Writing Tip: Promo on the Cheap

I know I’ve harped on promotion before, but it can be overwhelming for an author, especially a new one, to effectively do it. There are so many avenues out there, free and that will cost you, that it’s mind-numbing to make a decision.

Rest assured, you can do a lot of effective promoting without spending more than a few dollars to register a domain name.

1. Get a website. Preferably, your pen name in .com, .net, and possibly .org if it’s in your budget. (I recommend Godaddy.com for domain registration.)

2. Get a Gmail address for your pen name. Use ONLY that email address, for fan mail and publication. (This will help keep your private email private.) (Free.)

3. Get a blog. If you aren’t able to make a website, then go to Blogger (http://blogger.com) and register one there. (Free.)

4. Go to Godaddy.com (or wherever you registered your domain at) and POINT them (forward them, depends on the terminology) at the blog address. It will take probably up to a couple of hours to take effect.

5. There are HUNDREDS, if not thousands, of free Blogger templates out there you can use to customize your blog. If that’s beyond you, you can use one of the pre-installed templates.

6. BLOG your ass off. Not just about your upcoming release, but about whatever. (Seriously, I recommend staying away from politics and religion.) Try to post at least once a week. When should you start promoting if this is your first release and it’s not even out yet? You should have already started getting your name out there.

7. Don’t just copy/paste your text from Word into your blog. Make SURE you go back and preview it to make sure there are paragraph breaks, no typos, etc. (PROOFREAD your blog!!)

8. Facebook. Set up a PAGE and promote THAT. (Once you get over 25 followers, you can change the name of it to an easy url.) Don’t promote your profile because as of now, you’re limited to 5,000 friends. The pages are better suited for author promotions. Use the NetworkedBlogs app to set it up so your blog posts automatically post to your Facebook account. (Free.)

9. Set up a Twitter account for your pen name. (Free.)

10. Use the TweetDeck application (Free) to post to your Twitter and Facebook page at the same time. (Wise use of time. There are other applications too, like HootSuite, and others.)

11. Go to Amazon.com once your book is available there and set up an author page. (Free.) Set your blog RSS feed and Twitter feed to post to it. (See where I’m going with this?)

12. Goodreads.com – Ditto. (Free.) Set it up to pick up your blog RSS feed.


Okay, so far, all this (except for the cost of registering your domain name) is FREE. Totally free. And you can set many of these things up to cross-post automatically. You blog, and it can post to Facebook, Amazon, and Goodreads. You can post a Tweet and Facebook update at the same time. You can also install apps on your blog to post your Tweets automatically, so you have that option as well.

Do you see where I’m going with this? If you set as much up to cross-pollinate, so to speak, it will allow you to promote not only for free, but in one fell swoop. This is all stuff I’ve talked about before, but it’s now easier than ever to accomplish it.

There are also smart phone apps for many of the applications, so if you’re on the go you can post updates.

I don’t want to hear you say, “I don’t have time to promote.” Once you get just these things set up, you can literally cover a wide swath of promotions in just a few minutes of time every week. Think of what you could accomplish if you spent an hour a week? Ten minutes a day for six days a week. How cool is that?

I’ve also talked about things like email lists (Yahoogroups), but you can also participate in Facebook pages and groups. There are reader sites like AllRomanceebooks.com, CoffeeTimeRomance.com, ManicReaders.com, RomanceDivas.com, RomanceJunkies.com, Longandshortreviews.com, NightOwlRomance.com, and many others. (And that’s just for romance, not counting non-romance sites out there.)

Yes, some of those sites have advertising packages, but many of them have discussion boards…FREE.

The important thing is to get out there, build a relationship with your readers, not just shoving your books in their faces, but getting to know them, letting them get to know you, interact with them.

Now get out there and promo your ass off! :)

(Tymber Dalton, whose Siren book "Safe Harbor" was the 2011 EPIC winner in contemporary erotica, also writes as Lesli Richardson, Macy Largo, and Tessa Monroe. She has over 25 published titles to her credit. Visit her Siren-BookStrand page to see her releases there, or you can find her at her website, "Tales From the Snark Side,", like her Facebook page, check out her blog, or follow her Twitter feed).

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

I've been fighting the bah humbug blues this week, and I talk about it on my blog, Tales From the Snark Side: http://leslirichardson.blogspot.com

But I also had a great Christmas present this morning!! "Safe Harbor," my latest Tymber Dalton release from Siren, received five Delightful Divas from Dark Diva Review's Autumn!

http://ddrreviews.blogspot.com/2009/12/safe-harbor-by-tymber-dalton.html

Ms. Dalton writes a heart wrenching and warming tale. The emotional ups and downs keep you reading, wanting to see where things are going.

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season, regardless of how you celebrate it. May your day be full of peace, joy, love, family, and friends.

Lesli. (aka Tymber Dalton)

http://leslirichardson.com

http://tymberdalton.com

Release Day! - "Safe Harbor"

I'm so excited! My latest Tymber Dalton book, "Safe Harbor," is now officially available at Siren-BookStrand! And it's already up to #16 on the 14-day bestseller list!

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-safeharbor-15987-200.html

[Menage Amour 119: Erotic Ménage a Trois Romance, M/M/F, Contemporary, BDSM, Public Exhibition]

Clarisse seeks refuge from her abusive ex-boyfriend on the Dilly Dally, her uncle's old fishing trawler in Tarpon Springs, Florida. She doesn't expect to find Mac and Sully, the Dilly's sexy new owners, on board making love.

They're at first startled by her appearance, then outraged by the injuries her ex inflicted. They insist she stay with them, and with nowhere else to go, Clarisse agrees.

Both men find themselves falling for Clarisse, but she can't bring herself to completely trust Sully, a former cop, like her ex. She's shocked to discover the men aren't just lovers either, but full-time Master and slave in a BDSM relationship. As she learns more about their history and lifestyle, she uncovers her own hidden desires. When danger from her past returns, can Sully and Mac provide Clarisse a Safe Harbor?

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"Safe Harbor" is a hot, steamy book that will warm you up even on the coldest nights! :) Don't forget to stop by my website for excerpts from my other books as well as a free read!

http://tymberdalton.com

My other Siren-BookStrand releases as Tymber Dalton (such as my "Love Slave for Two" and "Triple Trouble" series) can be found at:

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/tymberdalton/

And you can find my other available Siren-BookStrand releases (such as "Cross Country Chaos") writing as Lesli Richardson:

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/leslirichardson/

And I'm on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/madmumbler

Thanks!

Lesli. (aka Tymber)

"Love Slave for Two: Beginnings" Wins Book of the Week!

I'm so excited! My Siren-BookStrand bestseller, "Love Slave for Two: Beginnings," the prequel to my bestselling series, was voted Book of the Week by readers over at the Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews site!!

You can read their entire 5-cherry review of my book here: http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/2009/11/love-slave-for-two-beginnings-by-tymber.html

"Ms Dalton had me from the start. I love her writing style. The way she gets into her characters' heads really drew me in... It takes a very talented author to make you emotionally invested in a book."

Click here to buy!

Blurb:

[Menage Amour 110: Erotic Alternative Menage a Trois Romance, Contemporary, May-December, BDSM, Public Exhibition, M/M, M/M/M, with M/M/M/F]

Tyler Paulson came to America with a scholarship and a dream of becoming a writer. With an unsupportive mother and a father who abandoned him, he makes close friends and tries to build a new life for himself in his adopted country. Unfortunately, a series of heartbreaking betrayals makes him doubt not only truths he once held about himself, but shatters his trust in others.

Thomas Kinsey wants to carry on his father's legacy and become an architect. His family and upbringing couldn't be more different than Tyler's, but he hides a secret he's afraid to admit for fear of testing his strong family bonds.

Thomas knows Tyler is the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with...if he can convince Tyler to forget the ghosts in his past and have faith in their future together. Read the scorching prequel to "Love Slave for Two!"

Click here to see my Siren-BookStrand releases writing as Tymber Dalton.

Click here to see my Siren-BookStrand releases writing as Lesli Richardson.

Release Day! - "Love Slave for Two: Beginnings"

Woot! It's release day! "Love Slave for Two: Beginnings," (writing as Tymber Dalton) the prequel to my bestselling series, is now officially available at Siren-BookStrand!

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-loveslavefortwobeginnings-14938-200.html

[Menage Amour: Erotic Alternative Menage a Trois Romance, Contemporary, May-December, BDSM, Public Exhibition, M/M, M/M/M, with M/M/M/F]

Tyler Paulson came to America with a scholarship and a dream of becoming a writer. With an unsupportive mother and a father who abandoned him, he makes close friends and tries to build a new life for himself in his adopted country. Unfortunately, a series of heartbreaking betrayals makes him doubt not only truths he once held about himself, but shatters his trust in others.

Thomas Kinsey wants to carry on his father's legacy and become an architect. His family and upbringing couldn't be more different than Tyler's, but he hides a secret he's afraid to admit for fear of testing his strong family bonds.

Thomas knows Tyler is the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with...if he can convince Tyler to forget the ghosts in his past and have faith in their future together. Read the scorching prequel to "Love Slave for Two!"

You can find my other Siren-BookStrand releases writing as Tymber Dalton at:

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/tymberdalton/

And you can find my Lesli Richardson Siren-BookStrand releases at:

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/leslirichardson/

Thanks!

Lesli. (aka Tymber)

http://tymberdalton.com

http://leslirichardson.com

http://twitter.com/madmumbler

That Shiny, New Book Cover Smell!

*deeply inhaling!*

Mmmm, I love that! Not just the smell of fall, which briefly arrived here in southwest Florida for all of thirty tantalizing seconds before it was once again swallowed up by our tenacious tropical summer, but the shiny new pretty that arrived in my in box! (Yeah, I know, files don't "smell," but humor me, please?)

This is the cover for my novel (writing as Tymber Dalton) "Safe Harbor," coming soon from Siren-BookStrand!

Blurb:

m/m, mmf menage, BDSM, anal sex, toys, public sex/exhibition

Clarisse Moore flees Columbus to escape her abusive ex-boyfriend -- who's a cop. She ends up in Tarpon Springs, Florida, on the Dilly Dally, her uncle's fishing trawler. She doesn't know it's been sold.

Brant MacCaffrey's sister was abused and brutally murdered by her husband. So when Mac discovers Clarisse on his boat, beat to hell and back, it conjures painful memories -- and a desire to save her.

Sullivan Nicoletto is a retired cop shot in the line of duty. Mac's his friend, lover -- and submissive slave. Sully might be a Master, but can he earn Clarisse's trust and convince her they love her?

The men are determined to protect Clarisse, and she in turn accepts their unusual Master/slave BDSM relationship. As passion and her own hidden desires blossom under their love and guidance, can she master trust when her past endangers them all and threatens to destroy her Safe Harbor?

---

Can't wait for it? Well, you're in luck! Because on Monday, Oct. 12, my next Siren-BookStrand release, "Love Slave for Two: Beginnings" will be officially released. This is the prequel to my bestselling "Love Slave for Two" series and tells the story of how Tyler and Tommy met. You can pre-order it now too!

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/tymberdalton/

Blurb:

[Menage Amour: Erotic Alternative Menage a Trois Romance, Contemporary, May-December, BDSM, Public Exhibition, M/M, M/M/M, with M/M/M/F]

Tyler Paulson came to America with a scholarship and a dream of becoming a writer. With an unsupportive mother and a father who abandoned him, he makes close friends and tries to build a new life for himself in his adopted country. Unfortunately, a series of heartbreaking betrayals makes him doubt not only truths he once held about himself, but shatters his trust in others.

Thomas Kinsey wants to carry on his father's legacy and become an architect. His family and upbringing couldn't be more different than Tyler's, but he hides a secret he's afraid to admit for fear of testing his strong family bonds.

Thomas knows Tyler is the man he wants to spend the rest of his life with...if he can convince Tyler to forget the ghosts in his past and have faith in their future together. Read the scorching prequel to "Love Slave for Two!"

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And for those who are asking, YES, I am currently working on books 2 - 4 in the Deep Space Mission Corps series (sequels to Love at First Bight). *LOL* I'm also working on the next dragon shifter book, which will lead into number four in the Lyall brothers Triple Trouble shape-shifter series.

If you want to keep up with the latest, you can check out my websites under both my pen names, as well as my uber-cool new wiki page with behind the scenes info. And you can find books under my other pen name on BookStrand at: http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/leslirichardson/

http://tymberdalton.com

http://leslirichardson.com

http://twitter.com/madmumbler

Thanks!

Lesli. (aka Tymber)

Release Day! "Three Dog Night (Triple Trouble 3)"

*squee!* I'm so excited! Do you think Stephen King says *squee!* when he has a new release? LOL!

Today is the official release for the third installment in the Lyall brothers "Triple Trouble" shape-shifter series. "Three Dog Night" picks up where "Storm Warning" leaves off, answers some questions, brings up new ones, and introduces more family members in the Lyall brothers' Arcadia, Florida pack.

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-threedognight-14722-200.html

Blurb:

[Menage Amour 98: Erotic Paranormal Menage a Quatre Romance, F/M/M/M, Shape-Shifters]

For Elain Pardie, every night is a three dog night. With Ain, Brodey, and Cail Lyall as her mates, Elain's biggest worry is getting through her wedding. She doesn't want to let the cat out of the bag to her mom that she's living with three Alpha wolf shape-shifters.

Between learning about her new way of life, a creepy, mysterious stranger in town, and a hot-to-trot feline shifter with her sights set on Brodey, Elain's got her hands full. Not to mention her strange need for a hunt is back with a vengeance. Can life get any crazier?

Ain, Brodey, and Cail suspect it can: someone's killing shifter mates. As a cousin and his new mate move in, Ain's worries mount. And while trying to untangle secrets of Elain's distant past, Ain discovers a connection to an old family that could threaten not just their happiness...but their very lives.

--

And for those of you who've been asking for the next installment in the "Love Slave for Two" series, get ready! "Love Slave for Two: Beginnings (Book 0)" is coming soon! Yes, you read that right, "Book 0," the sequel. It ends where chapter one of Book 1 picks up and tells the scorching hot story of how Tyler and Thomas first met.

Speaking of, did you know you can now get both Book 1 and Book 2 in print? And "Love at First Bight" is available in print now, as is "Cross Country Chaos" (me writing as Lesli Richardson).

You can find all the books I currently have available with Siren-BookStrand at:

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/tymberdalton/

and

http://www.bookstrand.com/authors/leslirichardson/

For more excerpts, sneak peeks, and information on my other releases, you can visit my websites at:

http://leslirichardson.com
http://tymberdalton.com
http://twitter.com/madmumbler

Thanks!
Tymber. (aka Lesli)

A Whole Heap 'a Trouble!

It's been a busy few weeks! My latest Tymber Dalton book, "Trouble Comes in Threes," is now available from BookStrand! It's the first in my "Triple Trouble" shape-shifter series, and it's already hit the BookStrand bestseller list!

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-troublecomesinthrees-14441-200.html

Elain Pardie worked hard to become a TV news reporter. When a huge, black wolf-like dog with green eyes jumps into her news van, Elain has no idea her life will drastically change.

Aindreas, Brodey, and Cailean Lyall aren't just triplets--they're Alpha shape-shifters running a Florida cattle ranch. They've never found their One, the woman destined to be their mate. Until the day of the Arcadia Highland Games, when both Brodey and Cailean lock onto Her scent. Brodey shifts and gives chase, then goes home with Elain and confirms she is their One.

When Prime Alpha Aindreas mistakenly thinks Elain's already taken and refuses to use force to claim and mark her, Brodey and Cailean must resort to trickery to learn the truth about the wedding ring Elain wears and work to convince her that triple trouble could very easily put her into seventh heaven in their arms.

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You can also pre-order the sequel to my bestseller, "Love Slave for Two." "Love Slave for Two: Family Matters" picks up where the first book leaves off and follows Nevvie, Tyler, and Thomas.

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-loveslavefortwofamilymatters-14442-200.html

Nevvie spent her early life feeling unloved and rejected. Then she met Tyler and Thomas and her scorchingly hot fairytale dream's come true. They have a perfect life and a beautiful son. While their family isn't traditional, she's more than happy with her two hunky, sexy husbands and their relationship.

Unfortunately, a betrayal from where Nevvie least expects it knocks their world on its ear. Barely recovering from that, one horrible morning and an unimaginable double tragedy threatens to take her men and destroy all she loves.

Struggling to keep things together, Nevvie must forge ahead and draw strength from her unusual adopted circle of friends and family to save her men and preserve the life she loves. With Thomas and Tyler's lives on the line, can Nevvie find the will to keep going and bring her husbands safely home? Because to Nevvie, family is the only thing that matters.

--

You can also pick up my other BookStrand releases:

• Cross Country Chaos (writing as Lesli Richardson): http://www.bookstrand.com/product-crosscountrychaos-13944-330.html
• Love Slave for Two: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-loveslavefortwo-13926-200.html
• Love at First Bight: http://www.bookstrand.com/product-loveatfirstbight-14302-200.html

If you haven't stopped by my websites lately, they've just undergone a huge facelift. Make sure to stop by and check them out and get information on all my new releases, including excerpts and free reads! Don't forget to sign up for my newsletters on both sites, because I'm going to be having some giveaways over the next few weeks.

• http://leslirichardson.com
• http://tymberdalton.com

Thanks!!
Lesli. (aka Tymber)

Have you felt "the Bight?" *G*

Ah, yes, corny, I know. *LOL* I think some people assume I can't spell when I tell them my book title. *LOL* "Love at First Bight" is actually both a sort of pun on the plot (you'll just have to read it, if I tell you it'll be a spoiler!) and on the name of the vessel -- the Tamora Bight.

http://www.bookstrand.com/product-loveatfirstbight-14302-200.html

[Menage Amour 34: Futuristic Menage a Quatre Romance, M/M/M/F with various combination of M/M, M/F, M/M/F, M/M/M, monogamous polyamory]

Dr. Emilia Hypatia is recently-graduated and looking for adventure. She's an Alpha-ranked healer, has a degree in psychology, and empath training. Fresh out of a bad relationship with a cheating ex, her five-year assignment to the Deep Space Mission Corps vessel, Tamora Bight, seems ideal. Especially when she meets the three handsome crewmen she'll spend her time caring for--in more ways than one.

First Officer Caphis Bates is playful and rowdy. Mate Ford Caliban is her intellectual and emotional partner. But it's Captain Aaron Lucio who is an enigma; passionate, with a deeply wounded and carefully guarded soul.

While sharing their communal bed is a scorchingly sensual experience, Emi soon learns the three men suffer a shared grief, their "crew story." She patiently works to unlock their secret past, but space exploration is cold--and cruel. Will time run out for all of them before she can heal their hearts?

---

Also, for those of you who are into solving puzzles, the four main characters' names all have something in common (excluding the heorine's last name). I have the answer on my website at: http://www.tymberdalton.com if you give up. *G*

Lesli. (aka Tymber Dalton)
http://www.tymberdalton.com
http://www.leslirichardson.com

"Love Slave for Two" Now Available!

I'm so excited! It's like Christmas coming early. *LOL* My first Tymber Dalton book, "Love Slave for Two," is now available from Siren-BookStrand! Click here for more information! It's the first book in a planned four-book (at least) series. I didn't get much sleep last night I was so excited!!!

Blurb:

Nevvie Barton has never truly felt loved or like she belonged anywhere--ever. Abandoned by her adopted family and trapped in an abusive relationship, she takes a job with Tyler Paulson and Thomas Kinsey as their cleaning girl.

Nevvie knows her fantasies about "the boys" will always be just that--the two handsome men are devoted, loving life-partners. Then Tyler and Thomas fall in love with Nevvie and hatch a secret plan to seduce her and make her their permanent third.

For the first time in her life, she feels attractive and wanted. When they ask her to move in and be their personal assistant, Nevvie jumps at the chance. Her planned escape doesn’t go without a hitch, and the boys must rescue her from a brutal man who would rather kill her than let her go.

Can Tyler and Thomas heal Nevvie's wounded body and soul and prove to her that she really is their dream come true?

For a scorching hot excerpt, and to purchase "Love Slave for Two," click HERE.

And if you like vampires, you can purchase my vampire romance (writing as Lesli Richardson), "Love and Brimstone," from BookStrand too! Click here for more information.

Check back to my Siren page frequently for updates on future releases. The first in my Deep Space Mission Corps menage series, "Love at First Bight," is a scorcher you don't want to miss. You can view the trailer for it on my website at: http://www.tymberdalton.com or feel free to stop by my MySpace page at: http://myspace.com/tymberdalton

Thanks!!
Tymber (Lesli)

Introduction

Well, I've meant to come out and introduce myself, but I've been so swamped I finally realized, ruh-roh, hadn't done it!

My name is Lesli Richardson, and my contemporary romantic novel, "Cross-Country Chaos" is under contract with BookStrand. It's not your typical romance novel. Kelly Alexander is a divorced mom of two boys. The younger, Denny, is eight and uses a wheelchair because he was born with spina bifida. In the process of getting him qualified for the Junior Nationals, she's introduced to handsome (and single) former Paralympian, Mart Rawlings. The question is, can Mart prove to Kelly that he's her Mr. Right and break through her wall of fear left over from a very nasty divorce to her cheating ex-husband?

It has love, romance, sled hockey, an ex-husband getting decked, and a cross-country trip drive from Florida to Washington state that would put any average person in the funny farm. What more could you ask? :)

As the mother of a wheelchair athlete, I wanted to write a book that would take the reader along for the ride and halfway through have them realize, "Hey, these are just REAL people like me." I've seen too many romance stories where the issue of disability is either treated in a "fluff" manner, or the writer flat-out got it wrong. (One book I won't name by a well-known writer kept referring to a man's everyday chair as a "racing" chair, proving they didn't do their research!) I wanted an accurate book that was also a fun read, proving that sometimes, the greatest disability is between a person's ears, not in their physical body.

I live in southwest Florida with my husband, son, and a houseful of misfit and neurotic animals. When I'm not writing I'm...well, I'm writing. *LOL* I'm lucky enough I'm able to pursue my passion for wordsmithing full-time now.

You can hunt me down and check out my other scribblings at: http://leslirichardson.blogspot.com or http://myspace.com/madmumbler and feel free to drop me an email.

Thanks!
Lesli.