Road to Publishing: Marketing #1

For any author, marketing is a must. I am happy to have a marketing team behind me at Entranced Publishing  because doing it all on my own would be something I just couldn't handle. As a new author, I have no idea what to do, how to do it, or when. Sound familiar? Even so, I haven't been absolutely lost in the dark. I knew I had to do something, so at the beginning of this year, I began to put my name out there and in the romance writing community. Here's what I have done.

1) Set up an online presence. This was easy! I love being online and finding my favorite writer's out there. So, all I have to do is maintain that, right? 

Set up a website - Welcome! You are there!

Create an author email: melindaromance@gmail.com

Twitter account: @melindadozier

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/melindadoz

Goodreads: Melinda Dozier

Pinterest: Melinda Dozier

My favorite online place? Twitter! If you haven't interacted with twitter, it is a must. I have met so many people sailing the same ship. I have even "talked" to favorite authors, an excellent motivation! There are beneficial book/author/fun "chats". I could go on and on (in fact, that may be a future post! Stay tuned!)

2) Create Business Cards. I am really new at this. I have received business cards, bookmarks, rack cards, postcards, etc. from authors before. I just didn't know how to go about it. I did a bit of research, talked to other writers and found several sites online that create marketing materials. Here is a list of a few I liked online:

Vista Print - www.vistaprint.com

Overnight Prints - http://www.overnightprints.com/

Print Runner - http://www.printrunner.com/

In the end, I actually had some made locally, since I live in Central America.
Why create business cards or other marketing materials? You can give them away at author signings, conventions, or include them in SWAGS or other giveaways. You want your name out there!

3) Participate in Blog Hops/Blog Tours. This is really fun! There are so many  Blog Hops, Blog Fests, weekly memes all related to romance writers/readers. Here are a list of some of my faves. Of course, I can't participate in all of them, because I don't have enough time in my week, but I will share the wealth of information.

Carrie Ann's Blog Hops - She hosts monthly romance writer's blog hops. They have been a lot of fun and valuable in getting more views to my blog.

The Blog Hop Spot - hosts monthly blog hops. Currently hosting a Halloween hop.

My Secret Romance Book Reviews - hosts several types of romance hops.

Close Encounters with the Night Kind - hosts different types of blog hops, mainly erotica, or hot and sexy authors. This is the link for a Halloween Wicked After Dark hop.

Insecure Writer's Support Group - A monthly post about your insecurities. Great exposure to other writers.

Six Sentence Sunday - A weekly meme for published or non-published authors. Post six sentences from a WIP or MS.

Dirty Little Secret Weekly Meme - takes place every Thursday. Not for the faint at heart. Some topics are a bit over the top. For sexy writers/readers!

________________________________________________________________

Whew! Any online site or blog hop I'm missing? I would love to hear all about it. Leave a comment. They are always welcome!

More to come as I get closer to my publishing date. Marketing will take place in a more proactive way, so GET READY! :)

Thanks for stopping by,

Melinda