Writer’s Corner is pleased to feature author Janet Elaine Smith who shares her tips about Seasonal Writing

SEASONAL HITS

Know your market. Sounds simple, right? Too often writers look at their targeted reader—by age, gender, genre, etc. But, too often we forget to look at the calendar in connection with our books. The time of the year can be the best marketing tool we have.

Some holidays, of course, are overdone. Saturated to the hilt. There are probably more tools aimed at Christmas than any one single day of the year. So, we will put that aside for the time being and over the next few days you will find a list of holidays (or seasons) that are often forgotten or ignored. If you are working on your next book, why not center it on a certain event or day? It will make it much easier to “plug into” that marketing tool.

September — Labor Day or Back-to-School

How about a romance with a workaholic? Could be either a man or woman. Or, how about an older-than-average student who is returning to college?

October — Halloween or Columbus Day

Halloween is the perfect setting for mysteries. Another good shot of getting a lot of good coverage for this is a children’s book of games, etc. which can be used for parties. With so many people worried about the dangers of the old trick-or-treat scene, this could hit the bestseller list if you put some creativity, research, and fun into it.

For Columbus Day, how about an historical that sends a young woman posing as a man who stowed away on the Nina, the Pinta or the Santa Maria?

--Janet Elaine Smith
Just Released: Dakota Printer
PageFree Publishing, Inc.
(and 12 other novels)

Visit tomorrow: November and December Seasonal Hits

Did you miss seasonal ideas for January through August? Check out our archives!

Learn more about Janet by visiting her website:
http://www.janetelainesmith.com
Also see Janet's marketing tools by visiting:
http://sosforauthors.tripod.com

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Posted by Susan at October 12, 2004 01:00 AM