Morgan and Therese have a workbook in process.
This Finer Points Friday post is one of the contributed articles.
Blending Genres and Attracting Readers
By Paty Jager
Since
I began writing, my projects have always been dictated by what I’m excited
about. That excitement has made me a genre hopping author. The first books I
wrote and published were historical western romance. This genre was easy to
show on my website and blog, and to promote. Hot cowboys, guns, and western
scenes.
Several historical books in, I went with the muse and wrote a contemporary western romance and had it published. I followed that with another one as well as continued writing historical westerns– Now to figure out how to promote and blend that with the historical western. To do this I began dressing myself more western, added a more contemporary look to my website and blog along with a hot cowboy. I used a leather-looking table cloth at book signings as well as a child’s cowboy hat to hold chocolates or freebies. At this stage of my promoting, I made sure every book signing I had special made book marks with a ribbon inscribed with my website and a charm that went with the book title. Every person who bought a book received the bookmark.
Several historical books in, I went with the muse and wrote a contemporary western romance and had it published. I followed that with another one as well as continued writing historical westerns– Now to figure out how to promote and blend that with the historical western. To do this I began dressing myself more western, added a more contemporary look to my website and blog along with a hot cowboy. I used a leather-looking table cloth at book signings as well as a child’s cowboy hat to hold chocolates or freebies. At this stage of my promoting, I made sure every book signing I had special made book marks with a ribbon inscribed with my website and a charm that went with the book title. Every person who bought a book received the bookmark.
My
love of the old west wouldn’t be complete without my fascination with Native
American Indians. My historical paranormal spirit trilogy set among the Nez
Perce tribe was born. While I’d ventured into the subgenre of paranormal, I
stayed true to using western and Native American images for promotion. At this
point, I again changed my blog and website headers. This time I had the
picturesque Wallowa Lake, the area where my paranormals took place, a hot
cowboy on one side and a Native American couple on the other side. I continue
with my specialized bookmarks to give away at book signings.
I’ve
had book marks for the series’ made. With the first paranormal book I also made
a booklet of the first three chapters that I sent to bookstores in the Pacific
Northwest. I had a few of the stores call and ask me to do signings from that
mailing.
Then
from out of nowhere an ideas for a contemporary action adventure series came to
me and a mystery series. But how could I tie it to the brand (western/Native
American) I’d worked so hard to establish? I made the main character in the action
adventure an anthropologist studying Native American people and the mystery has
a heroine of Native American descent.
Even
if a reader hasn’t read my books they will know what my books are about by the
header on my blog and website. They both show a western couple embracing,
horses capering, and a Native American dancer. The title is “Paty Jager Western
Romance and Mystery.” I dress for all
public events in western footwear, jewelry, and clothing. I dress the “theme” I
use in every aspect of my writing. My promo photo is of me and my horse.
To
draw more readers to my blog and website I use monthly website contests and
writing projects, like my Christmas novella, where I gave posted bits of the
story over a period of time on my blog. I currently have the beginning of a
short story up at Romance from the Genre-istas www.RomanceFromTheGenre-istas.blogspot.com with the rest of the story on my
blog and website.
I
also like to set up blog tours and make them a game for followers to participate
in. One time, participants had to collect puzzle pieces at the blogs and send
them to me to be entered into the blog tour contest. I’m working up another one for my upcoming
tour in May. Follow my blog or website to learn about it.
For book signings I not only dress my table in a western theme, I make a poster sporting my name, western romance author, and the book cover of the book(s) I’m selling. On my table I have bookmarks for my series, a tri-fold handout with all my ebooks sporting a smart phone block to take the reader directly to the buy link of the book, and a newsletter signup sheet.
The best way to keep readers following you is to stay true to who you
are as a writer and bring that to whatever genre you write. Genre hopping
doesn’t have to leave your fans behind.
For book signings I not only dress my table in a western theme, I make a poster sporting my name, western romance author, and the book cover of the book(s) I’m selling. On my table I have bookmarks for my series, a tri-fold handout with all my ebooks sporting a smart phone block to take the reader directly to the buy link of the book, and a newsletter signup sheet.
Growing up in the Northeast corner of Oregon, riding horses and reading were my favorite pastimes. While honing my writing skills my husband and I raised four children. Instead of grumbling kids, we now cater to two dogs, two horses, a mini horse, a donkey, and thirty mother cows and currently ranch 350 acres. You can learn more about my ranching in the April/May edition of Farm and Ranch magazine in 2011. I also spend a good part of my summer traveling around the state judging 4-H and open class county fair textile and foods exhibits.
Hi Paty:
ReplyDeleteWhat you describe is a wonderful example of ‘fusion’ – having all your marketing elements convey they same, look, feel, and message.
A real good test of this, and I am sure you would pass with flying colors, is when readers can instantly pick you out of a crowd standing with other women at a book signing.
Readers like authors to be special. They like authors who love their topic. You just expect authors like this to write better books.
I am always impressed when I walk into a crowded room and can immediately pick out the author simply by how she looks.
Thanks, this is a excellent post.
Vince
Thanks, Vince. I hope they can pick me out. I'm usually the one in the fancy cowboy boots!
ReplyDeleteMorgan and Therese, Thanks for having me here today!
ReplyDeleteHi Paty,
ReplyDeleteI totally get what you're saying. I write both romance and mystery and in both genres the books are blended. I thought about having different names for each genre, but I settled on staying with one name.
I wish you luck with your genre bending and fusion!
Maggie, Thanks! Find something that runs through both your romance and mysteries that you can use to make both blend together.
DeleteThank you for the advice. I'm trying to up my blog and FB readership.
ReplyDeleteElla, I've found that the more personal(not too) and focusing on the unique part of your life other than writing your readership picks up. If you're not always putting your writing in their faces they like to come back and read.
DeleteI like the idea of collecting clues / puzzle pieces - that would definitely get me hooked in.
ReplyDeleteMaddy, you have to make following your tours fun or interesting or you won't have followers.
DeletePaty, you blend genres well. I'm trying. Hope I'm successful. Seems my interests forbid limiting myself to just one genre.
ReplyDeleteCaroline, Thanks! I know, it's hard to stay in one genre and stay excited about writing. Anyway that's the way it is for me.
ReplyDeleteHi Paty,
ReplyDeleteI love your methodical, well-thought-out approach. Thank you for sharing how you stayed true to your brand and yourself throughout the genres. Fascinating!
Morgan and Therese, love your blog!
Sarah
Hi Sarah! Thanks!
DeleteNice to see how you figured out how to change your genre using some of the same elements.
ReplyDeleteHi Mary! Thanks for stopping in! I think if you give the readers what they expect from you they will stay with you.
ReplyDeleteHi Paty,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a genius marketing plan. I wonder, as a writer, did you ever feel limited creatively by trying to stay within the western brand?
Carla, No, I don't feel limited staying within the western brand because it's where I'm comfortable. As long as I can write contemporary or historical and use the Native American or cowboy/western theme, I have unlimited ideas.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant, Paty! No wonder you're a successful author!
ReplyDeleteMelia, You're too kind. I just do what I do and hope it works.
ReplyDeletePaty, great post. You've done a fantastic job of blending and fusing genres and keeping that western thread throughout all.
ReplyDeleteI hope I can do that too, with photographic and paranormal threads, both in my upcoming novel "Mist" and in memoirs that will follow.