I didn’t start out to write about this subject, but sometimes authors (published and unpublished) need to edit their promotional stance because unlike the promotions of Hollywood, bad promotion can hurt an author who is trying to build a platform for a chance at future publication or an author trying to promote a release.
I thought that I would share four lessons I’ve learned as I studied the art of self-advertising.
Others might disagree with me, but I do hope that I have learned something useful to pass along.
1. The best time for promotion (especially tweets) is generally in the morning hours before folks go to work when they’re taking a minute to check out social media. Another time is just after the noon hour when people are taking a break and checking out Twitter, Facebook, Google+, etc. Then we have the early evening hours when work is done, dinner has been cooked, and the kitchen is cleaned, and people are unwinding by again checking their social medial.
2. Sending out promotions, especially tweets that come through the cell phones and other devices of many individuals after 9:00 p.m. is similar to your kids (mine anyway) getting calls after 9:00 p.m. The kid calling didn’t make a favorable impression upon me, and I got a little vocal about the lack of good manners. Don’t take the chance on alienating your audience.
3. A constant and unrelenting self-promotion is like the use of two many exclamation points. People begin to ignore those posts after a while. Then when something relevant needs to be posted, that post is ignored as well. The best way to promote is to give something without expecting something. For instance, think of a way to provide good information to your audience. That something is always better if it fits in with the message of your book, but it can be anything that gives and does not expect reward. Readers are more apt to be interested in what you have to say when there is something in it for them.
4. Promoting others you believe in and having those who genuinely believe in your story promote your work is a better way to get the message across. Again, those promotions should probably be within the boundaries of the first three points made.
Happy editing.
