Web Strategies For Writers (Part 05)

Case Study Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff

In part 05 of this series, Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff shares some of his tactics for leveraging the web to promote fiction.

You need to listen to every word this guy says. Mark has a rare mix of raw artistic talent (in multiple mediums no less), tech savvy, and industry connections.

Q: What are the three most effective promotional strategies you've used to grow your audience?

MYN:

• Trading promos with other podcast novelists. If you want to find that audience, let them know where you are.
• Playing promos and talking about my stuff on my other podcast, PCH. I've developed a pretty large audience there that often follows me to my other projects. So you can say the promotional strategy here is letting my fanbase know it's there and constantly reminding them. Posting updates on Twitter, etc… I personally call this "billboarding".
• Because I'm involved wit a lot of different things professionally, it's not uncommon for me to get a lot of interview requests. So no matter what interview I do, I always, always aim to slip in a mention of my current podcast novel, which in this case is "Transistor Rodeo".
  

Q: Over the course of an average week, how much time do you devote to the following activities: a) writing new fiction? b) podcasting your work? c) promoting your work? d) reading books? e) listening to podcasts? f) working a day job?, and g) sleeping?

• at least 15
• at least 10
• at least 10
• at least 7
• at least 7
• at least 50, but podcasting and creating podcast novels is my day job so factor that in accordingly with the others.
• at least 49

Q: In an age of podcasting, better e-book reading devices, and digital mediums yet to be invented, how do you think the business of publishing is likely to change, and how will these changes effect authors who want to make a living writing fiction?

MYN:

People still have a very "fetish-like" relationship with actual books made of paper. That is changing in that most young people do almost all of their reading on screens via the computer and even cell phones. The internet is now allowing global distribution and podcast novels are allowing fiction authors to develop fanbases without the help of big media. I believe with books, as with music and video, there is a very upward monetization track involving sponsor driven content given away for free. As the sponsors continue to flock to the net with their ad dollars, the most important thing will be for them to be able to present their message to an engaged audience. There is no doubt podcast novel listeners are very engaged.