Party on Facebook with @MFRW_ORG... Here's How!

Participate in MFRW's First Facebook Party!
A facebook party is an event hosted through a facebook page. It has a determined amount of time, a theme and involves multiple posts by the participating authors. Many times, a facebook party is used by authors to celebrate a new book's release.

MFRW is now using facebook parties as a fun new marketing tool for our members. We hope you'll join us!

The major benefits of using group facebook parties as part of your book's marketing strategy are (1) sharing readers with other participating authors and (2) utilizing a social media forum preferred by the majority of today's romance readers. Your reach will be larger than going it alone when you participate in an event that involves other authors.

This first MFRW facebook party is scheduled for May 1st and is specifically for our contemporary romance authors, all heat levels welcome including GLBT. Throughout the year, each genre will be featured to be sure every MFRW author gets the opportunity to participate.

Upcoming MFRW facebook EVENTS (coming in future months): Historical Romance | Romantic Suspense | Science Fiction | Paranormal Romance

MFRW facebook parties will be hosted as events on the MFRW facebook page. Authors: Join the MFRW facebook page NOW if you aren't already a member. It's best for authors to be a member of the page to participate but it won't be necessary for the readers you invite. You will be able to invite readers/ fans/ reviewers/ followers to this event soon and we'll provide the tools and instruction for doing this.

Are You Ready To Party?
As a participating author in a facebook party, you'll be expected to advertise on your blog/ website using the party badge, invite your facebook friends and share in as many other social outlets as possible. Our twitter hashtags are #MFRWorg and #MFRWauthor. Include these for bonus re-tweets! *When sharing the badge, include party link: https://www.facebook.com/events/239565416167458*

Participating authors will sign up to host for one or two hours. During that time, you'll be expected to post up to two excerpts, PG-13 or below, share cover art, give away at least one free book using a contest format and otherwise interact with attendees through the posts.

More Details will be provided to those who sign up as it gets closer to the event. For now, click on both links below to become a participating author.

Authors: CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN PARTY PAGE.

Questions?
Just Ask Paloma. Leave A Comment.

Newbie's World #MFRWorg @AuthorErinMoore What is my brand?

Branding. It’s a question that new authors have a lot. And it should be one that we can define
easily for others. But how do we know what it is? And what do we do about it once we know?

credit to Miguel Anxo at deviantart.com

First, a definition, for which I give heartfelt thanks to Theresa Myer’s amazing white paper: Today when we talk about an author brand we are talking about building an image, perception or identity that is used to create "emotional Velcro" first, a perception of higher quality second and that little "something special" that no one else can offer third.

If you happened to read my article on a similar topic on Savvy Authors (of course you did!), we discussed getting readers to 1. Know us, then 2. Like us, and 3. Love us. This is the same concept. The example Theresa gives is a reader walking into a bookstore and asking for the latest Nora Roberts book. They are not asking for the title – they are asking for the brand, Nora Roberts.

So how do we get the Nora Roberts brand?

1. Define your own brand.
Writing Exercise: (some my own, some stolen from Ali Cross’ amazing post). Answer any or all.

• Look up your favorite authors, musicians, artists and see what resonates. What emotions are they evoking, and is it something that grabs you, or turns you off?
• List out seven adjectives for your books.
• List out seven adjectives for your ideal reader. 
• Determine what makes you unique – everyone can be hot, smexy, playful – let’s dig a little deeper. 
• What message do you hope that your readers will walk away from their interactions with you and/or your books? 
• What do you bring to the world – not just to writing, but to the world? 
• Do you need one brand, or multiple? Perhaps an umbrella brand could work, keeping in mind keeping up with various brands. (Though, if you write in many different and distinct genres, trying to keep it all together may be even harder…)

2. Refine your brand.
a. Tagline – this should be the synthesis of everything you went through in the exercises. Short, different, and easy to remember.

b. Website/blog—blogging on your topic, at least 25% of the time, will help readers come to trust you on your expert subject.

c. Logo—what images define you/your brand? This may be something you need some help with, in which case, experiment by yourself first so that you have an idea of what you do and don’t want before paying someone else.

d. Twitter/Facebook—Again, talking about your expert knowledge at least 25% of the time will bring readers back to you. They will come to know and expect your advice/insight/humorous take on whatever subject(s) you have chosen.

This will be a continually evolving process, one that will always need refinement. But the core of your brand should not change drastically. And if you find that it needs to, then it’s possible that you will need to create a different brand entirely (with all of the same work involved) for that new brand.

In closing, I would like to say “please do as I say, not as I do” on this topic. I’m a WIP. Now, talk to me... let me know about your brand! What has worked for you?

Erin
Erin writes paranormal romances as Erin Moore and has only just begun to learn all about marketing them! She contributes to the MFRW Marketing Blog with her monthly column, A Newbie's World.

She is usually found on Twitter, but may soon be on an Amazon binge, so look out! She manages two monsters and one unruly husband in Atlanta, main-lining chocolate and tea. Look her up on www.AuthorErinMoore.com or, of course, on Twitter: @AuthorErinMoore.

Group E-Mail Etiquette: How to win friends and avoid scolding while staying in touch with your group #MFRWOrg

E-mail is a great method of communicating, giving us instant communication with minimal expense. In a group setting, e-mail helps you get in touch with a large audience with no more effort than you would expend contacting a single recipient.
This wonderful opportunity to communicate can also be a wonderful opportunity to irritate. Following a few guidelines can avoid irritation from your fellow posters and list moderators. You see the requests to please trim, please change the subject line, please please please... Sometimes the impression is one of nannies fussing about table manners, and you might wonder what difference does it make if you don’t trim your post. Having the whole conversation in one place just makes it easier for someone to follow.
    Doesn’t it?
    It certainly seems like it would be easier, and it’s absolutely faster to dash off a reply and hit send.
    Except: not everyone in a discussion group receives messages as individual e-mails. So when you write: “Does anyone know where the pearl is?” And someone answers “The pearl is in the river” it comes out on e-mail:

***
The pearl is in the river
Cindy Lou Who Whoville Seussland

Does anyone know where the pearl is?
Sandy Paws, Beach City Ozland

Then another writer joins the conversation with :

What kind of pearls are you finding in the river?
Furry Fawcet, Happyland South Branch

The pearl is in the river
Cindy Lou Who Whoville Seussland

Does anyone know where the pearl is?
Sandy Paws, Beach City Ozland

***
And so on. Each successive message includes the entire train of preceding messages. For someone on digest, this becomes a never ending mass of missives. This example includes one line messages. Imagine how this would read with longer messages and complex signature lines. Yeah, it can get really messy.
Trimming messages depends on your mail program, but you can generally block out the extra verbiage and then click control and X (cntrl+X) If necessary you can leave in one or two lines from the original post. Your loop companions will thank you fervently.

SUBJECT LINES:
Often a group discussion segues into multiple other topics. The initial discussion might concern formatting e-books and by the time the posters finish every facet of contracts and agents and rights might have been covered. If the subject line is still “E-book Formatting in Traditional Romance” then some valuable information might be missed by readers who are not interested in formatting their e-books. It helps to add a word or two relating to the added information. “E-book Formatting in Traditional Romance/agent contracts” will let readers know additional information is available.
However if there is a radical change in subjects it might be a good idea to start an entirely new subject, which will establish a new message trail and make it easier to follow the new subject. This also makes it easier to find and follow subjects of interest in the Yahoo group.

How, you might wonder, do we get to the Yahoo group? Glad you asked.. If you scroll down to the bottom of your loop message, you’ll see:

Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MarketingForRomanceWriters/
Website: http://marketingforromancewriters.org/

Visit Your Group

By clicking on the Group link, or on Visit Your Group, you’ll go directly to the Yahoo group home page, where you can search messages and follow the message trails. Kind of nifty, isn’t it?

Following these few simple suggestions will ensure good communication and uncomplicated messages. Even better, you won’t receive moderator messages imploring you to PLEASE trim. This might not be all sunshine and roses but it will make everyone involved much happier!
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Posted by Mona Karel, Bloghop Coordinator and Moderator for Marketing for Romance Writers

Website http://mona-karel.com

Blog http://mona-karel.com/blog/

Twitter http://twitter.com/MonaKarel

Facebook https://facebook.com/pages/Mona-Karel/101308129961137

Goodreads http://goodreads.com/author/show/4878639.Mona_Karel