NEW YEAR NEW YOU

As an author you constantly have to stay relevant to your authors.

Are you?

What do I mean by that.

Now is the time for you to begin thinking about re-branding yourself. 

Think about your cover photo. The one you took five years ago and have never updated it since.

Think about your bio. The one you wrote five years ago and still use today.

Are you saying that you haven't changed at all? Are you saying that your bio is still accurate and that the photo on your website or book jacket is still you? 

I know that I have changed a lot in five years. I have more grand children. I have gained a little more weight and my appearance has changed. 

I am constantly trying to re-brand or update myself.

Every author should do that. 

EVERY YEAR.

I met an author who said we had met before. Ok, I took her word for it but I didn't recognize her. I go home, pull our her book and holy smokes. She was correct. We had met; even took a lot of selfies together but she looked nothing like I remembered her. I checked her website and the woman that I met was still there. The woman I met in person was not her.

Would her fans recognize her now? She hadn't gained weight. Instead she had lost it and all of her features were different. Why didn't she update her website? Why didn't she let her fans know of her new look.

I think many of us put up our website, FB page or Twitter feed and forget about it. Sure we change the content but we don't update the most important part. We need to update ourselves. We need to change that picture as often as we change the content.

What do you think? Do you still look exactly like you did at that first book signing you did. Do you still have the picture of yourself five years ago on your website. 

Why not take the time this month to update all of your pictures and bios. 

I know I am.

Keep writing because I am. 

NOT ENOUGH NETWORKING

Authors have a very difficult job to do.

First we must right a novel, then we have to edit the novel. After that we have to approve a cover, write a synopsis (which is harder than you think) and then we have to begin marketing the novel. Then we have to come up with an elevator pitch. (more about this later)We must do all of this BEFORE the book is even out.

Then we must network but that is the hardest part.

You would think networking would be a great thing to do but it is not when you are only networking with other authors.

This is not something you want to do a lot of. Sure you want to network but who is your audience. Other authors? Sometimes. But most of the time, your audience is your readers.

Are you networking with them? Are you going where they are? Are you showing up at an event thrown by a friend, not as the guest but as the "celebrity" making a "guest appearance"?

Sounds corny, right?

But think about it. 

You get invited to a Christmas party. You go because you are supporting your friend. Once you get there, find out if there are readers there. How do you do that? Ask? duh! If there are a lot of readers, say about half of the crowd, pull the hostess to the side. Ask them if they wouldn't mind introducing you as an author and allowing you ONE MINUTE of their time to introduce yourself and your novel (elevator pitch) . 

Keep it to a minute because the party isn't for you. Even if you don't have a lot of readers in attendance, you may still be able to make a sell because they know someone who loves reading. 

Networking with fans is way more important than networking with authors. Why?

Some authors feel you are their competition and although they will be 'happy' for you, they aren't going to buy your novel and spread the word about you if they feel you are taking their potential sales. 

Instead, you need to network with people you are trying to reach. After all you wrote a novel for READERS, right?

So get out there and begin networking with READERS. They are you audience and remember use every opportunity to tell at least one person that you are a published author. 

What do you feel about networking? Do you do it a lot or is that "not your cup of tea''?

Let me know on my FB page or tweet me @bswanginwebster