Barb's Musing: How Do You Stand Out?

I’m trying to figure out how to better market myself. That I don’t already know the answer is a tiny bit sad seeing as how I spent fifteen years as a PR consultant. Problem is, I used to market other people. Better yet, I was marketing a man who was already a household name. I wasn’t trying tell myself.

Therein lies the problem. I am not a household name. What’s more, I was raised with the belief the empty kettle whistles the loudest. In other words, let your accomplishments speak for themselves. Unfortunately, accomplishments aren’t loud enough to be heard in a crowded marketplace. You need both the accomplishments and a trumpet with which to sound them. Business, I’m quickly learning, is no place for modesty.

So now that I’ve reconciled that I need to be more vocal, my problem is how? Lately I’ve come to look at social media like a big crowded dinner party where everyone is talking at once. Only a handful of people are actually being heard. The rest of us are like John O’Reilly’s character in Chicago – cellophane. How do I become one of those people that gets heard? Do I amass a zillion followers? Send out a zillion tweets? Do I blog everywhere and anywhere? Do I simply stay the course and let my name recognition build over time? Or maybe put out an electronic newsletter. How about all of the above?

There are so many questions and approaches, I’m dizzy. What’s more, I’m not sure there’s one true answer. It kills me how two people can tackle the same media and have completely different success ratios. Just because I tweet or blog or whatever, doesn’t mean I’ll have the same results as the people I strive to emulate. I could end up burning a lot of time and energy and still being cellophane. In marketing, like life, some people are simply better and more charismatic.

It dawns on me then, as I type out my thoughts, that perhaps the best marketing strategy is to let go. That is, to not worry so much about how to be heard and simply do my thing. After all, it was only when I stopped worrying about selling and instead, wrote my story, that I developed a strong voice. Perhaps that’s the key for marketing as well. I have long believed the best marketing is authentic marketing. All the blogging and tweeting in the world won’t work if you’re not being yourself. So maybe “letting go” is the answer. That doesn’t mean I don’t plan to market myself. I will. But, instead of worrying about how to be one of those charismatic people who dominate the Internet with their charm and entertaining posts, I’ll focus on being Barb Wallace and on creating Barb Wallace stories. Eventually, I hope, the name will get out. Right?

Of course, if someone out there has better advice or suggestions, I’m all ears…..

_________

Speaking of Barb Wallace stories…. Wednesday (2/29/12) is the last day Daring to Date the Boss – my RT Top Pick – will be on the shelves at your local store. Of course, you’ll still be able to purchase a copy (paperback or electronic) online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Harlequin.com. And keep an eye out next month for Weekend Agreement, my debut with Entangled Publishing’s Indulgence Line.

(Ha! Who says I can’t market?)

We Have a Winner!

We have a winner for the contest to win a copy of Prince of Hearts: Wyndes!

Wyndes, email me at katythewombat at gmail dot com to let me know your preferred format (Nook or Kindle), and I'll get a copy of the book right to you. And thank you to everyone for the interest!

(And apologies for taking so long to announce this--I feel like I got snatched up by Dorothy's tornado!)

Cathryn's Musing: Tax Time!

Tomorrow is our meeting with the tax preparer, and I've spent all evening gathering receipts and totaling expenses.  This is my first year receiving income as a published author.  To my surprise, that has made this normally tedious process very enjoyable for me.

If you're an RWA member, Trinity Faegen has given an excellent, free course this week called "Tax and the Writer."  It's the best explanation I've ever seen regarding tax considerations for (U.S.) writers.  Check out the class in the members-only Forum section of the RWA web site.  Trinity works through the relevant IRS forms line by line, clearly outlining what is typically allowable, and what expense goes where.

Here is the link to the RWA website. 

Becca's Musing - Inspired by Oscar

One of the most inspiring events of the year is coming up this weekend and I can't wait. And yes, I watch the Red Carpet for the fashion parade and yes, I tune in to see who wins in each category. I lap up the superficial parts of it and think I should work for E! or Us Weekly or People magazine so that I can cover these events. (If anyone is hiring for any of these places, call me - I would be great at it!)

But I watch it, too, because I get incredibly inspired -- after all, the night all stems from creativity. From the designers who craft the red carpet looks and the movies' costumes from idea to execution; from the directors and producers who believe in their guts and artistic visions; from the actors themselves who create characters based on the words they are given; to all the writers who strung those words together to make magic happen; and to all the people involved behind the scenes, who come together to make a whole that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. For me, the award ceremony celebrates so much more than what happens on that glorious night. And it does inspire me -- it makes me want to be a better creative person, no matter what activity I undertake.

Are your ballots ready?

Seize the day!
Becca

Becca's Musing - Desperately Seeking Advice

I am working on a new book and have been feeling an excitement towards my writing that I hadn't been feeling since this time last year. I was discussing my progress so far with a non-writer friend of mine, asking her opinion about a scene I had started . . . all the while filling in some of the plot blanks so she could get a sense of the larger story. In the midst of my telling she said, "This sounds really familiar." The problem is that I hadn't talked about this story with her before.

She and I share a lot of books and there is a new author we had been wanting to try so I bought the first book in this author's new series and started reading it last night. Irony of ironies, the reason why my story sounded so familiar is because the new author we wanted to try has written one almost exactly like it.

This is a new and unexpected development and I am a little betwixt and between. So I ask you, dear readers, what would you do? Would you forge ahead, knowing that in the world of storytelling there are so few plots and the difference is in the voice and the telling, or would you scrap the project and try to develop something new? With my new level of excitement, I am having a hard time stepping back from the situation and looking at it objectively.

I would be grateful to hear your thoughts.

Seize the day!

Becca

Katy's Musing: The Return of Prince of Hearts

So here we are, on the day when my first published romance, Prince of Hearts, is released as an ebook for Kindle and Nook. To be completely candid, I'm a little bemused to be in this position. The original print publication was more surreal than not for me -- I found it next to impossible to connect the book in my hand with all the writing I'd done. This time around is even weirder for me -- I don't even have a book to hold in my hand. Still, I'm thrilled the book is getting a second life, and I hope it finds new readers (or is revisited by readers who enjoyed it the first time around).

Writing it was fun. I never thought it was going to sell, so I gave myself permission to just go for it. (I hoped it would sell, because you can't help hoping that, but I didn't believe it would.) In particular, I let myself give happier lives to a couple of women who I think were ill-served by history as we know it.

Barb's Musing: Not Another Valentine's Day Post!

One of the challenges of being a romance writer blogging on Valentine's Day is coming up with something different from the zillion other romance writers who are blogging on the subject.   It's like a store trying to make it's Christmas merchandise stand out from the rest or a new female singer trying to be heard behind Adele.  (Not really, I just wanted to mention Adele because I like her).

I have a second challenge too.  Those of you who read this blog regularly know that Valentine's Day is a bittersweet date for me.  My father passed away eight years ago today.  For many years my family did little to mark the date - candy and flowers didn't feel right.

This year, though, it dawned on my that by ignoring the day, or downplaying it, I was doing my dad a disservice.  See, my father NEVER forgot Valentine's Day, not even when I'd moved out, married and had a child of my own.  So this year, instead of downplaying the day, I'm embracing it.  My husband and I are going out of our way to be more romantic, and treat each other a little special.  We're getting a lesson on how from the  Boy who is celebrating his first Valentine's Day with his girlfriend.  Watching young love reminds you just how precious and sweet love can be.  I smile at the cards and chocolate and flowers being exchanged.  And I'm inspired.

I also think about those people who are hating today and bemoaning the fact they don't have someone to celebrate with.  I can only imagine how annoying all the ads for flowers and cards and diamonds must be.  But take heart!  (Yeah, I know, lousy pun!)  You do have someone to celebrate with!  Me!  Send me your cards and flowers and diamonds!

Seriously, you do have someone - the one person who should love you no matter and you will never ever leave.  No, not your mother (or even me).  You have you.  As a proponent of self-care and self-love, I'm here to tell you there isn't a better person on the planet to spend your time with. 

So Happy Valentine's Day to YOU!  Whether you have a significant other or not, embrace the day.  Embrace the spirit of love.  Love yourself, love others, love strangers.  Do it for your loved ones.  Do it for yourself.

And you know what? Do it for my Dad, because if he were here, he'd be sending cards and chocolate turtles.

In the meantime, as a Valentine's Gift to you, here are two things to make you feel warm and cuddly.  The first - cute little animals.  Because baby animals are made of love.....

And the second is this cover by Adele. Because, she's kinda a pop star everywoman (except for the voice) and Rolling in the Deep isn't a Valentine's Song.

 

Happy Valentine's Day! Keep Writing! ~ Barb