How I doubled sales of my book in the last period

I am a novice as promoting my work. As a newly published author (More Than A Job came out in March) I am still learning the ropes. My first check as an author was both exciting - Hey I can get paid to do this! And deflating - All that work for this little return?

So I started paying attention to what other authors were doing. Here is a short list of ways I am promoting them and me:

1. I post to this blog at least five days a week, and feature other authors who (hopefully) bring their readers to my blog, and I can showcase them to my readers.
2. I make the blog visual, and as often as they will share personal pictures, personal. Since I have a lot of pet lovers among my readers, (I find posts about pets get a higher hit rate) pet pics are welcome here. This isn't just about selling my books - it is also about developing a group of friends who read them. I want to connect and animals are a great way to do that.
3. I tweet the blog posts 2 or 3 times a day. Finding a hook - something catchy, controversial or racy -- always brings more lookers to the blog. As do cute animals and the word Christian.
4. I ask my guests to post that they are visiting on their social media - lists, twitter, Facebook, etc.
5. My tweets are automatically posted to Lynette Endicott's Facebook page, and then I like from my my real name and the author page hosted by that name, so they show up to all my people.
6. At least once a week I post something about my writing journey to my real name on Linked In with a link to my blog or website.
7. I "like" other authors, read their posts, retweet, share and otherwise promote the interesting things they are saying.
8. I visit other blogs to be interviewed there.
9. I explore other venues. Right now Klout and Pinterest are possibilities that I'm tracking.
10. I watch the numbers. When there is a spike in blog visits or website visits I check to see why.

In all of these, I have several strategies:

• Set up an account in my author name that is separate from my real life and focuses on writing.
• Get the word out to as many people as I can to like, join, follow. Continually ask readers to act to follow the cause.
• Support other writers, and they will support me and sometimes even become my readers.
• LIMIT the time spent on all this. I set a goal of finishing within an hour a day.
• Keep up with the latest through subscriptions (usually in digest form) regarding marketing on the internet, social media, 

Result? Well, my second check was more than twice as much as my first, so the good news is that I'm getting better at this. Since the next book, Animal Instinct with Tami Dee, is out August 21 I want my skills to be up to the task.

Tami, by the way, has an author ap on Android, iPad, iPhone etc. Download it and check out her books and this new ADDITIONAL way to market!

You can check out More Than A Job at http://www.amazon.com/Lynette-Endicott/e/B008E8P1AO/ref=sr_tc_2_rm?qid=1341245772&sr=1-2-ent

See Tami's books at her author ap or http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Tami%20Dee&search-alias=books

If she didn't write, what would Maria do?

If you weren't writing, what would you be doing?

I would play the bass. I used to play in three rock bands, and it was a lot of fun. I miss it sometimes, but I don’t have the time for it right now.

If money were not an object, where would you most like to live?

Right here, in Florida, but in a bigger house with a back door, closer to the beach. I wouldn’t mind if it had a pool too. J I really want a back door – we’re renting a little house now and it has a perfectly fine back yard, but there’s no way to get to it without going out close to the road.

If you were a tool, what would people use you to do?

I would be a Swiss Army knife able to do all sorts of things.

Ocean or mountains? Ocean

City life or country life?

Country, but for some reason I live in the city.

Dogs or cats?

Both.

Do readers ever contact you?

Yes, I’m pretty easily accessible and enjoy e-mailing with people. I sometimes get messages on Goodreads and on Facebook, and I try to answer everyone. If I miss someone it’s not on purpose. Comments, questions, likes, dislikes, I love to hear it.

Do you have a favorite comment or question from a reader?

A couple of people have told me they never liked science fiction until they read my books. Comments like that make me really happy; it means I have succeeded. I want to entertain people, and tickle their imagination.

Kidnapped is available May 11 http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-292/Kidnapped-Maria-Hammarblad/Detail.bok

Website: http://www.hammarblad.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariahammarblad
Blog: http://www.scifiromance.info
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mariahammarblad

Immaginary friends, pets and family from Maria Hammarblad

Lynette: Which book was the easiest for you to write? The hardest? The most fun?

Maria: I think the third book in The Goddess’s Saga – “Return of the Goddess” – was the easiest. It almost wrote itself, and it was ready long before the second one, “Wrath of the Goddess.” Wrath really fought me. I don’t know why; I knew what would happen in it, but I still needed almost three years to finish it.

The most fun? “Brand New World.” It’s a science fiction spoof and I chuckled all the way through it. The main character wakes up in the future, accompanied by a hologram of a rock star and a humanoid cat. It sort of gets worse from there…

Lynette: How about the people and/or animals you share space with. Do they know not to bother you when you are writing, or are there constant interruptions?

Maria: Haha, no, there are constant interruptions. I always have dogs climbing on me. My youngest doggie tries to stand on the keyboard, and he very helpfully types things like, “lk;i0i0ko;k;l.” If Mike is home, he always has the TV on and is usually talking. He’s a good sport though – he never gets mad if I don’t answer, or if I answer something that’s evidently wrong. Still, I’d much rather have company and be interrupted than be more efficient and all alone. J

Lynette: What do family members think of your writing? Do you ever ask him/her/them for advice? Editing?

Maria: I have tried to make Mike read my books. ”Kidnapped” is even dedicated to him, but he refuses. I think he’s worried he won’t like them. He’s an optimist though; he says, “Naah, I’ll watch the movie when someone makes one.” His mom reads all my books though, and she has valuable input.
Lynette: Are you a member of any author group and how does that help your writing?

Maria: Yes, I am a member of Florida Writer’s Association, but I don’t have time to go to the meetings, so it doesn’t help all that much. I have promised myself that once life settles down a little I’ll start going. Input from other writers is invaluable.

Lynette: Are you in control of your characters or do they control you?

Maria: My characters take on lives of their own. I sometimes say I have to go play with my imaginary friends so I can write their stories… They pop up out of nowhere and insist on getting attention. Okay, that doesn’t sound entirely sane, hahaha!

Lynette: Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers.

Maria: There are times when everything is easy and happy joy joy. When it’s not easy, just keep writing, and don’t be discouraged if it feels up-hill and you get rejection letters from agents and publishers. Try again. Sometimes you need to re-write and try again, but don’t give up. Same thing if you get a bad review; if people hates what you’ve written, you’ve somehow reached them and created an emotion. Remember, a reader might hate your story line for other reasons than it being bad.

Website: http://www.hammarblad.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariahammarblad
Blog: http://www.scifiromance.info
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mariahammarblad

Excerpt from More Than a Job - about cats

He reached out his hands and pulled her to her feet. "Now let's go get those flowers in the ground."

"Okay. Let me get the trowel. Do you mind a little company while we work?" She didn't give him time to answer, but propped open the door to her room, then the screened in back porch, and picked up a hand trowel and some gloves. She called, made little kissing noises, and then said, "Here, kit, kit. Come on, babies."

A small cat edged out her bedroom, his black nose first, then a white paw. She scooped up Pepper from the hall and deposited him by the back door.

Sprite was not as cautious as her brother. She raced by Josh and dashed up a tree before Pepper had cleared the threshold.

Josh laughed, dropped to one knee, and held out his arms. Pepper approached him, stretched lazily, and then jumped into those outstretched arms and nudged Josh's chin. Josh's whole face shone with joy. Did guys like cats? What a revelation.

He nuzzled their faces and pulled Pepper's ears. "What are they, maybe eight weeks old?"

"We don't know for sure. They were deposited here by their mom after Grandma left and before I moved in. There were four in the litter. I told the neighbor who owns the mom that I'd keep these two."

Paige knelt and cut a few clumps of plants from the flat and set them along the edge of the bed where she'd decided they would go. "Here in the shade look okay?"

Josh released Dr. Pepper to follow his sister up the tree and knelt to help. "It looks great. So are the cats indoor or outdoor cats? Or both?"

"Both. I only let them all the way out with me, but they spend nice days on the screened in porch."

            "Where were they yesterday?"

            "I left them with my neighbor, Linda, so our work day wouldn't scare them to death." She leaned back on her heels. "Joshua, it is so weird. I've never owned cats before. They're another one of those gifts I was telling you about. I didn't know I would get attached so quickly."

"You're in for a treat. Won't be long before they're stalking each other and pouncing and chasing butterflies."

"They already chase each other. They're so much fun to watch." The two of them developed a rhythm to their work as they talked. Paige dug a hole, Josh put the plant in place, and together they patted dirt around it and moved on. By the time they finished, darkness had fallen. Josh helped her to her feet and put the flats into the recycling bin. The temperature had dropped with the sun and an autumn chill filled the air.

"Let's call the kitties in and get out of the cold."

"They come when you call?" He sounded skeptical.

"Oh, yeah." She unlatched the back door and held it open with one toe. "They love their food more than their freedom. Watch." She called, "Here, kit, kit, kit" and gave a plastic food container a few sharp shakes.

"I'm sure it's the sound of the food and not my voice," she admitted, "but hopefully they'll come when I call before long." Both kittens raced to their food dish, and she latched the door and poured food into their bowls.

She looked up to find Josh watching her intently. She grinned and caught his hand. "Come on in. We can leave them out here. I've been wanting to get you alone all day."

Purchase, Like and Tag  More Than a Job at http://www.amazon.com/Starting-Over-Book-One-ebook/dp/B007F4D0CO/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1333306827&sr=1-1