Promo promo promo...I need new ideas!

I blog, do blog tours, blog hops, guest blogging spots, interviews.

I Twitter and Facebook.

I have Goodreads and Amazon author pages.

I did a Goodreads ad.

I do online chats (when I can remember).

I participate in online contests and giveaways.

I've organized a Street Team and sent them all kinds of materials to hand out.

I did a local book fair.

I do local open mic nights.

But so far, none of this has given me the sales figures I desire. I need to do more. I want to do more. I just don't know what. I am out of ideas. But I won't be that media whore who blitzes everyone all day with "BUY ME!" posts. Not my style. And from everything I've read, it's not cool anyway.

What am I missing? Are there some great marketing ideas I have missed?? Remember I am a struggling author...so if it takes money, I probably can't do it.

Help! Please!

Anyone got a Street Team?? I do!!

I am so super excited about this!!!!!!

I heard about a Street Team a while back and thought it sounded like something cool to do. Something new....a different way to reach readers. So I gave it some thought, and through the wonderful Facebook, I knew I had an easy way to contact friends who lived all over the country. So I set to work contacting them! And I put together a small group of friends- 6 women- representing CA, MA, FL, TX, MO, and OK. So excited to get started!!

I ordered a bunch of promotional materials- postcards, rack cards, magnets, stickers- all inexpensive or free (LOVE Vistaprint!). Waiting for those to arrive and then I will send them off to my friends to distribute to their friends and family, hand out to coworkers, tack up on community boards and at the library. I put together a press release too, so they'll be getting those to take into book stores.

And in exchange for their help, each will get a signed copy of my book and in the future, if they would like to continue helping me out, will receive advance copies of my books and other fun stuff.

Has anyone else done a Street Team?? What are you doing? Any advice???

And before you click away....DEFINITELY go check out Shannon Messenger's AWESOME giveaway to celebrate her book deal!!

Is it best to be everywhere??

As everyone knows....or if you don't know....pull up a seat and listen close....authors need to do about 99% of their own promotion these days. Unless you're Stephen king or JK Rowling....

But the rest of us need to put our names and books out there...entice readers to spend their hard-earned dollars on our book. Social media has made this relatively easy. There are so many places to put your face and books: Facebook groups and author pages, Twitter, blogs, Goodreads, Yahoo groups, LinkedIn, and a million other places.

But what is best?? Where should you spend your time? Is more better?

I am lucky enough to stay home and not work outside of my home. I have one child home with me and another who is in school full day. I get a decent amount of time each day to work and network. But I still have many interruptions and responsibilities. So it's not always all that great. I do what I can. But that means I have to limit the time I spend doing Twitter, Facebook, Blogging, etc... I could spend hours and hours each day doing that. But that means I get little or no time to actually write.

And what about the working writer who has to do the 9-5 all day and only has a couple hours each evening to do all their writing related things???? They can't spend all of their little time networking and promoting. Or they'd never have anything new to promote.

So my question today is...does it really pay to have your face and hand in EVERYTHING out there???

I do what I can...I think I'd rather do a couple things, and really do them right, than try and visit a million places each day. But I have days where I feel like I'm not doing enough. that I should be doing more. But then my work in progress suffers. There's only so many hours in the day and I can't neglect my family (and I don't want to). And as much as I would loooooove it...I cannot survive on an hour of sleep.

Lastly today, if you can help me out...I have gotten my survey up and running!!! Yay!! It is for readers ONLY, not writers, so please please please send the link to anyone you think may help be willing to help me out!! I will be posting the results here on my blog in a few weeks!! I think the info will be very valuable for all authors!! Survey

Promotion.....what do you think about it???

Promotion, promotion, promotion!!!!

Writing a fabulous book and finding an agent and publisher is no longer all a writer has to do to succeed. Once the editing is done and the cover designed....we as writers need to take marketing and promotion into our own hands. Well, actually.....you should probably start way before that....build a "platform".

I started building my platform before I received my book contract. I got myself on Myspace as a writer-something separate from my personal account, as well as a Fan Page on Facebook. I tried the Twitter thing but at first it didn't really appeal to me. I gave it a second chance and I'm enjoying much more now. I started this blog back in March of 09 as another way to get myself out there and network. It did however, turn into much more...something I wasn't quite expecting. I started to make friends and found great support and camaraderie.

So for some further promotion...for me and also a great place for other writers and romance readers to go.....gotta check this out!! Coffee Time Romance is a great site: book reviews, chats, interviews, contests, free short stories. You can even make an ecard with a romance novel cover to send to your girlfriends!!!! How cool is that????

Coffee Time Romance also has a Youtube page with tons and tons of great book trailers (yours truly is featured under Chick Lit and Contemporary!) Please check it out and share it with your romance-loving friends!!!

And don't forget about my Karma Story Contest!! It's open till Friday!!!