Series Author Develops an “Ask-For” Promotion Plan That Works

Those of you Sharing with Writers subscribers and visitors who might be familiar with my #HowToDoItFrugally Series of books for writers will understand why I am so impressed with the method Dr. Randy Overbeck used to launch the newest book in his series--in detail!--so any writer of any genre can emulate it. You might even have been paying attention to my...er...repeated reminders to avidly build contact lists from first day you hear that term. I spend a few minutes every day after almost thirty years tailoring it to be a better marketing list. I started building mine the moment I decided to publish a book. It turns out Randy’s “Ask-For” list depends on his. Pay attention. Print it out. Stow in in your computer where you’ll know you’ll find it.  Share the permalink for it with your writing groups.  It’s all about sharing. With readers. With friends. With fellow writers. Keep reading for details!

Hugs, as always, Carolyn.

PS: Notice how Randy put what he learned from the from professional marketers he hired when he first started publishing, too. That’s a big way to make money spent on PR and marketing a more frugal exercise. I’ve said it before and I'll say it again: If you decide to do that, think of it as one of the best MFA program classes available anywhere. The only one better is first-hand experience you’ve undertaken on your own.  

“A gripping tale of finding justice for a missing Native American teen…Overbeck kept me turning pages well into the night.”

—John DeDakis, author of Fake and Senior CNN Editor for “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” 

Randy Overbeck Shares His “Ask-For” 

Promotion Formula

By Dr. Randy Overbeck 

Red Shadows at Saugatuck Is my sixth published novel, five in the last six years. As I moved from one title to the next, I came to realize that, regardless how good my novel is—or how good I think it is—it would never get much of an audience unless I did something, er rather lots of somethings. As I waded into the literary universe, I learned, much to my horror, that millions of new titles hit the market each year, a veritable tsunami of books readers have to wade through. Besides friends and family, there would not be readers lining up to read my words…and most readers wouldn’t even know my books existed.

                  So I tried several “things.” I hired a marketing consultant for Blood, the first entry in my Haunted Shores Mysteries. And when the publisher launched the first book in my next series, Lessons In Peril, I worked with an international PR firm. They were both professionals. I enjoyed working with them and tried to learn from them. (Oh, in case you’re wondering, I never came close to achieving ROI--return on investment--on either effort.) I’ve also used some less expensive promos such as blog tours but saw little effect on sales.

                  So, when the manuscript was edited and sent off to the publisher, I focused on planning promotion for the launch. Overall, I’m pretty organized and I put together several steps.

First, I reached out to reviewers in the traditional way asking for and got commitments for reviews of the new novel, some using the manuscript as an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) and others with the newly published novel. (I’ve put together a database of about 25 review options.) A few I paid for—but none were expensive—but most were just authors and reviewers I had made connections with. Those reviews started coming through right before the novel was released with more coming out each week.

Next, I emailed podcasters I’d worked with and lined up appearances on their podcasts. Some of these contacts I’ve developed myself and some I met through the PR professionals. Podcasters are often scheduling well in advance, so I wanted to get on their schedule for August-September, if possible.

The third step in my planning involved reaching out to writing colleagues, literary professionals and media contacts for possible guest posts, interviews and engagements. I’ve been very fortunate to have many supportive colleagues and writing friends and I’m not shy about asking them for support. Quite a few were gracious enough to help to help and I’m more than grateful.

Fourth, I put together a list of friends, fans, and readers who’ve been supportive and interested in my writing. I emailed each asking if they would be willing to pass on news about the launch. Nearly all agreed and two days before the actual launch date, I sent them a promo piece complete with links and asked them to share the email with 5 friends.  

Here’s a bit more detail on each step:  

#1 My list of reviewers were reviewers I’ve used before.(I keep an up-to-date database.) 

#2: I’ve worked with everyone on my podcast list and have maintained a relationship with them. (This is a more modest number--about a dozen--and I’m scheduled on eight of those podcasts so far.)  

#3:  A similar list of past contacts, colleagues, bloggers, interviewers or other promo platforms. (This number is in the dozens, maybe 35.) 

#4.—For the first time, I put together a list of readers, fans, family members, and colleagues who have been especially supportive and asked them simply if they would pass on my “launch” message. (This numbered close to 100.) A few deferred or I had faulty contact information, but almost all--more than eighty--agreed. I don’t know how many actually passed on my message, though I did receive several emails saying they had followed through and I did I notice  a bump in Amazon sales on the date I sent out the e-mails, a bigger bump than the actual launch day.  

[Carolyn’s Note: It is rare than we--meaning anyone who advertises and promotes--can trace sales directly to a specific promotion, so it may be that many of Randy’s noticeable sales spikes) might be from his new list, #4. It has some distinct advantages rarely used in the publishing industry. A big part may be that personal request. It may be that he contacted his #4 list with a second email containing his promotional material.  Taken as an overall promotion, his efforts also probably benefitted by the “Ask-For” model. We humans always respond more easily when we know exactly what is needed. Randy illustrates that perfectly when he says “I’m not shy about asking for support."  And then there’s specificity of that last part. He ASKED for exactly what he wanted. And what about that idea of giving them another idea in his followup mail.  ASKING them to SHARE his launch news with exactly FIVE. There are seeds of a viral promotion here that are known to be effective.  I have a suggestion for your--and Randy’s next promotion: Close your e-mails with something like “I’d love to hear when you send your creative effort out-- with links if possible--so I can give your effort a little more online exposure!”  

ABOUT TODAY’S CONTRIBUTOR

Dr. Randy Overbeck is an award-winning educator, author, speaker and podcaster. As an educator, he served children for more than three decades and has mined that experience to create captivating fiction, authoring two series, the bestselling “The Haunted Shores Mysteries” and the award-winning series, “Lessons in Peril.” His novels have won critical acclaim and garnered national awards including Mystery of the Year (ReaderViews) Best Book Award (Chanticleer Books and Reviews) and the Gold Award (Literary Titan) and amassed hundreds of 5-star reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. Dr. Overbeck also hosts the popular podcast, “Great Stories about Great Storytellers,” which reveals the unusual and sometimes strange backstories of famous authors, directors and poets and can be heard wherever listeners get their podcasts. He is a speaker in considerable demand, sharing his popular presentations about ghosts and the world of book publishing with hundreds of audiences across the U.S. 

As a member of the Mystery Writers of America, Dr. Overbeck is an active member of the literary community, contributing to a writers’ critique group, serving as a mentor to emerging writers and participating in writing conferences such as Killer Nashville and the Midwest Writers Workshop.

When he’s not researching, writing, speaking or podcasting, Randy enjoys traveling with his wife Cathy and visiting both his far-flung family and the scenic locations around this country, often in search of inspiration for his next great story. 

More info about his novels, programs and podcast can be found at his website www.authorrandyoverbeck.com and randyoverbeck@authorrandyoverbeck.com.

Contact him on social media, too!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorrandyoverbeck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OverbeckRandy/media

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorrandyoverbeck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/randy-overbeck

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Randy-Overbeck/e/B07QQHW7DM

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4825632.Randy_Overbeck

ABOUT OVERBECK’S NEWEST NOVEL: A SYNOPSIS

Darrell Henshaw hoped he was past it all. After all, no ghosts had visited him for years. Instead, he learns his five-year-old-son, Leo has inherited his “gift.” 

Now, they both can see ghosts.

Upon his parents’ insistence, Darrell agrees to drive his young family 800 miles to celebrate his Aunt Gertrude’s 80^th birthday. But, once in the resort  town of Saugatuck, Michigan, their participation gets derailed by the spirit of a Native teen who went missing weeks earlier. When he and Leo inquire about the girl, the locals dismiss their concerns—"Those girls run away all the time.”  Still, as questions pile up and threats grow, Darrell senses they may have stumbled onto something far worse and even more evil than one missing teen. 

Can Darrell continue to pursue justice for the girl if it places his wife and five-year-old son in danger?

 PRAISE FOR OVERBECK’S NEWEST NOVEL

• “One of the finest books ever written! A paranormal mystery that stole my soul and took my breath away.” 5++Stars—N.N. Light Book Heaven
• “Complex and Captivating…mesmerized from the first page to the very last one.” 5 Stars—ReadersFavorite.com
• “Overbeck is a dominant storyteller. A must read book and series.”—Still Moments Magazine
• “Thoughtful, deeply human, and low key terrifying. I recommend it readers who like their readers to feel something, not just guess whodunnit.” 5 Stars and Gold Award Winner—Literary Titan
• "An exciting adventure bristling with suspense…a page turner until the very end.”—ReaderViews.com
• “The mystery and suspense kept the story engaging, not to mention the numerous twists that kept popping up. I can’t wait to read more in the Haunted Shores Mysteries Series and discover what mystery awaits. I highly recommend grabbing a copy of Red Shadows at Saugatuck today!”—The Avid Reader

MORE ABOUT THE BLOGGER

 Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the multi award-winning author of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. She is also a marketing consultant, editor, and author of the multi award-winning #HowToDoItFrugally Series (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTXQL27T/ ) of books for writers including "The Frugal Book Promoter" (https://bit.ly/FrugalBookPromoIII), and "The Frugal Editor" both offered in their third editions by Modern History Press. Others in that series are "How to Get Great Book Reviews Frugally and Ethically," and two booklets, both in their second editions also from Modern History Press. The booklets, "Great Little Last Minute Editing Tips for Writers" (https://bit.ly/LastMinuteEditsII) and "Great First Impression Book Proposals" (https://bit.ly/BookProposalsII) are career boosters in mini doses and both make ideal thank you gifts for authors. The one on writing book proposals is also available as an Audio Book. "The Frugal Editor "(https://tinyurl.com/TheFrugalEditor), was recently released in its third edition. It is the winningest book in this series for writers. 

 Carolyn also has three frugal books for retailers including one she encourages authors to read because it helps them understand what is needed to convince retailers to host their workshops, presentations, and signings. It is "A Retailer’s Guide to Frugal In-Store Promotions: How To Increase Profits and Spit in the Eyes of Economic Downturns with Thrifty Events and Sales Techniques" (https://bit.ly/RetailersGuide). 

In addition to this blog, Carolyn helps writers extend the exposure of their favorite reviews at https://TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com. She also blogs all things editing--grammar, formatting and more--at "The Frugal, Smart, and Tuned-In Editor" (https://TheFrugalEditor.blogspot.com). Learn more and follow it to get news on her new releases directly from Amazon at https://bit.ly/CarolynsAmznProfile.