Suggestion: co-op promotion network

[Brian G Turner]

I don't know if anyone's already doing this, but it occurred to me that:

1. it's hard to do marketing when self-publishing
2. traditional published novels often contains full page adverts for other books

So I thought it might be useful to connect the two together.

Especially our chrons authors, who might want to look to other members with similar genre/quality/theme self-published works.

And sort of, look to devote 3 or 4 pages at the very end of their novel, after their newsletter sign-up page etc, to put in ads for those other chrons authors.

Just in case no one has thought to do this.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

I think some of us are doing it.

The problem is Authors that trust each other AND like each others values AND like each others work. There have been larger collectives that either failed terribly, or were scams.

Authors – Corvids Press

 

[Jo Zebedee]

There are networks that form - I was included in a writers' list in The Empire at War anthology, for instance, and Inish Carraig is lined up for something exciting.

But it only works if the readerships cross. But anthos, recs, etc are all easily possible.

 

[tinkerdan]

I had something similar to this with a mystery writer when I reviewed his first two books. He took a quote from my review and placed it in his third book with my book title and name listed right across from a quote for Katharine Hepburn. I'm not sure the genre cross was helpful.

 

[ralphkern]

For my SP stuff, which there is potentially one coming out this year, I would be happy to have a couple of chrons slots in the back for adverts - cover, synopsis and potentially a short extract.

I would suggest it would be most beneficial for stuff in my genre (the SP will be a SF thriller), but am keen to give back to the community.

My caveat would be I would have to make the decision as to whether my readership would be accepting of it, in other words... I'd want to read it first as to be blunt, I have a brand (without sounding egotistical - me) to consider.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

For my SP stuff, which there is potentially one coming out this year, I would be happy to have a couple of chrons slots in the back for adverts - cover, synopsis and potentially a short extract.

I would suggest it would be most beneficial for stuff in my genre (the SP will be a SF thriller), but am keen to give back to the community.

My caveat would be I would have to make the decision as to whether my readership would be accepting of it, in other words... I'd want to read it first as to be blunt, I have a brand (without sounding egotistical - me) to consider.

Actually, I think it's a good point and one I never thought of before I was published. Readerships do vary - for instance, I would say Ralph and I have limited crossover readership despite technically being in the same genre. It is important to link with the right project or the promo backfires.

 

[Ray McCarthy]

It is important to link with the right project or the promo backfires.

You need to feel comfortable too with ethos you feel the other author(s) are projecting.
It's a wonderful idea that is extraordinary difficult to implement in longer term and among many people, unless you structure it just like a traditional publisher.

 

[abrucestewart]

Just putting down a marker really, that subject to the caveats above, I'd be interested in putting ads for others novels at the back of mine when my first is ready to go hopefully later this year.

My best guess at a genre would be Speculative Fiction Tech Thriller - note not Science Fiction; I'm guessing there's not too many of those out there but if anyone's interested, drop me a line.

ABS