Most people think of authors as solitary creatures who hide out in a dimly lit office pecking away at their keyboard and tearing their hair out in fat chunks while they slave over their newest book.
Okay, so that’s a fairly accurate description, but in my world, the office is replaced by my living room, and instead of pulling out my hair—I chew my fingernails. However, I don’t do it alone.
No, I have a whole TEAM of people who help me get my books released. For the next couple of weeks I’m going to break down what to look for in your “Pit Crew” and how to find them.
Back up and read
Part 1: Beta Readers http://wp.me/p2vGi2-1×1
Part 2: Editors goo.gl/umHiJt
Part 3: Author’s Assistant https://goo.gl/r1KZzU
Social Media Manager
Let’s face it, the world is ruled by social media these days. One post can make or break a career by going viral. I’ve seen it happen many times. There are even sites devoted to exposing the people who are mucking it up. You do NOT want to be one of those people.
There are a couple of ways you can avoid it. The first, is to talk books and books only on your social media. That means nothing personal. No politics, no family, no religions, no issues, no support, nothing. That will make for a very bland page, and little to no reader interaction, but for some it’s the way to go.
The second, and in my opinion, best way to go is by managing your social media as if you were in a job interview. People are always finding you, which means there are a million moments where you’ve given someone a first impression. You want it to be a good one. I still stick to some guidelines from above. I do NOT talk politics or religions. Period. Readers don’t want to know my opinion on immigration or pharmaceutical companies. They want to know what I’m working on next, and how soon they can get their hands on it.
I’ve also found, that most social media requires a regular presence in exchange for visibility. Meaning if you’re not posting on Twitter, people don’t even know you’re there. Of course, that doesn’t mean you can just stop your life and spend the rest of your days scrolling the Twitter feeds, although it does make for an entertaining show on occasion. I believe that bringing on a Social Media Manager is becoming more and more important.
A Social Media Manager is a person who maintains your presence for you. That doesn’t mean they log in and chat with readers as if they ARE you, it means they make sure something is posted daily (or multiple times a day) on your pages so that you pop up in the readers feeds and they don’t forget you.
I’m a fan of using Hootsuite for prescheduling Twitter and Facebook, but they don’t have very good compatibility with Instagram yet. There are other services out there that allow for prescheduling, and you want the person you consider for this job to already have knowledge of how to do this if possible. It comes down to working smarter, not harder. I can spend two hours a day, hitting every social media site and posting the same post each place, and THEN another two hours chatting with readers, OR, I can have my PA set the promotional posts ahead of time, and I can just go do the chatting. That’s TWO extra hours in the day I can be writing (or playing Candy Crush) and that’s exactly what we all want.
I hope this post helps you on your journey to build your author brand!
Good luck and look for Part 5: Graphic’s Artist soon!
Share this:
An intriguing snippet from Reflections of the Wolf by Lori King
Check back weekly for new #SixSentenceSunday teasers!
“Why did she pass out then?” Liam’s voice was annoyed, and she thought she heard him growl a bit. Damn, that was sexy.
“Who knows why women faint? What were you guys talking about?” A third masculine voice spoke.
“Shit.” Liam muttered. “I told her she was my mate. I didn’t mean to scare her.”
Reflections of the Wolf
After being rescued from a crazy werewolf with murderous intent, Tina Jameson has a scorching night with Liam Gray, local firefighter and Beta Wolf of the Gray Pack. When he announces that she is predestined to be his mate, she is fast to push him away.
Suddenly she finds herself in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions and rioting desires. Having been a victim of a senseless act of violence in her past, Tina has given up on a forever kind of love, even if that man turns her on like no one else has.
Liam didn’t think he wanted a mate, but his wolf wants Tina in his bed and his life for good. In order to have her he must let go of the guilt he has from his daughter’s death and then help Tina to let go of her own tragic past. Can one night determine their destiny, or will fear drive them apart?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2um2T2Z
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1113764185
ITunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/reflections-wolf-gray-pack/id577476488
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/reflections-of-the-wolf
Siren: http://www.bookstrand.com/reflections-of-the-wolf
Print: http://amzn.to/2uKn8K9
Share this:
The Gray Pack Complete Collection
All six books for $4.99!
PRE-ORDER!
AVAILABLE: Thursday, August 24th
In Fire of the Wolf, twin werewolves Devin and Damon Gray want introverted Caroline Trainor as their mate. She doesn’t want two men, even if they are built like Adonis. Struggling with unresolved pain from her past, will they be able to claim her before a rival alpha wolf’s challenge can tear them apart permanently?
In Reflections of the Wolf, rescued from a crazy werewolf with murderous intent, Tina Jameson has a scorching night with Liam Gray, firefighter and werewolf. When he announces that she’s his predestined mate, she is fast to push him away. Can he convince her to let go of her tragic past and accept her future as a werewolf?
In Legacy of the Wolf, adopted brothers Rafe and Ryley dream of having a family and a legacy of their own. They’ve found their destined mate, but she’s human and dealing with a gut-wrenching past heartbreak. A strange twist of fate brings a new wolf to the pack, and she will either tear the trio apart, or cement them together.
In Dreams of the Wolf, Whetstone wants to move on with her life, but to do so means trusting strangers to save her mother and protect her family from a depraved werewolf. When fate suddenly dumps not one, but two mates in her lap she has to decide if her dreams are more important than her destiny.
In Caress of the Wolf, Cadence and Mateo are determined to protect their birthright and secure their place as the leaders of the Diego Pack. They didn’t anticipate finding their mate, and now they are protecting her from a threat that ends up being way too close for comfort. When you’re battling your past, someone’s bound to get hurt.
In Honor of the Wolf, a single mom with a damaged view on love and an independent werewolf determined to have things his way. Can these two opposites find strength in each other, and survive the challenges in their path, or will they end up as they began, alone…?
Share this:
Most people think of authors as solitary creatures who hide out in a dimly lit office pecking away at their keyboard and tearing their hair out in fat chunks while they slave over their newest book.
Okay, so that’s a fairly accurate description, but in my world, the office is replaced by my living room, and instead of pulling out my hair—I chew my fingernails. However, I don’t do it alone.
No, I have a whole TEAM of people who help me get my books released. For the next couple of weeks I’m going to break down what to look for in your “Pit Crew” and how to find them.
Back up and read
Part 1: Beta Readers http://wp.me/p2vGi2-1×1
Part 2: Editors goo.gl/umHiJt
Author’s/Personal/Marketing Assistant
Contrary to some author’s beliefs, an assistant is not someone you just ask to “do you a favor” or “do all the crap you don’t want to.” Ideally, your assistant is the person who helps keep the team rolling on schedule so that things don’t get missed.
I’ve worked with one of my assistant’s for two years, and the other for about a year now, and believe me when I say, there’s a learning curve when you first start working together. Here are a few tips for selecting and hiring your assistant.
How much are you worth?
Not in a figurative way either. I mean, spend a week clocking and tracking yourself. How much time do you spend on setting up promotion? How much time is spent editing? Writing? Facebooking? Believe it or not, all of those things are WORK when it comes to being and author, but they take up a lot of time. If you break down your work week and figure out what percentage of time you actually spend writing, you can place a value on it–like and hourly wage. If you can make $200 and hour writing your book, it’s worth hiring someone for $20 and hour to cover some of the smaller things, freeing up your writing time.
Create a job description
First and foremost, you need to figure out what it is you really need help with. IE: What are you really comfortable letting someone else handle for you? While I’m happy to turn over scheduling guest authors and newsletters to my PA; I retain complete control over my Facebook timeline because I enjoy interacting with readers personally. I don’t want them to question whether they’re talking to me or my PA. Here are a few specifics you might consider…
*Creating and building an Author Page
*Creating and building a Newsletter List
*Creating and maintaining a Review Team
*Scheduling ads and marketing blasts
*Creating or purchasing swag for events
*Traveling with you as a PA for a book signing
*Scheduling blog tours, takeovers, and any other type of event
*Sending information out to bloggers and reviewers
*Creating graphics for your book marketing (more on this in another post)
As you can see, there are a lot of ways someone could step in to assist you, but they can’t read your mind. You have to not only tell them what you need, but what your expectations are. If you tell someone to “share your book teaser” and they only do so once, they’ve fulfilled their obligation. No matter how much you’re paying them. However, if you set the expectation that “sharing a book teaser” means in a minimum of six places per day, they have a target to shoot for.
How much can you afford?
This is completely personal. There’s no way for me to give you even a ball park figure for how much you can hire a PA for. I’ve seen them work for free ebooks, and I’ve seen them charge upwards of $50 an hour. You can determine if you want to pay them by the hour for the work they do, or if you prefer to just pay them a flat amount each month. Remember, you’ll need their tax information if you’re in the US because you have to send them a 1099 or pay payroll taxes depending on how your business is set up.
Maintain a constant line of communication
Maybe you talk via private messaging, or text, or even have daily phone calls, whatever you like, you must be in constant conversation with your PA. Not only to ensure they’re doing what they’re being paid for, but to make sure they understand your expectations if you aren’t happy. It’s quite possible, if you think they’ve dropped the ball, that they think they’re doing great and you two have a communication issue.
Write a contract
I don’t care if it’s your best-friend since kindergarten. This is business. There’s no excuse not to put it in writing. Protect yourself and your new employee.
Non-Disclosure Agreement
This is a priority for me personally, because I’ve heard way too many horror stories of author’s assistants leaking information or books ahead of time to their “close” friends. Again, it’s not about trust, it’s about common sense. They’re dealing with confidential information — and in some cases your real name/address/and financial info –you shouldn’t just expect honesty.
What makes a good Assistant?
I don’t think there’s anything specific that every assistant has to have. Fortunately, a lot of it just depends on if your personalities and work ethics “click.” That being said, I believe there are two things that make a great assistant:
1. Honesty – You don’t want someone who just smiles and nods when you ask their opinion. You want someone willing to be honest with you and hopefully help you build your brand.
2. Professionalism – Again, this comes back to branding. You’re a CEO now, and you need to take this seriously. You need professional marketing, editing, and writing, then your PA had better not be out on social media stirring up a shit storm – even if it’s on their personal platform. They’re now your employee and their actions WILL reflect on you.
I hope my tips help you out as you build your brand and grow your career!
Good luck, and watch for Part 4 – Social Media Manager
Share this:
An intriguing snippet from Caress of the Wolf by Lori King
Check back weekly for new #SixSentenceSunday teasers!
“The sharp scent of sandalwood filled her nostrils, fogging her brain. Her breath was trapped in her lungs, and her heart was racing. She could feel her wolf butting against her, trying desperately to get out, to find the origins of the deliciously enticing aroma. Her skin tingled all over, and even the tiny hairs on her neck stood up as it became stronger.
Twisting her head, she heard the crunch of feet on the grassy front lawn, followed by the rumble of male voices. Her body started trembling with anticipation, and it all clicked in her head in an instant. Her mate.
Caress of the Wolf
In a time of transition, only the strongest will thrive…
Whitney Gray is less than thrilled that her werewolf pack is hosting another packs Alpha battle. She figures the Diego wolves have done enough damage to the Gray wolves to last a lifetime, but when cousins Cadence and Mateo Diego step into her life she finds herself on a new and dangerous path.
Cadence and Mateo are determined to protect their birthright, and secure their place as the leaders of the Diego Pack. They didn’t anticipate finding their mate, and now they are protecting her and her family from a threat that ends up being way to close for comfort.
The newly mated trio begin planning for a life or death battle, and end up on a journey from betrayal to forgiveness, but when you’re battling the past, someone’s bound to get hurt.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/pzo8tsq
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/pcc3ll8
Amazon CA: http://tinyurl.com/k2fezu3
Amazon AU: http://tinyurl.com/ooc8r43
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/l23mtuv
ITunes: http://tinyurl.com/p49ftpv
Google: http://tinyurl.com/lw6dxzg
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/lwvrzub
Siren: http://tinyurl.com/ljx52xr
Print: http://tinyurl.com/l9je8r8
Share this:
A hilarious tease from Legacy of the Wolf by Lori King
Check back weekly for new #SixSentenceSunday teasers!
“Unable to bite back her response, she smarted off, “Shoe size has nothing to do with penis size. If it did there wouldn’t be a single man with a shoe size over a 12 left in the world.”
It wasn’t until both of her friends started to snicker that she realized she had spoken fairly loudly. There were several other patrons of the bar currently chuckling at her bold statement. One particularly deep rumble of mirth came from her right. The direction of the two sexy Viking Firemen she was trying to ignore.
Legacy of the Wolf
Built like Vikings, the Whetstone brothers are a force to be reckoned with. As Beta Wolves of the Gray Pack, Rafe and Ryley are simultaneously two of the strongest men in the pack, and firefighters for the Kansas City Fire Department.
Twenty years have passed since their parents disappeared, and they dream of finding their mate, and having a family. They want to build a legacy of their own, but fate just dumped a big old monkey wrench in their plans by the name of…Shandi Martin.
Fighting cancer for her life, she was devastated when her boyfriend left her. So why would she want to risk her heart again? Facing destiny she realizes that she stopped living to protect her heart three years ago. But when a mysterious rogue wolf threatens their new relationship, they are forced to make a choice. Can they accept a life with just each other, or do they need a family to be happy?
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/o9q64yo
Amazon UK: http://tinyurl.com/n68aju6
Amazon CA: http://tinyurl.com/ocu7asn
Amazon AU: http://tinyurl.com/n6jkhnq
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/nbawmpf
ITunes: http://tinyurl.com/llw9gcr
Google: http://tinyurl.com/ojywexg
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/oc7g2jq
Siren: http://tinyurl.com/pf42hml
Print: http://tinyurl.com/LOTWPrint
Share this:
40% with code XMASINJULY
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GothicMomsDarkCharms?ref=seller-platform-mcnav
Share this:
Don’t miss out! I just added MORE free books to the page!
https://lorikingbooks.wordpress.com/freebiefest/
Share this:
This weekend ONLY! Check out all of these fabulous reads for #Free!
Find all of the links here: https://lorikingbooks.wordpress.com/freebiefest/
And that’s not all! Hop over to Facebook and join our Indie Author Christmas in July party!
Friday July 28, and Saturday July 29th!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1747800595518117/
Share this:
Finley’s Feisty Mate by Bryce Evans
Published: July 25, 2017 – No Pre-Order
Paranormal Romance
Special Announcement: On the week of July 25 – 28, 2017 Bryce Evans will be giving away a Swag Pack or gift card on her Facebook page.
Blurb:
Running for her life, Alex Marsh, had to make life altering decisions in the blink of an eye. Remove all the money from her parent’s accounts, Check. Remove her little brother from school, Check. Find a place to hide out until she can find any law enforcement that will believe her story that the mob is after her, Check. Hiding out in a small town called New Hope, Georgia that housed your favorite jewelry maker, Check. Running into a six-foot-two Adonis that scared her but stirred up emotions that she couldn’t control, Check. Everything seems to easy here in the small town, Check, until it’s not.
Finley Egan is still having nightmares about his past, until a young woman and her little brother stop in his home town. Nothing could have prepared him for this feisty woman and her secrets. But he realizes that he only has a small amount of time to find out what she’s running from before she takes off and he never sees her again.
Time is ticking and lives have been threatened. Finley and Alex have to figure out what secrets her parents have hidden and if they have what it takes to fight what’s coming.
Finley’s Feisty Mate is the 3rd book in the Dixon Pack.
Links:
Amazon US - http://amzn.to/2vEWvUX
Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/2tFuz5Y
Amazon CA - http://amzn.to/2uUYMxg
Amazon AUS - http://amzn.to/2uUOsFl
Amazon DE - http://amzn.to/2tFsA1z
Amazon FR - http://amzn.to/2uVqNEV
Goodreads - http://bit.ly/2uV3PO2
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2uuizTi
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2uU4rE4
Itunes: Coming Soon
Excerpt One:
“I guess I need to get in bed, too,” Alex said, shuffling to the pole and leaning against it. The living room had a few of the guests sitting by the fireplace talking, but Finn was the only person sitting outside.
“You’re very beautiful,” Finn said, still rocking in the chair.
Alex’s face turned red. She could feel her body heating as Finn stared at her. When she looked back at him, the look of hunger stared back. The man was so sexy and she knew she wasn’t ugly, but she didn’t consider herself beautiful, either.
Before she replied, Finn was standing in front of her. “Thank…” Finn’s lips crushed down over hers cutting her reply off. His lips were soft as they slid over hers, and denying him was just not happening, and to be honest, she didn’t want to. She was throwing caution to the wind. Right now, she wanted to taste his lips and feel his hands slide around her, pulling her body against his. His body was hard as her arms pushed against his defined chest, but for the first time since her parents were killed, she felt safe.
His hand wrapped around her hair and pulled her head back so he could have his way with her. Her lips opened to him as his tongue slowly penetrated every inch of her mouth intimately. She felt special, trapped in the man’s arms. Her hand traveled down his back as it touched the curve of his muscles. The man was a walking heater.
Everywhere her hands touched became more and more harder. But she couldn’t stop. The urge to say dirty things came quickly to her mind. Common sense seemed to leave her as he lifted her and she wrapped her legs around him again and deepened the kiss.
She even liked the scruff on his jaw as he sucked her bottom lip into his mouth. “God woman, you are driving me crazy,” Finn said, nuzzling his face against hers.
Alex never realized how hot that action made her. It felt like butterflies inside her stomach as she tried to breathe. She was actually affecting him. She felt empowered by his words.
“You make me feel alive,” Alex said, wrapping her arms around him, embracing him tightly, letting him know she was feeling it, too. It had to be the mating pull. That’s what they called it.
