Tag: Local marketing

Ron’s Tip of the Day Mentors

Welcome to Ron’s Tip of the Day. Today I am looking at Mentors.

What is a Mentor?

A Mentor is a man or woman, usually a businessperson, who guides and makes suggestions to improve your business.

Do You Use a Mentor?

Yes, I do. When I started out marketing my books I started locally. I had initial success. But then we moved to Florida to take over the care of my mother-in-law. That quickly became a 24/7 job and impacted my business.

How Did it Help Impact Your Business?

It forced me to rely almost entirely on the internet. That meant no more Local Marketing, as that involves travel, meeting with bookstore owners or managers. Recently I have returned to Local Marketing as the primary model.

Has the Mentor Helped?

Yes. My Mentor is part of SCORE, an organization of volunteers. Let me say this, no matter your success or lack of success, you should consider SCORE. It is always good to have an extra pair of eyes on your business.

Tip of the Day: Take a look at SCORE.

For information on TR Writing Services (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”)  contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. Our Free booklet tells you about our services. And we are upfront on our prices (all are low).

VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews for R. Frederick Riddle and Tess Riddle books. I value your reviews.

If you would like to review our books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or Epub).

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R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. In addition, he is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative Fiction. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

Ron’s Tip of the Day Marketing in Chief

Welcome to Ron’s Tip of the Day. Today I am looking at Marketing in chief.

There is a world of information out there on book marketing. The advice ranges from email marketing to Social Marketing and beyond. And sometimes the advice seems to be contrary.

What Should I Do?

The first thing to do is remember that you are Marketing in Chief. In our book Guide to Writing we make this tip: As Marketer-in-Chief you are responsible for overseeing every aspect of marketing whether you do it or hire someone.

We also state: “Most authors don’t want to do marketing, but if you want to succeed then you will find a way.”

In other words, you can’t blame someone else for the failure of your marketing. You either hire someone or do it yourself, but either way you are responsible.

What Does That Mean?

Basically, it means that you are responsible for all aspects of marketing. It is your job to find out the information needed and then act on it. If you are new to the business, I would say you start with Local Marketing (news media, bookstores, etc.) and slowly expand to a wider audience. There is no one-size-fits-all plan. Do your diligence.

Remember, that while TR Writing Services is not a marketer, we can help you with preparation and publishing to set up your marketing plan.

Tip of the Day: You are the Marketer-in-Chief; take responsibility!

For information on TR Writing Services (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”)  contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. Our Free booklet tells you about our services. And we are upfront on our prices (all are low).

VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews for R. Frederick Riddle and Tess Riddle books. I value your reviews.

If you would like to review our books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or Epub).

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. In addition, he is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative Fiction. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.

Ron’s Tuesday’s Tip: Local Marketing

Welcome to Ron’s Tuesday’s Tip. Every Tuesday I will share a tip with you. This week is about: Local Marketing.

Last week we looked at Indie Publishing, but today we’re looking at Local Marketing. You could also call it Indie Marketing.

The truth is you’re a marketer from the moment you decide to write your book. You need to think like a marketer even as you select your genre and your book. As you get near to your publishing date there are marketing actions you or your publisher can take (reviews, preorders, and more). But over 16 years in the writing business has taught me that marketing locally is a must. Here are some ideas.

  • Website

Having a website these days is a must whether it is internal marketing, national marketing, state-wide marketing, or local marketing. That doesn’t mean you have to have a website with a 100-pages or more.

I once had such a site because I was selling items right on the sight itself. It was a store. And it was growing. But when we moved down here time, energy, and money were constrained due to the care of my mother-in-law (one of the finest ladies I’ve ever known). So we had to close it down, but I’ve always maintained a website.

Our current website provides a place where people can find and/or purchase any books by me or my wife (you are taken directly to the appropriate book page where you can purchase the paperback or digital).

No matter what type of marketing you do, a website is a must!

  • Book signing at local bookstores

Think out of the box. Nowadays many of your bigger stores require you to contact their corporate office which you should consider doing. But smaller bookstores, retail stores, and more might be open to you doing a book signing.

They may require you to provide the books, with them getting a percentage of the price, but the key is to get noticed. Sales are always great to have but getting known locally is an asset.

I’ve done book signings where 20 or more books were autographed and sold. That is not a lot when compared to nationally known authors. But you have to start somewhere. Here’s a tip: don’t let bad weather stop you. When people can’t be outside, they tend to enter stores and that creates more opportunities!

  • Speaking engagements

Depending on your genre you may be able to find businesses, nonprofits, and clubs where you can speak (don’t forget to take copies of your book with you).

  • Newspaper interviews

In your community you may have several newspapers big and small. It’s a good way to get your name out there.

  • Radio/TV interviews

These are harder to get. There are radio stations that want authors. You won’t get paid, but you may get substantial airtime and that can be profitable.

  • USP

A USP is the anagram for Unique Selling Proposition. You can also think of this as your motto. Ours is “We edit, proof, and publish the book within you” and appears on most, if not all, our marketing materials.

Your USP should be short, memorable, and repeatable.

  • Elevator Speech

This is a short message that is longer than the USP but can be delivered in a time span no longer than an elevator ride. It could be an expanded version of your USP.

These are just a few ideas that may work for you. The key is to think of your local area as your marketing zone. It’s not the big markets on the internet and around the globe, but some writers do quite well emphasizing the local market.

Speaking personally, I am reevaluating my marketing. With my wife’s health and my health not what they used to be there is a need to stay local. Staying local is not only more convenient health-wise,  but it is less expensive and less stressful.

For information on TR Writing Services (“we edit, proof, and publish the book within you”)  contact us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We have a Free booklet telling you about our services. And we are upfront on our prices (all are low).

VISIT MY AUTHOR’S PAGE TODAY: amazon.com/author/rfrederickriddle.

ARE YOU A BOOK REVIEWER? I am always looking for book reviews. Whether it is Perished The World That Was (Book One), World of Noah and the Ark (Book Two), World of Shem (Book Three), World of Abraham (Book Four) or Death Ship (Book One), Pauline A New Home (Book Two), Task Force Hunter (Book Three), Black Death (Book Four), or Rise of I.C.E.S. (Book Five), I value your reviews.

If you would like to review any of these books contact me at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com with the subject line indicating that desire. An example of an appropriate subject line would be: ‘Seek to review [book Title].’ In the email make sure to indicate your email address, your name, and the choice of copy (PDF or ePub).

 – – – – – – –

R Frederick Riddle is the Editor of TR Writing Services providing help to struggling and/or new authors to write and publish their books. In addition he is the author of several books and is best known for Christian Historical and Speculative Fiction. For more information on him or his books visit his Amazon Authors Page. He is also co-founder and Vice President of T&R Independent Books where his books are featured. To reply to any blog you have the option of commenting on a blog and/or sending an email to marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. You may also be interested in his Facebook page at RFrederickRiddlesWorld.