Melissa Foster Passionate Romance for Fiercely Loyal Hearts

Author Heather Woods (pen name) posted the following blog titled, MAKING AN IMPACT, and then sent Melissa a Facebook message asking her to respond. We hope you enjoy this read.

 

When I first started promoting my website and my writing I used Twitter and Facebook a lot. To begin with I simply schmoozed, loitered in the background, watching what was happening, seeing who was saying what to whom. And how.

There were some regular posters on both platforms that were consistently plugging their books, networking and telling all the world about what they’d written, celebrating their successes, commiserating over the not so successful days.

Over the months I felt I almost came to ‘know’ some of these people. I knew loads about their books, the possibility of film rights, the celebration of the film rights being sold, new books, release dates – in fact it got to the point where I felt I almost knew more about their books and their journey than I did my own.

For me one of the most prolific self publicizers has been Melissa Foster. Watching her journey has been a massive education for someone like myself. Something I have always been afraid of doing is being brash, of getting up people’s noses with constantly pushing my books but somehow Melissa manages to keep her barrage of Tweets and posts by and large useful, interesting and occasionally funny. One thing though, that she’s very good at, is ensuring you don’t, ever, ever forget her!

And that’s what it’s all about isn’t it?
The marketing specialists say that in order for your brand name to register or make an impact on someone in any semi permanent way they have to come in contact with that brand/name/product between ten and twelve times.

I now see Melissa’s name pop up on Twitter and instantly, without having to look it up, know; – Book = Megan’s Way, a great Amazon success, film adaptation. And this is simply through her plugging away, telling EVERYONE about her book.

So if you want to move up to #2 on Amazon Top Rated Fiction you could do worse than take a careful look at Melissa Fosters efforts at getting the word out there.

I have contacted her through Twitter to ask if she had five key bits of advice to give to the aspiring author on the journey of self promotion, what would they be? Watch this space.

MELISSA FOSTER'S Off-the-cuff RESPONSE: 

Wow, and here I am. I am honored to be mentioned in your article, and I do worry about being too "in your face" with my promotions, but I also promote others and am working very diligently to create a community for Indie authors. My self-promotion is less about selling my books and more about getting known so Indies know that it's not hopeless, being one of the 1.5 million plus authors out there. In order to build a community, people have to know who I am. I could just as easily be promoting M&Ms (and I might have more followers that way). 

I missed your tweet, Jen, but I did appreciate the heads-up via Facebook message, and I'm happy to share five bits of inspiration about self promotion. 

1. No one else will promote your book like you will. Don't be afraid to promote, but, there's a fine line between self-promotion and over-saturation. I ride that line at times, and I apologize if I ever go over the line. I try to offer valuable insight into the publishing and marketing world via articles, which brings me to number two.

2. Social media is about marketing, sure, but it's also about gaining valuable information. When I want to research a topic or need to find an article on writing, the first place I look is Twitter, and in the same respect, I try to provide information that is helpful to others. As an Indie author who is gently climbing the ladders of success, and clawing to hang on in a world of big publishers, I'm learning a tremendous amount, and I try to pass that along to others. Use social media to give, not just take.

3. Social media is about connections. I have met some of my closest friends via Twitter and Facebook, people I have never met face to face, but that I would walk across the country to help if need be, and I know they'd do the same for me. In growing WoMen's Literary Cafe, I reach out to everyone in the literary field, not just authors and aspiring authors, but also readers, editors, and Indie publishers. What is your goal in promoting? Selling books? Getting connected? What else can you glean from the people you meet on Twitter? If you're there just to sell, I doubt it will go over very well. No one wants to be assaulted with sales all the time. Mix it up. Take an interest in all of the interesting people you meet. Join a charity that you care about and use some of your tweets to HELP that charity. In other words, make connections that matter in the grand scheme of life, not just in the sales of your books.

4. I've talked a lot about social media because I was driven to this post by someone I met on Twitter who then contacted me through Facebook. Awesome networking, Jen. Bravo! Let's talk about other aspects of promotion. What else can you do to let people know you exist? Blog tours are a great venue for connecting with readers. Readers frequent blogs that discuss and review books. What better way for your book to be featured to thousands? I've scheduled a 60+ stop blog tour for COME BACK TO ME, my third novel that is currently available for pre-order. That blog tour will not only give my new book exposure, but it will also provide a great way for me to give back to the bloggers I work with. I will be providing articles and taking part in fun interviews. Readers will learn more about me in the next three months than ever before, and aspiring authors will gain valuable information. Exposure for everyone and my book. Try a blog tour, but remember, bloggers work extremely hard. They read our books for free, and provide honest reviews. Sometimes those reviews are not very positive, and other times they're glowing. The key, is that they ARE honest. Be sure to thank and promote those bloggers because they could have just as easily told you they were too busy. Always pay-it-forward. 

5. Lastly, and probably most importantly, take part in something (or many things) that are bigger than just your book sale. I believe in collaborative marketing, and I think it's one of the strongest ways for authors to work together and get their books known. With the launch party for COME BACK TO ME, I'm working with 35 other talented, dedicated authors to bring all of our books to readers. We've spent 30 days working together, interviewing, promoting, connecting, and have established friendships that will last a lifetime, as well as the framework for future book launches through WoMen's Literary Cafe. As I said, pay-it-forward. 

I want to add something else here, even though it's more than 5 ideas. You do NOT have to pay thousands of dollars to get your book out to the masses. You do NOT have to hire a publicist, in fact, what they can do for Indie authors is very limited. What you DO have to do, is create a marketing plan that is realistic. You have to work hard, and you have to work smart. If your goal is all about you and your sales, my humble opinion is that you will not succeed in the same way that you could if you were always thinking about–and acting upon–what you could do to help others.

Just my thoughts, a little rambling in nature, and I do apologize. It's early and I haven't had coffee yet. 

Thanks, Jen, for seeking me out. I truly am flattered that you even noticed me. Sometimes I wonder if I'm whistling into the wind.

Write on, everyone, and remember two things #ShareTheLove4Authors and always think happy.

xo,
Melissa Foster