How do you market your books? Other new authors ask me this all the time - especially with erotic books, it can be a touchy subject for some and a blushing market for many.
So here is what I have learned so far...
Social media and consistent content creation are key! I am struggling to be more present on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter - as frankly, TicTock is too fancy for me... for now.
I post daily on Instagram and am working on being more diligent with Stories and Reels (long way to go here - but I am learning as I go)
To create the majority of my posts, I use Canva. I create chunks of posts - like count down images and posts for book launch dates, cover reveals, book covers (so people can vote on the ones they like most - and least), marketing posts, like my "Mommies need bedtime stories" series of little adverts, or a series of teasers and featured reviews for each of my books.
I've been using my Facebook business page to schedule out my posts a week or so at a time. This gives me a little room to breathe, and I find I can relax a bit and focus on writing and editing more if I am not trying to think of content to create and post every day.
I have also joined a TON of Facebook groups - which in hindsight, was a mistake. I got overwhelmed with the number of groups and stopped contributing to any of them. I am focusing on just a few of my favourites - networking, connecting with my audience, and building relationships.
Here are a few of the groups I'll be keeping on my list as I move forward:
DirtyBadBoomBoomRoom - amazing people who helped me host my first "takeover" (essentially, I posted every 5 minutes on their page for 2 hours the day of my book launch. It was WILD!
Pimping Erotica and Romance Stories - essentially because this is very much what I am looking to do.
Short and Steamy Romance Readers and Writers group - warm and welcoming, and I have learned a lot from this group.
Erotic and Kinky Book Promotion - again, very close to home.
LUW Romance Chapter - Liz is amazing, and she teaches me new things all the time.
There are so many groups to get involved in, so I would highly recommend you dig around and try some out until you find what you are looking for.
Emails and Newsletters
I cannot tell you how many times I have heard, "As an Indie author, you have to grow your mailing list. You have to create great emails and Newsletters to connect with your readers." So I started! My list is growing, my emails look slick (I use MailerLite), and I am getting in the grove for the Newsletters. I have used BookFunnel and ProlificWorks to give away books and join group giveaways. This has been the main source of my mailing list.
GoodReads
I manage my author page and books on GoodReads. This is where I have had the best luck getting reviews.
Website
I built my website using Wix.com. I am not tech-savvy by any means, and I did get lost in the Wix platform when one website went sideways, but by using their templates and guided workflows, I was able to have my website up and running in a few days.
Help
I have been getting a huge amount of help from the amazing folks at EditingMee . Their comprehensive plans cover editing, formatting, graphic design, and more. I would highly recommend them.
Having said that, I feel like I need more help - someone who can help me clearly understand what it is going to take to get to the top (#1 Best Seller here I come!), so I am looking to hire a PA (Personal Assistant)
So what is next? I am looking into connecting with bloggers and podcasters, YouTubers, and the erotica community as a whole. I will be upping my game with videos and focusing on making things more streamlined, creating great content piles, and scheduling them out (I would love to do more on Twitter and Pinterest.)
So stay tuned for future blog posts where I will continue to share what I have learned with the hopes that you will overcome your marketing hurdles too.
With love,
Regina Grimm is the author of erotic fairytales, written for the uninhibited readers 18+. Check out her books - Snow White and the Wicked Curse: Chapter 1 and Snow White and the Vicious Curse: Chapter 2. Snow White and the Seven Thieves: Chapter 3 is coming in August 2021!