Guest Post and Giveaway with Wendy S. Marcus: Adding Diversification To My Discoverability Strategy

Wendy S. Marcus

The Hot Pink Typewriter is pleased to welcome talented friend and author Wendy S. Marcus.

The topic of Wendy's guest post is discoverability.

 

How do we, as readers, find new books and authors to love? And how do we, as writers, find new readers?

 

Wendy writes hot contemporary romances with strong heroes, feisty heroines and lots of laughs...a combination I truly enjoy.

 

Thanks so much for visiting with us, Wendy!

Hi Tina!

Thank you for hosting my visit to The Hot Pink Typewriter! I’m so happy to be here! For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Wendy S. Marcus and I write medical romance for Harlequin Mills and Boon under the tagline: These aren’t your Aunt Mabel’s medical romances. They’re hot, sexy and fast-paced.

Like most authors, my interest in writing romance grew out of a love of reading it. And I still remember the book responsible for my ongoing romance addiction, Home to Copper Mountain by Rebecca Winters. A Harlequin Superromance I picked out of a box of old paperbacks at a school fundraiser about eight years ago.

I bet most authors don’t put yard sales high on their list of ways to improve their discoverability ~ how readers find their books among the millions of books available. No, authors need to be proactive in marketing. So we flock to places like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads. We toss ourselves out into social media desperately trying to make our message heard, “Buy my book. Buy my book,” while not actually screaming those offensive words at the risk of coming off egocentric and turning away potential readers.

We spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on advertising, websites, and contest prizes. We spend $7.00 USD to mail $5.00 books to readers across the globe. (Or maybe that’s just me who does that!) But you get my point.

With the glut of traditionally published, small-press published and self-published books available for purchase (and for free) on the Internet it’s no longer enough to write a good book. You have to find a way for readers to discover your book, read it, and hopefully review it - preferably with five beautiful stars that will gain the attention of other readers. And so on and so on and so on.

It’s with expanding my readership in mind that I’ve decided to add diversification to my discoverability strategy.

I’m thrilled to have my fourth and fifth books for Harlequin Mills and Boon’s medical romance line out in January 2013 (U.S. e-book editions releasing on February 1, 2013), Craving Her Soldier’s Touch, book #1 in the Piermont Sisters duet, and Secrets of a Shy Socialite, book #2. While both books are connected, each is written to stand alone. And my sixth book, Tempting Nurse Scarlet, book #6 in the upcoming NYC Angels continuity, will be out in May 2013. But after that, with six published books in my backlist, I am branching out in search of new readers.

I’ve already completed a short story for an upcoming edition of The Mammoth Book of… anthology, due to be published in late 2013. And I’m currently working on a book with a new publisher, Entangled Publishing, that I am very excited about, which should also be published in late 2013. Will I write more books for Harlequin Mills and Boon? I hope so. But for now my focus is on diversification and finding new readers.

Is this the best way to go? Should all authors diversify? Or is it better to stick with one publisher and develop your brand? I don’t have the answer. Maybe Tina will have me back for a follow up post in a year or so!

So what’s your take on discoverability? If you’re a reader, where do you go to look for books? What makes you choose one book over another?

If you’re a writer, what do you do to make your books stand out?

Two lucky commenters will be randomly chosen, via random.org, to win one copy of Craving Her Soldier’s Touch or Secrets of a Shy Socialite, winner’s choice.


SECRETS OF A SHY SOCIALITE 

CRAVING HER SOLDIER'S TOUCH

To find out more about me or my books:

 

Visit my website.



Find me on Facebook.

 

Tweet with me on Twitter.

 

Talk books with me on Goodreads.

Tempting the Billionaire Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is.... Christy McKellen!

Congratulations, Christy! To claim your prize, please contact Jessica Lemmon's publicist at: jihan.antoine

@hbgusa.com

 

Happy Reading :-)

Q&A with Author Jessica Lemmon

Join me in welcoming debut author Jessica Lemmon to the hot seat. Jessica is discussing her brand new book, TEMPTING THE BILLIONAIRE, which has just released this month, and she is giving away a free copy to one lucky reader!

Crickitt Day needs a job . . . any job. After her husband walks out on her, she's determined to re-build her life and establish a new career. When swoon-worthy billionaire Shane August hires her as his assistant, she jumps at the chance to prove herself. Despite her growing attraction to her boss, she vows to keep things strictly professional. No flirting. No kissing. Definitely no falling in love...

Shane August is all business, all the time. He's a self-made man who's poured his heart and soul into his company, and he'd never allow himself to get involved with an employee. Then he hires sweet, sexy Crickitt-and he can't keep his mind or his hands off her. But no matter how much he wants Crickitt, Shane fears that painful secrets from his past will always come between them. With fate working against them, can these two lonely hearts learn that sometimes mixing business with pleasure is the perfect merger?

AMAZON || B&N


Hi Jessica, and thanks so much for joining us today. Can you tell us a little about your debut novel, TEMPTING THE BILLIONAIRE?

Hi, Olivia! Thank you so much for having me! Here’s my one-liner: An all-business billionaire learns there’s more to life than a bottom line when he hires his sweet and sexy personal assistant.

What was your inspiration behind this book? 
After forgetting to wear my wedding ring, I spent the entire day rubbing my fingers together (have you ever done that?). I was at such a loss without it! I envisioned a woman, divorced, and crying in a bar. Crickitt Day was born.

Is there a scene or character in your book that you are particularly fond of?

I love the scene where Shane stumbles upon Crickitt crying in her office. Like when he approached her at the bar, he simply can’t help but console her. He’s trying to convince himself to walk away, then thinks, “Ah, hell” right before he embraces her. This, I think, is who Shane is. He’s kind; he cares, and no matter how hard he tries, he can’t deny his feelings for this woman. 

Can you describe your writing process? Do you have a daily routine?

My writing process is like me: consistently inconsistent. ;-) I love to write, and tend to become obsessed with whatever project I’m immersed in. As far as routine goes, even though I don’t do “exactly” the same things each day, I know I’m fresher in the morning. I like to be done by dinner and unwind at night.

How do you balance social media and promotion with your writing schedule?

I’m working on that! I have an iPad so it allows me to hop on Twitter and Facebook several times a day. I check in at mealtimes and have my phone close by for responses. I love to interact, so I probably check it too much!

Can you tell us about your journey toward publication?

It started in January 2010 when I was sure the (first) manuscript I’d finished was going to sell. It didn’t, so I kept writing and learning. Two and a half years, and seven manuscripts later, I received an offer from my agent. I was so surprised to get a yes! I was ready to hustle for another two and a half years if that’s what it took.

If you could give one piece of advice to an aspiring writer, what would it be?

WRITE. Write, write, write, write, write! I didn’t get better by beating one manuscript into submission. I started new stories, I wrestled with plots, I found critique partners, I attended workshops... When I did find an agent, I had several books (while not perfect) in my arsenal to rewrite and submit. Nothing is ever dead…well, except for that first manuscript…oy…so bad. LOL

Can you tell us about your next release and what you are working on now?

I’d love to! Hard to Handle is book #2 in the Love in the Balance series and follows Aiden and Sadie’s journey to happily ever after. And if anyone deserves happiness, it’s these two! I’m also working on a series in a town called Eternity Bay. The first book is about a bad boy mansion owner who comes back to town only to find his first love right where he left her…

Thanks so much for joining us today, Jessica! To learn more about Jessica and her debut book TEMPTING THE BILLIONAIRE, visit her website at www.jessicalemmon.com.

Jessica is giving away a free copy of her book to one lucky recipient, so be sure to leave a comment for your chance to win! 

About Us: Rachel Lyndhurst

It’s great to be here on The Hot Pink Typewriter as a brand new contributor from the UK, and now it’s my turn to sink into The Hot Seat and answer a few probing questions. Here we go ...

How and why did you get involved with The Hot Pink Typewriter?

I was very flattered to be asked if I’d like to contribute to The Hot Pink Typewriter by Victoria James, who I ‘met’ through Entangled Publishing.  I’d been enjoying reading the blog for a while anyway and Victoria is SO nice, it was a no-brainer. I’m so happy to be part of something that has so many talented authors contributing. And it has such a cool name!  

What sub-genre of romance do you write and why?

I write contemporary category-length romances, because that’s what I read mostly and it’s the genre I feel most comfortable with right now. I quite often find myself drawn to wanting to write something historical, but I don’t think I’m experienced enough yet to get everything right with the core romance and also get the historical facts spot on as well. It would seriously lengthen the time it would take to write and time isn’t on my side as it is!  So for now it’s ‘write what you know’ with lots of superyachts, billionaires and glittering lifestyles. Maybe someday I’ll throw caution to the wind and write that sexy 1920s flapper story though … 

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? What prompted this interest?

Not consciously, I spent my childhood wanting to be many things, including a Concorde pilot. My great grandmother taught me to read before I’d even started school, so I think my love of all things bookish started then. I was a voracious reader but I think the writing bug was there somewhere all along even if I didn’t realise it. I wrote silly stories including my friends and our imaginary adventures in the Maggot Club (don’t ask!), and angsty teenage poems ridiculing boys that I fancied rotten. In my twenties the boring old office job improved when a subversive Viz-style comic came into being – it featured a character that looked like my boss quite heavily. I left that job soon after … During a decade working in as an accountant, I began to think how wonderful it would be to become an author instead. Haven’t I been lucky?!

Did contests play a role in your writing journey? If so, in what ways did you find them beneficial? And what, if any, were the drawbacks?

They did in that I entered a number of them along the way, but none of the entries came to anything in the contests. However, after one of the Mills & Boon annual competitions  I was asked to submit something fresh and was sent a signed compliment slip for my next submission. Those were the days before you could send you submission in by email! I wrote the whole book in seven weeks and they hated it, frankly. Undeterred (after excessive weeping and bouts of self-pity), I wrote another book following their guidelines closely and got a generic rejection a long, long time later. That last book had quite a journey itself in the end, but Entangled Publishing turned it into a bestseller: Kidnapped by the Greek Billionaire.

So, I’d say contests are a great way to motivate yourself into actually getting the words down and submitting, but I found them a huge distraction.  I’m easily drawn into obsessions, and contests consume me for the entire duration.  In retrospect if I’d spent the time writing and submitting that I did on checking forums, scouring for news and reading endless commentary on the entire process, I’d have a lot more books published by now.

What point are you currently at in your writing journey?

I’m only at the beginning, but my confidence is growing now that I've had three books published in the last year. I can’t be a total fluke – I can write!

Describe what makes a perfect hero for you. And what makes a perfect heroine?

Now that’s a toughie. There’s not a definitive hero for me, but he’s got to be an alpha male. This means he’s in a position powerful enough to take charge of a situation if necessary and do the right thing. He will be honorable and decent, and for this reason I will allow him the odd moment to be grumpy and even a bit of a jerk, but he always redeems himself.  He must be ridiculously good looking. He will never have a full bushy beard, roll his own cigarettes, or live off welfare.

My perfect heroine must be likeable and have some gumption about her. She won’t be treated like a doormat and it would take a lot to make her cry. She needs to be independent in all respects and isn't afraid to say what she thinks. She is also kind, honest, loyal and hardworking. She will have a vulnerability of some sort though, she’s only human!

What does HEA mean to you?

It means two people  finally recognise that they’re in love and fully intend to spend the rest of their lives together. Obstacles to their happiness have been swept aside and all the nasties they've encountered on their journey to this point have been overcome. Marriage and procreation optional. 

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

So many places. An overheard conversation, news article, photograph, lyric from a song, a vivid dream … Too many places to mention really.

Name your five favorite movies/books, or those that have influenced you the most and how.

The Magic Faraway tree and Famous Five books by Enid Blyton (I’ll count that as two books but there were tons of them!). I devoured these as a child – a proper torch under the bed clothes obsession.  Not only did these books inspire many outdoor adventures in real life, they kicked off a lifelong appreciation of books and love of reading. My own children love them too

.

Reading 1984 by George Orwell changed the way I looked at the world forever.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera.  I read this when it was first published and I was a pseudy teenager . You just had to, because everybody else was reading it. It taught me that life is too short to spend reading something that you neither enjoy or understand. Perhaps I should give it another go? Nah!

The Sound of Music . How perfect is this film? Romance between a nun and a count, snowy mountains, evil Nazis, evil new ‘stepmother’  and it’s based on a true story! I still know all the words to all the songs and watch it every time it’s on the telly. It brings back so many happy childhood memories (I’m sure it was on every Christmas when I was growing up). Lovely.

Monty Python's Life of Brian. Possibly a controversial choice but, for me, this is one of the funniest films EVER. And laughing is good for you.

Tell us about your greatest writing challenges and how you work through them.

The promotion side of writing is the most challenging for me. I enjoy it and I know it’s an essential part of the job, but it’s extremely time consuming. The most rewarding thing is when people get in touch and say how much they enjoyed reading my book – that’s simply brilliant.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Leave your ego at the door.

What are your hopes and aspirations for your career?

Lots and lots more books being published, please! And enough royalties to by a villa in Amalfi. :0)

Want to know more? Then please feel free to leave a question in the comments section or visit my website and blog at my website and blog. I love to chat, so don’t be shy!

Thanks once again for visiting The Hot Pink Typewriter today. :0)

Favourite Hero Archetypes: By Victoria James

Wow, what a dry title, eh?  Sorry, I'll do my best to make the post a bit more lively ;-)

As I'm plotting out a proposal for Book #6 for Entangled (I had to pinch myself and actually double-check that number) I realized I tend to gravitate to certain types of hero archetypes.  I've written the Alpha (but I find that type quite broad, because all of the heroes I write are all Alpha's in their own way), The Bad-Boy, The Protector, and The Charmer.  I don't really have a favourite yet.  I think The Charmer would probably be my least favourite if I had to choose, because I do tend to have a soft-spot for the brooding, wounded hero, and that type rarely turns out to be a carefree charmer.  Though Hugh Grant movies do make a very good case for loving The Charmer archetype.

But there are more archetypes that I love to read about and hopefully write about one day.  The list below is really broad and general, and of course, there are so many other traits that can fall under each category, but it's a quick way to group them.  Sometimes, I find lists like these can spark ideas if you're just at the starting point and don't have a clear idea of what type of characters you want to write about yet.

Some of the most popular Hero Archetypes:

The Alpha (and I think Alpha traits can also be found in any of the others)
The Bad-Boy
The Protector
The Charmer
The Wounded Hero
The Loner
The Professor
The Best Friend
The Action Hero

What about you?  Do you have a favourite type to write about?  Is it the same type that you like to read about?