GUEST POST: "3 Easy Marketing Tips to Tell Your Story" by Christina Farley

Marketing yourself can be a hard thing to do and sometimes it even becomes a vortex that sucks you in and keeps you from doing what you really want to do: writing! 

So today I want to share with you some quick tips on how to market yourself and your books while allowing you to have time to do what you love best. 

1. Manage Your Accounts Wisely


Use TweetDeck or Buffer to schedule your posts ahead of time. This allows for you to set aside specific time for social media without interrupting your writing time. During my release week for THE PRINCESS & THE PAGE, I knew I’d be super busy, but I wanted to highlight my favorite castles around the world. So I scheduled them on TweetDeck. 

2. Determine Your Brand

Many people hear the word ‘brand’ and feel like they are being slapped on the conveyer belt, packaged, and stamped with a label. This couldn’t be further from the truth! Branding is you telling Your Story. Your story may change over time, but if you are being YOU, then you’ve nailed your brand. Within five seconds of me looking at your social media, I should have a quick glimpse of who you are and what you’re about because your brand symbolizes who you are. 

Amy Christine Parker’s website is great example of a clear, clean style that captures the essence of who she is as a writer when she created her tagline: Writing stories that thrill. Did you notice the raven? Perhaps a tribute to Poe? 

3. Be Engaging

Don’t panic. I’m not asking for you to do standup comedy. Being engaging in your marketing doesn’t require fireworks or standup comedy. One way you can bring engagement is to focus on that theme of telling your story. Maybe your cat sat on your computer and typed up some weird wording, but it inspired the next scene in your book. Perhaps you spilled coffee on your handwritten notes and now you’ll never get those lines back. Or something that’s just silly like this.

It’s these stories that you have as a writer that make you interesting. And while you’re at it, take a picture of those ruined notes because analytics show that pictures provide 200% more engagement than just text. 

Quick tips:
• Shorter is better. 
• Use a hashtag, but never more than two. 
• Don’t be rude, respond to people who reach out to you.

You can find me on my social media here: Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube. Stop and say hi because I want to get to know you and find out what your story is. 

CHRISTINA FARLEY is the author of the bestselling Gilded series and middle grade, THE PRINCESS AND THE PAGE. Prior to that, she worked as an international teacher and at a top secret job for Disney where she was known to scatter pixie dust before the sun rose. When not traveling the world or creating imaginary ones, she spends time with her family in Clermont, Florida with her husband and two sons where they are busy preparing for the next World Cup, baking cheesecakes, and raising a pet dragon that’s in disguise as a cockatiel. You can visit her online at ChristinaFarley.com.

A mystical adventure about a pulls-no-punches princess and the power of her magical pen.

A dark secret lurks in Keira's family. She comes from a long line of Word Weavers, who bring their stories to life when they use a magical pen. But for generations Word Weavers have been hunted for their power. That's why Keira is forbidden to write. When Keira discovers her grandma's Word Weaver pen, and writes a story for the Girls' World fairy-tale contest, she starts to wonder if anyone ever truly lives happily ever after. Inspired by the life and times of Gabrielle d'Estrées, a real French princess who lived during the 1500s, The Princess and the Page follows the mystical journey of a modern-day "royal" who goes from having a pen in her hand to wishing for the world at her fingertips.

"A smart, peppery, action-packed plot teams up with playful, astute characters."-- Kirkus Reviews

christinafarley.com

gildedseries.com