15 Great Marketing Ideas

Gone Writing ...

Hey Guys -

just a few ideas that we thought would help you in your

 marketing plan.

Read On - 

Identify your audience Let's face it, your book likely won't appeal to everyone. A pre-teen romance novel and a book about political ideologies probably won't have the same readership. Therefore, an important initial step of a book promotion campaign is to identify your audience. Understand your readers, as well as their hobbies, interests and where they spend most of their time so you can employ strategic marketing techniques to target them.

Time your release - If you haven’t already launched your book, then you should time your release to receive maximum impact. Consider the best time of year to release your book, and then allow time for your book to generate buzz before its release.

Think like a journalist - When it comes to marketing your book, the media can be your best friend. Through media coverage, you can get your name out there, reach your audience and establish yourself as a leader within your genre or field. To land great media coverage, think like a journalist. Get creative with your media pitches and make them newsworthy. Your pitches shouldn't simply promote your book. For fiction books, create a pitch on a newsworthy topic related to your book's genre, theme, characters or setting. Non-fiction authors should stay up-to-date on what's trending in the news so they can create an interesting pitch that will grab the media's attention.

Create a media kit Attract media attention by creating a media kit. Your kit should make a strong, lasting impression and make reporters want to contact you for an interview. Stick to a traditional press kit that includes professionally printed business cards with your contact information and photo, a photo of your book cover, a brief author biography, a recent press release and/or media mention, and where to purchase your book.

Make an author website - It's essential for authors to have an author website. Your website is the first place readers, reporters, booksellers, book reviewers and publishers will turn to learn more about you and your book. Your website should be simple with a clean design and include links to important pages, including your blog, social media profiles, Amazon profile, online bookstore, and recent media mentions. Be sure to include a brief author biography, a short paragraph from your book to intrigue readers and critics, and information about where they can purchase your book.

Blog regularly - Writing is your area of expertise, so you should have no problem creating interesting blog posts on a frequent basis. Blogs are a simple and efficient way to reach your readership and build up your fan base. Do not write all your blog posts solely about your book. Instead, provide content that's interesting and meaningful to your audience. Use your genre, industry, and characters to come up with interesting topics for posts. Connect your blog to your website, social media profiles and Amazon page where your book can be purchased.

Write guest posts  - Writing a guest blog post for a popular blogger who relates to your book can be a great way to gain exposure. The blogger will already have a wide audience that reads the blog, which will increase your visibility and attract more people to your own blog, website, and bookstore.

Utilize social media Social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, are effective tools for promoting your book. You can engage your audience, media personnel, and fellow writers. Your social media channels are also a great way to spread the word about upcoming media coverage and promotions and share your blog posts.

Run a Facebook ad - Run an ad on Facebook to target your specific audience. You can use an ad to promote a special contest or giveaway. Or, if your book is centered on a specific event or time of year, you can run an ad right beforehand to spark interest in your book.

Post videos Sometimes videos can be more captivating than static content. Create a series of videos to share on your website, blog, social media profiles and YouTube channel. Provide your name, book title, bookstore, and website at the end of the video or in the description.

Generate book reviews - Readers and book reviewers often reference online book reviews before deciding to purchase a book. Amazon is the most popular site for reviews. Increase your rating on Amazon by asking 20 of your friends and colleagues to write an honest review of your book. For those who don't have your book, send them an online copy or even just the first few chapters. You could also offer a free giveaway to readers who write a review of your book to bump up your standing.

Create an e-mail list - Through an e-mail list you can connect with interested readers and keep them updated on your newest promotions, blog posts, media coverage, and public appearances. Use a service like iContact, MailChimp or Benchmark Email so you can easily track your mailing list and its performance.

Use your connections - Connecting with your fellow alumni can help boost your visibility. See if your college or high school has an alumni book listing and add yours to the list. Also, add your former schools to your media pitch and press release distribution list, so your alumni office can notify alumni and/or current students about your upcoming events and appearances. You could also offer to speak at the school or do a book signing.

Never stop promoting - Many authors work tirelessly promoting their book before and during its release but stop once the book is no longer new. Just because it wasn't recently released doesn't mean it's no longer relevant. Never stop promoting your book. Always look for new angles to make your book appear fresh and interesting.

Hold book readings - Establish a personal connection with your readers by holding an in-person book reading. Depending on your audience, you can have a book reading at a local school, hospital, library or bookstore. Set up a table where readers can meet you and purchase a signed book after the reading.

Just some ideas - we hope it help!

New Things Are Happening

Hey Guys -

There are a couple of fantastic things that are happening here at Breaking Rules Publishing.

First up - 

The Breaking Rules Publishing Monthly Book Club.

It's easy to subscribe and only $10 a month. We will be rotating books each month and you will have your choice. You also have the option of keeping the book for yourself or sending it to another for a gift.

Use the link below to start your subscription now.
www.breakingruleswritingcompetitions.com.


Second - 

Our first issue of The Scribe Magazine is finally here. The Scribe will be made available 6 times a year. Inside you'll find some of our new releases - some short stories - poetry - marketing time and advice on writer's block. You'll also find our faithful sponsors as well.

You are able to purchase the magazine for $10 each or $7 an issue with a subscription.

Use this link to start your subscription now.

https://www.breakingruleswritingcompetitions.com/the-scribe-magazine.html

Third - We always have new releases check out a few of the most recent.

        

Go to Breaking Rules Publishing to see our entire inventory.

www.breakingruleswritingcompetitions.com

Thanks for stopping by.

Social Media Crazed? Here Are Some Social Media Management Tips.

Here are some social media management tips - 

With 2019 almost here, and whether it be eating more vegetables, finally using that overpriced gym membership to get in shape, or finishing your next great novel, you may be in full-blown goal-setting mode. New Year’s is a time for resolutions, that are, in turn, meant to be broken, right?

Perhaps this is true when it comes to personal goals, but for marketing and writing goals, now is the time to jump on your strategy with full-force.

Hopefully, this information will help you to get some of your goals on track.

For most projects - organization is one of the keys to success in marketing, so if you are not managing your social platforms with a social media management tool, that my friend needs to change today!

Not only will using a social media management tool make your life substantially easier, it doesn’t need to go through rounds of budgeting approval – because there are many robust free tools out there to help you accomplish all of your social marketing goals in 2019.

Social management platforms will help you manage multiple social profiles all in one location. You can, schedule posts in advance, run contests, track analytics across platforms, and the list goes on. These tools really are game changers for your social strategy!

And lucky for you, we’ve rounded up a list of the seven best free social media management tools to incorporate into your 2019 strategy, starting with a personal favorite, Hootsuite!

#1: Hootsuite

Hootsuite has a special place in everyone’s heart, likely because it’s the first social media management platform that I used at my very first job as a Marketing Assistant. At the time, I was managing the company’s social strategy before social advertising had really taken off. I can still remember the hours upon hours I would spend putting together a posting content calendar and setting reminders for myself to tweet at certain times. This was until I discovered Hootsuite and my life as a frantic Twitter bird instantly changed.

So what does the Hootsuite free plan include? The free plan is decently robust with the ability to:

• Manage 3 social profiles in one place
• Schedule 30 posts in advance
• Generate leads with social contests

The free plan also includes basic analytics for tracking followers and various growth and content statistics and two RSS feed integrations. Not too shabby!

>>Up your game with our FREE all-star playbook to online advertising. Get it here free<<

#2: Buffer

Next up is Buffer. Similar to Hootsuite, Buffer has been in the social media management space for quite some time, and they are a respectable platform that allows you to manage multiple social profiles with ease.

With many overlapping features to Hootsuite, some of my favorite Buffer features include the ability to easily schedule content while browsing the web with their Chrome extensions. Buffer also suggests the perfect moments to post based on follower activity – pretty neat!

While there are a variety of options for larger organizations and agencies, the free plan just may suit your social media management needs. Buffer’s free plan includes the ability to manage three social profiles, schedule up to ten posts, utilize their browser extensions and mobile apps feature, and create and schedule content using their image creator and GIF/video uploader.

Unfortunately, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan in order to access link shortening and tracking, as well as their RSS Feed feature. Their paid plans range from $10 to $399 per month.

#3: TweetDeck

If Twitter is the bread and butter of your social media strategy, then TweetDeck is likely the best social management platform for you! TweetDeck will allow Twitter birds to use custom timelines, create and manage Twitter lists and searches, and add team accounts. It is also free for Twitter users!

While TweetDeck may not be the all-in-one platform you’re searching for, it is the perfect tool for social marketers managing multiple Twitter accounts where these live conversations are critical for business success.

#4: SocialOomph

Not only do I love the name of SocialOomph, I’m quite impressed by the wide range of features they offer for multiple platforms – ranging from the typical features like scheduling and analytics, to some interesting ones like keeping your DM Twitter Inbox clean to help with increasing followers. They definitely offer a wide variety of unique features for Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Pinterest management, as well as the ability to manage and schedule blog posts.

While SocialOomph does indeed have a free plan, the features are limited and mostly lean towards Twitter management. On the free plan you can do things like schedule tweets, track keywords, shorten URL’s, and manage up to five Twitter accounts, but some of the more sophisticated features require a paid plan. If you’re looking to manage multiple social platforms aside from Twitter you will need to pay to play.

#5: Friends+Me

Friends+Me is another prime player in the social media management tools family. While Friends+Me puts the highest emphasis on Google Plus features, many other social platforms are supported. Friends+Me appears to get rave reviews from users, and has a beautifully designed website with plans available based on the size of your business. And yes, there is a free plan!

While the free plan is not super robust, it still allows for two queues (which is a destination to publish posts), the ability to schedule three posts per queue, link shortening, browser extensions, an integration with Zapier, as well as standard support. The free plan can also be used for a variety of social platforms like Google+, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Tumblr. 

Pinterest and Instagram are supported as well, but you will need to upgrade. Plans range from $7.50 to $259 depending on if you decide to utilize monthly or annual billing.

#6: Social Pilot

If you’re an agency in need of tools for social media management, Social Pilot may be your best bet! This social media management tool will allow you to do manage multiple client social media profiles at once and do things such as bulk schedule posts in various queues, collaborate with team members, manage clients, utilize browser extensions, etc. Their free plan includes 3 connected profiles, 10 posts per day, and 30 posts per queue.

If this doesn’t sound like enough for your agency, start a 14-day free trial with one of their more robust plans, which range between $10 to $100 per month.

#7: Zoho Social

Whether you’re a growing business or an agency, Zoho Social will help you manage multiple profiles, research relevant keywords, work with team members, and of course schedule posts from one dashboard.

Zoho Social has many of the same tools and features that the other platforms have, but they also have Facebook lead ads, advanced reporting features, a SocialShare browser plugin, and CRM integrations. Zoho Social caters to agencies as well so marketers have the choice of choosing between the business or agency plans. Pricing for the paid plans ranges from $8.33 to $125+ for larger agencies. Zoho Social’s free plan allows you to manage your brand, and includes the URL shortener and SocialShare browser plugin.

I know, and you’re right, there are a lot of options here! Luckily, they all have free plans so you can experiment and find the platform that works best for you. Basically what we’re saying is that you can’t go wrong moving onto a social media management tool – it will no doubt save you time, grow your social presence, and possibly even make you some money! All great for your bottom line.

So social media maniac’s  - take a look the tools that we’ve shown you, find one that works for you and start posting. 

Gone Writing ...

Breaking Rules Publishing continues to accept new manuscript submissions - please email us at breakingrulespublishing@gmail.com

www.breakingruleswritingcompetitions.com

Guest Blogger Karina Evans

Spelled [blawg, blog] noun, verb, blogged, blog·ging.

Noun. Weblog. Example: The blogger blogged about his blogs.

Let us remember the days when our opinions were wasted on our peers, and our poetry was destined never to see the light of day; a pencil scrawl in a diary. The days when we transported music on a cassette that held only fourteen tracks and waited for hours outside Woolies for a friend to turn up because we had no means of sending a message asking ‘WHR R U? IM COLD N ALONE. LOL.’ Now look at us, typing our every incidental thought and contemplation onto a web log, for the world to peruse.

According to blogging.org, in 2016 there were over THREE HUNDRED MILLION people blogging their wares online. Imagine. This is just slightly less than the entire population of the United States of America hollering the contents of their 1989 diaries really loudly, perhaps traveling the planet with a megaphone in tow. Nonetheless, blogging is now considered to be an art in itself, with the kings and queens of blogging (and vlogging) rewarded with cold, hard cash.

From an author’s perspective, the internet has certainly made engagement with readers real and easier to accomplish; far easier than traveling the entire world donning a sandwich board emblazoned with literary musings.

So, does a writing blog or book blog make a writer more accessible, or less exclusive? A combination of the two, I would suggest. If a writer is in a fortunate enough position to not HAVE to give away words for free; to hole themselves away, knowing that the public wants to read their words so much that they don’t care that they must pay for them, must be a wonderful position to be in. But, for the rest of us, a blog is an effective means of transporting our ideas to the populous. And far, far easier than wandering the world barefoot with a megaphone and some hastily photocopied diary pages.

https://medium.com/@karinaevans/why-writing-a-blog-is-better-than-carrying-a-megaphone-47621662dc8d

Guest Blogger Crystal Reavis

When you sit down to write and just can’t

Have you ever sat down to write be it a short story, poem, or even a blog post and find you can’t think of anything (even though you had a plan)? You stare at the blank paper or computer screen, willing your mind to come to life? 

You had an idea where did it go? It’s frustrating, isn’t it? I can tell you it has happened to all of us at one time or another. Writers everywhere have a story to tell about the dreaded writer’s block. Even the name sounds iffy. No one wants to think about it much less go through it. So what can help you with getting over that state of blankness? I’m going to share with you a list of things that seem to work for me. Hopefully, some of these will keep you from giving up. 

• Go for a walk! Yes, a walk. Being out in nature relaxes you. This helps me forget all about writing or gives me some ideas. There’s something about being outdoors that just makes you feel better. 

• Take a long hot bath or show! I find my mind stops trying to overwork when I’m in a nice hot water. My body is at peace which helps me concentrate better.  I slow down and stop worrying. Total relaxation moment! 

• Read! This will not only get your mind off your own writing but it will allow you to step into an entirely new world. As you envision this work you may start getting ideas. I find some of my best ideas come when reading. I never steal or copy anyone else’s ideas but it helps me get my creative juices flowing! 

• People watching! Yes, I said people watching! You may be wondering why I do this and that is a very good question. This allows me to see different people’s personalities, moods, the way they dress and move. They don’t realize they are being watched and so are themselves. I am then able to build characters from them. This can even help with a blog post because often times we are writing about people in one way or another. People watching is a great way to beat writers block!  

• Watching TV! Many people see watching TV as a waste of time and while it can be mind-numbing it can also be useful. Just like reading and people watching you can get ideas from what you are seeing! The way the characters talk, walk and deal with different situations. You can even get inspiration from the sets. The color schemes or layout of the city etc. Watching TV can be a great inspiration for writers.  

• I’m sure this one is going to be my least popular suggestion but here goes. Playing video games! You read that right! Playing games can have the exact effect on you as reading or watching TV. If you play a game that has great character development you can glean ideas from them. You might even be inspired by the look of a character and use bits and pieces of their looks in your writing. Give it a try one time and see if it helps! 

• Last but not least talking! Talking to someone who’supportive of you and you can bounce ideas off of is a great idea! They can help walk you through what you’re having trouble with and give you a fresh set of ideas. Often times it is people outside of a situation that sees things the clearest! Find someone whom you can turn to when you need a set of ears and are willing to throw things out there for you. I find doing this helps me tremendously! 

I hope some of these suggestions can help you next time you have writer’s block and are ready to hit your head against the nearest wall. Often times we have writer’s block from overthinking, at least that is the reason in my case! If you have any suggestions of your own leave a comment! 

How To Overcome Writing Anxiety

How To Overcome Writing Anxiety

Fear, numbness, exhaustion, chest tightness, procrastination, lack of ideas, lack of goals, lack of purpose, lack of confidence, anger, frustration, blockage… if you recognize any of these symptoms before, after or while writing, you are probably suffering from writing anxiety.  When the whole process stops being fun and delightful, something is wrong. But, don’t worry, you are not alone. Together we’ll bring joy back to your writing.

First, we need to understand what is causing the anxiety. 

Perfectionism

Your logical brain is forcing you to write a masterpiece and completely exhausting the creative brain in the process. You can’t write a single phrase without the logical brains telling you to reread and rewrite it a hundred times. But perfection doesn’t exist. So, your logical brain decides to postpone the whole project until the creative brain creates perfection. “This is its job.” The logical brain says. Under pressure, the creative brain turns off. Having this ongoing strike inside your mind will give you anxiety. 

So try this: Instead of a long out-of-sight deadline, set smaller goals or missions to be achieved daily. For example, instead of “I have to complete my first draft in three month's” try something like “I have to write two pages every day no matter what”. Daily goals will keep you moving. After completing a mission, reward yourself with internet time.

Positive affirmations to read every day:

§ Writing is peaceful and fun

§ I feel accomplished after a day of writing

§ I allow myself to write with the flow of creativity

§ I love to immerse in writing

§ Writing is my safe place

§ I am flawed and I like that

§ I am a prolific author

§ I always meet my goals

§ Writing brings me joy

§ This is the career for me

§ I’m proud of myself for writing every day

§ I allow my creative mind to speak up

§ Mistakes makes me stronger

§ I feel stronger every day

Unstable family

Having negative, critical, violent, abusive, dependent, emotionally distant or bickering family members is a major cause of writing anxiety. Both family problems and writing take a huge amount of energy. You can’t do both at the same time. We end up getting involved in family dramas, but, when it’s time to write, the missing energy causes us anxiety.

So try this: When your family shows instability, look for a safer place in your house. Distance yourself somehow. If they are used to negativity, nothing you do will make them feel better. Actually, sometimes, you trying to help will only make things worse. So, distance yourself. Allow them to do what they wanna do, but allow yourself to be different. Try making new friends as well, even online friends are valuable. They take away your attention from the bad mood. 

Positive affirmations to read every day: 

§ I choose to live my life in peace

§ I allow my family members to live the way they want

§ I can’t change others, and that’s okay

§ I am a free person

§ I am important, my decisions are important

§ I allow myself to be different

§ Writing completes my soul

§ Writing brings me joy and peace

§ I have many reasons to be happy today

§ I’m proud of myself for choosing peace

§ Writing is my safe place

Depression

The lifestyle of a writer is the major reason why depression is so common in our career. For example, no sunlight, no exercise, spending hours in the same position, thinking, thinking, over thinking, enduring loneliness (sometimes even when we are surrounded by people) and the financial uncertainty. Soon enough, your energy drops. What used to make you all excited and happy, now is boring or bothersome. In some cases, you can barely leave the bed. Sleeping is a mechanism your body finds to ease the pain in your mind. “Losing” the passion for writing can cause anxiety.

So try this: Exercise every morning, stretch, take a sunbath daily, enjoy happy songs before sleeping, change your workplace regularly, fill your walls with drawings and beautiful images, make small changes in your routine, learn something new, learn a new origami every day, learn a new language, learn new recipes, change your eating habits, start a blog or a vlog, try new writing habits, find a new restaurant, go out, write somewhere else (like in a coffee shop), write in a different genre and sub-genre, change the age of your characters, change the set, change the plot… you must be willing to let go of old habits and give yourself something new every day. 

Positive affirmations to read every day:

§ I am surrounded by love

§ I am surrounded by amazing ideas to be written

§ I am proud of myself every day

§ My career is to make people dream, I’m so cool

§ I feel excited to start a new day

§ I feel excited to write

§ I am going on a journey every day

§ I am excited for tomorrow

§ Writing brings me joy

§ I allow myself to feel good right now

§ My heart is smiling

§ I love smiling

§ My purpose is feeling good right now

§ Writing is peaceful

Grief or trauma

If you went through a traumatic event, writing is hard. You no longer understand life as you used to. What you were passionate about doesn’t matter anymore. You are in pain, angry and/or exhausted. These feelings have taken over your mind. Forcing yourself to write will only bring anxiety into the equation.

So try this: Give yourself some time, a month, three months or even a year. In this period, don’t worry about writing or anything. Get some rest, watch movies, read books, lots of books, travel, discover the new you. When the time comes, you will naturally go back to writing.

Positive affirmations to read every day:  

§ I feel better every day

§ I am proud of myself

§ I am brave

§ I am surrounded by love and peace

§ Writing gives me a good sense of direction

§ Writing makes me feel good

§ I allow myself to cry if I feel like crying

§ I allow myself to smile

§ I love smiling

§ Writing is a good life experience

§ Good news is coming my way

§ I am excited for tomorrow

§ Something amazing is about to happen

§ I feel light and peaceful

Low self-esteem

Feeling bad towards your physical appearance, career/school situation, financial condition, lifestyle and past choices can also lead to writing anxiety. If you are not confident in who you are, you will have a hard time finding confidence in writing. Having a voice requires confidence. And if you can’t respect and appreciate yourself right now, hesitation is the cause of anxiety. 

So try this: Change your physical appearance somehow, buy new clothes, dress nicely at home, change your hair, draw beautiful patterns all over your skin. Don’t compare yourself to celebrities. Stop following celebrities and beauty magazines if they are making you feel uncomfortable in your own skin. Find more realist celebrities to look up to. Give yourself love. No one deserves love more than you. Live in the present, avoid any thoughts about past mistakes or what to do in the future. Live in the now.   

Positive affirmations to read every day:   

§ I allow myself to simply be

§ I am part of this world, which makes me important

§ I enjoy my body

§ I feel pretty/handsome, regardless of beauty standards

§ No one has the same body and face as me, I’m unique

§ I enjoy my personality

§ I respect myself

§ I allow myself to make my own path

§ My opinion is what matters

§ I am proud of this body

§ I enjoy life

§ My voice is important

§ My voice is beautiful

§ I am beautiful

Decidophobia

Or the fear of making decisions. You don’t know in which genre you should write, or which sub-genre. You can’t decide which idea to write, or which character to create. You feel like drowning in an ocean of possibilities. Making a decision is too hard. And you stop yourself from moving forward for the fear of making the wrong choice. Being stuck causes the anxiety. 

So try this: If you can’t decide between two things, think outside of the box. Create a third option and go for it. You can also write all options in pieces of people and pick one randomly. Give yourself fifteen minutes to make a choice, nothing more than that.

Positive affirmations to read every day:

§ I am taking the right path every day

§ It’s easy to choose

§ I trust my instinct

§ I am wise and I always have the answer

§ I allow myself to decide

§ I allow myself to move forward

§ Moving forward is good

§ I am always taking a good path

§ I feel confident in my choices

§ I know what to do and which path to take

§ The answer is always clear

§  

Can you identify what is causing your anxiety?

Now that you know the cause, let’s overcome it.

This post was found on an unidentified blog post.