LAUNCH TEAM

It is easy really, and can be a lot of fun!  I was honored to participate as part of friend and fellow author Lesley Ann McDaniel's Team recently and it was a hoot!  It was cool tweeting, liking, and sharing for her first free promotion as an indie author.  Together we watched her skyrocket up to an amazing amount of free uploads during her promotion.

Why are such things important?
The publishing industry is changing.  The old way of the large publishing houses and traditional distribution are breaking down.  Even the nature of bricks and mortar bookstores are changing.  The Indie Publishing industry is growing, and self-published authors such as myself and Lesley are less and less of an exception to the rule.  What we lack is the large marketing machines of the traditional publishing houses - which, BTW, unless you are a big-name, big-draw author, that marketing support does not come as an automatic guarantee in a publishing contract anymore.

What is not changing?  Books!  People still love to read and, fortunately, people still have stories to tell.  Stories are crucial to our understanding of ourselves and how we make sense of the world around us.  Stories are a key element of who we are as humans.  Stories are not going away, therefore books are not either.

So, what does this mean?  It means Indie Author/Publishers have to build their own networks to spread the word about their work. That's where the Launch Team Concept comes in ... friends, family, colleagues using social media to "Share the Love" about good books and good stories.

What would I need to do?  It is simple, really.  And it can take as much or as little time as you are able/willing to give.  It is not an all-the-time commitment!  Activity centers around releases of books and promotions, so we are talking activity that happens inside of a week.  Life happens, so it is understood that not everyone can "play" all the time.

Here's how it works:  When I am about to release a book, I will let you know in advance and invite you to help me build a little critical mass and buzz about the release.  I will provide you with all the fodder you need to use whatever social media you need. All you have to do is use what you already use, and share the news on the book. Simple!

I will also invite you to Release and Promotion Events if you are on facebook.  

When there are free promotions (if you did not, or were not able to buy the book yourself)  I encourage and invite you to download the book, read it, then rate and review the book on Amazon.  Among the ways that indie publishers get their works seen in the mass of published material out there is by using free promotion days to elevate the title in the Amazon ratings structure.  Another is to amass reviews and sustain ratings of 4.0 or higher.

The dream is that someone with a higher profile than yours who reviews books will notice your work and publish a review.  THAT would be cool!  it is all about exposure.

How can I help? Leave a comment or send me a note at thedede (AT) comcast.net  and I'll add you to the team.  Then, hang on and we'll keep you posted on the next upcoming activity.  Who knows, together we might become successful enough that there might be special offers down the line - who knows?  I don't, but it could be an interesting journey, couldn't it?