If you think marketing is difficult, don’t panic. Once you are published you do have to work hard to help push your sparkling new baby into the world so you can reach readers. You don’t have to have all the answers and all the knowledge, this develops over time, but I’d encourage you to educate yourself. I’m no expert but I’m learning a lot and I’m not afraid to try things that I haven’t done before. Be brave! Be bold! Be creative!

Discover what color your marketing parachute is and jump. Prior to my books release on May 3rd I had taken what I consider two very important steps for marketing my novel. I hired Kelli Standish and team at PulsePoint Design to help me achieve the look I wanted for my online presence. This is an investment in your career and I encourage you to look at it that way. Your website is hopefully going to be where your future readers are going to visit and you want to practice hospitality or no one will visit often. There are many places on the web for readers and writers to visit, ask yourself why they may want to stop by your online home.

Get yourself some classy business cards. The PulsePoint gang also helped me with that and coordinated my book cover and my web design to be on my business card. This makes a great impression. My husband who also happens to be my best publicist talks my novel up all the time and hands out my business cards. He and I both asked the hospital gift shops where we work if they would consider carrying my book and both said yes!

Realms/Charisma, my publisher created a beautiful video trailer. You can see it here: My Novel Secrets of the Heart. You’ll also notice that you can click on the book and go to Amazon to order it. I think it’s really important to make buying your book as easy as possible. I also have all my endorsements listed on this page.

I recently took advantage of another opportunity, made a suggestion, and here is the outcome over at Christian Fiction Online Magazine I hope you’ll take a look at this new column called The Well Writer.

Talk to your librarian. I have lots of friends at my local library. They ordered my book for the Cincinnati Public Library and they also told me about Books by the Banks which I am now participating in on October 22nd because I followed my librarian, Betty’s, advice and applied to be one of the folks participating in this event which pulled in approximately 3,600 people last year. I told my publisher and they are making up postcards for me for this event. I also hope to get a chance to use my video trailer at this event. So be open to opportunities that come your way. We writers are a creative bunch. There’s no reason we can’t be creative marketers as well.

These are just a few of the marketing ideas I’ve utilized this year. Some of the others include a radio interview, an Amazon Author Page, and besides this blog I also now blog at  Just The Write Charisma and the brand new WordServe Water Cooler Blog.

I hope you will find encouragement related to the many things YOU can accomplish as the director of marketing for your own novels.

Smiles and Blessings!