by Marie Hoping | Oct 25, 2019 | Monthly Discussions, Newsletters, Social Media |
Today, we are going to talk about group promos and their important use. You know what a swap is and group promo isn’t much different.
What is a group promo?
It’s basically a swap with many authors in it. Usually, they have a common theme such as “Halloween books” or “Sweet romance” or “KU books.”
- In group promos, all authors must share the group promo at least once in their newsletter.
- Dates. The promos don’t ran forever so you can only share on the according date.
- Sometimes, there’s a specific list number requirement.
- Ex.: Accepted lists from 1k+
- Some group promos are specifically designed for KU, 99 cents or even free books.
Types of group promos
Sales: This kind of group promo is for books at a reduced price
Giveaway: This group promo is to attract readers to your other books so it’s best if you submit a part of your first book of your series or a reader magnet. That way, you get readers and subscribers.
Kindle Unlimited: Only books that are in KU will be accepted.
What do I do?
On the days of the promotion, you put the banner and the link and you send it like a normal book 🙂
Where do I find them?
There are lots of ways to find group promos. One of them is to scour cross-promoting groups on Facebook. Another way is through Story Origin and websites such as that.
So are group promos a newsletter replacement?
It’s up to you. You decide whether you want to use social swaps in lieu of newsletters or as an additional tool to reach more people.
by Marie Hoping | Oct 24, 2019 | Monthly Discussions, Newsletters |
What are newsletter swaps?
As an author, you’ll hear the word, ‘swaps’–short for newsletter swaps, a lot and personally, I can tell you it’s one of the most important ways to market your books.
That got your attention, huh? Good.
You share my book and I’ll share yours. Gears working? Swaps is the term we use for sharing another author’s book in our newsletter.
What do I have to gain with that?
A lot. You spice up your newsletter since you don’t talk only about your books. You may discover a book you like because let’s not forget, you’re a reader too. Being featured in other lists, you can get sales.
Yes, that’s right. Sharing in social media might be a good start but it doesn’t necessarily gives you sales. With swaps, you have more chances to get sales and if you’re having a sale, even more so.
Remember, stick to your genre.
Why? If you’re a horror author and you swap with a romance author, there’s little chance for both parties to get sales. Fantasy and Paranormal Romance though are very close.
Take advantage of holidays.
If your book is about horror, take advantage of Halloween. Romance book pairs with summer and so on. Even if you don’t have a sale, readers stick to the holidays. In Christmas though, they might stray a little further and get multi-genre books.
Now that we sorted the basics, you’re ready to swap. But wait, where do I start?
Excellent question! On Facebook, you can find tons of groups for swaps. Just type the keywords “Swap” or “newsletter” and join the groups.
What do I have to do?
First, go through the most recent posts. Take a look at the dates. If your newsletter send date is between the dates of the asker, let them know you can swap with them. Or send them a private message.
Tips: Tag the asker on your comment. Why? Because Facebook doesn’t always notify us if one responded in our post.
Can I make my own post?
Why, of course! Just put what you want to swap, when and if you have a sale. Some groups have a special format of asking. Take a look before asking and post. Don’t be disappointed if no one answers. Post in different groups and don’t stick to one.
What is Story Origin? It’s an easier platform to find swaps and personally, I rate it as the best app to find swaps. At the moment, it’s free to join.
First, you have to make an account. Then, go to Author Dashboard -> Campaign Planner. Your campaign planner is when you have scheduled your newsletter date. After you post the necessary data, you’re ready to swap so you must go to…
Newsletter Swaps
Click to find a swap. It will take you to a huge list so if you want to narrow it down a bit, go to Filters positioned on the top. Read the description and send date of each swap. Once you’ve found one that interests you, click Exchange Book Mention. You’ll have to wait for verification on your email. Once you’ve got it, it’s recorded on your profile under Newsletter Swaps.
Don’t worry about forgetting them. Story Origin has them recorded and on the date you must send your newsletter, it notifies you that today is your newsletter send date. Cool, huh?
I’ve sent my newsletter, now what?
There comes the receipt. Go to our campaign planner, click Edit to Archive link and put your newsletter link. In that way, the authors know you have included their books.
Include Story Origin’s track link only.
Why? Because Story Origin can track the swaps inside your newsletter and authors will know you have included your books. Same way goes for your books. They are all listed under Authors Promoting My Work
Other websites similar to Story Origin.
