FACT: I suck as
self-promoting.
FACT: I WAS a
sucker when it came to advertising.
FACT: Taking
blogs at face value can hurt your reputation.
Why would I make
such bold statements?
I literally shot
myself in the foot, and lost five readers in the process. It all happened when I was trying to take
a proactive approach towards marketing/advertising, something a shy introvert
should NEVER tackle alone.
I take pride in
my love of research. Here is my story. On February 17, 2013 a blogger who promotes
authors and their books, approached me via Facebook.
After reviewing
their blog and seeing how they shared information about the book, the author
and their other work(s), I assumed
this was a wonderful opportunity. To my dismay, I was wrong, dead wrong!
Here is the
initial message:
“Just wanted to
mention this: If you're looking for some added exposure, each weekend I do a
romantic/erotic giveaway blitz! It's gotten to be pretty huge. Authors donate a
mobi/pdf or amazon gift version of their book, or swag, in return, i send lots
of fans to "like" and follow on facebook and twitter, and new
readers!! .. the
link was inserted here. If interested in being one of our featured
giveaway authors, let me know, would love to have you. I'm filling slots for
the 3/9 and 3/16 weekends”
Doesn’t that
sound wonderful? To me, it sure did. All I had to do was supply a free book or
swag, and in return, my work would be shared with a wider audience. It seemed
like a wonderful opportunity, therefore, I quickly replied with links and all
pertinent information.
The prizes I
offered were an autographed print book (The Coalition of the Supernatural), and
a poster of my recent release.
To me, this
opportunity was a blessing. It was a wonderful invitation to reach a wider
audience, or so I thought.
The old expression goes, “The path to hell is often
paved with good intentions.”
When I initially
signed up, I was told it would be one of two weekends. I waited for interview
questions or a finalized confirmation email … they never arrived.
Previous blurbs
and advertising for the authors were good, nearly excellent!
The first
weekend mentioned by the blog owner passed by without an email. The following
weekend, I received an email with a link advising me that it was live!
Live? Without questions or a solid confirmation! Wow, I’ve
got to see this,
I thought.
I clicked on the
link and discovered that three other authors were featured, and I supplied the
prize for their advertising.
Talk about being
kicked your “special spot”!
So why am I
sharing this? Am I looking for sympathy?
Absolutely not!
Shame on me for taking that blogger at face value. I should have asked more
questions, a lot more questions.
I believe that
we must take responsibility for our actions. My penance for my lack of vetting
was simple. I took the loss and mailed the winner the prizes.
Romance is my
genre, not erotica. This was made clear with the links and information I sent
to that blogger who approached me. Yet, my prizes were used to promote erotica.
I lost five
devoted readers because I was lumped in with erotica. It was heartbreaking. One
parent found me on that blog and stopped her daughter and friends from reading
my works.
Once again, the
only one at fault is Sass. I should have clarified with that blogger that if
accepted, my work would only be featured on a romance page.
So why this
blog?
Quite simple. I want
to help prevent others from making the same mistake I made. It’s my way of turning a negative situation into a positive
life experience.
Many authors are
natural born introverts. We would all love to just write, however, we must
market our work, if, that is, we want to present our work to the public. In order
to do so, it is important that we properly assess opportunities such as I was
presented by this blogger.
Do you have a positive
or negative experience to share? If so, please tell us about your experience.
Together we can
help each other.
Brightest
blessings,
Sass :)
