Marketing 101 (short story) by Leanne Dyck

Once upon a time, I owned a craft supply store on the small remote island I still call home. I filled that store with...

quilt batting, thread in many colours and even a few bolts of fabric for quilters
knitting needles and yarn for knitters
paper, scissors and stickers for scrapbookers
an assortment of beads and  precious stones for jewellery makers
crayons, faster plaster, markers for children
and the list goes on and on...

I sat in the shadows with my knitting and waited for my customers to find me.

Island residents trickled in throughout the year but they were joined by tourists in the summer.

One day, he came in and walked up one aisle and down the other. I didn't recognize him and thought he must be a tourist.

"Wow, I'm really impressed by the diverse collection of merchandise." From his accent, I knew he was an American. "You've done very well." His smile wasn't out of pity or mockery. It was genuine. This stranger was proud of me. "If this was my store everyone within a 10 -- no -- 100-mile radius would know where to find me and what I had for sale."

What I thought at the time was, Americans are good at marketing.

What I do now is, pull that memory out each time I want to hide in the shadows. 

I don't think authors should say, "I have a book. Did you know that I have a book? Wow, my book is so good. Have you heard about my book?"

Hmm, nope.

Marketing is about making connections. 

I connect with readers by saying, "You like to read. Well, on my blog, I review books and share my writing."

I connect with writers by saying, "You want to build your author career. So do I. On my blog, I share what I'm learning about the publishing industry."

Thank you, Mr. American tourist, for coming into my store that day. You taught me to take pride in what I do. And you taught me to share it with those who can benefit from it.

*about the photos:  they were taken by me of my knitting but not in my store.

More...

How to get over your fear of self promotion 

Picture Books in Canada

Orca Book Publishers

Established in 1984, Orca Book Publishers is a Canadian-owned children's book publisher that publishes Canadian children book authors. 

Orca Book Publishers submission guidelines

Sharing my author journey

Sometimes magic happens...

How to build an online community by Leanne Dyck

photo by Leanne Dyck

Writers think they are working alone, but in reality, they heavily rely on others for support. We hope our readers will find our work and tell others about it. We hope publishers will accept our submissions. We connect with other authors for information and inspiration.  

How do we build this supportive community?

During Word Vancouver, I attended
Getting Started and Staying Motivated as a Published Children's Book Author with panellists D.R. Graham, Janet M. Whyte, Mark David Smith and Aleesah Darlison
and 
Establishing and Growing Your Digitial Footprint with Trevor Battye and Suzanne Norman

Here's what I heard...

Before being published...
-join professional organizations
-build your social network. Be active on 2 to 4 social media platforms. There are many to choose from. Pick what works for you.
-immerse yourself in your chosen genre and in the publishing world

After being published...
-with regards to social media, follow who your publisher is following
-create an author bio on Amazon and Goodreads

Some writers balk at being on social media. They view it as wasting time. They insist that their time is better spent working on their writing. But discoverability is the biggest problem in publishing, today. And your (potential) readers spend1 in every 5 minutes online. Readers want to connect directly with authors. Online is the new word of mouth. The best way to start is to build 
an author web site that has your own domain (for example, authorleannedyck.blogspot.com). Build a website even if the only thing on there is your blog. But don't build a blog and forget about it. Anything you do online should be consistent.

Rules for blogging
-link, tag, acknowledge (acknowledge comments, etc.)
-minimal wordage posts
-site quotes
-keep information accessible
-use images
-engage with your followers

Hierarchy of fan involvement
-connect with you through social media
-read your blog
-subscribe to your e-newsletter
-attend your events
-buy your books

More info:  Kevin Kelly and 1000 true fans

If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times it's getting harder and harder to attract a publisher. 
You've got a great book that you know readers want. What do you do?
Crowdfunding, is one way.
Wikipedia defines crowdfunding as 'the practice of funding a project or venture by raising monetary contributions from a large number of people, typically via the internet.'
Through crowdfunding you can...
-demonstrate that you have an audience for your book
-pre-sell your book
-self-publish your book

Examples:  Seth Godin raised over 280,000 dollars before writing the book.

More...

How to Create A Kick Ass Crowdfunding Campaign and Make Your Dreams Come True

You can build a supportive online community. But it requires time and a consistent effort. 

I know it works because, due to a consistent effort, I have been able to build a community of over 5,000 followers (on Google+, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn). If this "Luddite" can do it, you can too.

Photo by Leanne Dyck

Sharing my author journey...

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