The other day I came across a wonderful article http://www.examiner.com/writing-careers-in-seattle/categories-key-words-and-tags-oh-my-why-should-an-author-care about the usage of tagging for our books and more importantly, our ebooks.
This information comes at a good time for me because Night Bird is scheduled to release soon. Shopping in the Kindle store or on a Nook isn’t the same as perusing a stunning array of books in a store where you could it pick up and skim through to see if you were interested. Obviously the trick to selling an ebook is guiding potential readers to your novel. How else are they going to find you?
When using an electronic reading device, you’re probably searching for a certain author name you’ve typed in, or you followed the suggestions that appear from previous purchases that send you on your way. Tagging cuts the search into smaller, doable chunks.
Like: *taken from above article:
Fiction [324,671]
Fiction–Mystery&Thriller [43,629]
Fiction—Mystery&Thriller—Mystery [9,700]
Fiction—Mystery&Thriller—Mystery—Historical [73]
Okay, so I would tag Night Bird as paranormal, because I don’t want to upset or disappoint anyone when they discover my heroine is an angel and my hero is…deceased!
Another good tag word I think I might choose is redemption. I had considered faith but again, I don’t want to give the wrong category selection and end up with an unsatisfied reader.
Some other tags I might try: sea captain, whaling & sailors.
If you've got time, I highly recommend reading the article by Jennifer Conner in Seattle Writing Careers Examiner. There’s so much excellent information for a newbie like myself that I've bookmarked the story so I can absorb it in small doses. Coming up with the right tags will most likely require practice. I’m not sure if you can fine tune a tag once it’s been submitted or not. But undoubtedly it’s a very important part of marketing that needs to be learned.
And like anything else, the more we do it, the easier it will become. (I hope.)
Tereasa, what a great topic! I never understood the importance of tagging until my first ebook came out. Thanks for the reminder and link. I'll bookmark it, too. And here's to much success for you and NIGHT BIRD! So happy for you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Annie! It took me a bit to remember to tag my blog too. But every little bit helps. Glad you came by!
ReplyDeleteSo good to see Loralee! I'm slow to learn all this 'puter stuff; it's definitely mind boggling and interesting. Looking forward to seeing you at retreat!
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the good wishes, Loralee! LOL. I am very nervous. : )
ReplyDeleteI read this article too Tere...it's interesting. I tag and like books along the way on Amazon...and I try and like blog posts if that's an option to up ratings there too. Funny how all this little bit of extra clicking can help the blog owner or author up their chances at being seen!
ReplyDeleteGood point, Christine. Tagging really does have its benefits. I love hitting that thumbs up button! Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteExcellent blog, Teresa. Your example of how tags narrow the selections is great. Also you're right about using tags that truly point to what's in the story or blog. To mislead is to turn off a potential fan.
ReplyDeleteNice to 'see' you, Maris! And thanks for your comments. More than once I'd gone into a book with the wrong assumption and that can be disappointing. So happy to learn more about tagging and such. : )
DeleteI will definitely have to check out the article. I'm also trying to learn this "stuff" but if can be mind-boggling. Good post, Tereasa, and I'm looking forward to the release of Night Bird. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Lucy! I agree, so much to learn and so little time (it seems) when trying to juggle all the elements of writing. Thanks for commenting and looking forward to seeing you at retreat. : )
DeleteThanks for the info, Tereasa. Very useful. Looking forward to owning a copy of Night Bird, too.
ReplyDeleteAll the best, Annette
Thanks Annette! I can't wait either! LOL! And it'll be fun to get your review as well. Looking forward to retreat and all the brainstorming! : )
ReplyDeleteGreat advice, Tereasa! I'm just learning how to tag on Amazon and such and see it's value. I can't wait to read Night Bird! I'd like a signed copy too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer! I really appreciate you coming by and commenting. I'm hoping Amazon is easier to learn than Goodreads. Very confusing site. A signed copy, of course. LOL. Just have to figure out the Kindlegraph....
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see you and catch up! : )
Thanks for the article link. I've tagged my books but I never knew WHY I was doing it except to help with search options. Maybe the article will help me streamline what I need my tags to say!
ReplyDeleteHehehee, exactly Linda! I never knew why either so when friends asked me to tag or like, I did without question. I think you'll find the article very helpful in guiding readers to your stories. Really glad you stopped in!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Thanks for the link, too. Makes a lot of sense. Looking forward to your book coming out.
ReplyDeleteThanks Diane! I think so too, especially after it's broken down like that, I can definitely see the advantage of adding tags. Thanks for coming by and comenting!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Tere. It's an interesting article. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it, Dawn. And thanks for stopping in. : )
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