project
dianne romain, authorLeveraging the Web and Social Media to build a following ahead of publication.
laying the groundwork for success
In 2017 Dianne Romain was planning for publication and promotion of her novel, The Trumpet Lesson.
At the time, the title for the novel was still tentative, the publication date and publisher unknown; but Romain knew that it would be important to put energy into promoting the book before it ever hit the shelves. She realized that her intended audience might be interested in the process of storytelling and getting the story out there. She also knew that the fact she lives in a picturesque village designated a UNESCO world heritage site would add to interest in her novel, where the story is set, and in herself as an author.
We began work on her new website, first with a proposal that included an overview of content, then some ideas for design. Obviously, a photo of Dianne standing in front of her village would be the perfect heading for the site. In the spirit of telling the story of her as an author as well as the story of her novel, we chose to enhance the site design with photos from the village, as well as blog posts describing her life there. Dianne also wrote about the process of writing, publishing and promoting a novel, and continues to do so through social media and in her blog.
The Trumpet Lesson was published September, 2019, is an award winner in the Women’s Fiction category of the 2019 American Fiction Awards, won the Silver/2nd Place award in the 2020 Feathered Quill Book Awards Program for the Women’s Fiction category, and is already receiving excellent reviews on Amazon and Goodreads!
Find Dianne Romain on Indiebound
SERVICES
- Set up hosting and site software
- Design and build site
- Prepare graphics, edit photos
- Optimize for search
- Connect to social media
- Embed YouTube videos
- Assist with setting up Amazon author info
My writing coach Sarah Lovett recommended I get my author’s site going before securing a contract for my novel—and she recommended that Jack Arnold design my site. Boy am I glad I followed her advice. It’s never too early to start promotion—especially if you’re an author without an established platform. And working with an experienced site designer like Jack got me happily into the swing of promotion.
Jack’s a fabulous photographer, so naturally he had great ideas for photos. He also had great ideas for content. And Jack encouraged me to come up with design, photo, and content ideas, too. It’s been wonderful working with Jack setting up the site and adding news throughout The Trumpet Lesson’s publication and book launch journey. And I get lots of positive feedback on the site from visitors, too.
-Dianne Romain