In a previous article, we touched on the importance of cross-promoting with your fellow writer. Today we are going to discuss and share examples of targeting your main focus toward one specific grouping – your own specific genre.
So you’re friends with Joe – he writes history, you write romance. While it is a great idea for you two to market each other, you need to make sure you are connecting with other writers who have a similar brand as yours.
One of the biggest hurdles I see writers facing with online marketing, is finding the ever elusive “reader.” By joining forces with others who write in the same genre, you are quadrupling your chances of connecting with more fans of your trade, which will hopefully translate into more fans for you and of course, more sales. So don’t be afraid to reach out to others in your genre that you may have not connected with yet. Together, you can conquer your market and promote each other.
So what is the best way to promote in my genre?
There really is no limit to what you can do. The best advice is to keep it original and fresh. We’ve recently touched on contests and hashtags, which are both excellent ways to help promote your product. To stand out in this ever-changing market place you may want to go a step further and collaborate on a group promotional effort. For instance, fellow writers Jim Bronyaur and Maria Kelly teamed up to create #Horrorchat13. This is an excellent example of how they not only created their own hashtag, but a project that generates a buzz around a genre they both are passionate about.
Another excellent example of genre specific cross-promotions is to have your work advertised at the end of similar books. For example, at the end of Susan Bischoff‘s book you will find two pages that read:
Can’t get enough paranormal teen romance? Try these great indie authors…
and
Like paranormal romance with adult characters? Here are some other indie favs…
These recommendations will be seen by each of her readers.
It is also best to remember that while some marketing campaigns will work across the board for all genres, there are a variety of different ways to make your specific genre shine even brighter. What historical fiction readers and writers are interested in is going to differ greatly from those into horror. The best marketing plans aren’t created overnight. They are developed after careful thought and research. So gather your team and sit back and observe what others in the field are doing. As a group you not only have the ability to create a very unique plan, but also have a much larger voice than if you go it alone.
While there are already numerous genre specific groups that exist, for maximum exposure and name recognition, you are better off creating something unique to you and your brand.
Until next time, Happy Marketing!
~L.M. Stull
