We were lucky to catch up with Sherron Elise recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Sherron, thanks for joining us today. How has Covid changed your business model?
At the beginning of 2020 my writing career was on a fast track and I had a couple of public author appearances scheduled but it was cut short when the world shut down due to the pandemic. I no longer had the opportunity to meet new readers and promote or sell my books face-to-face. It was then that ZOOM video conferences came into dominance I had to do my best to promote and market my books through a digital space. It has its pros and cons. Video conferences allows authors to still connect with readers through virtual book club meetings and live discussions. But there is nothing like having face-to-face connections. I missed that and I will admit my book sales suffered a bit. It wasn’t a total loss because I also made great connections with strangers through social media.

Sherron, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
As a teen I suffered from low self-esteem and depression. Reading books and writing short stories and poetry was my form of escape. It was somewhat of a coping mechanism for me, in addition to prayer. As an adult I look back over the things I’ve experienced while growing up and sometimes implement them into my novels. I feel readers will be able to relate and connect with my characters who experience situations such as betrayal, infidelity, low self-confidence, etc. It is also the reason why I created a podcast for college women called The College Christian Chat. In a sense, I have the best of both worlds. The podcast is a resource for young college women, while my novels serve to encourage, entertain and inspire adult women.

There is nothing more satisfying than to receive a message on social media or through email from a reader or podcast listener, telling me that my book or something they listened to on the podcast served to motivate or encourage them. It’s so rewarding.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I started to get serious about my social media presence in October 2018 and by October 2019 I built up a larger following by being consistent with my posting, as well as being mindful about posting engaging content. I learned the key is being aware of your followers tastes and interests. It wasn’t easy and there were times when I’d grow frustrated when I posted something for engagement but I’d hear nothing but crickets. I also remember the 80/20 rule in which your social media feed should be 80% engagement and 20% sales. Flooding your social media feeds with product boosts and promotions is a sure way to get unfollowed or have people simply scroll past your posts. Once you build a connection, I believe people are more confident in purchasing your work or products.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I was a bit late to the game when it came to using sites such as Fiverr, Canva, and Vistaprint. Those sites are amazing when it comes to creating graphics along with other marketing materials.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sherronelise.com
• Instagram: @sherronelise
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/sherronelise
• Linkedin: Author Sherron Elise
• Twitter: @sherronelise
• Youtube: The College Christian Chat