Sarah Negovetich: Guest Post: Kelly Hashway

Today, I'm pleased to have Kelly Hashway on the blog. Kelly has two new YA books that both released in January and another novella coming out in just a few days. That means she has been a marketing fool lately. Kelly is here to share her words of wisdom on how she dealt with marketing two very different books at the same time.

Kelly Hashway

Marketing Two Books At Once

By Kelly Hashway

I’ve been waiting for the launch of my debut YA novel for a long time. Little did I know I’d have two books releasing in the same month. It makes for a lot of excitement and a lot of planning.

For Touch of Death, my YA paranormal, my publisher Spencer Hill Press took care of a lot of the organization for me. They organized my launch party in Boston, which was a zombie prom at a huge sci-fi/fantasy convention called Arisia. How cool is that? They also set up my blog tour, which ran from November through January, and they are setting up book signings for me as well. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t do anything. I set up blog stops on my own, too. I also hosted four giveaways for ARCs, SWAG, and finished copies of Touch of Death. I did two school visits the week of the launch and am planning more as we speak. I’m also going to set up more book signings, and I’ll be attending BEA in May.

For my YA romance novella, Love All, my publisher Swoon Romance is taking care of my blog tour, sending me promotional materials, and hosting giveaways, much like Spencer Hill Press did for Touch of Death. Since this book has a love triangle, I set up a poll on my blog so readers can vote whether they are Team Ash, Team Noah, or torn between the two. I’m excited to see how the results turn out. I think it’s a fun way to give readers a say in the series and interact with fans. Marketing the novella series is definitely different because all three books release within three months. I’m spanning my promotional efforts across those months and while I’m making some specific to each book, I have other ideas that will be spread out to include the entire series.

For both books, I spent my release days tweeting my playlists and book related things, like how I’d love to share a bowl of mac and cheese with Alex from Touch of Death. I also asked for opinions about bad boys versus nice guys for Love All. I made myself very visible online and interacted with people, which was a lot of fun.

The tricky part is that I’m appealing to two different genres, paranormal/horror and romance. I have different audiences, so the same marketing tactics might not work for each. I didn’t promote my romance at the sci-fi convention and some of the romance specific blogs I’ll be on won’t be interested in my paranormal series. But that’s okay. I think you have to give people what they want instead of trying to force things upon them. Will I have some fans who read both genres? Of course, which is why they can find info on all my books on my social media sites, and I’m on a lot: Twitter, FB, YALitChat, She Writes, Verla Kay’s Blue Boards, Book Blogs, Goodreads, Pinterest, and the Institute of Children’s Literature. I’m also on two joint blogs, YA Bound and Scene13. Partnering with other authors is a great way to increase your readership and reach more potential fans.

So far the best marketing technique I’ve found is simply being me. I’m not afraid to let people see that I’m a person and I have a tendency to embarrass myself. A lot. That’s me. I also try to be very upfront with what my books have to offer. I happily pass on what I’ve learned about the publishing industry and am very willing to help other writers, no matter if they’ve been writing for years or are just starting out. And above all else, I keep writing. I really do believe the saying that the best way to promote your work as an author is to write the next book. It shows your readers that you are serious and passionate about what you do.

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Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

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Seventeen-year-old Meg Flannigan wasn’t very lucky at love. In sophomore year, her idiotic boyfriend dumped her by making out with another girl in front of her locker. Ouch! Now a senior, and with a little more self-confidence, Meg catches the eye of not one, but two guys at school. Lucky! Both attend her tennis matches, vie for her attention, and are each gorgeous in their own way. So what’s the problem? Meg has already chosen one of them, and the one waiting in the sidelines will do anything to change her mind. She’s enjoys the attention right up until it’s her heart that’s caught in the middle, and she risks losing both. Can Meg Love All, or will choosing be her undoing?