Monday Marketing: Let's Talk Interaction

One of the biggest perks (and drawbacks) to being an author is the lack of personal interaction with real people. I mean the living, breathing type. It isn't hard to find authors who never leave their houses. Their social interactions are strictly done online. Well guess what...that works too.

This week I'm discussing interaction. Make those alliances we talked about in past posts. Make reader alliances. Make industry alliances. Oh, and let's not stop there!!!  Make alliances of people you have nothing in common with, because you'll need them.

How do you meet and mingle with those industry people? Let's take a look back at going to local writers groups and conventions. These two areas are swarming with like minded people. This is how I met some amazing people, some I have watched go from aspiring to New York Times bestsellers. The first convention I ever attended I jumped in with two feet. I signed up for multiple volunteer positions. That's right. That forced me to get involved and meet at least the person who would be telling me what they needed me to do. (Guess what, it also gave me a special ribbon and people took note that I was one of the people helping to put the convention together.) I met a lot of people AND people, the next day, would say, "I remember you from last night." That took out any work on my part. They approached me.

Another little trick was to sit at a table with people I didn't know. At events such as conventions, people are there to meet each other. Business cards and bookmarks fly! When you get home follow up on all the connections you received. Email them and ask how they liked the convention. You're making connections!

Now, one of the reasons many of us are happy in our writing lives is because we are not social people. We are happy among our four walls of controlled space. This is where social networking come in very handy.

Facebook and Twitter can build you an entire collection of like minded people from all over the world. This is a limitless source of friendship and support. Begin joining groups that you'd be interested in AND participate. Lurking online isn't building any alliances. Be friendly. Join into discussions. If you're going to have books out there you need to let people know who you are. Many writing organizations are also online or have online branches. Get to know your peers.

So we've discussed industry interaction. Authors, editors, agents, publishers, etc. These people will help you get to where you're going. Now let's talk about the alliance of those who have nothing to do with the industry.

Get to know EVERYONE you can. More than likely you are not an auto mechanic, equestrian expert, lawyer, teacher, politician, hair stylist, fashion designer, house painter...and the list goes on and on. BUT in your writing you might need one of these to draw from. People get very excited to be part of your books. (And a simple acknowledgement in your book will thrill them.) Recently I used my cousin who is a songwriter/singer in Nashville. How convenient when my main character in Love Songs is a songwriter/singer in Nashville. In fact, for fun, I added my cousin to the list of characters in the book. That was a lot of fun. BUT if you don't have these connections, I suppose you could research online, but really...what's the fun in just that? ( Big Grin!)

So whether you're a social butterfly or like your quiet space make alliances! They are going to help you reach your goals!

Happy Meeting!
Bernadette Marie

For a complete list of Monday Marketing topics and their links please click here.

Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011, along with her other series and single title books. The married mother of five sons promises Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it, because she lives it.

When not writing, Bernadette Marie is shuffling her sons to their many events—mostly hockey—and enjoying the beautiful views of the Colorado Rocky Mountains from her front step. She is also an accomplished martial artist with a second degree black belt in Tang Soo Do.

A chronic entrepreneur, Bernadette Marie opened her own publishing house in 2011, 5 Prince Publishing, so that she could publish the books she liked to write and help make the dreams of other aspiring authors come true too.

Bernadette Marie began writing at the age of thirteen and submitted her first manuscript at sixteen. Just as any aspiring author has learned, the publishing world is full of rejection. So how does an author find readers and allies before they have a book? Self-promotion! Bernadette Marie shares her experiences in building a name for herself before her first book was ever published.