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Thursday, August 11, 2011

Jennifer Ann Coffeen: Promotion on a Shoestring

We're now 11 days into our 30 Days of Promo Goodness event here at Cozy! Thank you to everyone who has made it a success so far! Today we welcome author Jennifer Ann Coffeen!
Jennifer is a freelance writer and author, who writes lively Regency Era Romances with a sexy twist. Her short ebook Lover's Gamble received 4 stars from The Romance Reviews, and her full length novel Priceless Deception is available on August 12th. Both can be found at The Wild Rose Press.

Take it away, Jennifer....


Tonight at midnight my very first full length novel, Priceless Deception, will be available for sale! It’s pretty exciting, but I don’t have much time. Soon I’ll be jetting off on my international book tour, chatting with morning talk show hosts, and watching the cover of Priceless Deception speed by on the side of a passing bus… won’t I?

Well not quite, but it was this rich fantasy life that got me writing romance in the first place! If I force myself back to reality (painful I know) I know that the key to Priceless Deception’s success is self promotion. Not so difficult, except that like most writers, I can barely afford the ink for my printer much less the cost of slapping my book cover on a bus. (Anyone know how much that actually runs you?) I needed to think outside the box and find very inexpensive (or free!) ways to promote my novel.

1. Set up a blog tour. Blogging is a great way to promote on a shoestring. It’s free, reaches a wide audience, and you can hone your author’s voice. There are also lots of great ways to tie in a blog topic with your story. For instance, Priceless Deception is a regency romance centered around my heroine’s search for the French Blue diamond. I’ve written blogs about the history of the French Blue diamond, the pros and cons of writing a historical novel, and even the undergarments of 19th century gentlemen. Be creative and have fun with it!

2. Make social networking your friend. Facebook, Twitter, Google plus, does anyone use Myspace anymore? It can all be very confusing, but the truth is, social networking actually works. I’ve spoken to several authors who have used the web to their advantage and here’s the key: find one or two that you’re good at and stick with them. It’s better to focus your time and energy sending tweets about your upcoming release than to try and dabble in every new social fad that comes by.

3. Have author swag. Whether it’s bookmarks, sticky notes, postcards, pins, or the newest rage of trading cards, make sure you have lots of them on hand at all times. It’s also important to include the information necessary to purchase your novel. Name, website, and where you can purchase your novel. (That’s the most important part!)


Thank you, Jennifer, for the promotional advice and congrats on the new release! Readers, visit Jennifer on the web at www.jenniferanncoffeen.com and tune in tomorrow for a glimpse into her brand new book, Priceless Deception!

6 comments:

Jennifer Ann Coffeen said...

Thanks for hosting me today Amber! I love chatting about all things writing, even the scary promotional side.

Amber Leigh Williams said...

Jennifer, glad to have you! And any excuse to chat about writing is a happy occassion for me, too :)

Lilly Gayle said...

Yep, a shoestring is about all the budget I have too, Jennifer. But, please explain Google plus...
Thanks!

Lynne Marshall said...

All good suggestions, Jennifer. I wish there was a sure way to know if all of our efforts bring about results.

On one blog I was a guest at, my goal was to encourage new people to sign up for my newsletter. By the end of that week, I had three new names on my list. Not huge steps, but the baby ones add up little by little. At least I hope.

Best wishes on your book launch!

Jennifer Ann Coffeen said...

Thanks for all the good wishes! To answer your question Lilly- I need someone to explain Google plus to me LOL! Basically it's Google's version of Facebook. They are hoping to send Facebook the same way as MySpace. No one seems that interested at the moment, we'll have to wait and see!

Joya said...

Great advice, Jennifer. Thanks for sharing. And congrats on your release. :)