Writers in the Storm

by Penny Sansevieri

With summer disappearing in our rearview mirrors, it’s time for writers and authors to grab their calendars and favorite planning tools in order to start brainstorming smart marketing strategies to promote their releases this fall and into the holiday season.

If you’d like to spread a little happiness, consider this: consumers love a deal, which is why eBook promotions, book bundles, and the like really help to push a book to new readers. One of my favorite win-win approaches is the BOGO: Buy One, Get (or Give or Gift) One. You see BOGOs all the time and in various forms. In fact, even Starbucks does these during their happy hour (buy one drink, get one free for a friend).

BOGOS are typically limited-time access campaigns, and people love them. When I recently released How to Sell Books by the Truckload, we used the pre-order phase to offer a BOGO: each purchase entitled the buyer to limited access to our AME Master Amazon Video program. I was thrilled by how successful the strategy was.

Simple BOGO Rules

You can do a BOGO, too! Here are some simple rules to follow to make yours a success. You really want to plan out these promotions; give yourself enough time to create branded images, too!

Make Sure You’re Offering Something People Actually Want

I’ve had the BOGO conversation with many authors, and some of them say, “Well, I could give them a chapter of my next book!” Which is totally fine if you have a super strong fan base, all of whom are clamoring for your next book. Otherwise I’d recommend digging in and finding something that’ll really engage readers. It could be a free eBook – maybe an earlier publication or the first in a series. I gave access to a learning program, which was something that paired well with my book.

Make it Easy to Share

To build momentum, you’ll want to offer something shareable, fun, and not overly complex. Buy One, Get One is a great deal – and it’s also an easy share on social media. Don’t make the steps too difficult – one action should equal one result. Multiple step promos may seem like fun, but it’s a lot harder to get folks on board, and they’re much harder to promote. Keep it (super) simple.

Different Types of Offers

Partner with Other Authors

If you are connected to authors in similar genres, see if they’d like to go in on a promo, which could mean gifting a copy of their book (digital or print) to whoever buys yours. You may have readers they haven’t reached yet – readers who may buy their books, too. You can also trade promotions. So, you run a BOGO with their book, and then they run a BOGO with yours. After the promotion is over, you can celebrate by trading marketing lists.

Swag

A BOGO can also be swag. For example, we have these great tote bags that read Ask Me About My Book. I had ours made on etsy in bulk, and even though a bulk order means we have tons to give away, we are still loving them – and our authors do, too! If you need a few less than a zillion, you could also go to Zazzle and design your own tote bag – or another piece of swag, as they have everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs to stickers, and more!

Buy One, Give One

This is another fun idea, one I often run around the holidays: buy a copy of my book and the purchase allows you to gift one to a friend. Generally, the “gifted” book is an eBook. So the reader sends you their receipt with the name and email and any message they want to include, and you gift the book. This one has been really popular for us, and I’ve used it a lot!

Digital Gift Packs

If you have a lot of digital content, consider offering cutting room floor versions of your book (book content that didn’t make it into the final edition). Avid fan bases always love “director’s cut” stuff. But if you don’t have that kind of material, you could always do a special interview for your readers or create other collateral pieces like character trading cards. I have these in print and digital, and we give them away in droves. My trading cards are tips-related; whether you’ve written fiction or non-fiction, these can be a fun addition to your marketing inventory.

Timing and Creating Marketing Materials

Your BOGO needs to run for a week, at least – or longer depending on what you’re doing. For example, if your promotion is a pre-order strategy, as mine was, you might want to offer it for two weeks. We paired the promotion with my book’s pre-order window, which worked great, and we created a variety of marketing materials to support this with different versions as we got closer to the BOGO deadline.

Promote, Promote, Promote

If you’re figuring out how to market a book with a special offer, make a plan to promote it heavily – via your newsletter and social media or a Twitter ad or two. Ask other authors you know to share it with their audiences (even if they aren’t involved in the promotion), using hashtags on Twitter and Instagram like: #BOGO, #authorpromo, and/or #specialdeals.

Old vs. New? 

Does your book have to be brand new to do this kind of promotion? No, it doesn’t. In fact, you can run a BOGO anytime. While it’s fun to do it at book launch, remember that readers are out there, waiting to find a great new author.

BOGOs and other special offers are fun ways to build more readership and expand your reach when deciding how to market a book. People love a deal, especially now, and they’re a solid way to gain more traction for your book, your brand, and your future titles.

What book promotions have worked for you? We'd love to hear about your experience down in the comments!

About Penny

Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., is a bestselling author and internationally recognized book marketing and media relations expert. She is an Adjunct Professor teaching Self-Publishing for NYU. She was named one of the top influencers of 2019 by New York Metropolitan Magazine. 

Her company is one of the leaders in the publishing industry and has developed some of the most innovative Amazon Optimization programs as well as Social Media/Internet book marketing campaigns. She is the author of 18 books, including How to Sell Your Books by the Truckload on Amazon, Revise and Re-Release Your Book, 5-Minute Book Marketing, and Red Hot Internet Publicity, which has been called the "leading guide to everything Internet."  

AME has had dozens of books on top bestseller lists, including those of The New York Times, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal. 

To learn more about Penny’s books or her promotional services, visit www.amarketingexpert.com. 

Top Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

By James R. Preston

Her name was Enheduanna and she was a writer. We’ll talk more about her later. 

Welcome to another installment of Writers in the Storm. This one’s going to be a little different. But with any luck, we’ll be On the Road Again. Come with me.

The most traveling I’ve done is to go downstairs to get a cup of coffee.

I’ve been home, and so have you. But we’ll get out of this, sooner or later, all of us with our lives touched in one way or another, and when that happens there will be opportunities. If you’re like me, you’re thinking about things you want to do when the masks are dropped.

Meanwhile, I’ve got an essay due.

So I thought... Technical article? Revisit adapting screenplay structure to the genre novel? Stretching the boundaries of first-person? How to keep track of all those electronic documents? Maybe it’s time for a break, for something different.

My face mask is hanging on it’s hook. We have canceled this year’s vacation. My cat is happy — I’m home. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m storing up things to do once COVID-19 has been defeated. What about visiting "writer" spots that will remind you of the thread that links you to those who have gone before? Moments you can remember when you’re sitting at the keyboard wondering where the story went.

And, of course, you’ll be thinking about writing as I am. Traveling – yes traveling. Traveling and writing. Those two can go together.

Her name was Enheduanna and she was a writer. She lived 2,300 years B.C.E., in Uruk, what is now Iraq.

Once upon a time I went to Great Britain. I’ve told that story here so I’ll just talk about the end. 

We visited Stratford-on-Avon and I stood outside Shakespeare’s birthplace. Very cool, but then I saw a framed poster advertising a performance of The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Charles Dickens was one of the volunteer actors, putting on the play to raise money for the restoration of the building. I still remember the chill I got. Shakespeare, Dickens, and me. In a very, very small way, me. I was part of that stream. 

When you travel as a writer it’s a bit different. You look at 221B Baker Street and think, yeah, Doyle told some good stories and maybe it pumps you up just a bit to know you’re following in his footsteps. 

So pack a bag, make sure the laptop’s battery is charged and away we go!

Vegas, baby!

Tim Powers, Last Call. 

On the way to Vegas on Highway 15 you’ll see The Mad Greek Cafe. As of this writing it’s closed due to COVID-19, but the owner says they are counting the days till they reopen.  Stop in, get a gyro, and think about Scott Crane and his friends in Tim Powers’ amazing Last Call. It’s a thriller, it’s a travelogue, it’s a story of Jungian archetypes battling for supremacy through Tarot cards. I’m not making this up. It’s a great read!

Hunter Thompson, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

"We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold." 

I have read that the merry-go-round bar in Circus Circus no longer serves alcohol, but still if you sit there can’t you just feel Thompson and his 300-lb Samoan attorney slugging down drinks? And the attorney loses it and is afraid to get off the merry-go-round? And the guests in their hotel are starting to look, uh, reptilian. Check out the merry-go-round bar and flash back to the 70’s. Skip the peyote.

San Francisco

Dashiell Hammett, The Maltese Falcon. There are — or were — walking tours so you can see some of the locales. The last time I looked there was actually one of the restaurants where Spade got his chops and baked potatoes. The tour can take up to four hours, so wear comfortable shoes. 

Los Angeles

Ross Macdonald, The Lew Archer books. Lew Archer looked down at the city lights and saw the seedy underside...

Forget that — let’s go out to eat! The Musso and Frank Grill, open since 1919, is still going strong. When they reopen, have a seat and order Archer’s steak with mushrooms and onion rings. (Take-out, anyone?) And if you’re doing Tinseltown, see about a Warner Brothers Studio tour.

Ross Macdonald weaves the movie business into many of the novels. As you walk the streets you can almost sense the comforting feel of your gat snug and ready in its worn shoulder holster.

Colorado

Stephen King's The Shining. This is a good one. 

Visit the Stanley Hotel at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Not only is the hotel the main setting, Room 217 is where Stephen King drafted The Shining. He renamed the hotel The Overlook and moved it to a somewhat more inaccessible location but this is the place. In 1997, it’s where King shot his own version of the novel.

As a bonus, check out the Country Boy Mine, setting for Michener’s Centennial. 

North Carolina

Delia Owens, Where the Crawdads Sing. This one comes with a caveat: Famous novel, millions of copies sold, and the setting of marshes and swamps is a big part of the story. However, one source says those swamps and marshes are more like Georgia or South Carolina. My guess is, if you love the book and visit North Carolina, the differences won’t matter. You’ll just soak it up and understand what Owens was writing about. 

Louisiana

James Lee Burke, The Dave Robicheaux books. If you are heading to New Orleans or Louisiana, you can’t do better than to read some of these fine novels. You can taste the gumbo, feel the breeze off the gulf and you will understand the powerful influence the setting has on his work. You’ll want to sit in the Cafe DuMonde with a beignet and a coffee. 

Florida

John D. McDonald, the Travis McGee books. Slip F18 Bahia Mar. This would not be complete without mentioning the home of Travis McGee, that knight in rusty armor, that slayer of savage fish.

As far as great settings, McDonald nailed it. And yes, there really was a slip F18. But remodeling killed it, and the literary landmark plaque has been moved. Nevertheless, it can be found and standing there you can feel the client approaching, looking for a “salvage consultant.”

You stand in each of these settings and feel that connection. 

While We’re Waiting . . .

My mask is still on the hook. Despite all of these inspiring places to visit and to think about stories and their creators, as of now we’re still locked down. Never fear! Here are a couple of virtual tours with literary associations.

Dan Brown, The DaVinci Code. emember how the story opens in The Louvre? With the horrific murder? Brown is a great researcher and he got it right. You can take a look online at the Louvre virtual tour site and study the results — there are usually multiple things going on. 

Preston and Child, Relic. Very creepy story (and an underrated movie) set in a museum based on The American Museum of Natural History. Click that link for virtual tours and take your pick. There are also guided events. Yes, human contact through your keyboard! Postscript: The AMNH is reopening in September. Check their website for details. 

Her name was Enheduanna. She lived 2,300 B.C.E., and she was a writer. She wrote poetry and hymns and she was, in fact, the very first writer to sign her work. She said, “My King, something has been created that no one has created before.”

Final Thoughts

“Ars longa, vita brevis,” 

— Hippocrates.

Translation: Life is short, art eternal. 

I think that says it all. And the tradition that you and I are part of goes on. 

Now it’s your turn. While our pets are happy because we’re always around, we need as much contact with other members of our species as possible, even if it’s electronic. I hope you have started thinking about inspirational places that connect to your work, or to the work of writers you love.

I hope you are looking forward to once again getting on the road. Keep reading and keep writing.

Have you perhaps been to Maui to see how Jayne Ann Krentz nailed it, despite changing the names? Or Sue Grafton’s twin-by-another-name for Santa Barbara? Share those experiences with us!

About James

James R. Preston is the author of the multiple-award-winning Surf City Mysteries. He is currently at work on the sixth, called Remains To Be Seen. His most recent works are Crashpad and Buzzkill, two historical novellas set in the 1960’s at Cal State Long Beach. Kirkus Reviews called Buzzkill “A historical thriller enriched by characters who sparkle And refuse to be forgotten.”

His webpage is www.jamesrpreston.com. He can be reached at james@jamesrpreston.com.

Image Credits:

• Top Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
• 221 Baker Street Image by Hulki Okan Tabak from Pixabay

by John Peragine

Often when I am reviewing a book for a read-through or edit, I do a plagiarism check. People are often confused about what plagiarism is and are surprised to learn that there are several different types of plagiarism.

Plagiarism is taking someone else’s idea and passing it as your own. It can occur in fiction, nonfiction, and even songwriting. Sometimes it is intentional, but often it is not. The problem is that there can be severe consequences to plagiarism, no matter the intent. In the academic space, it can get someone failed out of a program, and in the commercial space it can lead to loss of reputation or even a lawsuit.

There is an allowance of using material from sources called ‘fair use’.

Copyright Law states:

“…for a limited and “transformative” purpose, such as to comment upon, criticize, or parody a copyrighted work. Such uses can be done without permission from the copyright owner.” (Copyright.gov)

Unless you are a copyright lawyer, which I’m not, this can be vague. My understanding is that unless you are doing a review of a book or song or a parody, you will need permission.

This question often comes up when people ask if they can use a song in their book. The answer is no unless you get permission to use it. You can reference a  song, but putting the lyrics, even a few lines, can get you into some trouble. If you are wondering what constitutes as parody - “Weird Al” Yankovic is the king of parody. It is the basis of his entire career. 

If you are writing an academic piece, you can use quotes, but you must clearly cite them. And, you cannot use long quotes- only short ones. You must get permission for anything longer than a few paragraphs. Also, if your book is mostly quoted from other people, that won’t fly either.

The six different types of plagiarism.

Complete or Global Plagiarism

This is the type of plagiarism we are most familiar with -- a word for word copy of someone else’s work. There are many different plagiarism programs available on the Internet that will pick up these copy-and-paste types of work.

Source-based Plagiarism

Think of Wikipedia for this type of plagiarism. If you quote something that you found there, it can be a secondary source or be misquoted. It is essential that you always cite the source or get the permission of the original author, not a secondary source. Dig deep and get it right.

If you are using a quote in your book, even if it is fiction, you still have to source it properly. Even if you find the quote in several different sites, it does not make it fair game. Authors often overlook website plagiarism but are more inclined to go after another author if it is in a book because that material is then being used for monetary gain. That is when a lawsuit can arise.

Self or Auto Plagiarism

This type of plagiarism is one that all authors need to be careful of, especially in the area of anthologies and short works. If you post a book in a contest or a magazine, and they have the rights to that work, even for a specified amount of time, you cannot publish the work elsewhere. This includes putting something up on a blog (a chapter or two of a book) and then publishing the book. If you do not own the blog, you can run into trouble. And, if a publisher sees part of a work published elsewhere, they may pass or even cancel a contract.

Always be sure of the rights you give away when you publish works online or in magazines.

If you write a book and then decide to use some of that material word for word in another book, it is still considered plagiarism. It matters less if you are self-publishing both books, but if you self-publish one and then take that same material and try to publish it with a traditional publisher, you can run into problems.

I often hear the question, “If I self-publish a book, and it does well, will I get noticed by a traditional publisher and be offered a contract?”

The answer is: rarely. And you would have to pull the title and transfer the rights to the publisher. This situation can get sticky, especially for sites like Amazon. They are sticklers about publishing multiple versions of the same material. This can even get you banned from KDP.

Paraphrasing Plagiarism

I see this type of plagiarism all the time, especially in the nonfiction, self-help, or business space. An author tries to paraphrase or change some of the words around or even resort to a thesaurus. Sorry, but this is still stealing. Plagiarism is about stealing people’s ideas, not just words.

You can state what another person’s idea is, but your book has to be your intellectual property, not the rewrite of someone else’s.

Mosaic Plagiarism

This type of plagiarism is the evil twin to paraphrasing plagiarism and is sometimes referred to as patchwork plagiarism. It is adding in original material to other people’s work. Changing a couple of scenes with sparkly vampires and adding a teenage witch named Yabrina will not pass the plagiarism test. 

Accidental Plagiarism

Whether you intend to use someone else’s material or not, it does not matter. Ignorance of the law will not give you a pass. If you are not sure whether your book will pass the plagiarism test, it is always best to send it for review to a copyright attorney. I often send passages of a book with questions, rather than the whole work.

Understanding the types of plagiarism not only protects you from making a mistake but also helps you spot others copying your work.

Have you ever caught someone plagiarizing your work? What did you do? Please tell us about it down in the comments!

About John

John Peragine has published 14 books and ghostwritten more than 100 others. He is a contributor for HuffPost, Reuters, and The Today Show. He covered the John Edwards trial exclusively for Bloomberg News and The New York Times. He has written for Wine Enthusiast, Grapevine Magazine, Realtor.com, WineMaker magazine, and Writer's Digest.

John began writing professionally in 2007, after working 13 years in social work and as the piccolo player for the Western Piedmont Symphony for over 25 years. Peragine is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors. His newest book, Max and the Spice Thieves, will be released Spring 2021. https://www.facebook.com/twilightdjinn/