Fiona's 5 Top Tips for Marketing
It’s been three years since I released my first fantasy book and now, as my 4th book Heir of Vengeance is released I can honestly say, I’ve learnt a lot since then. I naively wrote my first book and released it into the wilds of Amazon with high hopes, but quickly discovered there is so much more to publishing, than simply writing a good story.
With an estimated twenty million books for sale on Amazon, how on earth is anyone supposed to find, read and review my novels? I have spoken with authors who have up to seven books published, but have seen little or no sales and no reviews on their hard and heartfelt stories. So what’s the secret?
Marketing! Marketing is the secret. Not that sleazy spammy ‘buy my book’ kind of marketing, but solid long term marketing. There are some exceptionally solid sources of marketing for authors out in the wide world of the internet and I have spent the last three years piecing them together into a strategy I use and have found to be successful.
By success I mean, I am selling books, I am getting reviews and I am building a network of readers and like-minded authors to network with. That doesn’t mean I have a big publishing contract on the horizon, or expect to hit the top seller list any time soon, but I am making progress.
So what are my 5 tips for marketing?
Marketing is a long-term strategy towards long-term readers and sales.
Write more books. It’s very difficult to build a reader database or fan base with only one published book.
Ensure your work is the best it can be. No one wants to read or review a poorly edited book. Get your work professionally edited.
Be prepared to give away short stories, part of your book or all of your first book to gain email addresses and new readers. It’s just like applying for a job. Your work is your resume and you need to get it into as many hands as possible to gain interest and credibility for the long-term.
Network with other authors and work hard to help them as much as they help you.
Heir of Vengeance is the 4th and final book in my current series, although I do have a Novella coming out as a prequel before Christmas. Buy it now for 99 cents – Limited Time Only!
Available on Amazon or all other digital retailers here.
To celebrate the release of Heir of Vengeance I am offering a chance to win the entire series. All 4 e-books to be won.
To enter you can either LIKE my Facebook page here.
Join my Facebook Blog Tour Event here.
Or download my first book Destiny of Kings FREE here.
Or, you can do ‘all of the above’ for 3 chances to win!
Find me on
Twitter: @fionatarr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fionatarr.atime2write/
Website: atime2write.com.au
In case you missed the buy link above. Grab Heir of Vengeance here.
About the Author
My fantasy novels are fast paced, character driven historical stories with strong mystical, spiritual and theological themes mixed with elements of the classic heroic/epic fantasy genre. My writing was first inspired by the heroic fantasy style of David Gemmell, but I have most recently been compared to Traci Harding.
It turns out writing is in the blood. My Great Uncle was George Johnston (My Brother Jack) and although I don't claim to have his renowned literary style, I do write a mean fantasy novel.
I find culture, faith, philosophy and sociology intriguing and these topics are at the heart of my fantasy.
I live in Noosa, Australia with my husband and two sons and I run a small business involving tourism and watersports. Occasionally I dabble in advocacy, mentoring and spend time on my personal entrepreneurial pursuits. When I am not writing I am either kitesurfing, stand up paddle surfing, travelling or volunteering in some capacity. I love cheese, chocolate and living a creative life.