Shaun Loftus - Marketer
Florence, Italy
An American in Italy, leading a dual life. Writer, editor and theater director with a solid background in digital media and advertising.
Request a quote
Verified identity
Overview
I am an artist, writer, and media specialist - with a 20 year background in digital media and marketing. Working with authors gives me the chance to combine my deep love of artists and writers with my marketing background - helping to give authors the time to do while they do best while helping them to achieve their goals.
In my career as a corporate marketing specialists, I have helped online companies achieve SEO Page One rankings in google for their keywords, helped to take their companies from earning hundreds of thousands to millions per year, and have develop ongoing marketing strategies from Adwords to email to large scale media purchases. I have now stepped out of the corporate environment and have turned my attention full time to arts and literature - my current clients are enjoying Top 10 Amazon rankings, thousands of page reads per day, and sold more than a thousand books during each of our last two promotional cycles.
Because of my background in the arts, I am especially keen to the struggles an artist (of any kind) faces in getting their work out into the world. Writers (or actors, or dangers, or musicians) want to do the work they do best - promoting that work is a different skill set and can be overwhelming. I can help. Contact me, and let me know what your goals are. To sell a lot of books? To get your message out to the world? To form lasting connections with your audience? Whatever your goal I can help you develop a strategy to get where you want to go, and can even walk the path with you. Feel free to contact me to discuss your project.
Best Wishes,
Shaun
Services
Fiction
Children's Picture Books
Historical Fiction
Inspirational
Plays & Screenplays
Non-Fiction
Law
Technology
Work experience
Marketing Strategist
Self-employed
January, 2012
–
Present
(about 7 years)
Gratia Digital provides programming, site development and marketing strategy for online companies, retailers, individuals, and artists.
In addition to writing winning copy, my work has included site development, user interface development, SEO, SEM and media purchasing across platforms ranging from AdWords, Facebook, Twitter and PPC /PPM publishing platforms.
Artistic Director
FESTA Florence
November, 2007
–
Present
(about 11 years)
FESTA Florence is an international theatre company located in Florence Italy.
As artistic director, I have directed more than 2 dozen shows, raised a generation of young actors, edited and developed scripts and been responsible for email marketing, print graphics, logistics and more.
Projects
Born to Be Different
Born to Be Different is a charming children's picture book, released in time for Christmas 2018.
For the launch of B2BD, we opted for a 5-day free release. During it's launch period, this books obtained 3 days at #1 in Children's Lit in the Kindle Store. More than 2,000 copies were 'sold' in the week leading up to Christmas, and in its post-sale period, B2BD is ranking in the top 50 of its main genre.
The launch plan included Facebook page and profile, a Facebook ad campaign, AMS, BookBub PPC and a narrow but effective promo targeting the most prominent promotional sites with strong lists aimed at younger readers.
The Rookie
The Rookie by Trina Riggle is a mystery title featuring an ex-sports star turned amateur sleuth. Trina hired me to determine whether or not this title was worth relaunching (it is), to determine in what ways a 2012 title would need to be updated, and to give her a marketing report to define her category and keyword selection, market viability, and closest competitors.
In addition to providing a marketing strategy for a relaunch, I was employed to give brief editorial coverage with an eye to period-specific anachronisms. The Rookie is a terrific book, and Trina is hoping to rewrite and relaunch early this year.
Cybertraps
Author Frederick Lane is a legal expert engaged in privacy issues related to digital technology. His book "Cybertraps for Expecting Moms and Dads" languished in the Amazon basement, garnering little attention. We were able to raise its profile through careful selection of keywords and more tightly finessed category selections.
As a published author and lecturer, Fred had little time to pay attention to his self-published title or his online profile. I provided services including - though not limited to - updating his Amazon profile, rewriting his blurbs and descriptions, setting up Facebook and Twitter profiles, and reviving an unhealthy email list. We test marketed Cybertraps for Expecting Moms & Dads across multiple platforms, assessing it for market viability (low) and creating a plan for 2019 which will involve expanding his readership by paying better attention to market demographics.
Fred is primarily interested in his long-term profile as an expert in his field than in single title success. Our next steps will include a refit of his website and better automated social media interaction across all platforms. He is currently updating Cybertraps for Educators, which will be our main project for spring 2019.
The Mystery of Julia Episcopa
The Mystery of Julia Episcopa will be one year old next month. Over this last year, it has sold more than 10,000 copies of the ebook, a thousand copies of the paperback and several hundred audiobooks.
We have been happily sitting in the top of our bestseller lists, including Italian Historical Fiction and Religious Historical Fiction. During our promotional periods, we are frequently the #1 Best Seller in our genre.
For this title and these authors, I assist with developmental editing, historical research, and tasks inclusive of layout and design. I oversee their social profiles, their Amazon pages, built their website platform and have curated a strong and active email list.
We are currently working on Book 2 - The Testament of the Scribe - due out in April 2019.
Acqua Morta
"Six people, trapped in a crime they didn’t commit, will have to rediscover the fundamental truth that what is done cannot be undone."
Acqua Morta is an Italian supernatural thriller, set in the Dolomite mountains of Northern Italy. I was the projects first developmental editor and saw it through it's Dec. 2018 launch.
The book hit the paid charts almost immediately, but to promote it worldwide, we opted for a 5 day free period before Christmas. During this promotional period, Acqua Morta hit the Italian best-seller lists for all genres in the Italian Kindle store (topping out at #36), as well as #1 in its main genre of 'supernatural thriller'. In addition, we hit #1 in Italian foreign language fiction in the US.
Currently, at full price, the ebook is in the top #20 in all related genres and in the top 5000 of Amazon.it overall.
Portfolio (6 selected works)
The Mystery of Julia Episcopa (The Vatican Chronicles Book 1)
John I. Rigoli, Diane Cummings
In ancient Rome, a woman flees for her life. Her enemies are those she once called ‘brother’. Hidden beneath her blue cloak are secrets men will kill for – forgeries that prove the newly self-appointed bishops are not followers of the way, but pretenders who have seized power and will stop at nothing to shape this new religion to their own ends. Now, Julia – a woman who had once walked with Ma... read more
Acqua Morta: Romanzo Thriller Soprannaturale
David Ballerini
Le ombre del passato hanno molto da raccontare e molto da nascondere, e nessuno è senza colpa - c’è sangue, tanto sangue, nell’acqua.Appollaiato tra le vette delle Dolomiti, l’Acqua Morta era stato un tempo un albergo lussuoso e uno stabilimento termale famoso in tutta Europa per le doti quasi miracolose delle sue acque. La fonte termale si era però improvvisamente e misteriosamente seccata su... read more
Born to Be Different!: For all the special little kids in the world!
John Ignatius Rigoli
Ollie didn’t know he was a big weirdo… not until the day other kids made fun of himOllie went home and he put away his costumes. He put away his capes. He closed the door on the special world he created and said goodbye to all the friends only he could see. Ollie was going to be “normal” - no different than all the other kids in the world. No one would ever laugh at him again!But Ollie had a p... read more
Dating, Love, Sex, Marriage - in the Digital Age!Are you expecting? Do you know someone who is? OR … do you someday HOPE to be? Whether you are eagerly awaiting your little bundle of joy or are still swiping left in search of the perfect mate, technology is now a critical -- and constant -- part of modern reproduction.Digital devices, apps, and the Internet offer obvious benefits: easy sharing... read more
Cybertraps for Educators
Frederick S. Lane
Cybertraps for Educators offers teachers and school administrators a frank and sobering look at the various legal risks they face from the use and misuse of electronic devices and social media. Covering a wide range of contemporary topices -- cyberloafing, cyberbaiting, loss of privacy, harassment, sexting, etc. -- this timely book explores the myriad challenges that technology poses for today... read more
The Rookie (A Hale Mary Mystery Book 1)
Trina Riggle
Hale Seton is no stranger to the locker room.With six overachieving athletic brothers and a few snowboarding medals of her own, Hale understands the concept of competition. That’s why when she sets her sights on the most brutal competition of all—professional athlete management—she has every intention of succeeding at it.But her aspirations suffer a setback when she finds her first client dead... read more
Explore the Reedsy Community
Reedsy is a community of top publishing professionals. Join Reedsy today to browse 1000+ profiles.
Michael Doane
Michael Doane is a marketer and web developer who loves to help authors build their platforms and connect with their audiences.
Baltimore, United States
