Novel Marketing Conundrum

1. 66

   Charles Jamesposted 12 years ago

   I hope to finish my novel in the next fortnight or so. It does not fit into any of the normal "categories". Possibly "women's novels".
   
   I call it a "weepy". It combines deaths and romance and courage and teenage pregnancy dilemma and lots of kids who need fostering - and flashes of humour and misdirection.
   
   Option 1 is to publish on Kindle and the other main player. Then I have to get some publicity or marketing.
   
   Option 2 is to publish on HP, with each chapter or two chapters together as a hub. I earn nothing from sales but I would earn from HP Ads while people are reading it.
   
   Option 3  Publish the first 4 chapters as a hub and then link to the e-sale.
   
   If I am marketing as a women's novel should the author be Carla James? Or Olive Branch?
   
   Suggestions please!

   replyreport
   1. 60

      sen.sush23posted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I like the 3 rd option. That gives you an idea how it is catching on from the 4 chapter bait. I like Olive better than Carla. That is just my personal liking. Olive is more interesting.

      replyreport
   2. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      I'd recommend Option 1 with a small tweak. Publish through Kindle then also publish on Smashwords - which covers all the other publishing formats and gets your book listed at Barnes & Noble, iTunes, etc etc. 
      
      I don't recommend Option 2 because it will be difficult for your readers to read in sequence - there's no easy way to create clear navigation.
      
      I don't recommend Option 3 either.  On Smashwords, you can set your setting so that customers can download one or two "taster" chapters first anyway.  Instead, write a "teaser" Hub - maybe the first chapter, or a Hub about the characters, or even a prequel.  Then go and write a similar article at several other sites such as Wizzley, PubWages, ThisisFreelance, Excerptz, etc.
      
      Finally I would go with Carla James.  Olive Branch is just too obviously a pun.  Olive with a different surname would be fine.

      replyreport
2. 84

   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   Do you have a synopsis?  Sounds possibly like Women's fiction: saga

   replyreport
3. 66

   Charles Jamesposted 12 years ago

   My niddle names are Robert Owen.
   
   Roberta Owen?
   Roberta James
   Bobby Owen?
   
   Not Olive Owen I think.
   
   Victoria Street?

   replyreport
   1. 87

      Marisa Wrightposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      You could bypass the whole problem and publish as C R James. 
      
      Being a man is no obstacle to marketing successfully to women - and these days, it's so important to have a 'brand' and interact with your readers, you'll create difficulties for yourself if you pretend to be a female. 
      
      There are several Harlequin authors who are male, and they generally use their initials.
      
      I wrote a Hub called "How to Promote Your Novel" which you might find useful.

      replyreport
      1. 60

         sen.sush23posted 12 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah, I agree to this.

         replyreport
      2. 66

         Charles Jamesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

         An excellent hub, Marisa. Thank you.

         replyreport
4. 84

   psycheskinnerposted 12 years ago

   I think it is less openly misleading to use a gender neutral name or initials.

   replyreport
   1. 66

      Charles Jamesposted 12 years agoin reply to this

      Hilary and Carol and Chris can be either gender.
      
      My concern was whether female readers would be less likely to purchase a book in the "women's books" or "romance" category if written by a man.

      replyreport
5. 81

   ar.coltonposted 12 years ago

   Definitely not Olive Branch.
   
   I would be careful though, how you categorize. Categorizing something as "women's fiction" is a little dated, and tends to fall into category of "chick lit". If it is a serious, emotional drama than it's just a novel that appeals to women. The cover and synopsis should be geared toward your specific audience but this is 2012, we don't read different books, they are just books.
   
   Are you more "Angelina's Children" and "The Birth House"
   Or more "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya sisterhood"?
   
   If you're main audience is women though I would use a female or gender neutral name. I like the idea of Carol or Hilary. There is nothing misleading about it. Authors use pen names all the time.

   replyreport
6. 67

   Pearldiverposted 12 years ago

   I have always been in awe of guys that can successfully write, publish and contemplate "women's navels" 

   replyreport
   1. 66

      Charles Jamesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      My wife also has difficulty sometimes finding the words with which to express her admiration for me.
      
      This is an odd book, and I really do not know how to categorise it.

      replyreport
7. 66

   Charles Jamesposted 11 years ago

   Well. I have finished the book now, apart from the cover and deciding the title.
   
   66,000 words.
   
   I am sending it out to a social worker and a social work lawyer and a Muslim to read, to check I have not made any major errors.

   replyreport
   1. 74

      Reality Bytesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Congratulations and the best of luck to you. 
      
      You are an inspiration!

      replyreport
   2. 80

      Aficionadaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Congratulations - how exciting!!
      
      Have you decided on your authorname?  I personally like Carol (or actually Karol), since it is sometimes a variant of or related to Charles.

      replyreport
8. 66

   Charles Jamesposted 11 years ago

   Yes it is very exciting.
   
   I have a following (small - but very high quality) online as Charles James, so I will stay in my true identity.
   
   Struggling for a title. The chief protagonist, Don Hewson, starts as a widower living alone in a six bedroom house.
   He inherits a child when the single parent for whom he is a free babysitter unexpectedly dies.
   He finds love.
   Then the social worker who dealt with him over the child has a large family who should be fostered together under one roof, but who has four spare bedrooms....?
   
   The logic of the situation and the characters gets silly! It is a real weepy, too.
   Any other suggestions for a title?

   replyreport
   1. 81

      ar.coltonposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Congratulations!
      
      I'm terrible at titles but based on your summary you could play around with these words:
      
      refuge, sanctuary, gathering, harbour, shelter, burrow
      
      "Harbour House" is the only thing I could come up with.

      replyreport