Author Marketing 101

with C Morgan Kennedy & Therese Patrick

aka Cheryl & Mary...

• Marketing doesn't have to be expensive - use low cost and no-cost methods 
• Marketing isn't a time suck if you focus - spend 10% of your writing time on marketing
• Marketing is the bridge between media & money
• Platform means nothing if you don't reach out from it

• Readers do not identify with author angst
• YA readers do not care about menopausal meanderings

PERSONA - what your interests are and how you are engaging your readers.

WEBSITE - youre reception area & your shopping cart for readers


EXERCISE 1
What do you write?
Who is your audience?
What is their natural habitat?

EXERCISE 2
What images come to mind
3-5 images
3-5 colors

EXERCISE 3
Think about who you want to be...

EXERCISE 4
How do you want to be perceived by your audience?


DO NOT AIR YOUR DIRTY LAUNDRY.

Be sure that what you put out there is something you can hold true to over the long term, and in social situations.

Seamless self promotion -> you are your biggest fan

Point-of-Purpose Marketing - How you encourage readers to buy at signings and events. pop-up displays, chocolate, props to incite conversation

Pull Marketing - pull people towards your books and events. (visiting blogs, blogging)

Push Marketing - focus on connections with readers & their desire to be entertained and informed about your book, or topics in your books (website, social networking)




Aside from Sarah - if anyone wants their left book pierced, go to Keepsake Tatoo in Astoria and ask for her son

QueryFest

Brave souls passed their queries to Kim, who read them aloud. The editors and agents raised their hand at the point they would have stopped reading, and once the letter was over, they explained what would make them stop.

Some hints ::

• Don't tell if a character is witty or sassy, let the writing show that.
• Focus on the story, not on why you are qualified to write it
• Keep it short, all of the editors requested a story but said the query for it was too long
• Bring your voice to the query
• Tell why you chose to submit to this editor/agent, show that you'vedone your research
• A hook at the beginning is good, but keep it short.
• Don't highlight too much tragedy or chiche
• Avoid being repetitive
• Shorter is better
• Proofread! Typos are careless.

Keep it to the HOOK the BOOK and the COOK. 3 paragraphs, in and out. Never more than 5 lines per paragraph.

Agent / Editor Panel

Amanda Bergeron, Avon/HarperCollins

Tracy Martin, HQN

Leis Pederson, Berkley

Abigail Koons, Park Literary

Alexandra Machinst, Janklow & Nesbit

Barbara Poelle, Irene Goodman

What can agents do for epub contracts?

Alexandra - I don't know why an author would agent for category or epub.

How long does an author have to get an agent if a publishing contract is pending?

Amanda - You don't need an agent if a contract is pending.

Leis - You don't need one, but there is a limited window. If you have an agent interested, give them a call, but don't start querying and wait.

What's up with the paranormal market?
Leis - We like it, world building is everything
Amanda - Vampires do well for us. Create a world readers want to come back to. Would love a great distopian romance ala Hunger Games.
Barbara - Matched & Withered are great examples of distopian romance.
T.M. - Romance is key, no matter how great your world building is.

What about turn-of-the-century settings?
Alexandra - the market craves mediocrity in certain genres - paranormal, regency. If you write a book that is better than everything else out there, it will work.
Barbara - If you are doing something well, there is always room

What is your agenting style?
Barbara - 2% intelligence and 98% balls.
Alexandra - Micromanager. Not afraid to tell authors to go in another direction.
Abigail - Knocking on every single door until my knuckles bleed. Career clients only, not one book authors.

What are your pet peeves?
Amanda - misunderstanding in place of conflict are just lazy. There is always a better way.
Abigail & Barbara - rape, especially when it is used as lazy character development
Tracy - love at first sight. Find a better way.

What do you see as the future of epublishing and your role in it?
Barbara - agents should be in career management and know what is coming in the industry. There is room for everything. The delivery system is changing.
Abigail - It's a big deal and only going to get bigger. At the London Bookfair last week we learned 38% of Johnathan Franzen's sales were ebook last year.
Alexandra - the future of genre fiction is in epress. People consume too much of it for mass market to keep up.

Should I put a story up on Amazon myself?
Tracy - If you put it up and it does poorly, has discouraging sales numbers, a publisher will consider that. On the flip side if you do well, you might need a publisher.

What is going on with Steampunk?
Tracy - It's a little niche right now, a genre that hasn't quite solidified.
Amanda - we just bought 3 novellas from Zoe Archer for Avon Impulse
Leis - it is gaining attenion and doing well for us, especially Meljean Brook

What do you think about authors writing in multiple genres?
Barbara - It had better be good. You must do it all well, and distinctly.
Leis - be sure you can handle the workload.

How should we pitch a query or series?
Alexandra - I hope this will be the first in a series. Be willing to amend or bend to the market.
Abigail - Be sure the first book stands on its own.

What is 'a huge push' behind an author from a publisher?
Tracy - ex. Sophie Littlefield. When a publisher is excited about a book, they can put extra publicity money with bookbuyers. It's just an extra effort - like ebook or anthology offeres, art might spend more time on a cover (embossing or foil), co-op placement in bookstores (new author tables, romance tables). Bookclub picks. Amazon has a great co-op program.

What is the future of romantic suspense?
Leis - Every subgenre has it's ups and downs. It has to be strong and special. We just acquired an erotic r/s.
Alexandra - Never found one I've wanted to represent in four years of looking
Tracy - It's hard to write suspense well. People want to read sexy femaile detectives (think Castle). We'd love to find someone good and fill the gap in the market
Amanda - We're looking for more military/special ops r/s
Abigail - with TV getting more r/s,w e're getting smarter harder to fool us

Secrets from the session...

• Barbara Poelle is a Miss Marple & Angela Landsbury fanatic
• The entire panel loves Downton Abbey
• Make your action start on page 1
• Barbara & Abigail would love to find a female Christopher Moore
• Contradiction is the name of the game
• Alexandra - I hate the word sassy, it makes bile come into my mouth

Rountable with Barbara Poelle

AGENT MATCHMAKING

"Being a writer is about being able to craft beautiful prose, not pitching."

Barbara Poelle hates pitch sessions as much as authors do! Instead of speed dating, she let us chat her up for an hour. I expected a group date.

Instead, it became an agent matchmaking session! We could ask questions about anything - career, a specific story, industry trends, epublishing...

If you're writing historical fiction, be sure to check out the contest Irene Goodman is hosting on the agency website.

She suggested reading in your genre - as much as you write. So, write 2000 words, read 2000 words.

Speed Date Pitching

I've never been speed dating, so found this version quite interesting. Kim handed us all 3 blue tickets and we lined up for the chance to spend 5 minutes with the industry gurus.

After sitting down and convincing the editor or agent that our story was the next best thing, we surrendered a ticket and went on to our next 'date'. After three dates...if we still wanted more action, we could get more tickets and move to the back of the line.

These dates weren't just for selling a book. Many of our members took the opportunity to discuss the industry and career strategy.

While speed dating did have an element of hurry up and wait, everyone said they really appreciated the relaxed atmosphere and having enough time with the gurus to have an actual conversation.

Plus - there were LOTS of requests. I see a string of sales in the future for RCRW!

Storyboarding Your Career with Su Lute

 RCRW member extraodinaire Su Lute led the group in crafting a story board for their career aspirations. She shared her personal example and then encouraged everyone to get busy on their own, using pictures from magazines.

The Scene @ The Spring Intensive

 



Craft books on sale - half price!



Industry Q&A with Alexandra Machinist & Abigail Koons

STEPS ALONG THE WAY FROM ‘THE END’ TO ‘ON SALE’

I don’t take on anything that I don’t think has the potential for tremendous success – Alexandra Machinist

A great idea is different than a great book. – Abigail Koons

• Don’t start querying until the book is finished.  
• Critique and contest for feedback and to get used to sharing your work
• Then, when polished and perfect, begin the query process
• Research which agents would be best for your book – AgentQuery, Writers Market
• Every agent is different, just like every writer is different.
• Don’t blanket query. Take the time to make the query specific to the agent and their requests and guidelines.
• Make it a little Hollywood, high concept – Tomb Raider meets the DaVinci Code

You can’t disguise bad writing – Abigail Koons

I can decide if I like a book in the first ten pages – Alexandra Machinist

• When an agent requests your work, be clear on what they are requesting. Not all agents require an exclusive.
• Make sure the agent is the right fit for you!
• Check the contract/agency agreement, Make sure you’re not signing on for indentured servitude!
• If possible, have a lawyer look over it.
• You do not pay an agent. They get paid when you get paid.
• 15% is the industry standard, be wary if they want more or less
• 20-25% is the standard for foreign & media rights, which they can sell separately
• The manuscript is polished & submitted. It takes between a week and six months to sell a book.
• If no one bids, discuss the next step with your agent – rewrite, set aside
• Make sure your agent knows the personal tastes of the editors in the industry so your book has the best chance.




Alex flashes her gorgeous YSL bling


• There might be one offer or multiple



I have stupid faith in my own taste - Alexandra Machinist

• You’ll begin negotiating the contract. You can usually separate foreign rights and have your agent sell them separately
• 25% of net on ebooks is the industry standard, no one seems to be budging right now
• An option clause is standard, but how much flexibility is negotiable – full book, partial, synopsis
• The changing market of erights is evolving the publishing model. Publishers have been redoing their boilerplate contracts.
• Editors always want changes. There will be an editorial letter and a marked up mss. You do the edits..and wait.
• Advances are often split, a percentage at signing, delivery, acceptance and publication
• Take control of your own publicity. Social media is part of your job. Balance your time between promotion and writing.
• Your book comes out…
• Be sure you are appealing outside of the romance writing community
• Each book has to be better than the last