Jim: Today we’re going to talk to an author who used many of the things we discuss here on Novel Marketing to launch her career. Melissa Ferguson writes heartwarming romantic comedy for Thomas Nelson and is also an adjunct professor of the New Testament. Her debut novel, The Dating Charade, releases on December 3, 2019.
Thomas: Give us your origin story.
Melissa: I graduated from Asbury Seminary, and my husband had a sudden job relocation to Ohio for what was supposed to be six weeks of construction management. I went with him. I was in an extended stay hotel for 12 hours a day with nothing to do.
One day, part of a Twilight movie came on television, which I had made fun of before. I decided to read all four books in four days. When I finished, I walked into a grocery store and saw a girl with a vampire bite tattoo on her neck. I thought, “Stephenie Meyer has impacted the entire nation. Wouldn’t it be incredible to write something adventurous and fun and romantic, but also meaningful, drawing on what I learned in seminary?” I had nothing else to do, so I started writing to see what would happen and fell in love with it.
I wrote for 12 hours a day. What was supposed to be six weeks in Ohio turned into a year, always with the promise of “just a couple more weeks.” I never got a job. I just wrote for an entire year.
After a few years, which was way too late, I decided to go to my first writers conference, the Philadelphia Christian Writers Conference. I had 16-week-old twins at the time. We drove through the night, got there at 7:30 in the morning, and I jumped into the classes with my twins. It was the most encouraging experience. I won an award there from Maria Everson, which gave me the encouragement to attend my first ACFW conference a few months later.
Jim: You submitted some of your writing to the Philly conference?
Melissa: Maria Everson had a contest with Believers Trust. I submitted 30 pages beforehand and went on stage to accept my award wearing one of my twins. Having an agent or editor say, “There’s potential here,” meant the world.
Shortly after, I got an agent, Jim Hart at Heartland Literary. The book I’d been working on was speculative fiction, but I shelved it and pivoted to heartwarming romantic comedy.
My agent sent it out in May, Thomas Nelson picked me up after three or four months, and I signed the contract in October.
Why isn’t your first book the one that launches your career?
Thomas: A lot of people assume that the book you spent a year locked away writing would be the book that got you published. Your first book is almost never the one that takes you to success. One of the things that holds authors back is being too in love with their first book to set it aside and take everything they learned into the next one.
Jim: Some listeners are thinking this was a fast track from “I should write” to getting a contract. But look at the hours. You were putting in 12 hours a day. If we consider the 10,000-hour rule, you probably reached that in a year.
Melissa: It was actually about seven years total. I graduated seminary around 2011. I spent four years working on that first book and didn’t want to change it at all. Sometimes you have to let it go and work on the next thing.
How did you build an email list of 3,000 subscribers?
Melissa: I discovered the Noavel Marketing podcast about a year ago and have listened to almost every episode. Your episode on creating a reader magnet was huge for me. I was able to create my free e-book for $19 using Pressbooks for the interior formatting. I made my own cover and spent $200 on editing.
Thomas: People could download it in exchange for their email address. What impact did that have?
Melissa: It was huge. I had about 40 subscribers after a year of trying to grow my list on my own, and those were friends and family. Offering a free e-book gave me the confidence to justify asking people to join my newsletter. Saying “I have something free for you” is a huge mental shift.
My manuscript was about to go to pub board at Thomas Nelson, and I wanted more than 40 subscribers on my proposal. I did two weeks of aggressive Facebook advertising with the message “Click to get my free e-book.” I gained quite a few subscribers quickly.
Since then, I’ve done BookFunnel promos, InstaFreebie, newsletter swap shoutouts, and put the link to my free e-book on my Facebook page, Instagram, and email signature. I’m up to about 3,000 subscribers, and it’s been five months.
Thomas: In the first seven days, you went from 40 to around 700 subscribers. How much did you spend on Facebook ads during that first week?
Melissa: I spent about $70 a day for two weeks. My mindset was that this was going to pub board and I needed subscribers. A conference costs about $1,000, so I had money reserved and figured I’d get a good return because it establishes me. I haven’t had many people unsubscribe. People from advertising and BookFunnel really stick around, reply to my emails, and engage. Now I do $1 a day, and I like seeing it grow.
Thomas: That’s very impressive to a publisher, especially for a novelist. For nonfiction, 3,000 people is on the small side. For a debut novelist in the traditional world, that’s unheard of. A lot of novelists feel like they have to have their first book out before they can build an email list, which is not true.
Jim: It’s evident from listening to you that you went into this with a business mindset, not just “I’m a writer.” You’re a businesswoman setting up your career from the start.
What’s the pitch for your book?
Thomas: In our last episode, we talked about elevator pitches. Give us the pitch for The Dating Charade.
Melissa: I’ll say that with Red Carpet Summer, I struggled to nail down what the book was about. Sometimes the more marketable a book is, the easier the pitch rolls off the tongue.
The Dating Charade is about two people who go on a knockout first date and tell each other they don’t want many kids. They come home to find three kids dropped in their laps each. They don’t want to tamper with their new relationship, so they hide the kids from each other while they try to sort it all out.
Thomas: That’s a fun hook. You know exactly what the one hook is, and there’s a lot more in the book that you don’t mention. Have you ever given your pitch in an actual elevator?
Melissa: I have. At ACFW, I saw an editor I’d tried to get an appointment with walking toward the elevator. Nobody else was around. I scurried up to her and we both walked in. I asked if I could tell her about my book. She pressed the button for her floor, and I had about four seconds.
Give yourself grace. This was for Red Carpet Summer, and I basically said, “It’s about a girl and she goes on a cool trip. You should read it.” She said, “Okay, email me.” Editors are really nice at these conferences. Don’t be scared to approach them.
What did you do to distinguish yourself from other authors?
Thomas: Of all the things you did to stand out, what made the biggest difference when it came to wooing a major publisher?
Melissa: With this book, I listened to the editors when they said what they’re looking for.
The Dating Charade is my third book. The first two times, I wrote solely what I wanted without regard for what editors might want. This time I was mindful. If they want 70,000 to 80,000 words, if they’re looking for contemporary romance, if they like a certain format, I worked with that.
I love You’ve Got Mail. I wanted to create a book with that feel. I realized I could work with that, so I wrote what I loved in the format they loved. Pay attention to what people want.
Thomas: In the original Peter Pan book, which is nothing like the Disney film, the Lost Boys each have a private chute they fly through to get in and out of their hideout. They adapt themselves to fit their chute, so when the pirates chase them, the pirates can’t get in. But one Lost Boy gains weight and adapts the chute to fit him instead. The pirates get in, and it’s a disaster.
Authors do the same thing. We try to find readers for our novel rather than adapting our novel for readers. That mindset shift is the key to success.
Chris Fox, one of the kings of the indie world, talks about writing for the market. It’s not about making readers like your writing; it’s about writing books that readers like.
Jim: If a mousetrap has never been invented, you’re not going to make the big hit by inventing one. You’re going to succeed by making a better mousetrap. You said you love You’ve Got Mail and wanted to write a story with that vibe. Anyone who knows romance immediately has an association. They can see it. When you add a twist, it becomes very appealing.
I did the same thing with The Man He Never Was. I pitched it as Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde meets the movie The Family Man. People immediately start to get a feel for what it is.
What would you tell yourself seven years ago?
Thomas: If you could go back in time and give advice to your past self, what would you say?
Melissa: First, go to a writers conference. Do not hesitate. Do not finish your book first. You will learn so much, you’ll make author friendships, and it will be a game changer.
Second, the writing journey is complicated, and I’ve had to turn down opportunities that weren’t right for me, smaller opportunities with red flags.
Seek out other authors’ guidance. Authors are friendly. Don’t be afraid to ask people, and be cautious with the steps you take. Don’t jump at every first opportunity. If a “publisher” wants you to pay $10,000, there are better options where you can do it yourself.
Thomas: You ended up with HarperCollins. By waiting and doing it right, you didn’t take the shortcut. There are indie publishing scam artists who charge a lot to do what you can do for free on Amazon. If someone offers to put your book on KDP for $10,000, know that you can do that yourself for free. It’s not complicated. It was good that you took the more difficult path.
Featured Patron
The Embers Series A hurricane and a series of unexplained fires hits too close to home. What will it cost inspector Cassandra McCarthy do to protect the citizens of Silver Heights? “
Sponsor
5 Year Plan to Become a Bestselling Author
This plan was crafted by Thomas & Jim to be step by step guide through the first five years of your writing career. Learn each quarter what to do to succeed and avoid the mistakes that hijack the success of most authors. Learn more at NovelMarketing.com/courses.
