Diva Jefferson

When a writer finishes a novel and lands a contract with a publisher, his/her work is not done. Actually, it's far from being over with. Whether you traditionally publish or self-publish, the road is still the same. There is a lot of promotion and marketing ahead that only you can do. Yes, some publishers will kick-start your career by knowing people in the right fields, but most of the time you're the only one who can meet with your readers and give them a reason to read your books.

Here are some ways to start the process before you finish the work in progress:
--Social media networks are the key. If you don't have an established Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, or Myspace account, those readers who join those sites to find the latest information about their favorite authors will miss out on what you have to offer.

I'd wear one, would you?

--An author website is all the rage. This is the best way to show readers your latest releases and provide press information.

--A blog comes in handy for writers who like to help other writers in the craft and connect with even more readers. At the end of the blog tour for To Love An Irishman, I joined my first blog hop and I had over 40 people comment on one post!

--Make a name for yourself. A brand, even. You could create a tagline or interact with as much people as possible. The more readers who hear your name will remember it in the future.

--Other ways to promote include hosting a giveaway on Goodreads, having a release party for your book at your house or a friends, making t-shirts like the one above, creating a hangout session on Google+ to interact with your readers through video, etc.

It doesn't matter what you do, just get out there. Yes, I could've done a lot more for my debut release, attended conferences and hosted a party in my hometown, but I chose to do most of my marketing online. I created a video during the book release party, and I was interviewed by several blog owners.

The best thing about self-promotion is that you learn more tips and tricks along the way.

Right now, I'm on the home-stretch of my work in progress. In between writing and the other projects I have going on, I'm starting the promotion for my book. And it doesn't have a publisher yet. :)

Do you have any tips that are not mentioned here? How do you self-promote your books? Please tell me in a comment below. Thank you for reading!



Happy writing!
Diva J.

Okay. I admit it. Distraction is my own worst enemy. I don't think I could go a day without checking Facebook or Twitter. I know you're not the only one. Social media is contagious. I mean we tweet about EVERYTHING that happens in our lives. It's what people want to read right now.

Well, we no longer have two contenders for our time. Along with Twitter and Facebook, there is a growing number of people joining Google+, LinkedIn, and you guessed it, Pinterest. Did you know that Pinterest is the leading site for women? We make up over 80% of all users.

Pinterest was started in 2010 and is an online bulletin board used to visually share information.

Okay. As writers, we sell a lot of books based on what our covers look like, right? Well what if you want to show people what inspired the characters, or the setting? I created a bulletin board based on my latest release. It's a visual walk-through of the book.

I'm also using a bulletin board right now to plan my wedding. I post pictures of wedding dresses I like, locations I want to get married at, and everything in between. My friends and family give me feedback on what I'm pinning.

I think most people don't like Pinterest, because it's slowly taking away the prestige Facebook and Twitter offers. We spend so much time on there as it is adding friends, updating content, following people, etc. When a new social media outlet steps in, we have to start from scratch. Another reason why people don't like it, is because it takes away the written word. Of course, you can always write long captions to explain what the pictures mean. I've had many people 'like' my photos and place quotes underneath them. Young people love visually stimulating material. Sometimes the only way to influence someone is to show them.

For me, Pinterest is just another way to waste my time. At least, the pictures are pretty. :)
I know I've asked this before, but what is your favorite social media tool?



Happy writing!
-Diva J.