Tag: selling romance novels

Watching For Signs

Romance writers know
when people start banning
books featuring diverse characters,
romance novels will be next.

We watch for
that movement.
We try to stop it
from happening.
And we prepare
because it WILL impact us
next.

I know if the UK is experiencing
extreme weather
and climate change,
my section of the world
will likely experience it
next.

I prepare
for those weather events.
I plan around them.

There are almost always
warning signs
foretelling big changes
in our lives
and in our businesses.

Figure out
what the warning signs
for your situation
are.

Monitor them.
And then prepare
for any changes.

Publicly Shaming Your Customers

A writer posted
on social media
about something
awful
a reader (her customer)
said to her
about her book (product).

She named names.

I blocked this writer.
I don’t want
to ever talk to her
because she might
publicly shame me also.

I wouldn’t say the awful thing
but I might say something
SHE thought was awful
or incorrect
or stupid.

Don’t publicly shame
your customers.
Some of your other customers
WILL believe they’re next
and they’ll soon become
ex-customers.

Oh and this should be obvious
but don’t ever post
photos of your customers
without their permission.

If you plan to take
audience photos
at events,
WARN attendees.
Tell them
(in the marketing material)
BEFORE
they arrive.

Protect your customers.

Valentine’s Day Promotions

A publisher I know
doesn’t release romance novels
with Valentine’s Day themes
because
they don’t sell well.

Many ROMANCE readers
HATE Valentine’s Day.
They absolutely hate it.

If people who read
about love and romance
hate it,
you can bet
your first startup dollar
even more people
in the general population
hate it.

I don’t mention
Valentine’s Day
in my promotions.
I say things like
“Feel the love
and read” X
or
“Give the gift of love.”
or
something else love-themed.

The people who enjoy
Valentine’s Day
assume it is
a Valentine’s Day promotion.

The people who hate
Valentine’s Day
assume
I’m merely promoting
all types of love
and that’s rarely a bad thing.

Consider not mentioning
Valentine’s Day
in your
Valentine’s Day promotions.

If They’re Not Interested In A Sample

Every year,
I give away a free short story
to newsletter subscribers.
This is exclusive
to them.

I wait for a couple months
and then I archive
any subscriber
who didn’t open
the past 6 newsletters
or
click on any of the links.

If they’re not interested
enough
to click on a free story,
they likely aren’t interested
enough
to buy any of my stories.

I pay per subscriber.
It saves money
if I move them
off my list.

The people
who refuse your sample
aren’t your customers.

Focus on the other people.

Ask Before Copying Someone

I give readers a free short story
every December.
It is a gift.
It is PURELY a gift.

It costs me money
to edit and for a cover
and I don’t expect
to recover those funds.

Most of the readers
who love the short story
are already buying
every other story I write.

Every year,
some new-to-the-niche writers
copy me.
They give away
their free short stories,
thinking it is some magical
book selling tactic.

They soon find out
it doesn’t increase
their sales.

I would have told them
exactly that
if they had asked me.
Often, I volunteer
that information
on social media.

Ask the originator
before copying them.
Take a couple minutes
and gather that information.

Take Time Off

I’m working today.

December 25th is a HUGE sales day
for Romance Novels.
Many readers are receiving gift cards
for the holidays
and they are seeking to use them.

But I’m working
as few hours as I can.
I hope to spend most of the day
with loved ones.
I want to relax.
I want to dream.
I want to be inspired.

Many businesses are completely closed
today.
Employees and partners
are taking the day off.

Rest is important.

We all need
to re-energize
and we, business builders
need
to remember
why or whom
we’re working
so hard.

If you can,
take some time off
today.

Communicating Price Increases

I gave my readers
(customers)
5 months warning
about the increase
in prices for my Romance Novels.

This did a couple of things.

It prepared the readers
mentally for the price increase.

They had time
to grumble about it
(which they, surprisingly,
didn’t do with me),
to get angry or upset
and then to calm down
before my next book (product) released.

It also gave my readers
an opportunity
to buy the existing books
at the lower price.
That bump up of sales
at the end of the year
was VERY much welcomed.

And it relayed
that I was being open
and honest with them.
Readers (customers) might not
take any action
upon hearing about
a price increase
but they like knowing about it
in advance.

Consider giving your customers
notice
of price increases.

Have You Increased Your Prices?

In 2023,
for the first time ever,
I’m increasing
the prices
of my Romance Novels.

I received
NO pushback
from readers
on this price increase.
And I’ve seen
NO decrease in pre-orders
for my 2023 releases.

Why didn’t I receive
pushback?

2022 was the year
almost every business
increased their prices.
That included
publishers and writers.

I was one of the few
exceptions.

Readers expect me
to increase my prices.
And readers, being human,
also like being right.

Increasing my prices
makes them happy.

Increasing your prices,
if you haven’t increased them
in years,
might make your customers happy also.

Your customers are likely
expecting the price increases.
Don’t disappoint them.

When NOT To Ask For Feedback

When I release a book
in November or December,
I assume that book
will receive very few reviews.

They might receive ratings
because giving a rating
often takes one click.

But they won’t receive
reviews.
People are super busy
in November and December.
They don’t have the time
or the brain bandwidth
to communicate in words
what they liked
or didn’t like.

Don’t waste
your time or money
sending customer satisfaction surveys
or other types of feedback mechanisms
this month.

People are too busy
to complete them
and
they will merely irritate
your customers.

Friends And Buying Our Products

I was chatting to a buddy
yesterday
about the no promoting
on certain social media platforms
issue.

And she said,
“But if you chat with them,
you’ll become friends
and
then they will buy your books.”

My reply was,
“You’re my friend.
How many of my books
have YOU bought?”

There was a stretch of awkward silence
followed by a bunch of excuses.

That is my point
EXACTLY.

Friends often don’t buy
our products
or pay to use our services.
Don’t expect that
to happen.
Don’t build a business
around it happening.

And don’t assume
being best friends
with prospects
will lead to sales.

Often, the opposite
will happen.

Friends are the worst prospects.
Look elsewhere
for customers.