TWC SPOTLIGHT

Visit the archives at  http://www.aweber.com/z/article/?chatroom   

November means Thanksgiving  in the US. (Also election day, but politics aren't allowed in the chatroom.) What are you thankful for this year? 

Having an "Attitude of Gratitude" can make amazing changes in your outlook. It's easy to miss the little things in life, when you're focused on the big, bad things that happen. But taking a moment to sit back and acknowledge the good things can turn your mood completely around. 

This year has been an amazing one for The Writer's Chatroom. Our site has grown tremendously, as has our membership. There are now over 1600 people who want to hear from us! I hope we are giving you what you need to move your career forward. Or at least giving you a smile now and then. Sometimes, a smile is enough. 

I am very thankful for my partners, Linda Hutchinson and Renee Barnes. I seem to be the one out in front most often, but I couldn't do it without them to back me up.  

Linda books guests, moderates chats, promotes our site all over the place, writes articles and copy for our newsletters and website, and swoops in to pick up the balls when I drop them. And I'm not very good at juggling.

Renee prefers to stay behind the scenes, but that doesn't mean she's not working hard. She has full responsibility for our MySpace page, AND the forum. She went on vacation in July, and I nearly lost my mind trying to keep up to new subscribers on the forum. The MySpace page wasn't touched until she got back. She's also great about doing research for Linda and I, and does a lot of promotion herself.  

Without my partners, you wouldn't have this newsletter...or the great chats, the forum, or most of the other things we bring you. So, in honor of Thanksgiving, here's a shout-out to my girls. You rock! 

Okay, I'm getting emotional now. Better get on with the introduction to this month's newsletter. Ahem! 

We all know that writers have to promote themselves in today's world. The mere thought of marketing makes many writers run for cover. Get out from under the bed! Promoting yourself isn't nearly as bad as you think. Read on for the basics of marketing, and then one of my favorite places to get free promotion tips. 

For those of you who are ready to take the plunge but don't know where to start, I'm running my Basic Branding and Marketing workshop one more time this year. Full details are at http://www.writerschatroom.com/workshop.htm , but you need to hurry. My schedule won't allow me to run it again until next summer. 

Linda found a guest who caught my attention. I read his book, and loved it. Toward the end of the newsletter, you'll find my review of The Cleaner by Brett Battles. If you like thrillers, you don't want to miss this one! And be sure to join us in the chatroom on November 11 to meet Brett in (virtual) person. 

Keep writing!

Audrey

Visit our forum.  Meet our members. Keep the discussions going after chat. Learn where the hottest markets are for your genre. Find a critique or writing partner. Get inspiration, education, and social interaction at the same place: http://writerschatroom.com/forum/index.php

M-M-Marketing!  by Audrey Shaffer

Did you cringe? Most writers want to write, then have someone else sell their work. Unfortunately, those days are gone. Today's writers have to be marketers too. 

But wait! It's not as bad as you think. Nobody wants you to become a shady used-car salesman. If you think of marketing as simply letting people know about you and your work, it isn't nearly as scary. 

Today's consumer is savvy. They don't fall for every shiny thing that comes down the pike. They buy a lot of shiny things, but they tend to get more information before plunking down their hard earned dollars. 

What do you want to know before you buy something? The basic questions...What's in it for me? Is this product going to make me richer, smarter, sexier, happier? If so, how? Who says? And a new twist is, "don't waste my time". 

These are the things you want to focus on when putting your marketing plan together: What will my book add to the buyers life? How will it do that? Who will vouch for me? How can I get this across to the most people in the shortest time? 

If you write fiction, your book probably isn't going to make anyone richer, smarter, or sexier. BUT, if you spin a good yarn, you can entertain them and bring them enjoyment. A great book takes the reader out of their life and puts them into a new situation for a while. Make them laugh, cry, scream in fright, cower in fear, swoon with passion. Make sure your marketing lets them know what to expect. 

Viral marketing is the best way to become a bestselling author. Get people talking about your book, and more will be willing to buy it. If a friend who shares my reading tastes tells me that I HAVE to read a new author, I go looking for them. My friend knows what I like, and I trust her to steer me right. Why do you think any book Oprah mentions sells like hotcakes? People trust her opinion. 

Once you know what you can add to the buyers life, and have found people they trust to recommend you, it's time to find your buyers. Today, the internet is the logical place to look first. Find reading groups who are interested in your genre. Get reviews from reviewers who know your genre. Start a newsletter and collect email addresses from interested people. Get mentioned anywhere your potential readers hang out. If they don't hear about your book, they can't buy it. 

Be careful not to waste the readers time. Once you get them to your blog or website, give them what they're looking for right up front. A big picture of your book cover on the home page, linking to an excerpt. A Buy Now link to the right, in case they are ready to buy right away. Blurbs in the borders and around the cover, to convince them that they want THIS book. A Buy link at the end of the excerpt, for those who weren't ready to buy before reading a sample.  

Your website needs to have a bio page. The ones who will look at it are people who have read your book and are now fans, or people who haven't decided yet. In either case, you want a bio that will reassure and convince.  

Romance writer? You can tell a bit about your horrible divorce, as long as you follow it with your new marriage that is made in heaven. If you don't have a new one, don't mention the old one. Play up the romantic elements in your life. 

Horror author? Skew your bio toward the spooky side. Maybe not far enough to make them think you're a serial killer, but enough to let them know that your mind works in dark and scary ways. 

Non-fiction? Lay out your qualifications for whatever your book is about. Show that you know what you're talking about. 

Whatever your genre, your bio needs to show that your life has made you an expert. Doubting readers must be assured that they will get what they are looking for, if they buy your book. 

There are many other things you can add to your website, but those are the basics that will sell your book. See? That isn't so bad, is it? 

Change your thinking. Marketing isn't conning people into giving you money. Basic Marketing is simply: 

1. How you can make the buyer happy.
2. Recommendations from people the buyer trusts.
3. Getting the word out in the right places.
4. Passing along information quickly.

You know your book, and you know it's good. Now get out there and let others know!

For more information, visit our schedule page.

All chats start at 7 pm EST.

I find the Spotlight newsletter very interesting. Short and sweet and still very informative. I also visit the website quiet often and like everything I find there. So, please keep up the good work. Tannia E. Ortiz-Lopés

Blog/Website Spotlight

Joan Stewart is a Publicity Hound, and she wants you to be one too. With 22 years experience as a newspaper editor and reporter, she KNOWS what she's talking about. 

Her blog (http://www.publicityhound.net/ ) is loaded with tips and idea for promotion. Her website (http://www.publicityhound.com/ ) has even more. Sign up for her free newsletter, and she'll email you a bunch of tips every week. 

Explore the site and blog, and you can pick up dozens of free tips, reports, and even an ebook with the best tips from her newsletter. I've been getting the Publicity Hound weekly newsletter for a long time now, and I love it. I learn something new every week, and the discussions keep giving me new promotion ideas.  

Make sure you sign up for her "89 Ways to Write Powerful Press Releases" . One tip per day, for 89 days. Yes, every one is good. I got the entire 89 last year, and STILL haven't managed to use them all. But since they are sent by email, they are yours to keep.  

Need more sales? Become a Publicity Hound! Joan will show you how.

Book Review