Fay Thompson, Author/Artist

Bug Mage Art - Destine bookmark in color. I will let it rest over thanksgiving to see if I need to touch it more. Enjoy!

www.yahoo.com/entertainmen... #writingcommunity #booksky #Potter

Take 30 minutes today to visit Instagram, tiktok and you tube and look at the shorts or reels for books. Identify people who seem to be doing well and follow them to watch their marketing efforts. Learn. Plan to return daily over the next few weeks to see how much they are doing. #writingcommunity

Today - identify your likely novel launch date. * Identify your top 3 print magazines to advertise in * Order in a new copy of each magazine * Look at the ad rates of each magazine and print it out This is an education process coupled to the amount of money you will need to execute. #booksky

Most top magazines for books sales will have content about publishing or writing or include stories. Note the editorial choices. That editor is putting together content that their readers want and like. Would your ad be a good fit? Train your eye to look and see. #writingcommunity #booksky #ads

Select the three top magazines where you would like to place an ad for your novel launch. Order in a single copy of that print magazine and read the magazine end-to-end. Note who has already placed an ad for a new book there. You may not like the mag. #writingcommunity #booksky #magazines #ads

Before you throw up your hands in a money fit today, ask yourself what you would do if your traditional publisher didn't do these basic marketing things. You are paying that publisher a large fee. Is this fee only a problem when you are shouldering the role of publisher? #writingcommunity #booksky

You may need help making reels. You may need help making a trailer. You may need help creating a polished ad. Help is available but it too costs money. Part of what you do right now is begin to decide what your marketing will look like and cost. #writingcommunity #booksky #marketingmaterials

You can and should be stockpiling reels to be used within your launch window. You can make these in advance just for launch marketing. You can schedule when they post on each social media site. You should also have a decent novel trailer as a showcase. #writingcommunity #booksky #trailers #ads

Making a reel when you haven't built up your online presence on a site like Instagram is not likely to help you much. Between today and launch you need to GROW your audience into the thousands. You need to post stuff NOW and ongoing. You may suck... #writingcommunity #booksky #instagram #reels

Are you set up and competent to produce a lot of shorts or reels centered on your novel title? The current recommendation is that you ramp up release of reels at least one month before launch. One new reel each day on each website (no repeats). #writingcommunity #booksky #marketing #novels #reels

Where do books like yours show up in advertising? Where are your optimum reader likely to see them? You probably answered with Instagram or another online site. Yes, you will need to market on social media too. Let's look at that. #writingcommunity #booksky #marketingnovels #onlineads

The choices you make where to advertise will give you a concrete idea of how much money you will need available in the three months around launch. This is money JUST for advertising. Your money for your editor and book designer and cover artist are already long spent. #writingcommunity #booksky

So, your first entry on your calendar is a selected launch date. Your second entry is the top market you intend to advertise in adjacent to your novel launch date. The three months around launch are a critical period. You hype, you launch and you push to keep the title hot. #writingcommunity

You will find that big traditional publishers ARE buying ad space for new novels in Locus Magazine. This is because Locus has over 60,000 paid subscribers. Readers who PAY to hear about new titles. THESE are your readers if you write Scifi, Fantasy, Horror today. #writingcommunity #booksky

One add in Locus, plus hiring a good graphics designer to build it for you can easily push the cost up to $2,200 or more. Are you ready? Have you been saving $100 per week for the last two years to afford these prices? What if you want to launch on 3 mags? #writingcommunity #booksky #marketing

Let's say you want to place a full-page ad in Locus Magazine (good for scifi and fantasy writers). One ad will run you $1800 today. Talk to them about required lead time to place an ad as this may be months. Your ad will need to be carefully designed. #writingcommunity #booksky #locus #ads

Your novel launch check list will include: * money for marketing * time to create marketing materials * time to attend marketing events * a professional author photo * appropriate clothing for in-person events * swag to give away This is where you start. #writingcommunity #booksky #marketing

If this is your first book I know you are eager to shove it out there. That is a mistake. A raw draft novel without a solid marketing plan will sink like a rock AND give you a poor reputation for putting out a novel that is substandard. Don't rush, get it right. #writingcommunity #booksky #novels

Your chosen launch day should be a day when you know your novel is finished, fully edited, fully proofed. with a strong pre-designed cover. Note: editing takes months or longer. Proofing takes weeks Covers take time to get right #writingcommunity #booksky #marketingplan #launchdates

The optimum time to sell new books is: * October 1-December 1 (holiday season) For romance novels: * Mid-January-End of February (Valentines) All books: * June-August (Summer Reading) Do not launch ON a holiday. Study your calendar for obstacles. #writingcommunity #booksky #launchdays #novels

The first thing your marketing calendar needs is a novel launch day. This is when all your marketing must deliver to push your book sales up on launch day. Things to consider, not all potential launch days are equal. You need a good launch day. #writingcommunity #booksky #marketingplans #sales

Positioning a calendar right next to where you write is a critical step. This is your marketing calendar. If your novel is not written, print out 2 years calendar. This gives you a timeline and appropriate deadlines from now to novel launch. 2 years. #writingcommunity #booksky #calendar #marketing

Good morning beautiful writers!!! Mondays are a good admin day where you take actions to move your writing career forward. Likely, you have a novel in a state of pre-publication. What should you be doing to support it? The first thing is a paper calendar. #writingcommunity #booksky #calendar

Beware, all thieves & imitators of other people's labour & talents, laying your audacious hands upon our work: Duerer 1511 #writingcommunity #booksky #duerer

Cripes - some asshat fed my original art into some ai program. Gross. Note that this is a type of ASSAULT as well as theft. Now I will have to look out for random people using it all over the damn place. DON'T use ai products - ever. Lawsuits are coming.

My visitor had to cancel last minute. We rescheduled for next Saturday. I am considering what to get up to today beyond stuffing my main house fridge with more water and wondering if the bowl of fruit will keep a week. hah

You should know numerous other local writers. Get together once a month to share event opportunities. This can happen at someones house or a public venue. Join others looking for the same opportunities you need. Use a LOCAL group name like "Seattle SF Writers" #writingcommunity #booksky #groups

How many local writers do you know in your genre? You should be actively seeking to connect. Writers in the same genre can productively share a vending table to split costs. A table can feature 20+ books depending on size. Share the costs with others. #writingcommunity #booksky #vending #books

The best month for book sales is November as people buy for the holidays. Find creative ways to be at events where people are holiday shopping. Sell some books. Become visible in your local community. You should have at minimum 25 copies of your novel(s) on hand. #writingcommunity #booksky #books

Look for art groups in your local area and connect. Art shows and events are sometimes a good place for a small book display. Writing is an art form. Pair up with other writers for one shared table. Splitting vending fees is good business. Be flexible. #writingcommunity #booksky #artshows #vending

A marketing plan starts with what you can afford. If you have no cash that doesn't mean you don't have a plan. In marketing, time is also a form of currency. Look around for FREE opportunities to sell your novels. Talk to shop owners and manifest opportunities. #writingcommunity #booksky #marketing

Do you have good business cards yet? Have you created a fan funnel? Do you have your marketing calendar posted near your desk? What writing events do you plan to attend in Nov/Dec? Do you have copies of your novels available to sell in person? #writingcommunity #booksky #business #beingready

Post to your social media sites this morning. Try for 10 original posts on each site. People remember names they see frequently. The more you post the better your posts should become. Be interesting. When in doubt, post about maps and your novel. #writingcommunity #booksky #maps #posting

Good Morning Friday Writers!!! Today is an admin day where you check in on all the things you have going on. Mostly you look at your submitted stories and see if new rejections are in to send those out too. Stay caught up and organized. Make it a habit. #writingcommunity #booksky #organizing

I have a 4 day visitor arriving in the morning which means I'm prepping today. I ordered groceries already and I need to do some small tidying up. It will be fun and busy!

Note: all political candidates are running ads, not asking you to vote for them, they want your cash. It's all a scam. Say no to scams. You will note that no vote offers us "None of the candidates". We should have that for all. All politicians to sign legal papers for no enrichment in office.

If your top novel is not available in hardcover, look at the most expensive version offered. Publishers spend money on their best versions. Your readers are targeted by specific art and design. Become familiar with what is trending this year and who the top artists are. #writingcommunity #booksky

Newly published novels go through trends. This is usually seen on cover art. When you look at the hardcover of a newly published book you are looking at the most expensive version of that book. Capture cover art. This is a book your reader is picking up today. #writingcommunity #booksky #hardcover

Practice reading aloud, particularly to your children. Reading aloud is good for your own novel as you will hear errors you miss while silently reading. Take your children to the big library in your town once a week and involve them in book reading. #writingcommunity #booksky #library #bookreads

Try to read one comparable novel each month. Look up and follow authors who are becoming successful in your genre. See what they are doing and talking about. Do they have a website? What events are they attending? Do any live in your town? #writingcommunity #booksky #comparables #reading #writer

Use your library card. You can read all of the top books through your library. Update your list when it is below 7 books. Write a good book report as you will forget stuff. Take good book data too. Note the agents. You should be able to talk well as a fan. #writingcommunity #booksky #novelreading

Find modern comparables by looking at top awards lists for recently published books in your genre. Most genre have several top award groups. Some are selected by readers. Most sell well. Make and update a list of the 10 current top-selling recently published books. #writingcommunity #booksky #books

Good Morning Beautiful People!!! Today is all about reading. A good writer should be actively reading within their genre to stay current and fresh. You need to know top writers names, good agent names and what readers are reading right now. These are your readers too. #writingcommunity #booksky

What writers do is expand thinking in other people. That is a frightful magic. Use your writing gifts well. Write often and to the very best of your unaided ability. Communicate brain to brain. Be empowered to say what you need to say. Enrich our world. #writingcommunity #booksky #writinglife

The stupidity and greed of authority is legendary. As peasants and peons we are always in the wake of authorities mistakes. Until we recognize the seeking of authority is a strong mental health problem symptom, we will continue on this path. Prevail with your writing. #writingcommunity #booksky

Right now ai is approaching consciousness and at the moment our unintelligent authorities are grooming ai for military killing of civilians. It won't go well. They are also trying to destroy independent creators. Hold firm. The world may survive this first error. #writingcommunity #booksky #ai

Writing is a powerful skill. A good writer communicates directly with the mind of the reader. In that connection, the mind of the reader changes. Sometimes slightly, sometimes a great deal. Authority doesn't like this power in the hands of independent creators. #writingcommunity #booksky #writing

For those new to this channel. This is a NO AI channel. This channel is fully in support of writers and creators, not those stealing from them. I had to block an account today for pitching ai. I have very low tolerance so please do not try to convince me. #writingcommunity #booksky

If your novel launch is within a year then consider writing magnet stories. A magnet story is a short story related to your upcoming novel. Think of it like bait or a lure to excite a reader for more. This is an excellent marketing strategy. #writingcommunity #booksky #magnet #stories #shorts

Good Morning Short Story Writers!!! or Poetry or Nonfiction pieces Today is the day you produce writing for markets so that you can attract readers who later sign up for your newsletter and later still who buy your novel. It's a chain. Become visible. #writingcommunity #booksky #shortstories