RJ Blain, Romance Author
RJ Blain on Tracking Software
RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning. In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until satisfied. You can find out more about RJ on Facebook.
Q. What marketing tools, strategies or tactics are working for you now in 2023?
Q. What isn’t working so well for you now? Or what have you stopped doing because it’s no longer working?
Q. Are you planning any new kind of marketing for the future?
Q. Best tip? Or what one thing should authors go away and do now?
Pepper North on TikTok Success
Pepper North is a three-time USA TODAY bestselling author of spicy romances. Writing over one hundred books since mid-2017, Pepper loves creating characters you'll love and crafting their perfect happily ever after.
Q. What marketing tools, strategies or tactics are working for you now in 2023?
TikTok rules these days to attract new readers and hit the jackpot with a video that goes viral. While I haven't reached Colleen Hoover success, I have found new readers and my paperback sales have definitely increased.
Creating a fervent reader base is key. Interactions through social media and personal appearances have helped me connect with readers. My German translations are rocking! I'm scattering my advertising budget across Facebook, Bookbub ads, and Amazon ads for a better return on my investment.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
I've had success keeping my backlist active through the use of Amazon promo days, usually putting a free and 99-cent book combination out there as buy two books for 99 cents.
This year, I had one book banned by Amazon and my account shut down for several hours on another occasion. I have taken a book series wide to create a presence outside Amazon. It is scary how quickly a decision can be made to yank your account and all unpaid royalties without any recourse or someone to contact. I was not aware that a small group gets to decide what content is objectionable and there is no argument or way to contact them. They could virtually decide that cozy mysteries are inappropriate because someone steals something and there is no argument while other books with graphic violence are fine.
Q. What isn’t working so well for you now? Or what have you stopped doing because it’s no longer working?
Getting FB ads approved has become a huge challenge. My impression is that bots dominate and frequently make unfounded rejections. I've had covers with a fully clothed man in jeans and a t-shirt rejected as adult products as well as ones with a simple cupcake denied for the same purpose. Also, Facebook release parties have limited effect and aren't worth the time and effort required.
Q. Are you planning any new kind of marketing for the future?
I'll continue to experiment with TikTok for future releases. I'd like to explore Kickstarter and Patreon.
Q. Best tip? Or what one thing should authors go away and do now?
Choose one thing and focus on it for several months. Trying too many things at once makes everything a shallow effort that is destined to fail. What works for an author buddy may not work for you and you may find something magic that drives book sales that are ineffective for others.
Lainey Davis
Lainey Davis on Kickstarter
Q. What marketing tools, strategies or tactics are working for you now in 2023?
Q. What isn’t working so well for you now? Or what have you stopped doing because it’s no longer working?
Q. Are you planning any new kind of marketing for the future?
Q. Best tip? Or what one thing should authors go away and do now?
Kitty Thomas on Back of Book Bonuses
Q. What marketing tools, strategies or tactics are working for you now in 2023?
Kitty Thomas
Back-of-book bonus epilogues. I post them at bookfunnel and readers have to click on a link at the end of the book and sign up for my newsletter to get it. It's a much easier way to get people onto the newsletter than “here's a completely unrelated free book”. Readers are becoming jaded and more choosy about giving out their email addresses now that every author has a newsletter. But you can hook them in with bonus content from the book they just enjoyed/finished because they are still thinking about these characters and want more.
Q. What isn’t working so well for you now? Or what have you stopped doing because it’s no longer working?
Q. Are you planning any new kind of marketing for the future?
Q. Best tip? Or what one thing should authors go away and do now?
I would say the bonus epilogues. I've tried a lot of different types of reader magnets, but the bonus epilogues have been most effective. And reader retention is one of the most important things for an author. You don't want to be chasing brand new readers with every single book release.
Kate Frost on AMS Ads for Romance
Kate Frost
Kate Frost is the author of bestselling romantic escape novels including One Greek Summer, An Italian Dream, The Baobab Beach Retreat and The Greek Heart. She lives in Bristol with her husband and son and is the co-founder and director of Storytale Festival. Find out more about her on her website, Facebook and Instagram.
Q. What marketing tools, strategies or tactics are working for you now in 2023?
Amazon ads are continuing to help with the visibility and sales of my romantic escape books, along with two of my books being in Prime Reading – one globally, the other just in Australia but it has massively boosted the sales of my other books. A Kindle Monthly deal in Australia during January for one of my self published books boosted sales and took it into the top 100, so pitching for a daily or monthly deal or saying yes when offered one is a smart move.
Q. What isn’t working so well for you now? Or what have you stopped doing because it’s no longer working?
Q. Are you planning any new kind of marketing for the future?
Q. Best tip? Or what one thing should authors go away and do now?
Harper Bliss on Mailing Lists
Q. What marketing tools, strategies or tactics are working for you now in 2023?
Q. What isn’t working so well for you now? Or what have you stopped doing because it’s no longer working?
Q. Are you planning any new kind of marketing for the future?
Q. Best tip? Or what one thing should authors go away and do now?
Siobhan Davis on Using Your Backlist
Siobhan Davis
Siobhan Davis is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon Top 5 bestselling romance author. She has sold over 1.8 million books, and her titles are translated into several languages. Find out more about Siobhan on her website, Instagram and Facebook.
Q. What marketing tools, strategies or tactics are working for you now in 2023?
TikTok, and a renewed focus on maximising the benefit from my social media platforms, is my focus for 2023. I am looking to further grow my following across all platforms, double my newsletter subscribers, and enhance the skills of my internal team through recruitment and training. Strategically, my emphasis has shifted from regular new releases to my considerable back list so I am generating a better return from my existing titles. I will supplement this effort with some paid ads – Facebook, Amazon, and I use the AMS DSP managed service platform.
For the past few years, I have been building additional revenue streams (like audio and foreign rights) to reduce my reliance on Amazon as the only source of my income. As a KU author, this grants more protection for my career and my income. This year, I will take some titles wide, start a Patreon, focus on growing my print revenue, and I have plans to self-publish in some foreign markets and to explore film and TV options & rights. Through this activity, I hope to grow my brand and my visibility in multiple markets and across various platforms.
Q. What isn’t working so well for you now? Or what have you stopped doing because it’s no longer working?
Paid ads are generating a much lower return for me since November 2021. While I still believe it’s important to maintain some advertising presence, I have diverted a lot of my marketing budget from paid ads to building an internal social media team who will promote me across all platforms, focusing heavily on TikTok.
Q. Are you planning any new kind of marketing for the future?
I am always looking at new ways to market and promote my work. After eight years in the industry, I understand I need to be agile to adapt to new marketing trends. This is a fast-paced industry and what works now may not work in six months or a year. Keeping abreast of the market is critical, as is constantly testing new things.
Q. Best tip? Or what one thing should authors go away and do now?
Review your overall marketing strategy considering the current environment and adapt your plan so it is fit-for-purpose for 2023. Structure your business so it is flexible and ready to change as needed. Keep in mind what works for one author may not work for you, so find the strategies and tools that fit your business and apply them consistently.
J.R. Thorn on The Importance of Reading
J.R. Thorn also known as A.J. Flowers
J.R. Thorn is a USA Today Bestselling author best known for her steamy “why choose” series Fortune Academy and Elemental Fae Academy. She also writes young adult fantasy under A.J. Flowers. Find out more about J.R on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Q. What marketing tools, strategies or tactics are working for you now in 2023?
Booktok is the latest and greatest marketing tool for me as a romance author. I take advantage of utilizing my skills in writing catchy hooks and excerpts on TikTok and social media. I continue to utilize Facebook Ads, but it did take me a very long time to learn how to make a profit with advertising. My best barometer is if a book naturally sells, ads will ampfliy what is already working, but it often won't be the magical bullet for me by itself.
Q. What isn’t working so well for you now? Or what have you stopped doing because it’s no longer working?
I'd say preorders aren't working too well. Mainly because it puts too much pressure to write books I don't necessarily want to write at that moment. Or I can't shift when the market changes. Both my muse and my readers' preferences demand the ability to pivot, just like Ross from Friends! I'd say I'm reducing my preorders and putting more emphasis on Amazon Vella and direct sales.
Q. Are you planning any new kind of marketing for the future?
Yes, I plan on focusing on special print editions either through kickstarter campaigns or through exclusive deals with certain retailers.
Q. Best tip? Or what one thing should authors go away and do now?
Read 50 books with an Amazon rank of 10,000 or better in your chosen niche before you write your next book. I did this when I started my “why choose” pen name and it really worked for me to help me understand what readers expect in that niche. Some call it writing to market, but I like to call it taming the muse. I hope it can work for someone else, too!
