Katie Ganshert, Author at Katie Ganshert

Turning Buzz into Sales

Posted on December 12, 2011December 12, 2011 by Katie Ganshert

Lately, my thoughts have wandered into the murky waters of sales.

The other day, my husband and I were talking (we do that sometimes). He’d just finished reading an ARC of my debut novel, Wildflowers from Winter, and was excited about the story. So he asked a question most writers ask before publication.

How can we get your book out there?

My brilliant answer?

Word of mouth.

I know. Revolutionary thinking.

But seriously. Word of mouth is huge when it comes to generating a buzz.

Because let’s say my friend Sherrinda reads the book in Texas and she really likes it, so she talks to her friends and family. And my friend Jill reads it in Michigan and she really likes it, so she talks to her friends and family. And my friend Jenny reads it in Georgia and she really likes it, so she talks to her friends and family. And…you get the picture.

Then hubby asked another question.

How often does the buzz lead to actual sales?

My brilliant answer?

I have no clue. Because really, it’s impossible to quantify or measure. But I do know that buzz is a good thing. In fact, I recently emailed Jody Hedlund about the subject and she said this:

The more people we can get “talking” about our books, the more interest we potentially generate. And it often takes multiple times of seeing/hearing about a book before someone will actually decide to make the purchase.

What prompts a person to talk about a book? I can only speak for myself.

I buzz about books based on two criteria:

How much I like the story
How much I like the author

There. That’s it.

If I find a book that I absolutely love. I mean, stay-up-until-three-in-the-morning love. And on top of that, the author is someone I like. Well then, that is a magical combination. Give me that combination and I will buzz, buzz, buzz like a dutiful worker bee.

How we turn that buzz into actual sales is slightly more mysterious. Very much beyond our realm of control. So what’s a writer to do?

Focus on the things we can control.

Write the absolute best story we can write
Be likable (translation: be real and be nice)

There. That’s it.

Maybe not the magic key so many of us wish existed. But a pretty good place to start.

Let’s Talk: What leads you to buy a book? Not just talk about it or recommend it. Not just review it or be an influencer. But what prompts you to make a purchase?

Wildflowers from Winter Interview

Posted on December 9, 2011December 21, 2011 by Katie Ganshert

A few weeks ago, my publishing house had a big sales conference. As a fun way to promote my book, we did an interview. With me as interviewee and my husband as interviewer.

The original version had a lot more questions and back and forth banter, but since I am incredibly long-winded and six minutes is entirely too long for a promo video, they narrowed it down to one question.

What are my hopes for my book?

I hope you enjoy!

And just for fun, here’s an after-the-scenes interview snippet of me and the hubs. He was such a good sport through all of this!

Let’s Talk: Tell me what you’re up to this weekend!

The Fast Fall from Faith to Fretting

Posted on December 7, 2011December 5, 2011 by Katie Ganshert

Check this out.

When Abraham was just plain old Abram, God promised him a child. The dude’s old at this point. Way more likely to be kicking it with great grandpas than first-time fathers.

But God promises him a child and Abram believes.

Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith.

-Genesis 15:6

Although this promise was by all accounts impossible, Abram believes and God declares him righteous because of his faith.

Pretty awesome, right?

Yeah. Until chapter sixteen.

Can I just tell you that I love chapter sixteen?

I relate to chapter sixteen.

I am chapter sixteen.

Because here we have Abram, this righteous dude because he believes God will do the impossible, when bam! Abram and Sarai reveal their utter humanity. They try
to fulfill God’s promise with human hands. Just one chapter later, they turn into Peter. Focused on God’s miraculous provision one minute, the choppy waves of impossibility the next.

Sarai freaks out and gives Hagar to Abram. Abram sleeps with Hagar. Hagar bears Abram a child named Ishmael. Sarai gets all jealous, blames Abram for her problems, and goes all mean-girl on Hagar. Who freaks out and runs away with baby Ishmael and doesn’t come back until an angel tracks her down.

Sarai and Abram, in their attempt to ensure God’s promise, take matters into their own hands and make a big giant mess.

Do you know how much I relate to Sarai and Abram?

God makes me promises. Through His Word and the Holy Spirit, He makes me promises. And man, I believe them. I grasp onto them with confidence and awe and expectation. Until I wake up the next morning and worry seeps in. And in my worry, I try to accomplish God’s will by my own strength. By my own understanding. And inevitably, I mess it up.

But you want to know what’s amazing about God?

When Abram and Sarai dropped the ball, God didn’t give them a dismissive wave and say, “You two are obviously unworthy. Let me find two people who aren’t so messed up.” No. God was faithful. Even when Abram and Sarai weren’t. He kept His promise. He made them into Abraham and Sarah. And despite the impossibility, He blessed Sarah with a child. He gave them Isaac.

And through Isaac, Jesus. Our rescue. Our hope. Our savior. The only one who can redeem the ugly messes we make of our lives. The only one who can turn them into something beautiful.

Let’s Talk: Can you relate to Abram and Sarai? Have you ever tried to accomplish God’s will in your own strength and understanding?