I don't want to promote my books.
I've worked in sales three times in my life and I never really sold anything on purpose. My best day at the GAP involved helping a guy pick out a Christmas outfit for his wife. He was a wranglers and tee kind of guy and it was so sweet to see how badly he wanted to buy his wife something nice. We talked for a long time, he walked away happy and I made no commission what so ever 'cause it's the GAP.
I had a blast working at The Pleasure Chest, which celebrates it's fortieth anniversary next week. Helping Dave Navarro pick out rope or talking to Judy Geer and Ivana Milicevic about g-spot orgasms always made for a fun work day. The thrill of that job came with working somewhere where I could and had to talk about sex all day with no chance of getting fired or sued for sexual harrassment. I also got asked out a lot. :) But I never "worried" about making sales. People rarely walking into a sex shop to hang out. People need lube and condoms. Some need penis pumps. And I sold a shitload of harnesses and dildos. I knew if I was polite and helpful people would buy stuff and I would get paid.
My other sales job sucked and we need never speak of it again.
Promoting my book is different. It's about the book, but on the outset it's about me and I am terrible at selling myself. I'm TERRIBLE at fitting in or conforming to make other people comfortable. I'm awful in job interviews. Ask me where I see myself in 5 years, I almost always say I don't know. I can't bullshit like that. I'm loud, I curse a lot, pussy might be my favorite word. I'm never gonna do yoga so people should stop asking. I watch too many cartoons. On an average day I dress like a skater who just started 12th grade. I'm all for being nice, but I suck at lying so I think you suck I'm going to tell you.
On the flip side I can't stand it when people tweet links to their books non-stop. I'm also not a fan of reading a book just because everyone else is reading it. I will maintain till my dying day that I read Twilight for work. Ask Dave Kurtz.
I believe people follow me on twitter for two reasons - and this is my low self-esteem talking but I can't get her to shut up - 1) I have web friends from my fanfiction days and 2) I tweet tons of boobs and lesbian porn gifs from my tumblr. The voice in the back of my head is convinced that no one cares about Better Off Red's release in 53 days.
And then this happened: 2 websites mentioned the upcoming release of Better Off Red and I had nothing to do with it.
Sally at Bibrary Booklust: http://bibrary.blogspot.com/2011/08/waiting-on-wednesday-better-off-red-by.html
If people I have no personal or pornographic ties to are interested in Better Off Red then there is hope.
The truth I have to face is that some people will want to read my book, but if I don't promote it and myself no one will know about it. I have developed serious love affairs with Beverly Jenkins and LaVyrle Spencer, two authors I would know nothing about if it weren't for social media. The system does work.
In my dreams there's some 16 year old girl out there dying to read something like Better Off Red (yeah the material is 18+ but let's be realistic, kids read up). I want her to be able to find that book and of course I want her to tell her friends because in the end I'd like to make a living off my writing so I must promote. I want that JK Rowling money. He he har. Promote I must.
Here's what I got so far. On my tumblr, http://rebekahloves.tumblr.com/ , in the side bar, if you search the following terms you will find pictures and art that tie into Better Off Red and The Fling. So far people seem to like the character teasers. please remember it is an 18+ tumblr with nude images.
Ginger
Camila
Natasha
Tokyo
Kina
Amy
Benny
Anna-Jade
Sam
Paige
Cleo
 |
| an image I love for Cleo |
BetterOffRed (no spaces)
Sororitygirls
Sororityvamps
VSS
VSS2
Andrew
The Boys Of 8OBA
TheFling
Annie
Kat
Oksana
I'm also working on my romance trading cards which should be available soon for readers and I'm designing Alpha Beta Omega sorority t-shirts to sell on cafepress. And yes I will tweet and post facebook links to my books. I want this book to sell no matter what people think of me and my foul mouth so I have to promote it. Marketing and promotion are part of the game just like writing synopsisesses and the occasional block, things I also hate about the writing/selling process.
In random update news, I've been in North Carolina since Sunday for a funeral. The service was quite joyful. I've eaten my weight in shakes and other southern fats. The Hills didnt ruin "Unwritten" for me, YAY! I also think Floyd Mayweather and 50 Cent are in love, like secretly making love in love. And my my little pony obsession is spiraling out of control.
