Showing posts with label What Works and what doesn't. Show all posts
Showing posts with label What Works and what doesn't. Show all posts

Monday, August 7, 2017

FEATURED!


An awesome blogging friend, C. Lee McKenzie, author of some truly fabulous YA novels, and a blog called THE WRITE GAME has chosen me as Featured Author for the month of August. I am beyond honored, and truly thrilled for this great marketing opportunity.

WOW!

THANK YOU, LEE!



And she's sharing MY BOOKS!



It takes a true artist to pursue his victims in the art of seduction, and Stowy Jenkins is no exception, especially with blood as his medium.


Excerpt:

Reality Check
 The axe struck again and again. The surrounding snow-covered mountains echoed each chop. Muscles rippled, and sweat glistened on a bare chest, but with each strike, the tension eased from Steven’s body. Jena’s rejection and Reed’s continued dismissal from key crime scenes had him searching for answers, and the mountains of the Brooks Range was the place he always found them. His Uncle Sky Quinn’s cabin had always been a sanctuary. After his Uncle Atian was murdered, Quinn, an Inuit tracker, became Steven’s honorary uncle and took over as his mentor and trainer. But Quinn was much more than that to Steven, and while calling him uncle was a sign of respect, he knew Quinn thought of him as a son.
“I had several days’ work out here,” Quinn said when he handed Steven a bottle of water. “Appreciate your efforts. You remind me of Atian. He used to do the same thing when troubled.”
Steven grinned, drank half the bottle of water, and poured the rest over his head. “It’s just what I needed.”
“The water or the work?”
“Both.” Steven began stacking the wood.
Quinn picked up a couple pieces of wood and added them to the stack. They worked together in silence until Quinn asked, “What’s going on?”
Steven put the last of the wood on the pile. “There’s a monster killing young women in Anchorage.”
“Why do you think he’s doing it?”
“Because he can. Because he gets off on it. Because the bastard has the means.”
“So, he walks among ordinary folk, his evil cleverly hidden.”
“Exactly. How do I unmask the beast?”
“Make him come to you.”
“If I were his type that would make it easy,” Steven frowned. “But I think this monster means to make the state bleed.
“Such creatures are cunning. You need to make yourself known to the beast. Get in his way. But, remember, if you bait a grizzly, be prepared for a ferocious fight.”



&



A killer plays cat and mouse with a young widow against the snowy backdrop of an Alaskan winter. 




World damnation is a psychotic man’s goal, but two obstacles stand in his way, greed and a dedicated detective.

&





Flames burn between a hardboiled cop and a gifted artist, but soon extinguish as another man’s obsession ignites into an inferno of desire, driving him to destroy the object of his madness.

Monday, January 20, 2014

WHAT WORKS & WHAT DOESN'T!



Thank you all for your participation in this marketing symposium for  
What Works and What Doesn't.

The brainchild of Arlee Bird, and hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh, Jeremy Hawkins, and me. I hope this becomes an annual event and that each year new successes are reported because of what we've all shared!

Here is my two cents!

BOOKS

Since my current business is writing and marketing what I write, I'll start there with my contribution. So far, what I've found is that when it comes to successfully marketing a book – the secret appears to be throwing as much money as you can at it. Buy ads, buy reviews, buy twitter friends, and hire publicists that promise for only $3000 we can make your book a best seller on Amazon. 

I know, cynical. That's why, when Arlee asked me to be part of this project I agreed. I don't have buckets of money to throw at my novels, so like most of you I am trying to do this the hard way, the way we're all told should work – build a platform, network online, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc. etc!

With all that in mind I created a page on Facebook for my novel, Murder, Madness & Love, but couldn't get the 'likes' I saw that others had, so I paid to advertise my page. I was able to get over 500 likes, but I'm almost positive those likes did not translate into sales. 

C. Hope Clark has a site called Funds for Writers and a book called The Shy Writer and I highly recommend all of it - if you're a new writer, a shy writer, or a seasoned pro!
 
Another positive that I've found for selling books is a review. It has always increased the sales figures, especially if posted on a blog

And in that regard, I made it my New Year's resolution to post reviews for all the books I've read. I'm behind on that goal, and I assume I always will be. Because for every book I've read and reviewed, I've added five more to my TBR list. It's an ongoing circle, but I will give it my best effort, I hope you and other readers will too!

 Have you had better success with Facebook? 
Do you find that a review increases sales?
Do you have a secret for getting readers to write a review?

BLOGS

In my opinion, if you're looking for success with your blog in regards to the numbers of followers and comments – a blog fest is the quickest way to meet new bloggers. The catch is in the commenting. When I get busy and can't reach all my favorites, I see the number of comments drop on my posts too. 

Another catch 22 because time is a valuable commodity and commenting takes a lot of time. The two most successful people I've seen are Alex J Cavanaugh, our Ninja captain, and Pat Hatt at It's Rhyme Time. Both are very successful with not only posting regularly, but they both respond to the commenters on their site while visiting other sites too. I am in awe gentlemen!

As well as paying to advertise my books FB page, I've also tried boosting (paying to advertise) blog posts, especially guest posts and book reviews. Facebook claims I had several thousand viewers for each post I boosted and the numbers all depend on how much you're willing to spend. Again I wasn't sure those viewers actually viewed the blog post. 

My opportunity to find out happened when I posted on Arlee's blog, I paid for a boost on Facebook and told Arlee what I was doing. Arlee said he saw an increase in the readers to that particular post, but it was nowhere close to the numbers that Facebook reported. My conclusion, I may have just wasted more of my hard-earned money.

What about you, have you boosted a blog on FB page and seen results?
 

ADVICE FOR ANY BUSINESS

I recently read another news report about a bookkeeper brought up on embezzlement charges. These stories always upset me because this kind of crime is so easy to avoid. As a former accountant I'm going to address that here even though it's not about marketing success or failure, but it is about successful management. Most all of the companies involved aren't large, most are churches, fire stations, car dealerships, etc. But the money stolen is huge!

So my advice to all business owners especially the small or not for profit, but truthfully - ANY BUSINESS - do not, and I'll repeat myself – DO NOT give one individual total access to your cash, your bank accounts, any of your funds! 

If you have an accountant, its fine to allow them be a signer on the bank accounts, but make sure, you, as CEO, owner, manager, or boss, are the second signer! Any check can be designed with two signature lines – and this is easily arranged with your bank. 

Also, when you sign those checks make sure that all the back-up paperwork is there!  Each check has to have an invoice and you should recognize the Payee. Know who your creditors are and ask questions when something looks odd. 

Again, I'll repeat myself - NEVER – EVER give one person signatory rights! I don't care if the person doing your books is someone you've known all your life or trust implicitly! 

Also, if you are the accountant or bookkeeper – no matter what company you're working for, insist on two signatures. This is your first line of defense too!

Consider doing an audit. It sounds expensive but like all things there are different types of audits with different costs, and if you can't afford to do it annually, do it at least every two years. The best way to keep someone from ripping you off is to make sure your books are checked regularly and that all your employees know this. If you're a small non profit, get volunteers to do the audit - everyone knows at least one accountant. Or barter for it!

Don't let anyone, even someone you trust have that kind of financial control
 ~EVER~!  
Okay I'm off my soap box.
 
*****

That's it, my contribution to 
What Works and What Doesn't. 
I look forward to reading yours and learning something new. 
Thank you for participating!

Click HERE for the list of other participants!


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Monday, December 16, 2013

MARKETING & WHAT WORKS

Designed by Jeremy Hawkins

Do you ever wonder why some books become bestsellers while others can barely be given away? Why some businesses succeed and others fail?
How does a blog post or a YouTube video manage to go viral? What does it take to reach celebrity status? Why does a person who is less intelligent than you are become the teacher's favorite and make better grades with less work?
Is it a matter of luck or is there some magic formula for success?
Would you like to know what works and what doesn't?
Well, now maybe we can latch on to some of the secrets and tricks that make success happen or what we might want to avoid. We want you to tell us your stories of success (or not so successful) as we present the blogging event that will help us learn.
What Works...

The first ever "Online Marketing Symposium!"

A blogfest with information you can use.

The event happens on Monday January 20, 2014.

On event day you tell us about a marketing idea that you've used and what worked or didn't work. Your post could describe a campaign that succeeded in a big or small way or one that failed drastically. Tell us about a business campaign, an organizational event, a fundraiser – anything where a bit of promotion was necessary!
The What Works...Marketing Symposium is not limited to authors but also to anyone in a business that has a promotional aspect – online or otherwise!
Posts can be informational, statistical, a personal experience account, or a funny marketing story. Experience gained from a promotional effort in one area can have applications in other efforts in which we are involved so anything goes as long as promotion or marketing methodology has been involved.
The ultimate goal is to learn.

Remember – no book – no problem. Marketing and promotion principles apply to your blog, your business, any dream, or project, because we all want to win people over.
This information exchange is more than just a "blogfest"!
It's an online forum where ideas are shared and success for all is the goal.
Does the thought of marketing and promotion scare you or turn you cold? Fear no more—let's learn together.
It's possible the blogging community can help you make that next project a viral success or that next book a best seller!


Join our first ever Online Marketing Symposium


The Brainchild of
 Arlee Bird
& brought to you by
and me!


What Works...
and what doesn't

Online Marketing Symposium
January 20th, 2014
 
Sign up here!