The Goodreads Choice Awards highlight the most-buzzed-about books of the year in their respective genres, from fiction to fantasy, history to horror. Many of the authors who take home the award are established writers with a large fanbase—and a publishing team who worked hard behind the scenes to promote the title throughout the year. Which is why it’s such an accomplishment when a self-published author without that kind of audience or marketing budget gets nominated—and wins.
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Amanda Lovelace is this year’s only self-published author to take home a Goodreads Choice Award. Her book, the princess saves herself in this one , won the award for Best Poetry. "There simply isn’t a word that can cover the joy I feel,” says Lovelace when informed she had won the award. “To be eligible for let alone win the Best Poetry in the Goodreads Choice Awards, which I have been voting in since they were established, is...well, "honored" doesn’t cover it."
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Lovelace is right in understanding that making it into the list of 400 nominated books–out of the hundreds of thousands published each year–that make up the nominees of the Goodreads Choice Awards is already a major achievement. To do this, a book needs to have achieved a certain level of success in the months leading up to the awards. Lovelace recalls that she built consistent awareness throughout the year using her blog and social media to cross promote her activity and get the word out. “I’m a longtime online book blogger and I’ve always had a steady following across social media,” explains the author, who has been writing poetry since she was 10 years old. “I often posted pieces of my writing on my various platforms [so] all my followers knew I was a writer and that I was working on a poetry collection.”
This loyal online following meant there was an immediate demand for her collection upon publication in April, and the buzz she built in her community caught the attention of a Goodreads book club, which selected the title for their group to read in July. "As a way to include more people, [the moderator] asked if I could offer the e-book for free for any amount of time. I happily obliged, running a sales promotion that made my book free for as many days as I was allowed."
Lovelace had already made her book available though Kindle Unlimited before the book club selection, but wasn't opposed to making it more accessible. "As an author, making your book free of charge might not seem attractive for multiple reasons, but it really does do wonders for promotion! The more people who can access your book, the more reviews that are written—the best “signal boost” you could possibly hope for."
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Lovelace also credits her engagement with her readers on social media with the success of her book, and she encourages other authors to use social tools as much as possible. "Interact with your readers and learn what they like about your work and why! Don’t automatically assume you know what your selling points are—as an author, you’re automatically biased against your own work, so getting some honest perspective is invaluable to you and the promotion of your work," she says.
The book was shelved nearly 2800 times the day the Goodreads Choice award was announced. Lovelace doesn't have specific plans for including the Choice Awards in her immediate promotions "aside from gently plastering it everywhere I can!" The award is not the only indicator of her writing and marketing success, as Andrews McMeel acquired the book before it was even a nominee, and plan to re-release it in February 2017. Lovelace is excited to be joining her Andrews McMeel family, as she’s read a few of their authors, including fellow Choice nominees r.h. Sin, Sierra DeMulder, and Michael Faudet. "I felt incredibly privileged to have been grouped with such uniquely talented modern poets."
Amanda's Advice for Authors...
...about reading your reviews:
"If you choose to read your reviews, you have to grow a thick skin and learn not to take the negative ones to heart, unless you think it will help to improve your craft.”
...about promoting yourself:
“Promote your work as you see fit, but don’t forget that an author isn’t the only thing you are. Too many writers are too impersonal on social media.”
...about taking it all in:
“Once your work is out there, it’s no longer just yours. Readers get to decide what it’s all about and why it’s worth reading.”
Next: Marketing Advice from Bestselling Author Gail Carriger
You might also like: Indie Authors Share Their Secrets to Self-Publishing
Goodreads Authors can subscribe to the Monthly Author Newsletter by editing their account settings under the 'emails' tab!
posted by Cynthia on December, 09
Amanda Lovelace is this year’s only self-published author to take home a Goodreads Choice Award. Her book, the princess saves herself in this one , won the award for Best Poetry. "There simply isn’t a word that can cover the joy I feel,” says Lovelace when informed she had won the award. “To be eligible for let alone win the Best Poetry in the Goodreads Choice Awards, which I have been voting in since they were established, is...well, "honored" doesn’t cover it."
Lovelace is right in understanding that making it into the list of 400 nominated books–out of the hundreds of thousands published each year–that make up the nominees of the Goodreads Choice Awards is already a major achievement. To do this, a book needs to have achieved a certain level of success in the months leading up to the awards. Lovelace recalls that she built consistent awareness throughout the year using her blog and social media to cross promote her activity and get the word out. “I’m a longtime online book blogger and I’ve always had a steady following across social media,” explains the author, who has been writing poetry since she was 10 years old. “I often posted pieces of my writing on my various platforms [so] all my followers knew I was a writer and that I was working on a poetry collection.”
This loyal online following meant there was an immediate demand for her collection upon publication in April, and the buzz she built in her community caught the attention of a Goodreads book club, which selected the title for their group to read in July. "As a way to include more people, [the moderator] asked if I could offer the e-book for free for any amount of time. I happily obliged, running a sales promotion that made my book free for as many days as I was allowed."
Lovelace had already made her book available though Kindle Unlimited before the book club selection, but wasn't opposed to making it more accessible. "As an author, making your book free of charge might not seem attractive for multiple reasons, but it really does do wonders for promotion! The more people who can access your book, the more reviews that are written—the best “signal boost” you could possibly hope for."
Lovelace also credits her engagement with her readers on social media with the success of her book, and she encourages other authors to use social tools as much as possible. "Interact with your readers and learn what they like about your work and why! Don’t automatically assume you know what your selling points are—as an author, you’re automatically biased against your own work, so getting some honest perspective is invaluable to you and the promotion of your work," she says.
The book was shelved nearly 2800 times the day the Goodreads Choice award was announced. Lovelace doesn't have specific plans for including the Choice Awards in her immediate promotions "aside from gently plastering it everywhere I can!" The award is not the only indicator of her writing and marketing success, as Andrews McMeel acquired the book before it was even a nominee, and plan to re-release it in February 2017. Lovelace is excited to be joining her Andrews McMeel family, as she’s read a few of their authors, including fellow Choice nominees r.h. Sin, Sierra DeMulder, and Michael Faudet. "I felt incredibly privileged to have been grouped with such uniquely talented modern poets."
Amanda's Advice for Authors...
...about reading your reviews:
"If you choose to read your reviews, you have to grow a thick skin and learn not to take the negative ones to heart, unless you think it will help to improve your craft.”
...about promoting yourself:
“Promote your work as you see fit, but don’t forget that an author isn’t the only thing you are. Too many writers are too impersonal on social media.”
...about taking it all in:
“Once your work is out there, it’s no longer just yours. Readers get to decide what it’s all about and why it’s worth reading.”
Next: Marketing Advice from Bestselling Author Gail Carriger
You might also like: Indie Authors Share Their Secrets to Self-Publishing
Goodreads Authors can subscribe to the Monthly Author Newsletter by editing their account settings under the 'emails' tab!
posted by Cynthia on December, 09