Category Archives: Marketing

by | October 8, 2024 · 10:58 am

RESEARCHING AGENTS: LEARNING AND MORE LEARNING!

Research, research, research. I have been doing lots lately. I’m in search of agents to query. This isn’t my first time. But yay me! After years of practice, I have become a quick-study combing through online resources: Manuscript Wish List (MSWL), QueryTracker, PublishersMarketplace, AgentQuery, Reedsy Marketplace, agent websites, interviews with agents, etc. Researching agents is being a detective – double-checking information; sleuthing for key words and phrases to find ones that fit the theme, plot, voice and vibe of my picture book and young adult novel; and running through agent’s social media posts.

One thing has stayed the same. It’s very tedious work. Very!! And there is no short cut. But I am always learning, especially when I see unfamiliar words and phrases on MSWL Some I need to know; others pique my curiosity. So, I thought I would share my latest “glossary.”

AYKB – Stands for “As you know, Bob…,” a technique writers often use to reveal important background information without taking readers out of the story.

BAME – Stands for Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (writers).

Complex dynamics – Can mean complex characters or dynamic relationships between characters. When creating “complex dynamics,” here are tips for creating your characters: Find out what matters to them. Free write, play with characters to understand their complexities. Explore their backstory. Use characters’ surroundings to develop them.

Dark academia – Set in an elite school with old, crumbling gothic architecture, a dark library, eerie common rooms. Students wear uniforms and enjoy discussing art, literature, philosophy. Typically, there is one group of students that set themselves apart – by choice or through prejudice. Recommend: THE RAVENS (series) by Kass Morgan.

Dead genres – In the words of an agent, “I want the genres everyone says are dead. There is absolutely still room for ‘dead’ genres.”

DEAI – Stands for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion.

Epistolary novel – Fiction written in the form of letters or other documents, such as emails, journal entries, texts, etc. Recommend: YOURS FROM THE TOWER by Sally Nicholls

Escapism – Stories with big characters, high stakes, and ideally, a happy ending. Recommend: DRAGONFRUIT by Makiia Lucier.

Fabulism –Stories that have fantastical elements entwined with the everyday perfectly ordinary – and don’t explain why. Recommend: THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF EVER AFTER by Emily X.R. Pan.

HEA – Stands for Happily Ever After.

Head hopping – When a writer hops between different characters’ perspectives (“heads”) within the same scene.

Intersectionality – Describes the way people’s social identities can overlap. Coined by Columbia law professor Kimberle Crenshaw: “It’s basically a lens, a prism, for seeing the way in which various forms of inequality often operate together and exacerbate each other.”

LitRPG – Stands for Literary Role-Playing Games, a genre combining the conventions of computer role-playing games with science fiction and fantasy novels. Recommend: Clan Dominance: The Sleepless Ones 1 by Dem Mikhailov.

Lower YA – category of young adult fiction aimed at ages 11-13. Typical elements: 1) Likeable protagonist with hints of heavy family topics/issues. 2) Mostly happy, resolution filled ending. 3) High school setting and first love type romance. Recommend: LUCKY IN LOVE by Kasie West.

Middle YA – category of YA aimed at ages 14-16. Typical elements: 1) Traumatic protagonist backstory. 2) Protagonists have a clear identity outside of their family. 3) More diverse, dynamic supporting characters. 4) Romantic relationships with more intimacy and meaning. Recommend: THE NAMES THEY GAVE US by Emery Lord.

Upper YA – category of YA aimed at ages 17+. Typical elements: 1) Protagonist out of high school or close to graduating; navigating post high school life; could be living on own. 2) Deeper introspection of protagonist’s flaws, strengths, wants. 3) Higher stakes and consequences for protagonist’s actions, decisions. 3) Romantic relationships with physical intimacy and/or focusing on long term. Recommend: THE REAPPEARNCE OF RACHEL PRICE by Holly Jackson.

Message novels – The author has a specific agenda – a message. Written to specifically promote an idea or concept.

Mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors – Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, known for her groundbreaking research and advocacy for diversity and representation in children’s books, pioneered the concept that all readers must experience “seeing” themselves (mirrors), different perspectives (windows) and “stepping into” the experiences of others (sliding glass doors).

Selkies – Mythological creatures from Scottish folklore. They shapeshift between seal and human forms by removing or putting on their seal skin. Recommend: TIDES by Betsy Cornwell, SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA by Terri Farley.

 

Mind-boggling? Sure is. Every phase of writing is mind-boggling. But I keep soaking up support, like the recent advice from one of my author-mentors: “Work hard, work harder. What comes will come.”

 

 

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by | July 7, 2024 · 9:32 pm

Making a Marketing Plan that Works for You

By Susan Wroble

Marketing. It usually fall pretty low on the list of things that KidLit creators want to do. But in a series of webinars this spring for Rocky Mountain Chapter of SCBWI, author Jessica Speer set out to change that mindset. Marketing, she noted, has evolved from an approach that focuses on market sales to one that values the audience as partners—an approach that prioritizes authenticity, value and trust.

Jessica’s Marketing Plan 101 started with a simple exercise: think about the ways you market yourself and your book, and add ways you want to try. Then think about what you like to do off that list, and what you think works best for you.

With that in place, Jessica recommended a five-step plan:

  1. defining your target audience,
  2. defining goals and making them measurable,
  3. developing a timeline and budget,
  4. adding action steps
  5. and at the end of the year, review, modify, and start over!

A measurable goal might be something like “raise awareness of my books by appearing on five parenting podcasts” while an action step might be something like “check Podmatch weekly to make connections.”

In the second webinar in the series, RMC members shared how they started putting some of that plan into place, and what has worked for them. Writer and poet Michelle Schaub said that she now has a reminder to reach out to her publisher twice a month, letting them know of good news.

Author Beth Anders with copy of book AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABETBeth Anderson loved the idea of scheduling marketing items on the calendar, and the idea of linking things. She noted that many classroom lessons start with quick, easy videos. Her promotional group has a YouTube channel with information for teachers, and one of her videos was a short (1.5minutes!) question of “What Would You Do?”, a springboard off her INCONVENIENT ALPHABET book that invited students to write persuasively. She adds those videos to the book page, to her podcast, to the teacher guides… all with the goal of reaching and assisting teachers.

 

Roxanne Troup shared a simple, easy tip—to go back through old blog posts and add “Alt Text” to all the images. Originally developed as a description of images for the visually impaired, Alt Text can link the image to a description—and to your name as author and the book title.

And when your book fits into some niche market, as Roxanne’s MY GRANDPA, MY TREE AND ME did with agricultural education, she recommends sending out pre-publication emails. Rachel’s template was to ask if they “might be able to help get the word out about this book through the [program name].” In her email, she provided a link to the book itself, teacher guides, and the publisher’s sell sheet as a handy way to pass along information about the book. Jenny Elder Moke noted that for her teacher guides, she included a biography, the book pitch, research links, and potential classroom activities.

In terms of book publicity, Lisa Cobb, Malia Maunakea and Lynn Becker all had luck reaching out to local newspapers or magazines of their alma maters. Beth recommended asked the publisher for their marketing plan, and then focusing efforts of the things they were not doing.

One technique for getting publicity, especially if you are a subject matter expert, is through Connectively (formerly HARA: Help A Reporter Out). The “lite” version is free, and allows you to browse the queries, searching by keyword, and send up to ten pitches a month.

Jessica noted that repurposing is a simple but effective way to optimize your website and social media presence. She might aim for at least one new article a month, but she will also update an older article to share again, or share in another place (LinkedIn, or Facebook, or a newsletter). And she ended with a quote from marketing guru Seth Godin, which reframed the idea of marketing for me, replacing at least some of my dread with anticipation:

“Our job is to connect with people , to interact with them in a way that leaves them better than we found them, more able to get to where they’d like to go.”

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