By far the hardest part of publishing a book is the marketing that follows. I’d love to simply drop my new release, Rescued By The Ranger, off at the publisher and start writing the next book. But writing is only half of the process.

The idea is to sell your book, right? Before people can buy your novel, it has to come to their attention. There are about a million other authors out there with about a zillion books that they’re trying to sell. Here are some tips I’ve gleaned over the past few years. Some of them may resonate with you.

• Market yourself. You probably want to sell all of your books—past and future—so market the author. That means getting your name out there on social media in something other than an ad for your latest release. Chat, comment, like, share, post a picture that will get people talking. Then, the next time you post an ad, people will remember you. Name recognition is what it’s about.

• You don’t need a huge marketing budget, but you will need one. At the very least, you must have business cards, bookmarks, or postcards to hand to your family and friends when you tell them about your book. Some of them will even take extras to pass out at soccer practice or their book club meetings. Don’t get caught without these basic marketing tools.

• You’ll need an elevator pitch—a brief explanation, no more than two or three sentences, that succinctly describes what your book is about. Everyone—friends, relatives, agents, editors, publishers, etc.—will ask what your book is about and why they’d be interested. Save yourself some embarrassing, tongue-tied moments and prepare ahead of time.

• Get on the web if you’re not already there. This is more important now than ever before. We have an entire generation of young people who are more comfortable on-line than off. I would be willing to bet that young woman you handed your business card to this morning will be searching for you on the internet tonight. Your job is to make sure she finds you.

• Keep going even when it’s hard! Marketing is not something you do for a month or two and then quit. If you’re an author, chances are you write every day, right? It’s the same with marketing. It must become a part of your everyday routine. And don’t forget to pat yourself on the back for the successes and the milestones you achieve.

There is much, much more to the game of marketing, but the good news is you don’t have to do it all at once. On the other hand, don’t be afraid to try new things when the time is right. Enter contests, create a street team, try a new social media platform, or hold a virtual release day party. The options are plentiful. You’re only limited by your imagination—and you’re a writer, so that shouldn’t be a problem!

Thank you all for dropping by and good luck! I’d love it if you’d leave me a comment below, and I hope you’ll check out my new release, Rescued by the Ranger, before you go.

Title: Rescued by the Ranger by Dixie Lee Brown
Release date: September 8, 2015
Published by: Avon Impulse

Synopsis

Protecting those in trouble is what Army Ranger Garrett Harding does best. But after helping a feisty redhead toss a couple of losers from her Idaho bar, the woman is anything but grateful for his assistance—in fact, she seems to know him. Worse, she almost certainly hates him.

The only thing Rachel Maguire wants is to send this smart-mouthed, muscled military man packing. She knows Garrett has his own reasons for staying, so when he offers Rachel a deal—two days to prove his worth or he leaves—she reluctantly agrees. Despite wanting to loathe him, Rachel finds herself drawn to his quiet confidence…and the way he fills out a t-shirt.

But when Rachel receives a phone call from the past, everything changes. The stalker who destroyed her life ten years ago is closing in once more. Refusing to put anyone else in harm’s way, Rachel hits the road hoping to lure danger away from those she loves. But Garrett won’t leave this sexy spitfire to face her stalker alone. He’ll do anything to protect her. Even if it means risking his life—and his heart.

Add Rescued by the Ranger to your Goodreads shelf.

Purchase Rescued by the Ranger on Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo

About Dixie Lee Brown

DIXIE LEE BROWN lives and writes in Central Oregon, inspired by what she believes is the most gorgeous scenery anywhere. She resides with two dogs and a cat, who make sure she never takes herself too seriously. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, movies, and trips to the beach.

Connect with the author: 

 Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Meet sexy Nate Sanders from Dixie Lee Brown’s Whatever It Takes.

Giveaway

Enter to win Ten (10) digital downloads of RESCUED BY THE RANGER

Excerpt

A faint whine from the shotgun seat jerked Garrett’s attention back to the narrow road hugging the side of a steep mountain in the middle-of-fucking-nowhere, Idaho. Gravel crunched beneath the tires as he came close to the drop-off on his right, and he immediately guided the Jeep closer to the white line down the middle of the chipped and broken asphalt. Clearly, either he was lost, or naming this strip of pavement a state highway was someone’s idea of a joke. Whatever the case, this wouldn’t be the best place to lose his focus. It was a damn-good thing Cowboy was watching out for him, as usual.

Garrett scratched beneath the chin of the German shepherd in the seat beside him, and the dog gave another worried whimper. With no words at his disposal, Cowboy still managed to convey his opinion about the last-minute road trip they’d embarked on late last night, and at this point, Garrett was tempted to agree with him.

“Relax, boy.” Garrett cocked his head toward the navigation system resting on the dash. “Matilda thinks we’re almost there, and she hasn’t gotten us lost in a long time.”

That earned him another whine and a hopeful thump of the dog’s tail. Cowboy’s tongue lolled from the side of his open mouth as he stuck his head out of the window and resumed his panting.

Maybe Garrett should have listened to his little brother Luke. Cowboy might have been better off staying with his father at the senator’s residence in Sacramento. But Garrett had balked when Luke brought it up. The dog belonged with him. Constant companions for the past two years—watching each other’s backs, eating together, sleeping together, flushing out Sunni militants together—Cowboy was the closest thing to a guardian angel Garrett would ever see.

When they’d both been injured in a firefight outside the Iraqi city of Fallujah, Cowboy had not only led them out of the ambush, but also stood guard over him and the other surviving member of their unit until help had arrived in the early hours of the morning. At the field hospital, Garrett had insisted the dog receive the best treatment available and, a couple of weeks later, had pulled out all the stops to secure the necessary approval to bring him home.

He knew what it was like to have someone you love suddenly and permanently disappear. And it wasn’t happening to Cowboy. Not if Garrett could help it. He hadn’t left the dog behind in Iraq, and he wasn’t going to leave him now.

 

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