It’s time for us to add a few new members to our flock, but I wanted to chat with my original adventurers first! Y’all have been amazing. Patient and full of grace as we’ve worked out some of the kinks and learned together about marketing In the Shadow of Jezebel.
Yay, Waterbrook/Multnomah!
Most of y’all are aware that I’m with Waterbrook/Multnomah for my next two books, Pharaoh’s Daughter and Miriam. I’m looking forward to working closely with Shannon Marchese (editor) and Amy Haddock (marketing), and they seem very excited about WB/Mult’s first venture into biblical fiction.
Hooray, BFFs!
On June 10th, Amy presented the marketing package for all WB/Mult’s spring releases to their sales team. Pharaoh’s Daughter was among them, so Amy and I worked together in the days leading up to the conference to prepare a concise snapshot of the story that would knock their socks off!
I wrote a devotional, a magazine article, and the design team created an AMAZING cover (which you’ll see soon!). Another part of that preparation was answering questions about YOU! Yep, WB/Mult. is extremely interested in my BFFs and the amazing job you’ve done in helping promote my books!
The folks at WB/Mult wanted to know what a BFF does, how our team functions, and what benefits I’ve encountered as a direct result of BFF participation. I created the following document that I felt defines Good and Great BFFs, making creativity and initiative the nuanced difference between the two.
WHAT MAKES A GOOD BFF TEAM MEMBER?
- Someone who loves God’s Word and is passionate about a deeper understanding of its culture, characters, and stories.
- Someone who will submit a review for Mesu’s books to online retailers or reader social sites: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, ChristianBook.com (CBD), Books-A-Million, The Book Depository (International sales), Goodreads, NovelCrossing, or Shelfari.
- Someone who is connected to other readers (either through online reader sites—like Goodreads.com, BookFun.org, or NovelCrossing.com—or community/church book clubs). Or even those who work at a library—church or public.
- Someone who is comfortable sharing his/her opinion with others through word-of-mouth or online social media.
- Someone who is faithful, trustworthy, and encouraging—the BFF team is a group of friends growing in relationship with each other and with the Lord Jesus Christ. Though our primary purpose is to share our common enjoyment of reading biblical novels, we also occasionally share a personal prayer request that is to remain confidential among our members.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT BFF TEAM MEMBER?
- Someone who is willing to write a blog post (400-750 wds) representative of a lesson learned from Mesu’s most recent book.
- Someone who generates new ideas for BFF Team contests.
- Someone who posts on his/her personal blog to promote Mesu’s books (and other biblical novels) through book reviews, contests, and/or devotional thoughts.
- Someone who shows creativity in promoting well-researched biblical novels. Start a church book club. Have a Broken Vessel Pottery Party. Start a Biblical Novel Pinterest Board. Great ideas are as unlimited as the God who gives them!
A Few Changes…
It’s been fun getting to know our BFF members, and I feel blessed to have such an active team. We have only seventy total spots for BFFs, so I’m advertising ten open spots (that’s assuming all our current BFFs remain). We’re purposely keeping the number small to maintain camaraderie. Our Facebook Group has seemed to gel, and we’d love to have more of you join in prayer there!
Several of y’all have voiced a desire to do more, to generate more ideas on how to spread the word. So, we’ve discovered a fun way to do that!
Angie has created a Google form with blanks for each member to enter in his/her promotional activities for the week. When you submit your form each week, two things happen.
- You can click a button to see what creative ways other BFFs are promoting my books! It’s a great way to share ideas with each other.
- It will also serve as a simple weekly contest. Everyone who records their activity will automatically be entered into a drawing for a small prize. (Yes, we’ve learned our lesson on complicated contests!!!)
We’ll begin using the new forms when the new members come on board September 1st. More details in my August post!
Promotional Activity? Huh?
Weekly “promotional activity” can be as simple as mentioning one of my books on Facebook, Twitter, or sharing a pin on Pinterest. Or maybe you’d like to write a devotional to share with the team, post a review to an online retailer (Amazon, CBD.com, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, NovelCrossing, Books-a-Million), or highlight your favorite quotes from the books in your e-reader (if your e-reader is set to share, others will see your highlights!).
If you’re not a social media nut, you could share bookmarks or recommend my books to a bookstore, library, book club, friend, or family member. All these are “promotional activities,” and you can check out a few more suggestions on our BFFs Only webpage (https://mesuandrews.com/mesus-bffs/) –but the possibilities are limitless!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
More than anything, I want to take this opportunity to thank you for being a part of my first-ever BFF Team! You’ve made my first leap into team-based marketing a true joy, and I appreciate each one of you!
I do, however, want to be sensitive to your time constraints and changing life demands. If anyone feels he or she needs to step off the team, now is the time to make that decision. The application process for new members begins August 1st, and we want to have an excited and active team in place for March.
Contact Angie or Me:
If you need to step off the team for any reason, please let Angie (aearndt@gmail.com) or me (mesu@mesuandrews.com) know as soon as possible.
Thanks again for all your encouragement, hard work, and support.
Comments 15
I’ve really enjoyed being on the BFF team. The new changes sound like a good challenge and a great way to share ideas.
You have taught me so much about the publishing process.
Thank you for including me on the team!
All of you ladies are great 🙂
Amanda Geaney
I’ve loved getting to know you over the years, Amanda. You bring an energy and creativity that inspires me. You get more done in a day than I do in a week! Love you, woman!
Love love love being a BFF! Thanks for sharing ideas on promoting. I think the spreadsheet sounds like a fabulous idea and I cannot wait for your upcoming releases!
Thank you, JoJo for being so faithful. I remember seeing your name for the first time on Novel Crossing and then on Goodreads and then on… You are that reader I want to be! 😉 Your sweet sprout shines through each encouraging post. Blessings, dear one.
Mesu & Angie, being part of the BFF team has been such a blessing for me. I have so enjoyed the books, friendship and opportunity to share. Angie, I am working up to a blog post:) I never miss the opportunity to share how wonderful Mesu’s books are whether it’s a review or sharing at Church, Bible Study, my business networking group or my business partners (yep, I have a pretty massive email list and many are women, and I ask the men to pass the info on to their wives and daughters!). Heck, everyone who knows me knows that He is number one in my life. I’m blessed to work in a place that doesn’t frown upon sharing that:) I will continue to do everything I can to support you. I pray for all of you daily and love you bunches!
Michelle, your comment made me smile. You’re not only a great BFF, you’re also doing exactly what Jesus called us to do! Live out loud. Simply talk to folks about the things most important in our lives… which should be Him, right? What a joy you are top work with. I’m so thrilled you’ll continue to be a BFF!
Mesu, one of the things I really love about being a BFF is your enthusiasm for life and how willing you are to share that with us. I live your books and I love the way you share your writing journey with us. I’ve learned so much and have really come to appreciate the hard work that ones into writing good biblical fiction like yours. Thank you.
Oops auto correct on my words has changed some of what I wanted to say! It should read that I love your books…and end with the hard work that goes into good writing like yours.
Author
Hahaha! Don’t you just hate that auto-correct thing! Happens to me all the time on my cell phone. 🙁
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed being a part of the team, Jenn, and that you’re staying! Thanks for your encouragement about my books, posts, and writing journey in general. You’re a blessing! 😉
I have loved being a part of BFFs and I love your books. Please keep me on the team. I tell others about your books all the time. I try to point people to your books to patrons of our church library. I like learning how you write and the help you give. I enjoy the devotional posts and wish I could do one. Maybe I’ll work up enough courage to do one. I especially like being able to ask for prayer and know that y’all are praying for me and I can pray for you. All of this makes you more of a real person than a celebrity.
Author
Everyone on the team stays if they’d like to, Connie. We’re happy you’ve been a part of the team and thrilled to have you continue to pray for other members and share your excitement about my books! Please don’t feel any pressure to write a devotional, but know that we’d love to have you do that if the Lord leads you in that direction. Thanks for your sweet heart. 😉
I love being a part of BFF. It has been a blessing and an honor to join you in this endeavor. I have long been a part of the publishing business but it has been fun to learn this portion of it. You are an amazing woman with a special calling and I love being part of spreading that message. God has truly used you to inspire a deeper relationship with His word.
Author
Lynn, it’s been so great to have you as a part of the team. I’m thrilled to hear you’ve enjoyed it too! Looking forward to our continued journey together, gal! 😉
Hey Mesu! I’ve been in the middle of our family’s relocation from FL to TX (Houston area). My hubby has taken on a new ministry opportunity at a church in Dayton, TX. I am excited about jumping in full force now that we are a bit more settled. Our house still hasn’t closed but we are patiently waiting and soaking up all God has for us in this season!
I can’t wait to work on The Pharaoh’s Daughter! I’ve been telling everyone in my path about your books…one friend went out and bought every single book you’ve written thus far and is now maybe your biggest fan and is spreading the word!!!
Thank you for your gift and for sharing it with us!
Author
Well, congrats on a new season of life, Jennifer! Woot! It’s always exciting–and a little scary–to begin in a new area with a new calling. You’ve been such an encouragement to me, and I’m thrilled to hear about your friend! How fun is that? Keep us posted on your transition and how you like Texas! The Houston area is a fun place. A dear writing pal, DiAnn Mills, is from that area. Thanks so much for being a great BFF!! 😉