For those published by big publishing houses, promos used to be, and maybe still are, taken care of by them. They often even redo titles. Likely authors who don't self-publish haven't wanted to create a cover, but the image in their mind might not be what the House wants. Those pro covers will all be done by commercial artists using generally professional models. Some of those models, like one called Fabio, became so famous they even did other ads-- and pretty much ruined the books for someone like me who didn't want the book's hero to look like him. Still the importance, of covers, titles and promos, has not been missed on the publishing houses. They are how you get people to read the story.
In the world of self-publishing, the writers are working with an added problem. Many readers are predisposed to think it won't be good. I mean if it was good, it would be published by a corporation, right? So the reader is looking for an excuse to reject the book. Their turnoff can come fast and for many possible reasons. Some the writer can fix. Some not if they happen to be part of a story that doesn't fit the genre market of that time.
First promo is the title. As a reader myself, I will only rarely override a terrible title to look beyond for more about the story. What might convince me to look twice after an awful title (which that writer likely felt was wonderful) would be a great cover.
In the Kindle Forums I have read that you absolutely must hire a professional artist to do your covers. They say it's worth the money. I don't know about that since I am turned off by the professionally done romance covers I see in the stores.
When I decided, since I have done a lot of digital painting, that I wanted to do my own covers, I went into the bookstores to see what was 'in'. Why do readers like the cover guy to look like he's on steroids or spends his life working out? My characters are not that. It appears, however, that real people on covers are not popular with the romance reading population.
I went against the grain on this one and did my own anyway. I had several reasons besides feeling I'd enjoy doing them. One was my belief these books may not generate enough profit to cover a commercial artist let alone leave anything left over. I don't have money to put into it. I won't know for about six months whether I am right on that; but I have a lot less pressure with not putting any dollars into the project than if I had been spending money and still finding they didn't meet what the buying public wanted.
To be honest, when I read a promo from bookstore books, I generally can't stand them. There are exceptions, but too often heroes and heroines aren't interesting and the stories seem repetitious. How many feisty heroines and tough bad guy heroes who turn soft when they fall in love can a person read before throwing up? So if that's what the public wants, I am not going to be selling books. My only chance is aiming toward the atypical romance reader. Which leads to the real problem-- how do I get to those and convince them to give the books a try?
I could use any of my stories to illustrate this but will use the first one I put onto Kindle-- Desert Inferno. I have tweaked various aspects of the promotion through the month, but the cover does seem to suit the characters. But they don't look like movie stars or professional models. Will that hurt it when potential readers look at it?
Then I am asking myself if that title, which speaks to the climax, maybe it isn't working. I am open to changing a lot of things where it comes to promos-- just not the story I wrote as if I start changing that, it's all over for me. I can correct mistakes but I can't let myself lose that story in trying to promote it.
After title and cover comes writing something about what this story is, what can a reader expect from it? How do I get across the essence of that in few words? Somehow with this story I fear I have not been projecting the adventure, the danger, the excitement and the essence of this love between two people very different on the outside but inside, soul mates.
But the thing is my books don't fit a genre. I knew that and it was part of the problem with publishing houses. What can I do about that if anything?
The hero in Desert Inferno is probably one of my favorites but he's very unconventional in that he's not handsome. He describes himself as ugly although the heroine sees him as very attractive to her. BUT unattractive simply doesn't happen in romances. The heroes are always supposed to be gorgeous. What can I really do about that aspect?
So I know this much. I'm not the usual romance writer. How do I find others like me-- the offbeat readers? That's where this is still a learning process. I've only been doing it about a month; so I am trying to just kind of back off in terms of trying to figure this all out. I do read a lot on the subject.
The last thing Border Patrolman Jake Donovan wanted to find at the end of a long day in a remote stakeout was a beautiful woman who had reported a dead body. For a lot of what he considered very good reasons, Jake avoided emotional entanglements of any sort especially with a woman like Rachel O'Brian, spoiled probably and rich without a doubt.
As soon as she saw this rugged man, Rachel was equally determined that what he wanted was not what he needed. A successful landscape painter, who lived on a remote ranch with her father, she had finally found the man she wanted. So the chase was on as this time, Jake found he was the prey-- not only of the beautiful Rachel but of an old enemy from his past.
This is a story of love of the Southern Arizona desert, its dangers and beauties. It's about smugglers of Mexican antiquities, with a villain who has a taste for the macabre. It is most of all about passion and a man who doesn't yet know that love will be his salvation both physically and emotionally.
As soon as she saw this rugged man, Rachel was equally determined that what he wanted was not what he needed. A successful landscape painter, who lived on a remote ranch with her father, she had finally found the man she wanted. So the chase was on as this time, Jake found he was the prey-- not only of the beautiful Rachel but of an old enemy from his past.
This is a story of love of the Southern Arizona desert, its dangers and beauties. It's about smugglers of Mexican antiquities, with a villain who has a taste for the macabre. It is most of all about passion and a man who doesn't yet know that love will be his salvation both physically and emotionally.
