Once a book is out there in the big wide world, it’s always a challenge to know how to promote it and make sure people are aware of it.  I’m very happy to welcome the Promo Queen and founder and head of Writer Marketing Services; a fab author in her own right, Lucy Felthouse, to share a few key tips with you.

In no particular order, here are eight great ways to promote your books:

1. Facebook – as much as I dislike it, a great deal of my website traffic comes from Facebook, so it’s hard to ignore it. I have a fan page, which has all my blog posts automatically fed to it, and I post on there manually, too, with various snippets and updates.
2. Twitter – a great place to find readers and other writers, this also drives a lot of traffic to my website. My blog posts are fed here automatically, and I engage with people on here frequently, as opposed to just posting links and asking people to buy my books.
3. Triberr – this is linked in with Twitter. Triberr is a website where people become members of a ‘tribe’ and all their posts are fed into Triberr. When another person logs in, they have the option to approve your post. If they do, it will then be automatically Tweeted on their account. If you times this by the amount of people in your tribe, and the amount of followers they have, this is a great way to increase the reach of your blog posts, and it definitely increases traffic.
4. Pinterest – add your books to Pinterest using the direct page link on your website. That way, whenever someone clicks on your book cover, they’ll be sent directly to the relevant page on your website. Hopefully they’ll buy it while they’re there!
5. Goodreads – there are several areas of Goodreads which I am still getting to grips with – lists, for example. But it’s essential to make sure all of your books are on the site so people can add them to their shelves, read and review them. These reviews will then be seen by their friends, and so on, so this is a great way of increasing visibility by letting other people do the work, rather than you.
6. Guest blogs and interviews – spread the word by guest blogging on someone’s site, or having them interview you. You’ll have the benefit of being in front of that particular site’s audience, who may never have heard of you. It’s great exposure, and a great way to promote your books. Club these together into consecutive days and do a blog tour – increasing your exposure further.
7. Paid advertising – The Romance Reviews, The Romance Studio and Erotica For All are three examples of high traffic sites that offer free and paid advertising. Take advantage of the free options, and consider spending some money on adverts and track whether you get increased sales as a result.
8. Hire me! I do all this stuff for a living, so if you just can’t get your head around marketing, can’t be bothered with all the organisation or don’t have the contacts, then consider using my business to help you out – http://www.writermarketing.co.uk. There’s more information and pricing on there, as well as a portfolio and testimonials. If you have any questions, just drop me a line.

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Four kinky and erotic BDSM tales from the smutty pen of Lucy Felthouse.

Balancing the Books

Philip’s a well off man, and doesn’t need a job. But when he sees the gorgeous owner of his local bookshop, he applies for the role that’s being advertised there immediately. He’s totally stricken by the stunning Giovanna, and when it turns out she wants to boss him around in a sexual sense as well as an employment sense, he has no intention of refusing.

Feeling the Heat

Taylor and Maisie’s car has broken down. Luckily, Taylor’s handy with engines and is working hard to get them back on the road. Unfortunately, Maisie is getting annoyed at the amount of time he’s spending in the garage and confronts him. Instead of arguing back, though, Taylor comes up with an ingenious plan to keep Maisie quiet.

The Perfect Dom

Part of Mia’s nightwear is a pair of hotpants with SPANK ME emblazoned across the arse. Normally, that wouldn’t be a problem, but when she forgets that she has a houseguest and heads to the kitchen for a drink, she’s shocked to find Alex in her living room. Immediately spotting what he sees as an invitation written across Mia’s bottom, Alex makes an offer and Mia soon discovers that he is, in fact, the perfect dom.

Meet Me at the Spanish Steps

Darby is working at a holiday camp on the outskirts of Rome and is getting along just fine, with the exception of her sex life. For various reasons, she’s not getting what she wants in the bedroom, and her tastes are very particular. She turns to the Internet to get what she needs, and when she discovers William, it seems that he’s more than willing—and capable—of scratching that particular itch.

More info, excerpt and buy links: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/published-works/the-perfect-dom/

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Lucy Felthouse is a very busy woman! She writes erotica and erotic romance in a variety of subgenres and pairings, and has over seventy publications to her name, with many more in the pipeline. These include Best Bondage Erotica 2012 and 2013, and Best Women’s Erotica 2013. Another string to her bow is editing, and she has edited and co-edited a number of anthologies. She owns Erotica For All, and is book editor for Cliterati. Find out more at http://www.lucyfelthouse.co.uk. Join her on Facebook and Twitter, and subscribe to her newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/gMQb9