Using Trope Graphics to Find Your Readers

 

Hello! It's been an eventful month in my household. My oldest child moved away to go to college, and my youngest is now back to school for in-person learning after two years of online learning at home. My spouse was on holidays, and completed a lot of small projects around the house. Plus, I've been getting ready for a book release!

But, today's post is not really about any of that. Today, I want to talk about those graphics I'm sure many of you have seen across social media. Especially lately. You know, the ones with the book cover in the middle with book tropes listed all around it, along with other information about what happens in the story.

Last week on social media, someone called trope graphics "cringe," and couldn't believe authors would use tropes and fiction tags to promote a book. I think they are exactly the opposite. They help readers to find books they might like to read quickly. Before, authors had to entice the reader simply by having an appealing book cover. Authors hoped their covers enticed readers enough to read the blurb and then buy the book. But with a few words, authors have a chance to draw in more readers than with only a cover.

Trope graphics usually contain the following:

• the book cover (this is most important)
• all the tropes the book falls under (second chance romance, mistaken identity, friends to lovers, only one bed, etc.)
• other information that might tease or entice readers, whether about the characters, the setting, or the plot
• arrows pointing from the information to the book

Trope graphics may also include the name and title of the book if that is not clear enough on the cover. Most trope graphics contain 5 to 8 pieces of information about the book. Plus, you can use the background to set the mood or reveal the setting of the book.

I make my trope graphics using Canva. 

1. I start with a blank Instagram post. They are square, and I find they generally look best to use on all social media.
2. I go to Elements then Frames to find a tablet or phone-shaped frame. Then I center it in the graphic. Canva will show you where the center is if you drag it around with your mouse.
3. I upload my cover then drag and drop it into the tablet frame.
4. I add the boxes of text/information that I want to share in the graphic.
5. In elements, I look up arrows and then use a variety of them to point the text to the cover. You can easily flip, rotate, shrink, angle, and even change the color of the arrows.
6. Then I search the backgrounds (click) and the elements (drag and drop) to find a picture that works for the background image. Often I have to edit the image (brightness, tint, shadows, transparency, etc.) so that the text is readable and stands out. 
7. When I'm satisfied, I download it as a PNG file and share it on social media with other information and buy links for the book.
8. Instead of starting all over for each book, you can duplicate the page and then replace the cover image, the text copy, and the background.

While I don't have one made for every one of my titles, I do have them made for my upcoming release, RET (releases September 12), and the other books in the Kaddim Brothers series.

After the comment was made last week, I saw a lot of authors also making graphics to also share a little about themselves with readers. So, I made one, too. Have a great September!

Submit and Send... Now What? Post by Jessica E. Subject

 

In my post from April, I talked about how I'd almost finished writing RET, the last book in my Kaddim Brothers series. Well, I've finished. And I'm currently in the final stages of editing. As I write this, I'm currently on stage 6 of my self-editing process, as I detailed in this post from November 2021. That means, I'm almost ready to submit it to my publisher.

But, what comes next?

There are so many possibilities of things to do when an author finishes writing a book and/or series. I'm going to talk about some of them, but feel free to add your own ideas in the comments.

1. CELEBRATE

It's a huge accomplishment to have finished writing a book and get it to the point where you're ready to share it with others. Many people have dreams to have a book published, but never start. If they do, they don't finish. So, celebrate this accomplishment.

2. READ

Some authors don't read in their genre when they're writing. These breaks in writing are a chance to read in your genre and see what's popular. It's also good to read outside your genre, to read wide and gain new perspectives. This can really help with your future writing. Reading non-fiction can also help with research and ideas for upcoming stories.

3. WATCH TV / MOVIES

This is the time to watch those movies and shows you've been putting off to finish your story. Enjoy! And maybe find some inspiration. I've been inspired by so many shows and movies over the years.

4. HEALTH CHECK

This is important. One's health can be another thing authors put on hold when finishing a story. Schedule appointments for this time to see to your physical and mental health. Go to the gym, or even just for a walk. Get a massage. Just be sure to take care of yourself.

5. BOOK PROMOTION

This is a good time to work on a promotion plan for your upcoming book if you're self-publishing or already have this series with a publisher. If you have backlist titles, you can also work on promo material for them, to remind readers that you already have other books out there.

6. START PLANNING OR WRITING THE NEXT STORY

I'm not an intense plotter, but I do spend a lot of time playing out my story in my head and then jotting notes down so I can remember it all. I use a basic 8-point romance outline that was shared by Stephanie Bond in a Romance 101 course I took several years ago. It works for me, and I know many authors have different systems to plot out stories that work for them. If you're you're a pantser, just go ahead and write that new story!

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Be sure to back everything up! You don't want to invest all that work into something only to find it suddenly gone.

As I finish up edits for RET, and am closer and closer to submitting, I am also intensely plotting the first book in my next series. There's been a few glitches I've been trying to figure out how to get them to work, but it seems to be coming together now. I look forward to the day I can share more about this book and series with you!

Wishing you all a wonderful July!

Book Promotion with Pinning-not as painful as you'd think

by Maureen L. Bonatch

So...I have a new book coming out January 6th...

Being an introverted, book marketing inept person, saying these words often made me cringe. They'd come out almost as an apology as the person took a step back to insert distance between them and the desperate aura swirling around me attempting to cling to anyone nearby. They'd avert their gaze as I'd babble about my book and all the places they could buy my book...

...or at least that's how I envisioned their response. 

But with this not being 'my first rodeo'...err...my fourth book published, I've learned a few things.
                                           

Promotion doesn't have to be painful. 

Gasp! Yes. I said it!

Here's how I came to that conclusion. Face it, for someone to be interested in a book/product the person wants to know 'what's in it for me?' For some reason the promise of eternal, undying gratitude isn't always enough for complete strangers...it might even freak them out a little.
Forget Me Not, my newest release, is a Candy Hearts Romance. These are Fun, Flirty novellas which focus on Valentine's Day and falling in love.

I've been with my Valentine for a long time, but I still try to think of cute, fun things to make Valentine's special for my hubby, and my kids. Last year I spent an inordinate amount of time trying to make something cute for the hubby, so I turned to Pinterest, and made a 'man bouquet.' Composed of little liquor bottles, candy, lottery tickets and some sweet nothings, something like one of these. 

What better way to promote Forget Me Not, and all of the cute Candy Heart Stories while discovering cute ways to celebrate Valentine's Day! I've made a Pinterest board with all of the novellas in the Candy Hearts Romance series— because who doesn't want to immerse themselves in stories of love that make them feel all warm and fuzzy around Valentine's Day— plus I've included pins with ideas for gifts, inexpensive & fun dates, desserts and everything to make the most of the holiday that focuses on romance. 

I hesitate to say it, but making the Pinterest Board with all the Valentine ideas has been kind of...fun promo for Forget Me Not. Plus I can surely find a good idea for the hubby for Valentine's Day this year.

Check out my Candy Hearts Valentine Board right here. 

Don't forget to enter The Wild Rose Press rafflecopter for your chance to win a 

Kindle Fire.

I'd love to hear about your best Valentine's gift, or date.

                                                                    What if your memories hadn't been made yet?

                                                                                                     The car accident totaled Sabrina Post’s convertible and reinvented her memories. She can't recall dumping Cole Dawson ten years ago. What her new clairvoyant visions tell Sabrina is he’s her husband. Any practical girl would question her sanity. But if Sabrina wants to make this imaginary future a reality, she'll have to regain Cole’s trust and eliminate her rival, the coffee shop waitress who’s pegged Cole as husband #4. 

To prove she’s foreseen their destiny, Sabrina stirs Cole’s interest by revealing specifics about him she couldn’t have otherwise known. Unfortunately, the one detail he vividly remembers is the pain when she left him and their "rinky-dink" town in her rearview mirror.

If Cole can't believe she's a changed woman, can Sabrina accept the only second chance she has at love exists in her memories?

    Amazon           The Wild Rose Press         Barnes and Noble

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About the Author:

Maureen writes stories in the beautiful state of Pennsylvania that boast laughter, light suspense and something magical in the hope of sharing her love of finding the extraordinary in the ordinary world. She writes Paranormal Romance and Fantasy.

Find Me:
Writing on my Website
Tweeting on Twitter
Pinning on Pinterest
Flapping on Facebook

What the heck am I supposed to do about promotion?

Yay! New Format!!

Hello everyone, as one of the original Paranormal Romantics people, I am very pleased to welcome all of the amazing new authors to our little blog.  It’s been such a pleasure blogging here all of these years and I am so excited to see what you will be sharing with all of us. 

In fact, can I admit?, that I’m having a fan-girl moment about being on the same blog with some of you.  SQUEE.

But, okay, I’ll control myself. 

For today, I thought I would talk about book promotion.  This has been on my mind lately because I’ve been very involved with several blog tours and I’m almost re-evaluating what works and what does not work in terms of selling books.

The author today does so much more than just write a book and let the readers read it.  Even the top-selling New York Times authors are out there engaged in promotion of their books. 

But how much is too much? How much is too little? What works? What doesn’t?

Here is the short answer: I don’t know and I’ve tried it all.  I can do exactly the same kinds of tours for 3-4 different books and have entirely different experiences each time. 

Is it the blog topics that draw the readers to check out the blog and then, maybe, make a purchase? Is it the blogs themselves? The giveaways? Name recognition? Reviews? The cover? The title? The publisher? Amazon?

I haven’t a clue. 

 I just know that sometimes books sell extraordinarily well and sometimes they don’t sell at all.

My advice on this subject, and I’m asked for it a lot, is do your best.  Do some promotion. It can’t hurt.  Do as much as you can.  And then wait and see.   Write something else.  Its really a mystery.  To all of us.