Let’s just put this out there—the weakest link in my writing journey is promotion and marketing.
But I’m learning.
And part of that learning was to join The Australian Romance Readers Association (ARRA)‘s A Romantic Rendezvous. This was a multi author event across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth—a huge amount of work for a volunteer organisation that supports Australian romance authors. So, a big shout out to them for their ongoing support.
Author signing events are becoming increasing popular in Australia. Essentially, you get a bunch of authors in a room and then invite readers to come along and say hello. Usually, you’ll have one or two headline authors to attract visitors, but many readers come along to meet authors they’ve read and liked, to buy signed copies of their books, to discover new authors and, in the case of A Romantic Rendezvous, new genres.
As an author you sit at a table with your writing history spread before you hoping you’ll attract some interest. You can opt to share a table or have your own. I opted to share and found myself sitting beside the marvellous Maggie Kay, a successful dark romance author. Maggie’s sister, author Jasmine Stevens—contemporary and rural romance—had come along to support Maggie, so I was able to pick up tips from both of them.
Maggie’s book covers were a striking contrast to mine (see photo on webpage), and as some readers said—”it’s the cover that gets me every time”.
Most readers did a full circuit of the room, chatting to authors along the way, then a second circuit when they’d decided on their priorities. Not everyone was there to buy a print copy; some readers were happy to discover an author then add to their e-book collection, although some authors had special print editions purely for author signing events. Luscious versions with colour, beautiful paper and extra illustrations.
Something I should have known, but was struck by, is that as readers of English, we read from left to right. Readers approached the tables the same way, speaking first to the author on the left. Maggie was always first, and observing her style and professionalism saved me from making rookie blunders.
The authors in the room were upbeat and happy to share the ups and downs in their writing journeys, to bemoan the fact that as a historical author, historicals seem to be going out of favour having experienced a high for a few years, but to be interested in emerging trends—”I’ve noticed readers gathering at the paranormal/fantasy/dark romance tables”.
We write because we want to tell our stories, in my case, contemporary romances with heat and heart. That passion isn’t dependent on sales, but sales show that readers want to hear what we have to say., and that gives you a buzz that can’t be replicated. I was blown away when one woman stopped at our table and said “you’re on my list” Wow!
Would I do it again? Yes.
Would I choose to share a table? Definitely.
Did I sell any books? Not as many as I would have liked. More than I thought I might. My top sellers were Taylor’s Law & Grace Under Fire—The Anderson Sisters.
Best part? Unabashed sharing of our joy in reading and writing romance.
Note: Getting my ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) together:
ARC readers get advance copies of new releases with the request to post an honest review on one of the major sites, for example, Goodreads, Bookbub, Apple, Amazon, Kobo or Barnes & Noble.
If you’d like to be an ARC reader for my upcoming books you can sign up to Booksprout, where you’ll have a choice of my book or the books of other authors.
Alternatively, you can contact me directly via the contact link on my website. Let me know a little about yourself. I always post the blurb for my next book on the My Books page of my website, so have a read of that and see if Masquerade is a story you’ll enjoy.
By agreeing to be part of my ARC team, you are in no way obligated to leave a review on any site, although I’d appreciate it. I welcome all reviews, good or bad, as long as they are honest.
Find me on
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/romanceauthorjen/
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jenniferrainesauthor
- Goodreads—https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22577889.Jennifer_Raines
- Bookbub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jennifer-raines
- Diana Kathryn Penn’s Indie Reads Aloud podcast has recordings of me reading the opening 20 mins of my books:
- Lela’s Choice (episode 143)
- Planting Hope (episode 101)
- The Anderson Sisters (episode 54 Taylor’s Law and 80 Grace Under Fire) http://www.dkpwriter.com/indie-reads-aloud-podcast.html
You can also contact me directly via the contact page on my website if you have any other questions.
Jennifer Raines 