Phyllis Twombly (scifialiens)'s friend comments Showing 1-4 of 4

message 4: by Gary

Oct 07, 2009 10:25PM

Phyllis said: "Obviously you're doing a lot of the right things in the area of book promotion. I've been trying to learn how to promote my own scifi novels online but there hasn't been much payoff so far. (My first novel, Been Blued, came out in 2007.) I'd appreciate some advice. I have my own website, http://www.ScifiAliens.com. I'm also on Twitter, Facebook and Myspace. My self-published Martian Symbiont series sells well locally but I'd like to widen the scope. I do have Wordpress and Vox blogs but haven't had time to really maintain them. In August I created a video for YouTube and posted the link everywhere I could but it's barely had a hundred views. Currently I've got a more traditional publishing house waiting for my current manuscript. That should be finished in a few weeks if I keep my nose to the chisel and tablet."
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Well, Phyllis, to be honest about it, I've had one big advantage when it comes to the relative success of my novel in terms of sales. That is, even though I started writing it over 10 years ago, the subject matter that comprises the underlying theme (2012, the end of the Mayan calendar) just happens to be a hot topic these days. That fact, I'm pretty sure, has been a big help in attracting attention to my book. In addition to that I've been running a banner ad on one of the most popular "2012" websites on the internet. I know that banner ad has resulted in many hundreds of hits to my own website. I don't know if I'll have the same degree of success when it comes to attracting attention to my next novel which will be an occult crime thriller. I'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

It seems like you're doing all the right things, as far as having an internet presence. One of the problems, I'm guessing, is that your books are just more sci-fi among the many that are already out there. Please don't take that to mean I'm assuming your books are not worthy of more notice. They might be the best sci-fi novels of the 21st century. What I mean is there are literally thousands of other sci-fi novels out there and many of them are written by authors that have a following to one degree or another. My next novel will be in the same boat. It'll be just one more occult crime thriller amongst... well, I have no idea how many but I'll bet it must be thousands. The question is, how to promote your books in a way that makes them stand out from the rest. Obviously that's much more easily said than done. Sometimes it just takes some really dynamic promo copy. Develop some sort of a catchy or provocative tag line. Think about it as if you're part of high priced, professional promo/marketing group that's been hired to come up with a marketing campaign to promote a multi-million dollar blockbuster movie. Movie promotions have about the most dynamic, clever marketing tag lines, graphics, teaser trailers, etc. of any medium I can think of.

Other than that I guess we just keep pushing ahead and hoping for the best. :-)

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message 3: by Phyllis

Jul 28, 2009 06:43PM

Christine wrote: "Hi Phyllis, stopped by to see what's new on your page. Have a great week.
Blessings CJ

Join shadow forest authors and help stop illiteracy wor..."

Thanks Christine,

I should soon have a book trailer up and running. It seems something's always distracting me, so no more excuses after tonight's 'walkies,' for my dog, Liberty.

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message 2: by Christine

Jul 27, 2009 08:22PM