Hello Fellow Bloggers!
I haven’t posted anything for nearly five weeks now and I feel terribly guilty.
You may (or may not) have noticed.
The lack of posts, that is,not the guilt.
Following the upload of my book to Amazon, I have had my head down and have been peddling (!) furiously in an effort to spread the word about ‘A Construct of Angels’.
Complimentary PDF copies have been sent out to those who assisted me in the research phase back in 2010.
I’ve produced laminated posters and around 300 bookmarks (Excellent idea, thanks Sonya!) which have been passed out to everyone who admitted to being a reader of books. The bookmarks have also been liberally scattered wherever reading material (magazines and books) were found to be clustered on waiting room tables.
My works vehicle has become an advertising hoarding, plastered with magnetic signs in the hope of generating further interest.
I’ve fluffed up my Facebook account, joined MySpace, KindleBoards, a dozen authors’ forums at LinkedIn, the World Literary Cafe, Goodreads and sent links to half-a-dozen book review sites.
Next up is CreateSpace, Search Inside the Book and Author Central.
I’m even considering contacting regional newspapers as a ‘local author’ to see if they’d be interested.
I have, however, stopped short of Tweeting, although it has now become apparent to me how useful it could be. Tweeting 140 characters instead of waiting for a spare half-hour (which never seems to arrive) to compose a full post? That has possibilities. I may yet find myself becoming a Twitter convert.
Naturally, with all the new traffic, I now find that my Inbox is overwhelmed *sighs* and is now in need of a re-jig, i.e. creating new folders for comments, updates and notifications to flow into.
And on top of all that, I have finally, finally managed to forge ahead with my sequel, ‘A Vengeance of Angels’.
By an odd and completely unplanned coincidence, I began it on the first day of NaNoWriMo. Not that I could keep up that sort of pace. 1500 words a day? The first day saw me pen around 1000 words. The second? About 500. And so on down a sliding scale until I found myself not writing at all on some days.
But I’m back in the saddle and currently 10,000 words or so into ‘Vengeance’ and re-discovering the joy of ‘pantsing’ – but more on that later.
The project that I’m most excited about is slowly coming together. Normally, my work bats me around the country like a ping-pong ball, but lately, I’ve been working in one place for the past six weeks and that looks to continue up until Christmas. So, I’ve contacted a local drama group with a proposition; Would they like to be actors and extras in a three-minute video that will ultimately serve to promote ‘Construct’?
My question has apparently caused a great deal of excitement amongst the students. Their Head of Department is currently reading through ‘Construct’ and is very keen to discuss my ideas.
Watch this space…
So, what I now need to ask is; in addition to the endeavours above, has anyone had notable success with any particular method of advertising?
Bearing in mind that ‘Construct’ is an eBook, activities such as book signings and book parties wouldn’t work, unless anyone has a ‘twist’ that could be applied…
As always, all ideas and comments are welcomed. 😀
Write on!
jumpingfromcliffs
Nov 26, 2012 @ 16:43:13
So where do we find you on Twitter? What’s your @?
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 26, 2012 @ 17:14:18
@AndrewToynbee
😀
That way, even I couldn’t forget it…
Maybe.
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jumpingfromcliffs
Nov 26, 2012 @ 17:16:27
Aha! Cunning… gotcha 😉
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 26, 2012 @ 17:21:50
Gotcha back! 🙂
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Michelle Proulx
Nov 24, 2012 @ 21:18:25
Congrats! And I now see what you meant when you said you’d been away for a month, lol. Look at you, accomplishing things! Marketing … hmm. Well, for one, I’d suggest putting a big link to your book at the end of each blog post. Don’t shamelessly plug it, obviously, but just a nice, discreet little link at the end of each post at least gives interested peeps a way to link to your book. See, I want to go check it out, but I don’t know where to go! What will I do? Ahhhhhh!
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 24, 2012 @ 23:44:34
Michelle
That’s a great idea. Might put a cheeky little thumbnail next to my ‘write on’ netbook logo that links to Amazon…if I can get that to work 🙂
Check it out;
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Michelle Proulx
Nov 25, 2012 @ 01:12:30
Oooh, your book sounds fun! I may have to ask for it for Christmas, though, as I’m somewhat broke at the moment. Make sure you do another shameless plug around Christmas time so I don’t forget to add it to my wishlist.
Also, did you see that review titled “Interesting”? I enjoyed its complete lack of comprehensible English.
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 25, 2012 @ 01:58:10
Michelle
I didn’t see that ‘interesting’ review (I’ve just checked Amazon out). It wasn’t for my book, was it?
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Michelle Proulx
Nov 25, 2012 @ 04:24:09
I swear I saw it. Hang on … it’s not there any more! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. Maybe it was a troll review, and Amazon took it down already. That has to be it.
I’m not crazy.
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 25, 2012 @ 13:19:14
I believe you….honest *Pats Michelle softly on the head.*
BTW – are you on LinkedIn? I’d like to connect but there seem to be many, many peeps with your name.
🙂
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Michelle Proulx
Nov 25, 2012 @ 16:01:55
I am, but I don’t think I’ve actually been on that site in about three years. Umm … let me see … okay, I have no idea how to add you.
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 26, 2012 @ 12:50:19
I think so – When you have a chance please see if there is a message for you – if you can remember your password! 🙂
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Michelle Proulx
Nov 26, 2012 @ 16:01:19
I’ve got this logging-in thing DOWN. You have no idea. And I didn’t see any messages …? At least, none from your glorious self.
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 26, 2012 @ 17:17:58
Are you affiliated with Trent University in Ontario?
If not, then you have a Doppelganger in the city…
:O
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Michelle Proulx
Nov 26, 2012 @ 17:51:00
I’m not at all affiliated. Trent, you say? Seems I’ll have to get out my Dopple Gun (TM) and go pay a “visit” to my lookalike. Dum dum dum …
I went to the University of Western Ontario, if that helps narrow things down.
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 27, 2012 @ 11:41:54
LOL @ Dopple Gun (TM)
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jumpingfromcliffs
Nov 23, 2012 @ 17:18:04
Twitter, meh! I can’t be entertaining, witty, suave, charismatic and engaging in 140 characters. I can barely achieve it in 140,000.
But it’s a Marmite thing – you love Twitter or hate it. I find it rather self-serving – doesn’t stop me (occasionally) using it though. One word of advice – make sure you offer value; provide content, food for thought, interesting links and the odd cute kitten. The last thing Twitter needs is anyone else yelling “Buy my book!” all the time.
Not that I think you would of course, you’re not like that 🙂
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 23, 2012 @ 23:29:13
No, you’re right.
Buymybookbymybookbuymybook
🙂
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Ryan Casey
Nov 23, 2012 @ 14:58:10
Great to see you on Twitter, Andy!
Yeah, I guess the main thing to remember is just to be yourself on there, really. There are thousands of ‘how-to tweet’ guides, but there really are no rules other than don’t spam, and like you say, you’re wary/conscious of that anyway. So yes, just have fun with it. It’s a slow-burner, like I say, but it’s a great way to reach new people. 🙂
Ryan
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 23, 2012 @ 15:12:31
I will endeavour not to be a ‘Silly Tweet.’
🙂
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Ryan Casey
Nov 22, 2012 @ 17:23:36
Congrats Andrew! Great to see you are going marketing mad, although I understand how stressful it can be.
A word on Twitter — use it! Okay, that’s two words, but seriously. It’s 100% the best social network out there. I’ve actually built around 60% of my regular blogging audience through tweeting useful content, sharing my own stuff (from time to time) and being myself! It’s a slow-burn, but one you should totally start right now.
As for the other 40% — probably 20% Facebook and 20% search engines. Twitter can help strongly with the latter in that it boosts SEO. Not including friends and family in these studies by the way.
But yes — get on Twitter! I’d even say completely ditch the MySpace in favour of a Twitter, it’s that important. MySpace is/was good for bands attempting to gain exposure, but I find it has little use nowadays. Of course, if you convince me otherwise, I might change my mind. 😉
Anyway, fantastic to see you’re doing so well with the marketing. Keep it up! Looking forward to reading A Construct of Angels — impressed with the chapters I’ve read so far.
Ryan
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 22, 2012 @ 22:30:22
Ryan. I will have a closer look at Twitter. I haven’t really done much with MySpace up until now. Might just look in and comment every so often. I have a lot of writing friends of Facebook, so that’s my mainstay. To be honest, and a lot of people will feel the same as me, I wonder ‘will anything I post on Twitter be of any real interest?’ But then, I didn’t post on WordPress for a year because of the same uncertainty.
Aside from ‘buy my book, buy my book’ I’m not sure I would have much to say.
I think I will have to do what I did with the blogs and see what everyone else is posting / Tweeting – then join in at some point.
Thanks for the advice – the stats do seem to advise joining the twitter-sphere.
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 23, 2012 @ 14:17:33
Ryan
I’ve only been and gone and done it.
See you on Twitter and thanks again for the advice!
Andy
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mdkenning
Nov 22, 2012 @ 02:15:46
I completely understand I didn’t blog for about a month myself, and was only doing so sparingly before that. funny how real life can interfere so much 🙂 Congratulations on getting the book out!
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Andrew Toynbee
Nov 22, 2012 @ 22:32:00
Thanks.
I just felt as if I neglecting everyone who helped make my publishing possible.
Back now, though. Like being home again!
🙂
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