I feel like I haven’t left my computer since Friday morning. I’ve been averaging 12-14 hours a day at the computer.
And, I haven’t been writing.
I have been 100% engaged with people online.
Last Friday, we announced the cover reveal for my upcoming book, Downcast. The ARC and cover went up on NetGalley. It was tweeted, facebooked, and blogged. And then…it caught fire.
In some ways, this is a continuation of last week’s post about how I’ve decided to use social media for marketing. As a result of my determination to focus on building good relationships and being deeply personal and attentive in every interaction, I found that I was running like a hamster on a wheel with trying to keep up with the number of tweets, inquiries, and messages.
However, I found that it was well worth investing my time in looking at people’s profiles before I replied, making every reply as honest and personal as I could, and trying not to miss thanking a single person for whatever message or tweet.
Not only did I feel genuine gratitude and enjoyment from the interactions I had, but other people picked up on the interactions, liking, retweeting, and messaging me directly. Word started spreading, and more requests and messages came in.
There’s a lot of science and studying going on, trying to figure out how things go viral (and all the varying degrees of viral). I’d like to add my observations to the data.
First, you have to have a good product. The video has to be funny. The book cover has to be intriguing. The synopsis has to be engaging. The one-liner joke has to be hilarious and timely.
Second, you have to engage. There’s no viralbot that makes things go crazy. It’s people sharing with people, who share with people, who share…So, you have to buckle down and engage with that first group of people who show interest. And, you have to be genuine about it. And…it doesn’t hurt to engage with the second, third, and tertiary tiers of people who share as well.
It’s a lot of work, though. I’m a deep-dyed introvert, so putting myself out there is very challenging and tiring. This isn’t to say that I don’t enjoy it. It’s just that it’s a test of how much I want to succeed.
Today is my Amazon pre-order announcement, and I’ve been at the computer since 7:00 a.m. working on posting to Facebook, my website, and Twitter. I’ve been replying to every message as it comes in. There’s more to do tomorrow, too. More places to let people know my book is on pre-order, and more people to talk to, meet, and hopefully establish relationships with.
Further Updates on Using Social Media
Yesterday, I spent an hour going through all the Facebook groups I belonged to and deciding how I was going to tackle the issue of posting to groups.
I left a lot of groups…a LOT of groups. I then looked at what was left and divided them into two categories.
One category is for the groups I interact with on an almost daily basis. These include my Basenji groups, several writing groups, and neighborhood groups.
The other category I decided would be major book promotion outlets. These are groups that have 10,000+ members and are primarily for posting promotional notices. I have 10 of these groups. There are two other groups for connecting authors and bloggers/reviewers, and I kept those as well.
That’s it. That’s all I’m going to do with Facebook groups.
I’ve also decided that I will not repetitively post or tweet just my pre-order link. I will be promoting, but I will try to include fresh and interesting content for every time I decide to promote. The bad news is that means there’s a lot of work ahead for me. The good news is that I’m so excited about my book and have so many things I want to share about it.
So…onwards and upwards!
And, because girlfriend needs to pay for Denny Basenji’s doggie kibble, here’s the Downcast announcement!
About Downcast – Pre-Order at Amazon!
What would you do when faced with an impossible truth? Written with heart and passion, Downcast by Cait Reynolds is ripe with twists you never saw coming and love that defies the odds in this intense new Paranormal Romance retelling one of mythology’s greatest love stories.
It’s the start of Stephanie Starr’s senior year of high school, but sadly, this is no life of the prom queen. Stuck at the bottom of the high school social totem pole, Stephanie is forced by her domineering mother to wear lumpy linen dresses and eat organic tofu for lunch in a world of mini-skirts and pizza.
What Stephanie doesn’t anticipate is gorgeous and cocky Haley Smith who breaks social convention and pursues her with a determination that is both terrifying and flattering. Afraid that Haley is simply trying to set her up for massive humiliation, Stephanie does her best to push him away. But the more attention he pays to her, the more she runs, and the more everyone else begins to notice.
Instead of a loving family to support her as the mean girls make their play, Stephanie’s mother begins to unravel mentally, her possessiveness of Stephanie spiraling to new and frightening extremes. Stephanie is forced to grow up, find herself, and learn the truth about her past in order to save her mother, her friends, and her town. When the truth is revealed, nothing can prepare her for the outrageous reality of her existence…and nothing can save her from her fate.
Except Haley.
