The biggest game-changer this month was my foray into Facebook advertising.
I spent £4 on my first ever paid advert and it generated 241 clicks, 9 likes and 24 people offering to review The Sheriff. I'm trying to reach 50 reviews by Christmas.
Normally my Facebook posts gain little to no interaction, so clearly a tiny bit of investment allows for greater visibility and a welcome boost in engagement.
My first advert was so positive that I paid for two more £4 adverts: one to encourage people to sign up for my newsletter (17 clicks, 14 likes, 3 new sign-ups) and one to promote my interview on Margaret Egrot's blog (24 clicks, 15 likes).
Based on these results, Facebook adverts have mixed success but I will continue to experiment.
What else have I been doing?
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I spent £4 on my first ever paid advert and it generated 241 clicks, 9 likes and 24 people offering to review The Sheriff. I'm trying to reach 50 reviews by Christmas.
Normally my Facebook posts gain little to no interaction, so clearly a tiny bit of investment allows for greater visibility and a welcome boost in engagement.
My first advert was so positive that I paid for two more £4 adverts: one to encourage people to sign up for my newsletter (17 clicks, 14 likes, 3 new sign-ups) and one to promote my interview on Margaret Egrot's blog (24 clicks, 15 likes).
Based on these results, Facebook adverts have mixed success but I will continue to experiment.
What else have I been doing?
- I read and loved The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark. This is the first book in a new fantasy trilogy, with detailed world-building and an original, almost poetic, narrative voice.
- I also read and reviewed Cast Off by Margaret Egrot, an ingenious collection of stories inspired by the women in Shakespeare's plays.
- I continued to edit Breadcrumbs 2. It will contain 18 stories, of which 17 are pretty much good to go. However, I still need to write one final novella, which will share its name with the real title of the collection.
- Finally, I was interviewed by author Margaret Egrot on her blog, Writing and Breathing. I talk about The Curse of Besti Bori and give advice for aspiring writers.
If you would like Simon to review your book then check out his Review Policy for more information. Sign up to Simon's newsletter to hear more about his reading and writing projects.