Mary E. Merrell - Author
I've picked 12 marketing tips to work on. My goal is to come up with a doable plan where I spend about an hour or two at the most per day on a plan that will bring me greater sales without making me nuts. I feel I could have used all the tips, and hope that after I get in a routine with these tips, I can add more to my schedule. I plan on having my daily schedule finalized by April 30, 2013.
THE REAL ESTATE PARANORMAL MYSTERY SERIES MARKETING PLAN OUTLINE:
1. Ideal Reader - I didn't even think about this one, but it sounds smart. - By May 6, 2013
My sister-in-law reading House Haunting
Action Step:
2. Book Descriptions-The Real Estate Paranormal Mystery Series - I have been working on the descriptions for my books. Now with the help of Mark Edwards, I have some direction. Finish all descriptions - By May 11, 2013
House Haunting - Book 1 (New description a work in progress)
Are you afraid of ghosts...wait till you meet Keith Laumer, the things he's says are positively frightening. And not right.
Add testimonials and statements that inspire feelings in potential readers. Add taglines.
When real estate meets the supernatural...it's murder.
There’s no such things as ghosts.
That’s what real estate agent Rosemary Fernandes thought until the day she started hearing them...the voices of lost souls. The dead are drawn to Rosemary. They call to her from their places of death, and Rosemary feels compelled to help them. Is it her innate goodness or the gift? And what happens when the secrets of the dead come back from the past to haunt her?
Vampires are creatures of legend.
Ghosts are drawn to Rosemary like magnets, but does she have to attract all the kooks as well? Marcus Lyons thinks he’s a vampire, and he wants Rosemary to be his personal assistant, his human servant. Rosemary ignores his crazy proposition until Marcus gives her an offer she dare not refuse. When Rosemary meets Cassandra a murdered stripper, she uncovers more than she bargained for. Can she work her business, run errands for the vampire and help Cassandra while staying ahead of a killer out for revenge?
Soul in Present Condition - Book 3 - Release due in May 2013
Divorced. Check.
Ghost whisperer. Check.
Human servant. Check.
Great. Check.
You'll laugh while chills run down your spine as Rosemary Fernandes stumbles through the pitfalls of the real estate business and the world of the supernatural.
Rosemary Fernandes never planned on being divorced. She never expected to be able to communicate with ghosts nor be the human servant to a vampire either. But she is all these things. Rosemary has had to get tough to compete in the cutthroat world of real estate and even tougher as she accepts her life as a human servant to Marcus Lyons and help the lost souls who call to her.
When Rosemary encounters Benito Cruz, the ghost seems like her best chance to keep her Spanish speaking clients from the other agents in the office, but the ghost is hiding something. Can Rosemary help this lost soul find peace in his present condition, deal with the demands of the vampires, and keep her friends and family safe, or will the ghost's past comes back to haunt her?
Action Steps:
3. Author Bio - Mary E. Merrell - Done
Mary E. Merrell writes Paranormal Mysteries and Young Adult Urban Fantasy. She has worked many jobs, but always had stories in her head. It wasn’t until she went into real estate and walked into that old, vacant home that The Real Estate Paranormal Mystery Series came to life. Fortunately, nothing spooky happened at the furniture store or the first book could have been, “The Haunted Sofa”.
All Mary E. Merrell’s books are slightly scary, humorous and heartwarming. House Haunting, the first book in The Real Estate Paranormal Mystery Series has received good feed back. One reviewer called it “A good start to a new series.” Her Young Adult series, Affinity is also humorous but deals with very real life themes. A reviewer said, “Love it. So different. A fun read.” Soul in Present Condition, Book 3 of The Real Estate Paranormal Mystery Series is due out May of 2013.
Mary E. Merrell lives in the Central Valley of California with her husband, two dogs, and four cats. She has two grown sons. When she’s not writing, she’s gardening or playing soccer. Please visit her website to see what she’s working on next at www.maryemerrell.com. Or contact her through Facebook or Twitter, @MaryMerrell7.
Action Steps:
4. Media Page - Add Media page to website - By May 18, 2013
Include on Media Page;
Action Steps:
5. Tweak Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Mary-E.-Merrell/e/B00CF66HS6/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 I didn't even know what Author Central was, so I set up my author profile using my new bio. - finish by May 11, 2013.
Action Steps:
6. Reviews - This has been a problem for me. I need reviews and it's hard to get my friends who liked the book to do them for me. - 5/31/13 - I think this is going to be an ongoing endeavor.
Ways of doing this:
Actions Steps:
7. Guest Posting - Start Small, Grow Big - Start May 31, 2013 for Soul in Present Condition Release in June 2013.
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8. Taglines - By May 18, 2013
If you like Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum, you'll find a kindred spirit with Rosemary Fernandes.
Make them:
Action Steps:
9. Twitter - @MaryMerrell7 I have been tweeting, but not consistently. My goal is to tweet every day and not just to promote myself but promote my fellow authors and connect with them. Start Immediately
Put on my daily calendar and mark off numbers as I complete them.
Two tweets daily to promote my fellow authors blog or books with comments and reviews.
Two tweets daily to promote my own books with taglines or announcing giveaway and reviews.
Two tweets daily to connect with other people just for the fun of it.
Action Step:
10. Easy Tips - By 5/11/2013
Action Steps:
11. Follow Successful Authors(Stalking Authors) - I've started following authors' blogs and bloggers that I really enjoy. I get a lot of emails for new posts daily. My goal is to pick a post or two per day I want to read. If I like the post, I leave a comment, tweet and facebook the post. If the the post is a guest post from an author with a book I connect with, I leave a comment for the author, check out her website and friend her on goodreads and twitter and like her facebook page. Start Immediately
I2. Start discusion on Goodreads. I really liked this suggestion by Octavia, I believe.
Action Steps
12. New Profile Picture - My profile picture is very old, I need a new one but don't feel it is an immediate necessity. Taking my own picture hasn't proven satisfactory. By June 30, 2013