One of my favorite parts of being a self-published author is that I get to control my own marketing. Yes, that kind of makes me a unicorn, but whatevs. Once the book is written, I start channeling my creative energy toward all the accoutrements. Bookmarks, swag, t-shirts. Anything and everything that can help market a book.
Because I decided to release the trilogy in 90 day increments, I naturally gravitated to a phased approach. Each phase would have a theme, different tools and assets used, and a different outcome. As usual, I used my go-to marketing technique for timing. There will eventually be four phases:
June 17-December: Pre-Preorders and Audience Building
January-February: Demon Spring is Coming
Feb-May: Demon Spring is Here
May-Aug: Demon Spring is Ending
Phase 0: Pre-Preorders and Audience Building
I had a LOT of time to prepare for this thing, so I began by working on building my audience in the urban fantasy realm. I focused on Facebook more than Twitter and Instagram, and joined a bunch of groups to watch what other authors did. More importantly, I switched up my Facebook posting schedule to share something every day from another page, which boosted my standing in the algorithm. As I said in my marketing technique, it can take up to six months to be ready to market a book.
September, I began the first push for awareness. The book features a government agency charged with protecting humans. So why not take all that government experience I have and create an actual public service announcement marketing campaign?
I began with building a PSA Video. I’ve done book trailers before, but this one was the easiest ever. I wanted it to resemble one of those drug commercials for anti-depressants, where you get the slow walking away and “If you or your loved one…” I made bookmarks with that same idea: “Don’t be a victim. Learn the signs of demonic coercion.”
October, I began using Instafreebie to share the first three chapters and prologue. I added the PSA video to the sign-up page to add to the oomph. I also sent books to Instagrammers to help me with the cover reveal. November was, of course, my Insider Special, where I offered swag and early books to newsletter subscribers. And in December, I released review copies to my reviewers list.
Phase 1: Demon Spring is Coming
Although the eBook was up for preorder in November, the real marketing push began in January. I had a few avenues to focus on – Blog, Instagram, and Street Team.
For my street team, I did my usual competition (share stuff for points, more points equal more swag). I also decided to start posting daily in there, adding photos and asking questions about what folks are reading. To make it easy on myself, I created a theme every day (Mondays – what did you read, tuesdays – discussion, wednesday – show me a photo about x, etc).
For Instagram (which cross-posts to Facebook), I decided to gather some bookstagram things and take a bunch of photos. Since everything was already planned, I was able to take photos with the books for both blog content and other content. I interspersed it with other stuff, including continuing to do my weekly Sush blog.
On the blog, I went back to a daily posting schedule. Mondays, blogs like this. Tuesdays, I wrote about each of the five demons. Wednesdays were for guest posts from other Urban Fantasy authors. Thursdays were about the character. And Fridays were urban fantasy book spotlights. For guest posts and book spotlights, I went to those Facebook groups I’d been apart of and solicited for guest posts.
Finally, for my newsletter subscribers, I put together a weekly digest of blog and Instagram content.
The best part? All of this content was scheduled and ready to go in October.
Buy the first book in the Demon Spring trilogy
Demon hunter Jack Grenard’s life changed three years ago when his wife was brutally murdered by the very demons he’d been hunting. At the urging of his partner Cam Macarro, he’s starting a new life in Atlanta, hoping he’ll find the man he used to be. But on a routine hunt, they come across a new type of demon–one that saves instead of kills.
Meanwhile, demons across Atlanta are preparing for the quadrennial uprising of their Underworld brethren. Worse yet, there’s a rumor the so-called king of the demons, Bael, will appear for the first time in over a century. Jack and Cam must uncover the truth about the mystery woman before all hell–literally–breaks loose.
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