@RamonaRichards

OK . . . so I have a book coming out next month. And, yes, I have been doing this for a LONG time. I have survived the days of paper manuscripts and SASEs. Of waiting for more than a year for a rejection. Of form letters, postcards, and postage.

I remember the days of magazine ads, huge sales conferences, author appearances, and big marketing budgets. When publishers handled most of the marketing, and all authors had to do was write. . . what?

Oh, yeah . . . those days never really existed. I remember that too. The myth of the author in the writing closet who never had to market a book was born from the romantic image of JD Salinger and other reclusives whose popularity was the result of a bolt of lightning and endless numbers of English teachers.

The rest of us had to work for it. Seriously.

Have you noticed how much marketing James Patterson does? Or Neil Gaiman? You think they’re out there interacting with folks because they’re extroverts who can’t wait to get out from behind the typewriter?

So I have a book coming out next month . . . and marketing it scares me to death. Every time I load Facebook, I feel completely overwhelmed and intimidated. I really would prefer the cabin in the woods, emerging every six months to get supplies and pick up mail. Unfortunately, that’s not our world anymore.

So how do I “gird my loins” for the marketing battle?

Deep breaths help. Prayer. I put on the “Ramona the marketer” hat the same way I put on a character before stepping on stage. And I TRY to make reasonable choices, given my limited budget, time, and energy level. That last one is truly key in keeping this under control. Some people have lots of it. But I can take “laconic” to a whole new level.

• I set reasonable expectations by evaluating exactly how much I can do, given my other responsibilities.
• I limit my social media. For this book I’m focusing on FB and Twitter, with Instagram when I can remember it. This is why . . .
• I’ve hired a marketing firm to help. They specialize in blog tours and social media, and they don’t cost an arm and a leg. It’s well within my budget. Speaking of . . .
• I budgeted a reasonable amount for marketing and started saving a little out of each paycheck over the past few months. I won’t overspend. When it’s done, I’m done. For this book, that’s $500, and I’m closing in on the end of that. What’s left is reserved for mailing books to my launch team and endorsers.
• I asked friends for help. I created a reader page, and I let folks know upfront what I’ll do for them and what I’ll expect in return. They can opt in . . . or not. I well know that people have time limitations.

And that’s pretty much it. This is what I can do for now. I’ll take notes, learn from the goofs, and try to do more for the book that’s coming out in 2020.

Do what you can. Then stop. Part of being a productive writer is taking care of yourself, your time, and your energy. The rest is up to Him.

Oh, and that book is called Murder in the Family. Now available for pre-order on Amazon. The Kindle version should be up soon.

Murder in the Family

Greed Poisons Even The Sweetest Well

Storm chaser Molly McClelland must return to her small Alabama hometown when she unexpectedly inherits her hoarder aunt’s house . . . and all of its contents. Despite her suspicions that her aunt was murdered, Molly wants nothing more than to sell everything and get back to the life she loves. Especially once her homecoming reignites the decades-old family conflict that drove her away in the first place. But when Molly uncovers caches of cash, journals revealing secrets-and a body-amongst the stockpiles, she finds herself locked in a cat-and-mouse dance with a deadly endgame.

Molly teams with local sheriff, Greg Olson, to find the truth. But will her determination and his skills be enough, or will the killer-or killers-put an end to their efforts once and for all?

Ramona Richards is the associate publisher for Iron Stream Media, the parent company of New Hope Publishers, Iron Stream Kidz, and Ascender Books. She has been an in-house editor for Abingdon Press, Thomas Nelson, Rutledge Hill Press, and Idealsmagazine, and has freelanced for a dozen other publishers. She recently received the Joann Sloan National Award for the Encouragement of Writing, a mentoring, editing, and coaching award presented by Vision Press at the Southern Christian Writers Conference. The author of nine novels, three books of devotions, and numerous magazine articles, she is a frequent speaker for women’s and writers’ groups, and has presented at numerous conferences across the country. Her latest book, Murder in the Family,will be released in September.

Website: Ramonarichards.com
Facebook: ramonapope.richards
Twitter: @RamonaRichards
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