that person into a fan, and, eventually a superfan.

I think you’ll appreciate these features, too.

Connecting with your readers

Because I’m a long-time listener to Flynn’s podcast, I was familiar with much of the content already. Still, it didn’t bother me to have it presented in a new format, and in one that allowed me to take notes as I read. (I can’t do that when listening to a podcast while exercising or driving.)

If you’re new to Pat Flynn’s world, you won’t be slowed down by that “Ohhhh, I’ve heard this before” issue. And, if your goal is to better connect with and understand your readers, I think you’ll be satisfied with what you learn.

What are you doing now to better connect with the people who love your books? Please tell us in a comment! 

*I’m protecting the creator’s identity by not sharing the file name

“Lead magnet” is a marketing term for the gift you give readers as an incentive to add themselves to your email list.

Think of it as an ethical bribe.

This isn’t optional. To get people to sign up to receive occasional author updates or a regular newsletter, you need to offer them a free, downloadable gift. It has to be something your readers, fans, or audience need or want.

My primary lead magnet is a one-page PDF file with my “Top 5 Free Book Promotion Resources.” Authors receive it when they complete the form on the right side of this screen or on a page I’ve created specifically for that purpose — a “landing page.”

The big question for you is: What should I offer as my incentive?

Not an easy question for novelists

That question is easier for nonfiction authors to answer than it is for novelists. Nonfiction authors can create quizzes, templates, infographics, cheat sheets, and samples, among other options.

More often than not, if they’re using any kind of lead magnet, fiction writers are using a novella or short story.

But is that your only option?
Nope.

Here are a few suggestions to get you thinking.

Fiction lead magnet idea #1: How to do something

Bear with me on this. It’s possible.

When I read Jane Green’s Saving Grace, which made frequent references to food that sounded delicious, I wanted the recipes. I wanted them so badly that I searched for them online. Unfortunately, she didn’t provide them.

If Green had offered a collection of recipes featured in that book as a lead magnet for her list, I would have “opted in” — marketing-speak for “added myself to her list” — without thinking twice.

The author of The Language of Flowers could create a one-page illustrated guide to flowers as symbols (daisy is innocence, calla lily is passion, aster is wisdom, etc.).

And how about a tongue-in-cheek sheet of instructions for “how to be a crazy rich Asian” to go along with the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy?

It’s not that hard after all, right?

Fiction lead magnet idea #2: A cheat sheet

Imagine a lead magnet for How to Make an American Quilt that offers the best quilting tips from top quilters — even though it isn’t a nonfiction how-to quilting book.

If you’ve read Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons, you can appreciate how a map of the Vatican or a guide to Bernini’s art might have enhanced your story enjoyment. You’d add yourself to his mailing list to get that, right?

If you write fantasy novels with many characters with unusual names, consider creating a one-page PDF character guide with names and descriptions. It will be a Godsend to fans who read in many small units of time rather than in long sittings.

Fiction lead magnet #3: Your book’s first chapter

This is the go-to option for most novelists. It’s what most recommend doing not because it’s the only idea they can think of, but because it’s the easiest to offer and implement.

Just save your first chapter as a PDF file and set it up in your system for downloading.

It’s a smart option because it lets readers sample your storytelling and writing skills. (Because of that, if you’re not a good writer, this could work against you.)

Because it will help readers who aren’t yet familiar with you take your book for a test drive, it’s a solid option for first-time novelists.

If you’re a seasoned writer with an established fan base, though, start getting creative with options one and two. You’ll have more fun with it, and so will your readers.

Creating your lead magnet

You can create an attractive, effective lead magnet with low-cost resources. I’ve used each of the following:

Fiverr

On the Fiverr site, search for “lead magnet design.”

To make sure you have a vision for what you want your designer to create, I recommend adding yourself to lots of email lists that offer lead magnets so you can see what other people are doing.

When you find one or two that you like, attach one to your order as an example of what you’re looking for.

Your other option is to scroll through the design samples offered by Fiverr designers to find something that resonates with you and your book’s personality.

In general, I find that I get the best results on Fiverr when I can give the designer an example of the type of look I’d like to have.

Designrr

Designrr is my new favorite toy. I paid $27 for this web-based software that lets me take content I’ve already created on my blog, in  a Word file, on Facebook, or on a web page — and turn it into a range of end products.

When I wanted to create a special free gift for a conference I spoke at recently, I used Designrr to turn a blog post into a short report. The nerd in me enjoyed exploring the templates and imagining the many design options for the audience handout.

You’ll get a PDF as well as a URL that houses the PDF. Give that URL to people who add themselves to your list.

Canva

While Canva is free, if you aren’t familiar with it already, it will be your most time-intensive option as you review templates and learn how to customize or replace elements.

Start by typing “lead magnet” into the search box to get a nice selection of options and templates. Or, if you know what you want — say, an e-book — simply type that term into the search box.

Alternatively, on the home page, select “browse all” in small type in the upper right, just under the large search box. Scroll down to see all options. Best bets are documents, education, marketing, and events categories. Click around each collection to find something that speaks to you.

“A4 document” in the “documents” collection and “announcement” in the “events” collection offer appropriate templates and inspiration.

Need a lead magnet idea for your book? Join the Build Book Buzz book marketing group on Facebook and start a discussion. Tell us you’re looking for help with a lead magnet idea, provide your book title, and give us a short book description. Let’s rally the troops to help you if you need it!

What are you using as an incentive to get people on your list? Tell us in a comment. 

The Goodreads blog recently published a detailed case study about how Celeste Ng’s second book became a best-seller. “Case Study: How Penguin Press Made ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ a Roaring Success” outlines the publisher’s marketing support, which includes Goodreads activity.

It would be easy to dismiss this article as irrelevant to you and me and most other authors. The vast majority of novelists – regardless of the publishing model used – simply aren’t enjoying Ng’s success.

Your books aren’t New York Times best-sellers and don’t achieve more than than 16,000 reviews on Goodreads. You don’t ink TV series deals with Reese Witherspoon, either.

I don’t think it’s irrelevant, though. In fact, I think you can learn a lot from this case study.

Even after you take into account that you don’t have her fame and success (yet) and how much Ng’s reputation played into her second book’s success, there’s still lots to learn from this case study.

Here are six book marketing lessons for novelists from the Goodreads article.

1. Write a damn good book.

You can’t be certain you’ve written a great story unless strangers tell you that.

So do your best, pay a professional editor to improve it, and get feedback from people who won’t be concerned about hurting your feelings.

This is important because so much success in fiction is driven by good word of mouth. People don’t recommend bad books to their friends.

As the Goodreads case study concludes, “Ultimately, though, all the great book marketing tools in the world would not have worked without an amazing story.”

2. Start early.

The Penguin team started marketing Little Fires Everywhere nine months before its publication date.

While you might not use the same strategy and tactics that Ng’s publisher did nine months out, your book would benefit from efforts that begin long before your publication date, too.

3. Work to build a fan base, then nurture and leverage it.

This is your platform – your built-in audience that’s waiting for your book to come out. You don’t build a platform overnight. It takes time.

If your audience is young and female, figure out Instagram and Goodreads, because that’s where they’re talking all things books.

Follow the followers of the top authors in your genre. Then give those readers value. Maybe you involve them in your process so they feel invested in your work. Ask their opinions on storylines, character names, or titles. Comment on what they’re doing.

The point is: Find the right readers and talk to them.

4. Distribute as many advance review copies – ARCs – as possible.

The case study doesn’t say how many ARCs Penguin gave away through NetGalley and Edelweiss, but there were 23 reviews up on Goodreads by the end of May (for a September publication date).

Many authors remain reluctant to give away review copies. They think it diminishes their book’s value or they’re worried about piracy.

Just do it.

If you’ve written a good book and you’re getting it into the right hands, ARCs will help boost the number of reviews, especially on Goodreads.

As for piracy, NetGalley has a mechanism that protects against that.

5. Identify and connect with key influencers.

In Ng’s case, several top Goodreads reviewers got early copies and reviewed the book. Who influences your readers? Find them on Goodreads, or find Gooreads reviewers who have reviewed books like yours.

Look for them on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter, too. Develop and nurture relationships with them.

6. Let reader feedback guide your marketing messages.

Penguin’s team used early reader reviews to shape marketing messages. You can do that, too.

Even less-than-favorable reader reviews can give you information you can use to change your book’s description so that people don’t expect X and get Y.

Study reviews to identify words used to describe the book. And, if your writing is compared to author X’s books more than once, work that comparison into your book’s description and keywords.

Find a popular book that’s similar to yours and study what the author and publisher have done to market it. You might be surprised by what you uncover — and how you can use that new knowledge.

What’s the one marketing tactic you know works for your book? Please share it in a comment.  

I clicked on the link, expecting to see a motivational nonfiction book because that’s his thing.

What I saw, though, was a business book title superimposed over an image of a man in a suit. Underneath the title were two words: “A Novel.”

Huh?

I’ll admit that I’m easily confused, but I think this might have confused you, too.

I read the description, hoping it would offer some clarity.

It didn’t.

The book description assured me that the book’s story was infused with thousands of hours of executive coaching and years of leadership experience. This didn’t reassure me that the book really was a novel. In fact, it sure sounded like a nonfiction business book.

I looked for a table of contents. Yup. There it was.

When’s the last time you saw a table of contents in a novel? (Maybe never?)

I closed the window. I was tired of trying to understand what was going on. The book is  probably a parable, not a novel. Because the author doesn’t know about parables, he is confusing people by applying the wrong label.

More confused readers

I’d like to say this was the first time I’ve asked, “Is this fiction or nonfiction?” after reading a book description, but honestly, it happens way more often than you might think.

An author in my network sent me a link to the sales page for his new book. It, too, had a business book title — complete with subtitle — and a cover image of a suited male. Absolutely no question it was a business book.

Then I read the description. It described a novel.

If I didn’t know the author, I would have closed the window. Again, it takes too much effort to figure out the book!

Instead, I scrolled down the page to see what else I might learn — maybe in the author’s bio? — about the book and saw text from the back cover. It was a list of bullet points that detailed what I would learn about business leadership from the book.

News flash: People don’t read novels to learn leadership strategies. They read novels to be entertained. They want stories that are so compelling and well-written that they have to keep turning the pages to find out what happens next.

Signs you’re confusing readers

How do you know if you’re confusing readers and therefore forcing them to move on without buying your book? Here are a few clues:

1. You categorize your book as a novel, but instead of describing a story readers won’t be able to put down, you tell them what the book will teach them.
2. You tell readers the book is a novel, but your marketing copy uses bullet points that tell them what they’ll learn from the book.
3. Your “novel’s” description uses “I,” “me,” and “my” — “My novel is about what I did and what happened to me. You won’t be able to put it down because it’s true.”
4. You’ve written a parable — a story that uses fiction to teach a moral or lesson — and you’re calling it nonfiction or a novel rather than what it is. It’s a parable. Call it a parable.
5. You’ve categorized your memoir as “fiction” because you’ve had to create imagined dialogue that you can’t support with documentation. It’s still a memoir.

The problems created by these and other mistakes go beyond confusing readers. When your book is incorrectly categorized, it won’t be discovered by the people you wrote it for. That doesn’t help you, it doesn’t help your book sales, and it doesn’t help potential readers.

Sure, your friends, family, and some in your network might buy your book because you asked them to. But will your book change the world in the way that you think it will?

No — because you haven’t packaged and positioned it in the accepted, understood way.

Follow the rules

Here’s the thing. Self-publishing might feel like the new frontier, but there are rules. If you don’t follow them, you end up confusing the very people you want to help. So learn and follow the rules.

That means that before writing your book and its description, you must read traditionally published books that are similar to yours. Then study how they are packaged, marketed, and categorized.

Don’t wing it. You can learn a lot from others, especially those who have succeeded.

And, to learn how to write a book description that convinces readers to buy your book, read this Build Book Buzz blog post, “Are you making these mistakes with your Amazon book description?”

Want to learn more about how to sell on Amazon the right way? Purchase our “Sell More Books on Amazon” video training program and learn what works (and what doesn’t) on the most popular marketplace for books.

Let’s flip this and discuss what you’re seeing that is working on Amazon. What’s your best “how to do it right” tip for selling books on Amazon? Please share it in a comment. 

Let’s be honest: Marketing fiction is harder than marketing nonfiction.

That’s partly because it’s harder to find the readers, but it’s also because fiction relies so much on good word of mouth. Nothing can do more for your novel than friends telling friends how much they loved it.

And this is why fiction marketing mistakes can be a real problem. It’s hard enough as it is — you don’t want to do anything that will make it even harder.

One of those mistakes is reflected in this article title — I had to flag this with the word “fiction” to get your attention. Otherwise, you might have skipped over it, thinking it didn’t apply to you. Let me explain with mistake number one.

Mistake # 1: If the marketing tactic isn’t labeled “fiction,” you discount it.

I’ve lost track of the number of authors who have emailed me to say, “You have so much helpful information on your website but I don’t see much that applies to fiction.”

It’s there — they just don’t see it because it doesn’t shout FICTION!

Actually, most of what works for nonfiction book marketing also applies to fiction. Here are links to a few articles on this site as examples:

• “How to promote your book with tip sheets.” This tactic is effective for both fiction and nonfiction. The first three paragraphs of this article share how the author of a fictional children’s book used this tactic to get national media attention.
• “How to create shareable images with quotes.” While nonfiction authors might share tips or gems of wisdom from their books, novelists can share things said by characters (among other things).
• “How to get media exposure that sells more books.” The first tip — “Go from author to expert” — shouts “Nonfiction tip!” to novelists. But novelists often become experts on the topics and settings they write about, too, and can leverage that knowledge and current headlines to get free media exposure. It takes thought, for sure, but those who make the effort to follow the advice in this article are rewarded.

I see this as such a big problem that I’m going to add a topic category to this blog for “fiction,” then go back to old posts and label them for fiction so they’re better identified that way. I don’t want them to get overlooked simply because they don’t include the word “fiction.”

Mistake #2: Not learning how to market by email.

Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to:

• Build a fan base and stay connected to them
• Generate reviews
• Sell more books

And yet, fiction authors still avoid it. That’s partly because of the technology involved, but it’s also because there aren’t a lot of role models and success stories.

Case in point: I’m going to be recommending a colleague’s new email marketing training program for authors in a few weeks and wanted to provide you with extra content you would find helpful — a collection of sample author newsletters. I’ve searched for them in a number of ways, but I’m struggling to find good newsletters because it’s not a common author marketing tactic, especially with authors of fiction.

That’s a problem.

Mistake # 3: Not meeting with and talking to readers face-to-face.

It’s certainly easier to just stay at your keyboard and write. What’s more, writing is a “come as you are” experience — bad hair days and yoga pants are acceptable. Getting out and meeting people, on the other hand, takes planning, effort, and courage. Lots of courage.

But it’s worth it.

When you talk to readers face-to-face, you learn what they like and don’t like about your books.

You learn what they like about your genre and its most popular authors.

You learn what is happening in their lives — details that you can work into your stories so that they resonate with these readers and more who are just like them.

The more you interact with your readers or those who read your genre, the better able you are to produce books they will love and talk about.

Here are a few ways you can connect with readers in person:

• Invite them to a gathering to provide feedback. Author Chanin Kaye invited people she could trust to be honest to critique her book before final edit. They read the book, then gathered in her home for a group discussion. Kaye’s gathering was book-specific, but you can invite readers to discuss the genre instead of your books. Host it in your home, in a library function room, or at a bookstore.
• Plan a library or bookstore event with other local authors. Include presentations, workshops, and question-and-answer sessions.
• Attend book festivals and events. Go local or consider attending one of the larger national or regional events, including RT Con, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, or the Florida Book Festival.

It’s the start of a new year. Let it be the start of your new approach to selling more of your fiction, too. Our “Book Marketing 101 for Fiction: How to Build Book Buzz Basic E-course” teaches you how to find your audience plus what is and isn’t working for fiction promotion today.

What have you been doing to market your fiction that’s working for you?

Confucius might say today, “You don’t know what you don’t know,” right?

And when you don’t know enough about book marketing, you’re likely to put your time and effort into the wrong tactics.

The “Book Marketing 101: How to Build Book Buzz Premium E-courses” that I teach — one for fiction and another for nonfiction — teach you what will work, and what won’t work, for your book. Again, that’s for your book — nobody else’s.

You learn how to find your target audience, where to reach them, and how to get your book title in front of them. And you learn in a small group, supportive environment where you get personal attention and all the answers you need.

If you write fiction, review the course outline here: Book Marketing 101 for Fiction: How to Build Book Buzz.

If you write nonfiction, review the course outline here: Book Marketing 101: How to Build Book Buzz. The nonfiction course lets you register as either a self-published or traditionally published author but because this course is so personalized, it doesn’t matter which option you select. I’ll make sure you get the instruction you need.

Next session is February 2

If you’re ready to discover what you don’t know and to act on what you’ll learn, register now because the courses start Monday, February 2, 2015. Please send me a note if you have questions or ask by commenting below.

What do you think is missing from your book marketing knowledge?

Mollie is an Agatha-Award nominee for Best First Novel for SCRAPBOOK OF SECRETS: A CUMBERLAND CREEK MYSTERY. Her second book in the series, SCRAPPED (Cumberland Creek Mystery #2), was released in January 2012. Please visit her online and follow her on Twitter, Facebook  and Pinterest.

Using new Shindig for online book launch event

By Mollie Cox Bryan

With publishers doing less and less for their authors in terms of publicity, we are often approached by well-meaning businesses hoping to help promote us—for a fee, of course.

Being a relatively new fiction writer, I have next-to-no money to sink in to promotion. When an outfit called Shindig contacted me to help promote my newest mystery, SCRAPPED: A CUMBERLAND CREEK MYSTERY, I was suspicious and kept waiting for the “other shoe to drop” so to speak. But they proved me wrong.

It was absolutely free to participate in a Shindig event because they are currently in beta, which means they are just trying out the system, getting rid of the kinks, before they start to charge for their service. They offer a video conference system where a writer can interact with readers as if at a reading or a signing.

Okay, so you can do this kind of thing in chat rooms and with Skype and Google+, now. I’ve never had any luck with chat rooms. I always get kicked out in the middle of any “chat” party I’ve attended. I’ve not tried the Skype conference because there just doesn’t seem to be that much interest from my readers. I’ll get back to this lack of interest in a moment.

Virtual video chat room

Shindig provides writers with a virtual room to video chat with readers.  The on-screen room looks like a huge library or bookstore.

From the start, the people at Shindig were helpful. They ran a test before the big day, which turned out to be a good thing. Our first scheduled test did not work. And it was purely my fault—or my old computer’s fault. I had a new one on order so we rescheduled. Through all that, the young man I worked with was polite and friendly—and yes, even patient. At no time did I ever feel that he was patronizing with me, even as I tried to find my way around the technology.

Shindig sends explicit directions and gets back to you if you have questions. They definitely get an A+ from me on customer service and tech know-how.

One of the coolest functions of their chat room is that while the main guest is chatting, others in the room can connect and chat amongst themselves. I really felt like I was in the middle of a Star Trek episode as I watched people float across the screen to each other.

It’s not for every audience

The only thing that could have gone better is the number of people that actually attended. Shindig doesn’t really help with promotion outside of their own network. They are upfront about that. I promoted the heck out of the event.

But here’s where there is a glitch: Many of my readers just did not have the required equipment, computer memory, or comfort level with the technology. Nor did they have the interest in pursuing it.

But I believe that will change over the next few years.

Even though nothing will really take the place of meeting and chatting with readers in person, this is the closest thing writers can get to it. And publishers just don’t send most of us on book tours. When I think about Shindig and the potential opportunities to writers, publishers, and any entrepreneur that wants to connect more with their clients, I get a little tingle. It’s so exciting to imagine the possibilities.

Have you hosted an online book launch event? What did you do?

Be open to the possibilities – give one or two of these seven suggestions a try and evaluate the results. You have nothing to lose, and much to gain.

1. Support your book with a good website designed by a professional.

Your website has to be as good as your writing. Use your site to help us connect with you as an individual, not as a lofted author. Mystery writer Libby Fischer Hellman’s site helps us get to know her better by including video interviews and links to other media exposure. Sandra Poirier Diaz, president of book PR firm Smith Publicity, defines the two most important fiction author website must-haves in our audio program, “Nine Novel Ways to Promote Fiction.”

2. Use your content to identify promotion allies.

This could be your secret weapon because honestly, not enough novelists are doing this. Camille Noe Pagán’s novel, The Art of Forgetting, tells the story of what happens to a friendship when one of the friends suffers a traumatic brain injury, so Pagán partnered with the Bob Woodruff Foundation (Woodruff suffered a brain injury while covering the Iraq war for ABC-TV). Look, too, at your characters’ professions – there’s an association for just about every occupation. Send a copy of the book with a letter outlining promotional possibilities and what’s in it for them. You might offer to speak at their national meeting, write for their member publication, or offer a discount to members.

3. Think beyond book reviews.

Book reviews are valuable and securing them should be on any author or publisher’s book promotion to-do list, but your novel deserves more widespread, long-term, and ongoing exposure than it can get through reviews alone. (Dana Lynn Smith’s How to Get Your Book Reviewed is a valuable resource for this!) You want the press to talk about your book for as long as it’s available for purchase.

4. Use the nonfiction nuggets in your manuscript to create newsworthy material for media outlets.

Is your protagonist a radio jock? The morning drive time personalities would love to interview you by phone. Is she a jilted wife starting over in the workforce as – let’s say – an account executive at a high-flying packaging design firm who finds love with her client at a consumer products company? You’ve got publicity opportunities with the packaging and marketing trade magazines. What about locations, products, or services in your novel? And a brand name product that plays a key role could get your book into that brand’s employee newsletter. If you’re writing your novel now, work in some nonfiction nuggets you can capitalize on later.

5. Take advantage of holidays, special occasions, annual events, and seasonal stories.

As Diaz explains in “Nine Novel Ways to Promote Fiction,” you want to constantly look for special days or occasions you can connect your book to. She cited one of her clients, Paul Harrington, self-published author of Epiphany: The untold epic journey of the magi, whose publicity success included a bylined article in the Washington Post linked to – what else – the Epiphany. There’s a holiday for just about everything. Hitch your book to one of them and use it to get into the news. (Use the monthly calendars at Holiday Insights for inspiration.)

6. Leverage what you uncovered while writing your book.

Did you learn about a period in history or a specific region? Use this knowledge as a springboard for publicity. The author of a historical romance novel set in South Carolina, for example, can write and distribute a news release announcing the top romantic attractions in that state or pitch local newspapers or regional magazines on an article about the state’s most romantic date destinations. Your goal is to be quoted as an expert source because this requires using your book title as one of your credentials.

7. Get social.

Focus on one or two social networking sites and master the most effective and appropriate ways to use them to promote your book. Rachel Simon, author of The New York Times bestseller The Story of Beautiful Girl, suspects that her book’s Twitter visibility had a lot to do with Jennifer Weiner’s selection of the book as a top “Today Show” beach read. “Using Twitter effectively really got that book a higher level of visibility,” Simon says.

And this is just the beginning. My 75-minute interview with Diaz offers more ideas and how-to information. But I’m wondering: What has been your most successful tactic for promoting fiction? Please tell us about it.