I’ve been marketing my upcoming novel incorrectly for months. I’ve been calling my book, Revenge in Rome, a billionaire romance when it is in fact, a millionaire romance. Is one letter really that important? When it comes to reader expectations, it can be! Today I’m talking about tropes and how it can impact reader expectations and how you may want to market your book. And of course, how it made me completely pivot how I was marketing my book.
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Mandi Lynn published her first novel when she was seventeen. The author of multiple books, Mandi spends her days continuing to write and creating YouTube videos to help other writers achieve their dreams of seeing their books published. Mandi is the owner of Stone Ridge Books, a company that works to help authors bring their books to life through cover design and digital book marketing. She is also the creator of The Book Launch Planner, a planner designed to help authors publish and market their books. When she’s not creating, you can find Mandi exploring her backyard or getting lost in the woods.
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Title: I’ve Been Marketing My Book Wrong This Entire Time!
Search terms: book marketing, indie author, book publishing
I appreciate you highlighting the importance of reader expectations for a book vs the book’s reality (how it actually carries out the trope). I’m going to take a guess that I shouldn’t market my fantasy romance as “Princess x Knight,” even though technically the prince my FMC falls for has been trained as a knight and was, in fact, knighted.
Exactly! Marketing is all about what the reader expects to find, so if your book doesn’t meet the stereotypical trope, skip using it for marketing.
For me, my expectation when I hear “billionaire romance” is that the fact he is a billionaire has to be an important and significant part of his character and story. The story has to be seriously impacted by it, and if it isn’t, then it’s not important enough to market it that way. Like a mafia romance shouldn’t be marketed as such if that isn’t a central thing to the plot, otherwise its just the fact the love interest is in a gang, it’s just a job, like saying he’s a teacher or computer tech.
You say for him it isn’t, so I think you’re right about not marketing it that way. He’s just a love interest who happens to be really really rich. It comes up, it’s a fact about him, it might even impact decisions, like first class flying over a regular ticket, but it’s not super integral to the plot.
I think focusing on marketing it being fake dating is a great idea. It sounds like that is the main hook to the story. The fact they’re fake dating is a major plot point and integral to their love story.
The fact that the wedding is for the MC’s ex and the ex-friend he cheated with, and this whole thing started due to wanting revenge, is another great point to market with. I think lots of readers seek out that kind of story.
You have 2 very strong tropes to work with, I’m glad you realized before publishing that the billionaire romance trope isn’t a strong one for this book. I think you’re right about setting expectations and risking not meeting them.
Edit is for grammar fixing.
Exactly! He has a lot of money, and it is part of the plot, but not enough to be a “billionaire romance.” But yes, going forward I’m leaning a lot into fake dating and petty revenge because those two tropes really carry the story.
I’ve been trying to learn process on marketing cause I’m much better at focusing on writing, book trailers are fun but I see that as also story telling. Watching your learning process helps. Thank you. One day, I need to do the marketing part.
You should make Asher buy from Temu. You know, buying like a billionaire. 🤣
Anyway, that’s a really good lesson to learn. Thank you!
Even though it might have really influenced your marketing, I just hope it’s not in a very negative way. 😅
OMG 😆
Did you have a developmental editor or was that your copy editor that pointed this out?
One of my beta readers pointed out that him being a billionaire wasn’t realistic. Then me and my copy editor chatted about it back and forth for a bit and landed on the fact that he was a millionaire because 1- more realistic to his job 2- he didn’t like to spend money like a billionaire.
I had to go through a very similar process while writing the third book in my trilogy. I settled into millionaire romance, even though my MMC is going to be spending some serious money on those he loves throughout the series (even more so his FMC). I just knew I wasn’t writing an all out billionaire romance, so I also settled into using other keys to market it when it comes, and specifying he’s a millionaire who isn’t afraid to spend on those he loves. Because those billionaire romance fans are very feral for the billionaire money showers.
Hahahaa yes, exactly! Just because they make the money, doesn’t mean they fit the trope.
Heh. I have a friend. He’s worth probably about 50 million dollars. That’s my guess. He sold his company for $100 million. He lives in a very nice, but normal, middle-class suburban home. He flies first class. He never pays for our lunch when we get together. You’d never know he was so wealthy because … he only uses his wealth as FU money. I.e. He never has to worry about anything financial and he is beholden to no one, career wise. He teaches at the college level for fun. He’s a super nice guy.
Also, ladies, he’s in his 40s and still single. 😉
But, you are correct, a decamillionaire does not have a private jet or island.
I also am acquainted with the guy who invented those irrigation boots you see on trees everywhere. They live even more modestly. 🙂 (He’s taken + kids.)
I don’t think a reader should be expected to “do a lot of research” before they buy a book that is marketed to them as one thing when it ISN’T that thing. That’s part of the author’s job, not the reader’s. Ever. Marketing it to the wrong trope because it’s popular while not writing to said trope is point-blank false advertising, and on the same level as keyword stuffing. Definitely glad you’re swapping over to update the information before the book comes out.
I completely agree, which is exactly why I’m making these changes! 😊 I think when I started writing the book, it started as a billionaire romance (at least that was my intention), but with re-writes it slowly got away from that trope and leaned more towards something more subtle (millionaire) and of course fake dating.
Very interesting!! Sorry this happened but glad you are able to fix it. Each mistake is a learning experience and that’s how we grow. Thank you for sharing it to others!
I couldn’t agree more, it’s all part of the journey! 🙌🏻
Live and learn, right? But you caught it now. I think of Billionaire Romance as the person has FU money and isn’t afraid to spend so everyone knows he has FU money. It a fundamental part of their personality.