Tips from the Pros: Cecelia Dowdy, Blog Power, and Building a Database

Aloha from Karen,
I’m interviewing a dear author friend today who even lives within driving distance of me. Her name is Cecelia Dowdy. We can hardly stop talking when we get together. She is a delight.

Cecelia, how did you get into writing? During my lunch break at work one day, several years ago, I discovered I’d forgotten to bring a book to read. I started writing my own book. I’ve been writing ever since.

Wow! Just a few spare moments and now it’s a career. How many books do you have published?
 and what are a few of your latest titles?

John’s Quest, Milk Money, and Bittersweet Memories

How did you get your first book contract?
I’d met Heartsong Presents editor/CBA author Tracie Peterson at an RWA conference. She’d rejected my work for Heartsong, but felt my writing had potential. Tracie’s former colleague, Stephen Reginald (the creator of Barbour’s Heartsong Presents line), contacted Tracie, seeking African-American Christian Fiction Authors for a special project he was doing for Crossings Book Club. Tracie gave him my email address. Stephen contacted me and eventually I received a contract for my first Christian romance novel, Someone For Toni, one story in the Crossings collection Promises To Keep.

Take notice writers! Networking and even rejections can lead to publication. Editors do know one another and pass on potential writer contact information.

What has helped you promote your books the most?
Probably my blog. I give away a stack of books every month and I gain new traffic every month because of my book giveaways. I also use reader websites like Goodreads and Shelfari to promote my novels.

How do you use those social networks?
Whenever I receive a friendship request to one of the sites like Goodreads, Shelfari, or Shoutlife, I always invite that person to my blog to sign up for the book giveaway. I let the entrants know that when they sign up for the giveaway, they must leave an email address so that I can contact them if they win. I also state in that blog entry that I keep the email addresses to place on my mailing list. I let them know that I only email mass-mailings/newsletters a few times a year! This tactic has helped me to create a database of several hundred emails (close to a thousand). Hopefully a percentage (if not all!) of the people who sign up for my giveaway may buy my books when they’re released!

So, if you've wondered what to do every time someone wants to be your friend, now you know!
 

Do many people follow through and sign up?
Hmm. I guess about 25-50% of the time they do? But, I don't ask them to join the blog. I merely point out that I have a book giveaway going on at my blog and they're welcome to enter. They enter by leaving a comment on the blog entry with their email address. If they enter, their email address goes into my database for my newsletter - I make sure to state this fact on the blog so there's no confusion. If they don't want to receive my newsletter then they know not to enter the drawing. (If they enter, they would only be hearing from me about two or three times a year when I send out a newsletter). I think I have a great response to my giveaways because I give away a lot of books once a month on my blog. This month, I'm giving away a box of fourteen books. When they see so many books for grabs, going to one person, I believe that prompts them to join. (I used to break up the stack of books so that I had about 7 or 8 winners, but it got too time-consuming and expensive with postage and such having to mail books out to that many people. I've found it's easier to just mail them all to one person.) If they want to subscribe to my blog they can, but I can understand if they don't want to. I blog a lot and they might not want to hear from me so much!

You mentioned onlybdoing a few newsletters of mass e-mailings a year. When do you send out a newsletter?
Since I blog so frequently, between three to seven times a week, I only send out a newsletter when I have a book release. It would be redundant to have a newsletter more often than that when I'm doing a blog regularly. I usually let them know about my book release! I also highlight the fact that I do book giveaways on my blog, and if they like African American Christian fiction, I highlight another website that I own and maintain: blackchristianfiction.com that provides links to other AA authors within the Christian market.

That would make readers take notice as they see the emails for a new release. People receive so much email that as authors we must choose what and when to send news wisely.

What mistakes or wrong assumptions did you make with the marketing of your first book? Did those mistakes cause you to change? If so, how?

I didn’t really do a lot of marketing for my first book because it was such a unique deal. The book was NOT placed in any bookstores. It was only available through Doubleday’s Crossings and Black Expressions Book Clubs. It wasn’t available online (like Amazon or Barnes and Noble) either. You had to be a member of one of those book clubs in order to purchase my title.

Did you see God open any doors you never expected in the promotion of your books?
I’ve been featured on several other authors’ blogs, which I think really helps with the promotion of my novels. It’s a Godsend that other authors are gracious to help one another with book promotions.
Now that you have been writing a while, what do you find works best for you in promoting your work and why? Due to my time constraints: full-time job, household duties, and having a child under five; I’ve found that I’ve had to focus on the internet to do a majority of my book promotions. I seldom do book signings because the few that I’ve done were not very successful. I believe that helping other authors promote their work on my blog by doing book reviews and giveaways gives exposure to me and my own books. I’m not sure if all of my blog readers purchase my novels, but I believe some of them do.

How have you networked to find the authors who have blogged about you/reviewed your books?
Most of the time, through ACFW, writers with blogs will post when they're ready to do their schedule for blog interviews/book reviews/etc. When they do this, if I have a book out, and they have room in their schedule, I'll request to be featured on their blog. Also, I've had authors with blogs to contact me directly, asking when my next book is being released because they want to feature me on their blog. They'll usually provide interview questions for me to answer when they feature my book and me on their blog.

It's so vital to belong to groups where you can network to promote your work. And ACFW for fiction authors is a great one. CAN is too and this is the time of year CAN opens up membership (so if interested go to the website and apply).

Do you promote other authors?
Yes, all the time! Sometimes authors, publicists, or publishing houses will contact me when they see my blog and ask if I'll do a book review for them. Sometimes they'll provide an interview for me to post on my blog. Also, if I like a book, I'll make sure I state on my blog that the blog reader needs to go out and purchase this book, pronto! Also, if I read a good book, not only do I mention it on my blog, but I also mention the book on the Christian book readers groups that I'm involved with through yahoo. This will get the word out to Christian fiction book lovers about a great book. I'm also involved with First Wildcard Blog tours. Authors (or publishers or publicists) sign up for this free service and bloggers can say if they're interested in featuring the book on their blog. For blog tours, the blogger usually receives a free copy of the novel. I've also used First Wildcard to have my books reviewed on others' blogs.

To find out more check the Wildcard website

What are your top tips for aspiring writers with their first book contract?

• Get a great website up and running.
• Blog if you can, but blogging is not for everyone.
• Get a newsletter started and try to find people to join your mailing list.
• If your book is Christian fiction, then join book discussion groups like the ACFW book club; ACFW members can promote their novels to the book club for free and it’s a great way to expose your Christian novel!

 

 Cecelia's website at www.ceceliadowdy.com
Her blogsite (you could win free books)

Thanks and post your comments/questions.

Karen

Comments

[Cecelia Dowdy]

Thanks for interviewing me and for posting this, Karen! Hopefully blog readers will glean some useful tips from this!

[Kandy]

This is an interesting article. Looks like you're really busy! Great tips!

[Sue]

Great post. Blogs and newsletters are both great ways to build up a database of prospects (whether you're selling books or any other product for that matter). Be sure to include both RSS & Email subscription options. Until you've built up your list, buying direct mail or mailing lists is not a bad idea either. It's really important to take time to consider your who your ideal prospect is and choose a carefully targeted mail/email list in order to get the best return. http://www.greatmailinglists.com has some of the best rates I've seen and a very helpful staff. Another (often neglected) way of growing your prospect database is to simply remember to ask your existing prospects for referrals. This can be a very powerful way to gain pre-qualified prospects.

[Edward M. Krauss]

My sincere thanks to Karen Whiting for creating and maintaining her blog, and to Cecelia Dowdy for generously sharing her marketing ideas. Although my writings are not Christian fiction, one of them, SOLOMON THE ACCOUNTANT, is about similar themes in a Jewish community; home, friendships, honor, true love. I will certainly take Cecelia’s fine advice to heart in my next marketing efforts.

Ed Krauss
Blog: Talk Fiction