My Blog

What about those webinars? Are they worth your time? How expensive are they? What should I expect? All of these are good questions to consider when you feel you need to step it up a bit more concerning your marketing strategy. In my last blog post I talked about getting started by reading a number of books I’ve used in my journey to book promotion. But maybe you are more of an auditory learner and need that voice along with a slide show to really hammer things home. I get it. I have a pretty short attention span so variety is the spice of life for me too.

So are they worth your time? The short answer is “YES”! Most of these webinars are only about an hour long. You sign up on your computer. I get emails from several sources; The Publicity Hound’s Joan Stewart, Chandler Holt, Wesley Atkins and Mark Dawson have their own methods or invite successful promoters to give a quick “how-to” webinar that gives you information in small bites. (Remember I like it short and sweet!) When I get one of these invites the first thing I want to know is when it will be held. Because I’m a full-time author, my time is much more manageable than most. However, there are times I forget or actually do have an appointment. Most of the time there is a replay later in the day if you’ve signed up ahead of time. That works for me.

How expensive are they? Although there is a cost for some of these webinars I only sign up for the free ones. Just like most authors, my money is stretched pretty tight, so I use those dollars wisely. The free ones are packed with useful information. Admit it! Your brain can only store so much data so might as well mine the free stuff. Almost all the ones I’ve participated in have a special deal at the end for templates, promotional materials, books (some are free if you sign up for a newsletter) or publicity ideas. Most of the time I don’t do these but sometimes I do. The Publicity Hound is a great website to subscribe and the webinars are fun. Joan is very generous and she has helped me with a number of speed bumps. She even offered to give me a free fifteen-minute consolation, which of course I accepted.  The saying, “You get what you pay for,” isn’t true in this case. FREE really is better.

What should you expect? That really depends on the topic and the instructor. There are a few people I know won’t let me down whether it is their webinar or someone they’ve invited to teach. I never hesitate to join in their programs. You’ll need a computer and mute the sound so your yapping dog chasing the cat won’t interrupt the group. A link will be sent to your email so you can log in a few minutes before the webinar begins. You’ll even get a reminder. Ok I’ll admit a few times I’ve forgotten all about what I’ve signed up for because I’m writing fast and furious to get my characters out of a dangerous life or death situation. I need the reminder!

A slide show is the usual method I’ve enjoyed. They move along slow enough you can take notes. Keep in mind there is a possibility they will offer the printout at the end, so listen for those instructions. I like this because I can crank up the sound and fold a load of towels, start dinner or just prop my feet up on the couch for an hour while I listen to the presenter. I’ve learned some pretty clever tricks from these guys. Some of which I’ve messed up big time and others I’m still trying to get the hang of. Since I didn’t pay anything for the training I’m not out any money. I keep those notes in a notebook to refer to later when I need them. This is really easy. Don’t hesitate.

Marketing doesn’t have to be tedious or scary. You can do this. Keep being awesome and remember “Every day is a new page!” I would love for you to sign up for my website. Go to the HOME page where you can put in the necessary information on the right. I do not share emails.