I am involved in an exciting new project with San Diego author, Tamara Merrill. This endeavor rose out of the ashes in the form of a need that we discovered while attending a marketing meeting of authors and industry professionals. It smacked us in our faces dead center.
Once a month the San Diego Writers & Editors Guild holds their meetings. The event is open to the public. However, an hour before the monthly get-together, members gather around a large oblong table to discuss marketing our soon to be Pulitzer Prize-Winning creations.
Sad to say, the old adage, writing is the easy part, marketing is the hard part, is true. God, I hated having to admit that, but it is gospel. Obviously, as that is why we dedicate an hour to discussing before our meetings.
Tamara is a great author and an equally talented marketeer. This is evidenced in her plethora of books that have sold well. She commanded all our attention on early eventing
In my ‘day-job’ as I financial planner, I have a marketing plan. Every autumn I craft together a marketing plan for the following year and tweak it quarterly. My ‘command of the obvious’ is pretty good, so when Tamara volunteered to the group, “I have a written calendared annual marketing plan for my books….” My jaw dropped! Damn! She’s right, why don’t I have one for my books, kicking myself in the backside.
Sure, I am on Twitter, FB, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I post at minimum, weekly. I have a website and have a pretty good brand moniker ‘J R Strayve Jr.’ I do readings and book signings and readings at libraries and bookstores. I’ve been on a couple of podcasts and radio programs. Yet, I know as would anyone proficient at marketing it is a grab bag and not a strategic plan.
When one is writing and marketing and has a professional to attend to, life gets busy. But, to use a tired expression, ‘where there is a will, there is a way.’
We are on our way! Tamara and I are strategizing an 8 point program to teach other authors how to strategize and implement a long term marketing program. It’s coming soon and we can’t wait to share it with you.
If you are interested in being kept up to date on our progress, sign up below and keep writing!