Word of Mouth
Everyone knows the best promotion is word of mouth. One
person tells another person who tells another person who tells someone else and
the word is out.
Although I’m sure the BIG NAME authors rely on word of mouth
too, it’s crucial to those of us who are lesser known authors. You see, we
don’t have a staff of promoters and an unlimited advertising budget. For many
of us, it’s just us. We do what we can to get the word out about our books but
without readers to help us do that, we’re not going to sell many books.
And, let’s face it, that’s why we write. We spend long hours
at our computers telling our stories in order to get our books in the hands of
as many readers as possible. Because we believe that what we write will help
other people. That, through our books, they can escape into another world where they'll be entertained and possibly enlightened.
In addition to being a mystery writer, I’m an avid mystery reader and many of my friends are
too. They’re very supportive of my books, which I greatly appreciate, and they
frequently ask me for suggestions on other books to read. I love to pass along
the names of authors whose books I’ve enjoyed and I encourage my friends to spread
the word to their friends.
I hope you’ll do the same.
The best thing you can do for a writer is tell someone else how much you enjoyed their book.
ReplyDeleteJohn, you and I are definitely "on the same page" today. LOL
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
I often share the names of authors whom I enjoy (including you) with friends. And there are authors whose books I'm hooked on because of word-of-mouth. Great post, Pat!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Marja! I've given your name to several of my friends too. And, you've given me some great suggestions on books I might enjoy by other authors.
DeleteGreat reminder, Pat. I've recommended your books, Marja's books, and John's books, as well as many, many others. I appreciate everyone who does the same for my books, like you and the others I mentioned. Thanks for being a great reader and friend!
ReplyDeleteAmy,
DeleteI feel the same way. I love the way so many authors - including you - in our writing "community" support each other. For me, that was an unexpected but much appreciated part of becoming an author.
Thanks for coming to my blog today and reminding me and other writers how important word of mouth really is. That is why reader reviews matter as well. When we like a book, we should let others know as a kindness to other writers and readers.
ReplyDeleteJacquie, I enjoyed your post today. Lots of good suggestions on promotion.
DeleteI completely agree with you about reviews. I write a review on Amazon and Goodreads for every book I read and enjoy. But, it's very difficult to convince readers to write reviews. If only they realized how important it is to the success or failure of a book.