BOOKMARKETING

© 2014, Tara Lynne Groth

About Me

Originally from Long Island, lived in Rhode Island, now Pittsboro

Freelancing for 5 years May 2014 (4 years full-time), TW & AW

PR director 4 years in NY, Marketing Manager 2 years in NC

VP of Marketing, Atlanta Writers Club 2 years

Memberships: Freelancers Union, ASJA. Former: AWC, NCPS, Authors Guild.

Academia: Career Writing, Advertising/Marketing Communications; B.A. Cinema & Cultural Studies at SUNY Stony Brook

Non-writing: New moto rider, kayaking, QT

WEEK 1: GENRES & CREATIVITY

Traditional and Contemporary

Identifying Your Genre

Cross-genre manuscripts are attractive!

Traditional Genres

Non-fiction Biographies Memoir Travel guides Informational Essay/critical analysis

Fiction Science Fiction/Fantasy Magical Realism Mystery Young Adult Children Romance Historical Christian or faith-based Western

Poetry Narrative Lyrical Prose Epic

Traditional Genres

Non-fiction Biographies Memoir Travel guides Informational Essay/critical analysis

Fiction Science Fiction/Fantasy Magical Realism Mystery Young Adult Children Romance Historical Christian or faith-based Western

Poetry Narrative Lyrical Prose Epic

Contemporary Genres

Non-fiction Creative non-fiction Divorce Memoir Grief Memoir Alcoholic Memoir Travel Memoir

Fiction Urban Fantasy Commercial Fiction Women’s Fiction New Adult (smut) LGBT (YA) Graphic Novels Paranormal Romance Steampunk (cyberpunk+)

Poetry Postmodernism

AUDIENCE

Know Your Readers

Reader Demographics

Top demographic with the most propensity to purchase?

African-American women with a college education are the largest

group of readers in the United States.

-Pew, January 2014

Author’s Responsibilities

Evolution from traditional book signings to events

Out of book stores

Signing e-books with Authorgraph

Engaging readers in new ways, like LibraryThing

Blog tours – duplicate content penalties, SEO signals

Funding Hybrid – No advances, no salaried workers, quick turnaround (4-6 weeks) Self Traditional

By 2020, half of the eBooks we buy will be self-published. (Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords)

Reader Demographics

Romance?

84% women30-54 years old

Typically in the South

Mystery?

68% women, 48% 55+38% live in the South

77% have no children at home

Sci-Fi?

74% more men than women

RWA, 2014Sisters in Crime, 2011Marketing Charts, 2011

Literature?

23% of readers

Chick Lit?

Readers 18-24 read triple

Non-Fiction?

Men 46-64, All 65+79% of male readers

CREATIVITY

Identifying and Fostering

Creativity

Avoid clichés

Original use of metaphors and similes

Saying something in a new and interesting way

Example:

Underwater Dogs by Seth Casteel 

Increasing Creativity

Constantly observe

Writing routine/exercises

Understanding ‘write what you know’

Sensory experiences are essential Touch Sounds Taste Images Aromas

Increasing Creativity: Images

Setting (may be another character)

How characters react to their environment

Universal elements

Dramatic tension

Foreshadowing

3 from 1

Increasing Creativity: Aromas

“Homework”

Read: Writing Down the Bones, “Writing is a Communal Act” (p.86)

Write: An imitation piece.

If interested, more demographic information: http://www.pewinternet.org/2013/12/30/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms/ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/01/21/overall-book-readership-stable-but-e-

books-becoming-more-popular/ http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236444

NEXT WEEK: YOUR WRITING CAREERMarkets and Writing Career Evolution