1) Use Facebook for Romance Book Marketing
Chances are you already use Facebook, so this comes in as my first tip: because of the convenience. Your friends are already there, which makes things a lot easier, now it’s time to look for more people who like to read and are interested in the kind of romance book you write. Start by creating a fanpage and get to work!
Here are some publishing suggestions: Synopsis and book cover; Introduction of each of the characters; Reviews of the romance book published in blogs; Interviews that you grant; Participation in events; Photos of the book in bookstores; Photos taken by readers; etc. Have a look at my fanpage, I’m always doing different things there. But these are just some ideas, feel free to invent. The limit is your imagination!
2) Organize a Romance Book Tour
Many beginning authors do not know about this tool, but it is very useful! It works like this: you make a copy of your romance book available to be read by a group of five to ten bloggers. Each one should post a review of the book on their blog and send the romance book by mail to the next blogger on the list. At the end, the book is raffled among the participants. Result: They all read the book for only the cost of the postage, and you get new reviews that you can post on the fanpage!
3) Media outside the Internet
These days everyone is so immersed in the Internet that we often forget that there is a world out there. A world that contains newspapers, magazines, radios, TV programs… and, amazingly: people who are not used to accessing the Internet! This has nothing to do with social class, there are simply people who prefer other forms of entertainment.
All right, it is more difficult to get space in such a vehicle than in blogs, but I give you a hint: Have news to tell! Hardly anyone will want to talk about the mere existence of your romance book, but that changes if it is a launch, if you have just been nominated as a finalist in an important contest, if you are organizing a literary event, if it is romance book day, or whatever! Make it up, make it happen! Oh, and don’t forget to tell everyone about the interview you gave!
4) Be yourself
Wow, what a cheesy piece of advice! What I mean is: don’t be afraid to expose yourself, to make yourself heard in a crowd. Many times you will be invited to give interviews, and if you keep hiding, you will end up giving only empty, dull answers. People want to know who you are, where you come from, how you wrote, what brings you inspiration… The author is as important as his or her work. Or should I say “the work is as important as its author”? It doesn’t matter. The point is: show people where you came from, and they will know the quality of your book before they even read the first page.
5) Don’t treat your readers like romance book cattle
When we think of “readers of romance book X”, a homogeneous mass of like-minded people soon comes to mind. This view could not be more wrong! When you promote your book, many people will contact you, asking questions on a variety of subjects, and no two conversations will be the same.
Never forget that you are dealing with people. Everyone has their own unique way of thinking, of expressing themselves, and even of reading. Ignoring this is more than just an oversight: it is a gross lack of respect! So stop thinking only about selling books right now and live the moment! Literature brings people together, take advantage of it! It is a wonderful opportunity to build true friendships that will last for many, many years. Find more about romance book cover in this website.
