Hmmm…
Well, don’t bother if you are writing fiction. Why? Because fiction is hard to market. Why? Easy, and yet so complicated, genres. Genres, subgenres, niche-genres… For example, here are six romance subgenres: **Check out the link for more information. **
- Contemporary romance. One of the largest subgenres of romance, contemporary romance is often set in the time it’s written, encompassing the time after World War II all the way to the present.
- Historical romance. Historical romance novels are set before 1945 and rely on the accurate portrayal of the period.
- Romantic suspense. Romantic suspense novels combine mystery and thriller elements with the main relationship of the plot.
- Inspirational romance. Inspirational romance stories feature religious themes or spiritual beliefs that play a central role in the main love story.
- Speculative romance. This subgenre includes a number of subcategories, such as paranormal romance, which can involve a variety of futuristic or fantasy elements.
- Young adult. Young adult romance novels showcase the lives of young people and often contain dramatic romantic themes.
So, who is the demographic to market to? It’s hard to tell. When someone tells you they enjoy romance, you will now see this list of possibilities and shake your head in confusion.
I’m confused often, so this is nothing new for me. Coffee is not confusing. My empty cuppa is. I swear I just filled it. Here it sits, all sad and empty. Join me on my coffee run and nibble dig. I’m thinking scrambled eggs with mushrooms, chopped ham, and a sprinkle of cheddar. Yup- hungry. Nom-nom-nom-nom. Grab a fresh cuppa and find a tummy filler. I already got out the reading rug. Bring your copy of The Novel Writer’s Toolkit by Bob Mayer. We are on page 203. I’ll meet you there.
If you are marketing for yourself-
Ask your customer the following question.
- Why did you buy the last book you bought?
- I’ve read the author before.
- Someone recommended it.
- I noticed the title/jacket and read the blurb. Thought I might like it.
- I read a review for the book.
- The author was doing a signing, so I picked up the book.
- I saw an ad for the book.
The order these answers fall in are in the order surveys have shown them to be. The truth is, once you get on a shelf in a bookstore it is up to the readers to determine your career. The fact is simple, publishers put all their money and power behind best-sellers. Sad but true. But how the heck do you become a best-seller if your publisher isn’t backing you? Simple, publicity isn’t going to make you a best-seller all by itself. It takes years of work. Years of selling and making a name for themselves.
Wanna be a best-seller? Write an interesting book. Do your own publicity. Be fully aware of effort versus payoff. Don’t put $1,000 worth of ads out in the middle of nowhere, dead center of a corn field, where getting to a bookstore takes time and travel. Nope- wasted cash-o-la.
Contacts
Be professional with everyone you are in contact with. That includes agents, publishers, booksellers, bookstore owners, and writer’s groups. It’s called networking and for it to work people must want to work with you. No one wants to work with a diva carrying around an attitude.
Keep records of your correspondences. Keep emails in folders labeled for easy access. That way if someone ever refers to something in one of the emails they sent, you can easily open their file and pull it up for clarification. Be warm and courteous in your communications. This doesn’t mean be a push-over. You can stand your ground and not be a jerk all at the same time. This is a skill I am still learning. Not everyone appreciates my humor. You do. I know you do cuz you keep coming back.
You love me. I know you do. Feel free to send coffee, nibbles, and tokens of love…or just send me a message and we can chat. Don’t forget to let me know what we are doing next: books, chaos, or questions?
Until next time…
Polish your sparkle and keep twirling.
Find joy. Be joy. Enjoy.
I’m always looking for new friends!
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