Know
Your Genre
Understanding marketing is much more
important than most authors realize. If the author doesn’t know how and where
to market their books, they’ve already dropped the ball when it comes to making
sales.
An author must categorize their books
to the proper reading market. Otherwise, there will be very unhappy readers
expecting one type of genre and getting another.
Concerning sub-genres, don’t confuse
them with mainstream genres.
A book can be any heat level of
romance and still have particular sub-genres: Cozy mysteries,
thriller/suspense, paranormal, contemporary, historical, etc.
Another problem with marketing for an
author is believing an age category is a genre. It is not. The story/novel is
one of the mainstream genres targeted to a specific age group. For example, YA
or NA are not genres. They are age categories for targeting readers of a
specific genre.
The best way to understand is to ask
“what”.
What is the book about?
It’s about a romance between two
people.
Next question would be, who is the
book for?
YAs.
The book would be marketed as the
genre of romance and targeted for young adult readers.
There’s wobble room with each
publisher. Please make sure when you are querying a publishing house you
understand what they want, and follow through with their submission
requirements. An author will go into the circular file, and their chance lost,
if they don’t follow through with what the publisher requests from them.
The following is a guideline for romance authors:
Sweet and
Wholesome Romance
Cozy storylines focusing on relationships, and events. Sweet and
Wholesome romances are fresh heartwarming love stories that embrace family,
community, and traditional values. There may be a kiss or two. The love scenes
are not described, or if there is consummation involved, the sex acts are behind
closed doors and will have innuendoes and references. Details are not given.
Romance
Simmering intimate love scenes with a partner involving a
relationship focusing on feelings and the emotions of love. Sexual tension. The
love scenes are more sensual then graphic. If sex happens it’s usually implied
with some intimate details. There is no graphic language.
Romance – mid-level
It is all of the above with sensual, explicit love
scenes. It’s a heartwarming romance more along the lines of an R-rated movie. The
language may be more graphic depictions of sexual acts and direct emotional
reactions.
Erotic Romance
Boiling hot frequent and sizzling explicit love scenes are described
using graphic and direct language. Sexual tension and explosive chemistry
involving a relationship as a couple. Sexual
interaction is part of the love story, with character and relationship development
that is necessary to the storyline.
May include sex toys, same sex, and mild BDSM. There is nothing
left to the imagination.
Erotica
Frequent sex with extremely explicit sex acts described using
graphic and direct language. Romantic and/or emotional involvement is not
included in erotica novels. The sex scenes are for entertainment only. It is sexual
acts with no plot to speak of. Some stories may contain subject matter which
some readers consider objectionable. It has straight up sex with hard core BDSM,
kink, sex toys, and multiple partners.
Scum/Porn
Sex, sex, and more sex, and every kind of sex act you
can imagine, or perhaps not imagine. Explicit graphic scenes and direct
language with no involvement except for the act of sex, with oneself or
multiple partners. It doesn’t necessarily mean with the same species, either. It’s crass, base, and very taboo with direct sexual
acts for self-satisfaction only. Scum/porn is usually written in short story
form, or for sexual adventure articles in particular X-rated magazines. Some
authors query rated XXX producers for movie publication.
This book’s for you. My whole point of writing it is to help all authors. I’ve had many established authors, aspiring authors, and WIP authors ask me a multitude of questions and I was more than happy to help. (WIP-work in progress) I took the most commonly asked questions and solutions and put them in a nifty, absolutely priceless book.
What you’ll find in Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING:
Social Media Marketing and AdvertiZING for Books or Any Business
Becoming a Bestseller
Saying NO and Being the Bad Guy
How to Write Incredible Click Enticing Promotions
Promoting Your Book With or Without a Publisher
How Much is That Advertisement in the Window?
Self-publishing Doesn’t Have to be a Disaster
How to Make Your Website Awesome
Taking the Plunge into Publishing Audio Books
How to Make More Sales at Book Signings
The Uniform of Success
Purchase Be More Successful with Marketing and AdvertiZING at your favorite bookstore or on Amazon.
E-Book $4.99
Paperback $9.99
Thank you for taking the time to read this.
You can find me:
Twitter.com/PamAckerson
Facebook.com/pam.ackerson.7
Amazon.com/Pamela-Ackerson/e/B00QY1ARI4
Wondering what my qualifications are? Don't want to get any advice from someone who doesn't know what they're talking about? I understand! There are too many people out there giving bad advice.
The first thing I'm going to tell you is that the book industry is constantly changing and even the "experts" have to keep their ears to the ground to stay in the game!
Okay, so...Here goes.
I'm President of Marketing and Advertising for AdC Magazine. Affaire de Coeur Book Review Magazine has been in business since 1980. No small potatoes there! We've managed to survive all the ups and downs in the industry. www.adcmagazine.com
I've been a published author since 1972. Yup, you read that right. My 10th grade high school teacher entered my sci-fi short story in the Science Fiction Reader's Digest Contest and I took first place. I continued to write and publish short stories for several years after that.
A short break--which felt like forever--in 1996 I finished my first novel. I was picked up by a publisher two years later and I haven't stopped since.
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