Shameless, but clever?

Asking for votes is not something I like doing. I'm more of the same school as the person on Twitter who posts his secret of social media marketing: if you are promoting Fightclub, do not talk about Fightclub.

So, I'm lagging woefully behind the Wake Up Celebrity Author Contest leaders (a business book and a horoscope story) who are obviously better at marshalling friends and strangers to show up and vote.

Voting involves awarding one-to-five stars for the cover art, the title itself, and the blurb. It's a way of proving that you (the voter) were there. You are also encouraged, but not obliged, to leave a comment in praise of the author. Self-promo in the course of the comment is fine, as long as the comment is approximately about the author, too.

I commissioned a video, as you may see.

I don't think it is helping very much, but I'll tell you a secret. You can promote a video on YouTube through the Google Adwords program. I'm paying .10c per click. I've had two clicks.

ROTFLMAO. Okay, that's not going to help me scale this wall of woe, but here's the thing. I've had over 9,000 impressions. For 20 cents!


I haven't checked on the effect on my sales... I really ought to, oughtn't I? But I do have a second book in the contest, which is acting as a sort of "control" because I have not asked anyone at all to vote for it (and this is not a hint).

Surprisingly, it is getting votes. Well, the contest ends on the 25th September 2009. In the meantime, I've got a few financial incentives being posted around the web for voter (for Insufficient Mating Material). There will be a random drawing for voters who leave a keyword in the comments box.

One contest is being run on Keta Diabolo's blog.
http://ketadiablo.blogspot.com/search/label/News

Another is being run on Gather

Another is being run on the Raven Happy Hour blog
http://ravenhappyhour.com/ravenblog/?p=971

And I have a Dorchester contest, where one lucky person could win all four of my books, autographed.


Today is International Coastal Clean Up day. My best wishes and eternal gratitude go out to everyone who is picking up human waste (trash, I mean) on the world's beaches, also to everyone who refrains from loosing balloons into the sea, and everyone who cuts up the plastic things that hold six-packs together.

Today is also the start of Rosh Hashanah. My best wishes to everyone who is observing a religious or holy festival this weekend.

Rowena Cherry