Ask the Author: Elizabeth Bailey
Answered Questions (8)
Elizabeth Bailey
I find the most reliable source of marketing is to build a team of subscribers to a newsletter of readers who enjoy your work. You can easily set up a newsletter on Mailerlite or other platforms. It costs little or nothing until you have a certain number of subscribers.
To get the subscribers, I join in cross promotions with other authors, or giveaways in my genre. Each time I add a few hundred new subscribers to my list and I contact them with news and chat every week or every fortnight.
I would expect a publisher to shoulder the costs of publicity, although I would happily write blogs and share what they put out.
You could also try Amazon ads, although I'm afraid it has become rather costly now as the pay-per-click system demands higher and higher click amounts to get noticed.
As to social media, I have not found it very workable as a marketing tool, although Facebook Ads are said to be very successful, but the costs mount up fast.
I hope some of this may be useful to you. Best, Elizabeth
To get the subscribers, I join in cross promotions with other authors, or giveaways in my genre. Each time I add a few hundred new subscribers to my list and I contact them with news and chat every week or every fortnight.
I would expect a publisher to shoulder the costs of publicity, although I would happily write blogs and share what they put out.
You could also try Amazon ads, although I'm afraid it has become rather costly now as the pay-per-click system demands higher and higher click amounts to get noticed.
As to social media, I have not found it very workable as a marketing tool, although Facebook Ads are said to be very successful, but the costs mount up fast.
I hope some of this may be useful to you. Best, Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bailey
Hi Ali. Thank you so much! I'm really pleased you are enjoying the series. Don't worry, the dowager is back in the next book, The Opium Purge, along with some more of the Polbrook family, and you will definitely find out what happens. And yes, I am writing more. I love writing them, which is why I'm so pleased you like reading them.
Thank you for taking the trouble to write to me.
Elizabeth
Thank you for taking the trouble to write to me.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bailey
Hi Cintia - I completely understand where you are coming from. There's no doubt it's a difficult time for writers and the competition is intense. On the other hand, there's never been so many opportunities and open doors. There are many new outlets opening up - independent digital publishers of all types of genres. When I began, it really was tough to get your foot through the door. It took me 8 years, 8 complete novels as well, before I wrote one that somebody wanted to publish. I had novels doing the rounds throughout that time. I wrote one, started sending it out, wrote another and so on. Rejection is part of the game and there are no sinecures in this business. So don't let rejection get you down. You only need one editor or agent to like it, however many don't.
My advice is to let go of the idea of competition and concentrate on just writing. Enjoy the process. It really doesn't matter about the wannabes out there. Your writing will still be unique. Your voice is your stamp on the work. Someone somewhere is going to like your voice.
Now - ideas. Practise people watching wherever you are. Watch the kind of movies or TV shows you enjoy and those in the genre you think you would like to write. Let the ideas flow over you. Don't try.
Observe the world around you, images, landscapes, urban or rural environments and let your imagination people them with characters.
Ideas for novels don't come fully formed. It's a snatch, a breath, an image, a song, a phrase, a person. It has to start somewhere. Breathe in the world and you will find it starts giving back little spots of potential.
Keep a notebook, write down anything that pops into your head. Physical notebooks are better than digital for this. You can flick through them and somehow seeing things in your own handwriting feels much more personal and that it belongs to you.
I hope there is something here that helps you. If you need to talk more go on my website and send a message from there which will get to my reader email and I can respond more if you wish. www.elizabethbailey.co.uk
Good luck!
My advice is to let go of the idea of competition and concentrate on just writing. Enjoy the process. It really doesn't matter about the wannabes out there. Your writing will still be unique. Your voice is your stamp on the work. Someone somewhere is going to like your voice.
Now - ideas. Practise people watching wherever you are. Watch the kind of movies or TV shows you enjoy and those in the genre you think you would like to write. Let the ideas flow over you. Don't try.
Observe the world around you, images, landscapes, urban or rural environments and let your imagination people them with characters.
Ideas for novels don't come fully formed. It's a snatch, a breath, an image, a song, a phrase, a person. It has to start somewhere. Breathe in the world and you will find it starts giving back little spots of potential.
Keep a notebook, write down anything that pops into your head. Physical notebooks are better than digital for this. You can flick through them and somehow seeing things in your own handwriting feels much more personal and that it belongs to you.
I hope there is something here that helps you. If you need to talk more go on my website and send a message from there which will get to my reader email and I can respond more if you wish. www.elizabethbailey.co.uk
Good luck!
Elizabeth Bailey
Hello Laura! Wow, I love this interest! Yes indeed. It happens I have just resurrected the series and my agent is currently looking for a new home for the series, including the third book. The fourth book is in first draft form, so with a little luck, there should indeed be more from Ottilia and Francis at an early date. Publishing is like that, I'm afraid. Nothing is guaranteed and the Lady Fan series did not make it with the first publisher beyond the first couple of books. But I'm as keen on my couple as ever and intend to keep the series going whatever happens. If you wish, you could sign up to my newsletter via my website and you'll hear as soon as there is news. Meanwhile, of course, I am busy bringing out Regency historical romances.
Elizabeth Bailey
Hogwarts, without a doubt, along with the magical world that JK Rowling created. I just love this world and the criss-cross of normality with magic. It's exciting, adventurous and full of possibilities.
Elizabeth Bailey
Amazing coincidence, Gilli! I'd love to know what you think of it. I did the same, finding the TV adaptation intriguing - horrific, but intriguing. I'm still watching it, finding it interesting how they've deviated from the book to suit the different medium. Liz xxx
Elizabeth Bailey
Hello Elaine. Thank you so much. My cover designer will be delighted! The original images are from fashion plates of the Regency for the figures, and then I use art images (preferably from the period) for the background. I've acquired lots of images and for each book I have an idea of the scene to fit the book and go through them to choose. Then I give these to my designer who creates the branded cover. Here's the sneaky secret! I'm very lucky to have a brother who is a digital artist and he designs my covers for me. www.davidevansbailey.com He is currently doing a PhD in Auckland, but fortunately that doesn't stop him designing for me too!
Elizabeth Bailey
A difficult one. I think it might have to be a lot of people's favourite, Darcy and Elizabeth. They are the perennial archetypal love story, aren't they? Fighting against the attraction, gradually realising how mistaken they are about the other, learning and changing, and finally succumbing to mutual and abiding affection. It's the classic romance trope and never gets tired.
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