Ellen Byron

Throwing Promo Spaghetti at the Wall

I semi-joke that I currently have two titles: Ellen Byron, Author and Marketing Director for Ellen Byron, Author. I’m thinking all authors these days can relate to this.

Under the guise of my second title, I came up with what I consider a brilliant marketing idea: First Book Fridays. Readers like to start with the first book in a series and since I have three series – one of which I no longer write but that doesn’t mean people can’t buy and read it! – I’d do a giveaway of the first book in each series every Friday for a month to garner new readers to the series and reach readers who enjoy one of my series but may have missed another. I’d share the link through a blog post on my website, putting that almost-dormant feature of it to use, and announce a winner on Monday the same way.

I made graphics. I learned how to make a Google form, which required hired help since that particular tech format doesn’t seem to come naturally to me. I launched the first giveaway through my newsletter, and ta da! I got over 500 hundred entries. I blithely chose a winner and announced her the following Monday.

I launched the second giveaway on Friday. Since I’m religious about not inundating my mailing list with emails, I’ve opted not to send weekly contest reminders. So, I shared through my socials and on several Facebook groups, including the mothership of them, Save our Cozies.

As of this morning, I have 32 entries.

I’ve made an adjustment – the giveaway will now run a week. I’ll announce the previous winner in the same blog post where I share the current giveaway. I’ll also ask my small “street team” to share the contest links, but since they also want to win, I don’t know how much sharing they’ll do. I can announce the first giveaway for each book via my newsletter, so that will give at least one week some traction. I know I should do more. But honestly, I don’t have the time. If you notice, this Chicks post has arrived late to your inbox.

It’s a good idea. I simply don’t have the follow-through to make it break through on a weekly basis. There’s a limit to my bandwidth. Plus, today, I have to start a draft for my next book, and Ellen Byron, Author always takes precedence over Marketing Director for Ellen Byron, Author. So, I’ll be grateful for any new reader I do reach and bank the idea to revise for the future. (I also want to use the First Book Friday theme to share first books in my friends’ series down the road.)

Just for fun, here are the graphics I made for my other two series. If a link pops up on one of your socials for one of my giveaways, feel free to share. And of course, free to enter!

Readers, do you reach a point where you’re like, “I should do more… but I can’t?”

38 thoughts on “Throwing Promo Spaghetti at the Wall”

  1. Ooof… I have that thought every day about marketing and promoting my books, and I hold you in awe, Ellen, for all you do in this regard!

    But it seems to get harder and harder, with so many different platforms out there, and so many terrific books by a host of fabulous authors for readers to choose between. Which, of course, is not the worst thing in the world, lol!

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  2. I love this idea, Ellen! Friday just got even better!!

    I hear ya on I Shouldisms. Some wise person told me that doing these kinds of things is like putting aside savings to invest in yourself, which is such a great way to look at it. Have I followed this wonderful advice? No, but I will! (Or at least I should.)

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    1. Jen, I LOVE how you do Instagram. You’re way better at that than me. AND you still have kids at home. Two! That has to be your priority, so the fact you get anything done on top of that is a miracle.

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  6. Love the idea, Ellen! I totally feel for you on promo. It gets SO exhausting. On the other hand, if we don’t speak up on behalf of our own books, who will? Oh, for the income to afford to pay someone to do it for us!

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  7. All. The. Time.

    I’m currently trying to plan a campaign for the release of THICKER THAN WATER, which is book 6 in my Laurel Highlands series and will be my tenth published novel. I’ve come up with an idea I call “10 in 10,” where entrants can win one book a day for 10 days. I’ve come up with a list of friends I want to ask to help. I’m stuck on the entry mechanism.

    In the meantime, I have to keep going on the new Work in Progress and I’ll be getting edits on the book that comes out next Spring.

    Sigh.

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    1. Liz, brilliant! I love it. I have a subscription to KingSumo, which is like Rafflecopter and I’ve done most of my giveaways there. I also have a hidden contest page on my website which I activate for small giveaways. The entries go to my least-used email address, so I pick a winner from there. This is my first time using Google forms and I found it tricky to learn but once you do, it’s relatively straightforward.

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  8. I love what you are doing with giving away your books. I don’t enter the contests because I have bought and read all of your books in all three series. I don’t want to be selfish just to win something. I want readers that have not experienced your wonderful books to win them. Thank you for giving all of us the opportunity to win your books. Brilliant idea.

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      1. Ellen, Thanks then. I will do that. I have shared your books with two friends already. But one has moved away, so that might make a nice gift.

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  9. El, don’t know how you do it all! You’re amazing. This post was perfect timing for me, as I literally sit with pen and notebook trying to dream up marketing ideas for a new series (not yet official, but very soon!). I am trying hard not to be overwhelmed. But you’re a great inspiration, so thank you!!

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  10. That’s a great idea–you are so good at promo!!

    A few years back, I gave away one mystery written by a friend every Wednesday time (Wednesday Winsday is what I think I called it). It was very fun but then FB started to really shrink who they showed stuff to on business pages *unless* you were willing to pay. I was already on a minus financial status from buying books for winners, so I had to give up! All of this to say that it’s wonderful you’re being thoughtful about the delivery system and calibrating as you go along. I hope your promo reaches lots of folks and is SUPER successful! 🎉🎉🎉

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    1. Cyn, how much do I love “Winsday?!” Brilliant!! And yes, Facebook has really become crummy about sharing posts. I guess I shouldn’t complain because I do use it for free. But you know what? You’ve given me an idea. Maybe I’ll actually pay for an ad. For at least one week per book/

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  11. I’m feeling this HARD right now, El! I have a huge promo stack coming up this week with a lot of moving parts and I feel like it has sucked every single molecule from my brain. Very complicated to start with, plus I’m trying to quantify it to see if—or how much—I want to replicate. If readers only knew just how very much we bleed for them … lol!

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  12. OMG, Ellen. Being one’s own Marketing Director is SO much work. One big giveaway with one google form about does me in. And let’s not even mention when one of us errs over there on the FB, I mean Meta area, and offers a giveaway, only to encounter spammers and sleazebags of the worst kind.

    Thee is brave, my friend. I wish you the best!

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  14. Oh yes, I only have one book out so far but often feel like I’m shouting into the wind. I’ve decided to slow down the marketing and work on submitting Book 2 and writing Book 3, for now. But the guilt remains I’m leaving my baby Book 1 untended. (If I could emoji here there would be a face with a teardrop:)

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  15. I saw your thing and shared it.

    I also saw someone somewhere talk about doing a FB bookclub where they interact in a meaningful way with their readers on a daily plus basis. I spent about an hour looking at different fan pages and decided that the right way to do it is too labor-intensive for me. And too people-y too.

    Even after I finish the day job, ten years hence, I’ll probably just use the time to write more.

    Hope it works for you!

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  17. This came just as I’ve been brainstorming the marketing of my upcoming Christmas-themed mystery. And you are such an inspiration. So many great ideas! I was thinking about doing a “Countdown to Christmas Mystery” giveaway for 24 days (either before the book release, or during the actual Christmas season) but now that just sounds way too ambitious. Maybe the 12 days of Christmas might be more doable? And Google forms? I have no idea where to start! Ugh!

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  18. I love the concept of First Book Friday! Reading a series in order is important to keep up with the lives of the characters & to see them grow & change. The first book is especially important since it gives a full backstory to the main character. Sadly I recently finished the last book in tge Cajun Country series so won’t have another Ellen Byron book to read until you publish a new one 😉.

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    1. Judith, thank you! And if you haven’t yet, you can read my other series, the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries – set in New Orleans – and the Catering Hall Mysteries, which I write as Maria DiRico.

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