Rave Reviews Book Club and Me

Today, I'm going to tell you a little bit about one of the professional groups I belong to, the Rave Reviews Book Club.  It is open to both readers and writers, and writers pay a small annual fee to belong.

I have to admit I was initially skeptical.  When my friend Stephanie Collins encouraged me to join the Rave Reviews Book Club, I had my doubts.  I didn't know if I wanted to spend some of my limited marketing budget on joining an author group.  I'm pretty involved with another group I love, so I wasn't sure I had the time.  But in the end, I decided to go for it.  I have a new book coming out soon, and I figured it was worth a try to raise my online profile and make some new writer friends.  I am glad I did.

First, it's educational.  You get to see how people who've been in the game a long time market their work: how they blog, how they tweet, etc.  You get exposure to genres you never knew existed written by people with diverse perspectives living all over the world.  You may get to participate in things you've never done before, like being a guest on a podcast or attending an online chat about a book you've read.

It's also fun, at least it is for me.  It turns out that I really enjoy promoting other people's stuff.  The Club is all about being a team player.  You read and review each other's books, at least 4 a year.  When someone needs promo help, you help them.  When it's your turn to need a boost, they are there for you.  Checking out people's Amazon pages and coming up with something clever or sweet to say about them is fun and rewarding, and it improves your skills at selling your own stuff.  You get to feel like you helped a fellow writer each day, and that is a good feeling.  You also pick up twitter followers like crazy.  There are often little contests with prizes, and if you are involved, you have a good chance of winning.  And it honestly doesn't take up that much time.

Then, of course, there's where the rubber meets the road: does it help your sales?  Well, in my case, it definitely has.  I'm not raking in the dough or anything, but I sold more books the first month I was a member than I had in a long time.

If you are looking for a group to join to help you with marketing, this is a good one, as long story you are willing to put in the work of supporting other people.  If you aren't,  it isn't going to work for you.  If you like to read,  it's a fun way to meet a lot of talented indie writers.  Hope to see you there!