Trying to figure out where to start is the hard part. We all want the cover of Romantic Times, but my budget laughed so hard tears came to its’ eyes. I need to find a cheaper way. Much cheaper. Like free.
So I started small. How do you get your name out there anyway? Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, hit all the social medias you know about and create a presence. Now I’ll admit I haven’t tried all of them. I don’t have the time. Some days I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get it all done, but I keep my ear to the ground and listen when someone else is working with an new one. If is sounds like something I should get into I do.
Create a blog. I fought this one because I didn’t feel I had time to write, but I realized I have a lot of knowledge about writing so put one together, I try to post once a week. You can check it out at www.barbaradonlonbradley.blogspot.com
Do guest spots on someone else’s blog. I find this fun to do, although sometimes I have to rack my brain to come up with a subject I haven’t done before. Most ask for a writing related post, but some have interview questions, or just let you send a blurb, excerpt and cover image.
Chat’s are good. I’ve done a few of them. Of course when I do them you can hear the crickets chirping in the back row but I always do them armed and ready. I create my own questions so there is constantly something coming across. I don’t just promo my books – and with 13 titles I can fill several hours of nothing but promo. I try to give a little insight to me and my writing process.
Join groups. I stick to Yahoo, but I have become part of some really great ones. MFRW is one. There is so much knowledge out there and many of the authors are more than happy to share.
Do you have access to print copies of your book? Then do book signings. Go to your local book sellers and set up a signing. Try to have more than one author to sign with you if you can. The more authors the more it will help bring the readers in.
Over the next few blogs I will go into more detail about what I have learned to promote myself on a shoestring. I’ll go into what worked for me and what didn’t work For now, I hope this will help you get started.
See you next month!
Barb:)
Writing for Barbara Donlon Bradley started innocently enough, like most she kept diaries, journals, and wrote an occasional letter but she also had a vivid imagination and wrote scenes and short stories adding characters to her favorite shows and comic books. As time went on she found the passion for writing to be a strong drive for her. Humor is also very strong in her life. No matter how hard she tries to write something deep and dark, it will never happen. That humor bleeds into her writing. Since she can’t beat it she has learned to use it to her advantage. Now she lives in Tidewater Virginia with two cats, one mother in law, her husband and teenage son.
