Success by Association: Eight Questions Authors Should Ask Themselves Regarding Collective Marketing

Originally published in Underground Book Reviews 14 March 2014. 

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​Marketing- that word often sends indie authors diving for cover  faster than a tornado siren.  You  poured your heart into your novel, its edited, beta-read, and edited again.  You’re ready to publish, but you have no idea how to get the word out. The  blogosphere is abuzz with advice columns on how to market your novel.  Consultants bombard your inbox and Twitter account with spam promising they can  deliver hordes of readers.  This humble columnist’s own experience with marketing has been hit or miss, but I’ve learned there are three resources critical in marketing a novel: Time, money and  friends. 

As for  money and time, I don’t have a lot of either (yet), so I’ll save those topics for future columns. Today, let’s stick to the subject of friends. Writers need  friends, most notably other writers, like Oreos need milk (creamy whole milk,  not that healthy 1% crap). Collective marketing is when authors team up to  advertise their books, and is perhaps one of the most effective strategies one can pursue. 

A  writers’ collective is not a communist literary colony, it is when two or more indie authors join forces on a common platform for the purpose of expanding their readership. Platforms vary  dramatically. They can be indie publishing groups, book blogs, writing circles,  or simply a common Facebook page. Each author brings their own social network, skills, and talents to the group. The objective is success by association; to integrate, leverage and  grow your social network, and hence, your readership.

Success via collective marketing doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a cumulative, long-term  process. The key is to start early, even before you’ve finished your novel.  Before you step down the collective marketing lane, there are eight questions  you should ask to avoid common mistakes (or at least the ones I’ve made). 

Question One: What do you bring to a collective marketing organization? Take a personal inventory, including your social media and platforms. Begin building your platforms well before your first novel is  completed, even if you don’t plan on joining a marketing collective. Lay the  groundwork via a website, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Goodreads, Pinterest and  whatever social media you think might help. Get an online presence before your novel is finished. To use a cliché, prime the pump.

Research should be a key part of your personal inventory.  Accomplish your marketing homework as you write. Once the novel is complete,  you’ll be eager to publish. That isn’t the time to start researching these elements. Once you’ve built the platform framework, consider adding these elements to your network: 

1) Reader forums in your genre (duh).
2) Other writers  in your genre (they bring readers).
3) Quality, affordable editors.
4) Quality,  affordable cover artists with experience in your genre.
5) Potential marketing collectives, of course. A strong personal inventory and market research will make you a valuable asset to any writers’collective. 

Now that you’ve answered Question One, take a long look at your list of  collectives. Even if you found a few you like, there are still seven more questions to answer before jumping in.

Question Two: Do all or most of its authors write in your genre?  It’s one thing to be in a writing circle with authors outside your genre, but  once the novel is finished you must reach YOUR intended audience. Some variety is good, but too much and you’ll dilute marketing effectiveness.  

Question Three: Is their writing any good? Read some of their stuff before even making contact. A good writers’ collective must have standards and selective membership. If they don’t meet your literary standards, then association may be detrimental. Once you join, your work will be associated with the group, so know what you’re getting into. This leads into the next question.
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Question Four: Do they have a leader? Writers are cats (except for me, I’m the token dog) and are notoriously difficult to herd. A common platform must have a leader, or it will splinter, lose focus and fail. The leader is also the focal point and filter for quality control. 

Question Five: Is it a quality platform? The collective may be  chalk full of brilliant writers and great books, but if their public presentation sucks, it doesn’t matter. Whatever the platform (websites, blog,  Facebook, X, etc.), it must strive for a professional, and appropriate,  presentation for its genre(s) and target audience. Once again, be careful, because once you join, you and your work will be associated with the group. 
 
Question Six: How aggressively do they market their work? If  they aren’t out hawking their wares, you’re wasting your time. Does everyone  pull their weight, or are only a few carrying the load for the others? Watch  them, Like them on Facebook and Twitter, and keep track of their members. (Not like a stalker, but more like the NSA). If you’re satisfied and it's an equitable  arrangement, proceed to Question Seven. 
 
Question Seven: Are you and this organization are a good fit?  This is a personality test. Exercise caution when inviting someone into your  life and around your precious novel. Always remember this is a business arrangement, not a social club. Eccentric, flamboyant, and fun personalities are great in a writers’ collective. Jerks are not. Make sure the people are stable, mature, positive, and will help, not hurt, your marketing efforts. Once again, this goes back to Question Four: a good leader should filter these personalities out.

If, at this point, everything looks good and you want to join, ask yourself the next question.

Question Eight: Can you commit? Are you ready to step up, pull  your weight and push the work of those in your collective? You will have obligations, be ready to fulfill them. 

Collective marketing leverages a small, emerging web presence by creating dynamic outcomes that can propel a book, and its author, in unexpected directions. But it’s not a magic bullet, and it’s not for everyone. Before you commit to a common platform, do a little research first, and ask yourself these eight simple questions. 

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