Marketing with Mandy~Author Robyn Carr
Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Mira Books.
A: Mira is simply outstanding. I’ve worked with a number of publishers and have had some excellent experiences with Little, Brown and St. Martin’s Press to name a couple. I’ve been with Mira since ‘98 for the last eleven books, and have had excellent editing and publishing support. The covers have been awesome — especially this latest Virgin River Series. They’re just delicious. And they work seamlessly in support of my current publicist, helping to get the word out about new releases. I’d be happy to stay there forever, and hope they want me forever.
Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?
A: I finally hired a private publicist — The Nancy Berland PR Agency. The time was right — I had a 3-book series coming out in 3 months and could really use the help. Her agency has done everything from run ads, to lots of Internet exposure in the form of reviews and contests, booking appearances and speeches and helping me to make connections with booksellers and reviewers. We did a 500 book ‘pillow drop’ at the Romantic Times Convention — not an inexpensive project — but the feedback from readers who received the first book in the series (and went on to buy the next two) was immediate and very positive. Making sure ARC’s get to the right readers in the business — booksellers and reviewers — is very important. And giving away books to build that fan base is optimal. Since the main character in the Virgin River series is a nurse midwife, I signed and gave away (free) 100 copies of the first book in the series at a seminar attended by 300 nurse practitioners and midwives — and again, the response was positive and immediate.
The two most important things I’ve learned came from Debbie Macomber. She said promotion is not just about selling books — it’s about developing relationships. And — always listen to what your readers have to say. Sound advice from a master.
Q: What is one thing you’d want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?
A: Concentrate on the writing, making it better and better all the time. There’s so much in the business you can’t control — but that’s one thing you can. Write smart, from the heart. And then, when the pub date is near, spend a little of that book money on promotion, in the best scenario, with some professional help. Some writers have a natural ability to market and know what to do — but I don’t. I am not likely to think of the most effective things to do — and it never hurts to invest in your own business when possible.
AND — find a genre or sub-genre you can become known for; something you can write happily for 100 years. Think out of the box. Propose 5 books, not one. Build yourself, not just your stories. Think of the writers who have struck gold, concentrating on a type of book their readers can expect from them over and over, certain types of characters, plotlines, etc.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: The current hot item is the Virgin River Series — Virgin River, Shelter Mountain, Whispering Rock. The series takes place in the town of Virgin River, located in the Humboldt County mountains, amid the Redwoods and rivers and marijuana growers. The main character is Mel Monroe, the nurse practitioner/midwife in the town of 600 and Jack Sheridan who owns the only bar and grill in town. Jack’s still tight with his old Marine squad; they’ve all served in combat together more than once and 5 of them are as yet unmarried (in the beginning) but shouldn’t get over-confident of staying that way while I’m in charge.
Q: What’s your favorite genre to write in and why?
A: I like my personal brand of women’s fiction, which is a juxtaposition between romance and serious women’s issues that span a wide range from puberty to old age, caring for spouses, children, elderly parents, dating and divorce, abuse and assault — you name it. In my stories sometimes we don’t have a villain so much as an ‘issue.’
Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP’s?
A: I’m currently working on the next 3 Virgin River novels, which the publisher has recently contracted. Anticipating this, I kept on writing when the first three were done — so I’m way ahead. The way it’s going, there are so many stories in Virgin River, I can go on forever. But I also like writing what I think we call ‘girlfriend books’ — relationships between friends, colleagues, family members, etc. There are those ‘issues’ again. And I like using plenty of humor, the one thing that gets most of us through the rough patches –but the stories still have teeth.
Q: How did you get into writing?
A: I was a young mother, reading everything in sight, and between the diapers and spit up on the rug, gave it a try and LOVED it. It was the feeling I got while writing that hooked me long before I knew if I had the least talent.
Q: What types of research do you do for your books?
A: I do everything I can think to do — and it goes without saying, sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know. A reader recently wrote and asked why I referred to a ‘fleet of whales’ as opposed to a pod. Simple — I had no idea I didn’t know what I didn’t know. But — I knew I was not a midwife, so I had a consultant who is, as well as a nurse practitioner, expert in teenage sexual assault, who pored over every ms. making sure the clinical detail was correct. I went to the setting — Humboldt County — and got help from a local police chief who turned out to be an avid hunter, fisherman and firearms instructor. I interviewed the man in charge of illegal marijuana growing for the Sheriff’s Dept. and the Fire Chief. You HAVE to do the leg work. You’ll make enough mistakes even when you’re completely diligent.
Q: How do balance family and writing?
A: When I was a young writer with small children, it was nothing if not rocky. I learned to clean and cook fast and easy; I didn’t sleep as much as I should have. But I took care of my job — I treated it as a job and used child care. I said no to a lot of PTA and classroom activity and sometimes teachers sneered at me — but if I’m honest, I’m not cut out for that stuff. I’m lousy at it. But I was good at taking care of my family and I was a bulldog — I insisted on help and raised independent kids. I delegated when I could and didn’t screw around with overly domestic attempts. I didn’t dust underneath, opted for quick easy dinners, never baked, canned or sewed. The first time I could afford cleaning help — I got a hint. I watched them in action. They charged a fortune and were done, leaving a sparkling house behind with clean sheets on the bed, IN 2 HOURS!!! Well — there are a lot of hours that kids are still in school after 2 hours of quick housework — I took a lesson. I kept control, for the most part. The payoff is now — they’re grown and on their own and it’s my time. I don’t regret a day of raising a family, and neither do I regret a day of my hard work as a writer.
Q: What would you do if you weren’t a writer?
A: I’d be a famous singer — if I could carry a tune in a bucket. But alas — I am destined to be a writer.
LINKS:
http://www.robyncarr.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RobynCarr_Chatgroup/
To Buy her Virgin River Books Click Here
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