MARKETING 101

~ Kimila Kay

I love everything about writing my books. The research and plotting. Developing characters and creating scenarios for their fictional lives. Deciding what crime my villains will spring on their unsuspecting victims. And not knowing how the book ends until I make the journey with the characters is so satisfying.

I do not, however, enjoy marketing. Seriously! There is so much to learn about running Facebook ads. And don’t even get me started about trying, unsuccessfully by the way, to make an Amazon ad. I also can’t seem to master Tik Tok or Book Tok or any kind of Tok.

My trek into the nightmare of marketing is driven by the desire to increase my book sales. So far my endeavors have been participating in book events with Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA), as well as doing a few on my own. I love talking to potential readers and discussing my books along with other authors’ books. And I’m really good at sales! I’ve been told I can sell someone the shirt their already wearing!

Obviously, I’m participating in writing blogs for Ladies of Mystery, but I also try to post blogs on my author’s website. And have looked into writing a blog for Goodreads to see if I can attract more readers to my books.

One of the benefits to working events with other authors is learning how to well … market. Paty Jager has been helpful beyond words, answering my questions and holding my hand as I flatten my learning curve. From creating ads to crafting a newsletter to navigating tools like Audible, Paty has provided great insight. Her patience is endless and if not for her I would’ve tossed in the towel after the first week.

Now I’m running a Facebook ad every week or so and my book sales are creeping upwards. I haven’t been able to master an Amazon ad yet, but plan to keep trying. I noticed that my eBook sales are up via Draft2Digital. In fact, the Brooklyn New York Library ordered all five of my eBooks. What?!? As did the Jackson County Library in my hometown of Medford, Oregon.

One of my favorite marketing tasks so far has been scheduling more solo book events. I’ve landed a booth spot for Donald Daze in my current hometown and the Jackson County Library has invited me to do an event in June.

Marketing might be a touch challenging, but I do love a good challenge! I would love any tips or tricks you’ve had success with, so please feel free to share at author@kimilakay.com

I’m off now to work on my current WIP, “Chaos in Cabo”, because causing chaos for my characters is way more fun than marketing!

Happy writing, Ladies ~ Kimila

Footnote: As you know, I lost my son, Derrick, seven years so with each passing child, I deeply feel the loss for the parents. Dear friends of mine lost their 21-year-old son, Jason, in a motorcycle accident a week ago. My apologies for the short blog this time, but I’ve been in Medford wrapped in the comfort of family and friends. Hug those close to you because no matter how much time you think you have … it will never be enough.

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Published by Kimila Kay

Kimila Kay lives in Donald, Oregon along with her husband, Randy, her adorable Boston Terrier Maggie, and a feisty black cat named Halle. Her professional accomplishments include three anthologized essays in the CUP OF COMFORT series. In three separate contests, PERIL IN PARADISE, has won two first place awards and a third-place award in the romantic suspense category. Kimila is currently a member of a writing critique group, Northwest Independent Writers Association (NIWA), Willamette Writers, and Windtree Press. PERIL IN PARADISE is the first novel in a planned cross-cultural series, which will include Malice in Mazatlán, Vanished in Vallarta, Chaos in Cabo, and Lost in Loreto.

6 thoughts on “MARKETING 101”

  1. Thank you for your kind words! I am willing to give answers if I know them. Marketing is the thing I like the least about writing as well. But you are getting there. Because you are a good in-person seller, I think once you get the hang of online marketing you will really see a jump in your sales.

    I’m sorry for the losses. When a person hasn’t been able to fulfill their life’s purpose it it hits harder.

    Good post!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. I haven’t tried advertising on FB, but maybe I’ll give it a whirl. I know one writer friend out of the dozens and dozens I hang out with, either on the internet or in person, who can market books as well as write them. Cindy Sample is a wonderful humorous mystery writer (the Dying For A … series) and also a marketing guru. But she is an anomaly, I think. Condolences on the loss of your son. After we lost my brother at 26 years old, my mother was never the same. Neither was I.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. My condolences on the loss of your son and your friends’ loss. As for the marketing, I don’t know anyone who actually likes it. We learn to tolerate it, some better than others. I’ve tried a few FB ads and some other things, but mostly I hand sell my books at events, which gives me the opportunity to chat with people and learn more about them and the world. Good post.

    Liked by 1 person

  4. At least you’ve had success with Facebook ads; I haven’t tried that yet. My condolences to your friends on the loss of their son. And to you as well. My neighbors recently lost their 32-year-old daughter to cancer. Losing a child is something one never gets over.

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Well done on your marketing . Much better than mine.

    I find the biggest trouble if cost. Everything seems to cost these days, and I don’t have the money.

    OK, a newsletter doesn’t cost, but personally, I found it a waste of time, even though we are constantly told it’s the best way. I hardly got any new subscribers, in spite of a reader magnet. Those few who opened the newsletter rarely, if at all, bothered to reply, even if I encouraged it with a direct question. And I didn’t use it to push my books, either. I did everything we are told to do for a successful newsletter, but it failed.

    Bookbub is said to be good, but I can’t afford it. Nor can I afford Facebook and Amazon ads.

    I use my Facebook account and my blog to keep my followers up to date with what I’m doing, and some fun posts.

    Liked by 1 person

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