Doesn't It Just Get Your Goat?

Recently I spoke about marketing, gimmicks, and being a savvy consumer. 

As I mentioned before, “gimmicks” affect everything we buy–from the simple to the complex. Marketing tools and tricks abound. Many of the purchases we make are based on desire, eye appeal, and internal/external expectations. Distributors know that if they play on our sympathy, we’ll usually cave. If they convince us we need it, we’ll have to have it. If they tell us how it’s going to change our lives for the better, then we’ll probably buy it and maybe 10 more. And prior to the pinched economy, sometimes functionality and cost weren’t even deciding factors in our purchasing decisions!

Well, of course (being a writer), I’m very aware of how all of this affects me. I’m no longer just the savvy, cost-conscious consumer. I’m now the person who’s going to eventually try to sell you something. And believe me, I’m going to use every tool at my disposal to market my books. Here’s how I plan to do it:

• Say what I mean. Mean what I say.
• Deliver what I promise. Quality counts. Without it, I realize “word of mouth” can be the death knell.
• Be transparent and approachable. Wanna talk turkey? Well, heavenly days, pass the mashed potatoes and pull up a chair!
• Never take you for granted. I can think of dozens of products on the market over the years whose peddlers got too comfy doing this very thing. Guess where most of those products and marketing campaigns are now?
• Write books that continue to glorify God and lead others to seek a relationship with His Son. My characters may have struggles, but so do we all.
• Keep Christ at the forefront. I’m not preachy, perfect, or pretentious. What you see, my words that you read–this is pretty much how I am in “real life.” I want to remain His humble servant.
• Pray. I want the light of Christ to continue to shine through me. I will seek His direction in all things, and prayerfully, stay in tune with His answers. (Even the tough ones.)
• Share the love. Since I write faith-based romance, of course this is what you can expect from me. My stories will remain God-focused, Christ-centered, and Holy Spirit driven. Ladies, you’ll be able to read them proudly with your teen daughters/granddaughters. Gentlemen, you can crack open the pages with your wives–no matter how long you’ve been married, I guarantee, there’s nothing as romantic as keeping the romance alive!

Doesn’t it just get your goat (yes, we say it in the Ozarks a lot) when you feel you’ve been had? Duped? Played for a sucker? It certainly does me. That’s why I wanted to tell you up front what you can expect from me.

I’m the type of person that who likes to dress a tempting table, deliver the steak and gravy, and have my guests talking about dessert long after the dishes are done. I want you to enjoy the milk–not just stand beside the goat.

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What are you choosing to be intentional about today?