THERE’S A BOOK IN YOU!

WEEK 10: PUBLICITY AND PROMOTION PART II: WHAT YOU CAN AND SHOULD DO!

If you’ve just joined us this blog is about getting that book idea from your head to the shelf . Last week we talked about some of the important promotional things that you can do with your publisher. This week we’ll explore some of the many things that you can and should do on your own. This list is by no means exhaustive and I would encourage everyone to be creative in your marketing approaches. Talk to other authors, attend BEA (the national book convention which this year will be held in Los Angeles) to get an idea of what other authors are doing to publicize their book. But the most important thing is to do something, don’t just wait for your publisher (or publicist, if you have one) to do all the work. Promoting a book is an active “sport” and one where you’ve got to be the one to roll up your sleeves and get it done.

The following are just a few of the basics that you should do:. (1) Create a web site and/or My Space page. This is very important in terms of creating a place where you can post information about yourself, your book your upcoming signings and of course put in place viral marketing. This is frankly an area where I wish that I had concentrated more resources on, and will for my next book. Web marketing can be a powerful tool and increasingly “A” list authors are using their sites and web marketing to generate substantial sales;. (2) Set up book signings in as many cities as possible. You can approach local book stores or the chains through their Community Relations person at each store, to see about setting up signings at the book store or what are called “off sites” where you have the book signing at a friend’s house, restaurant etc. and the book store sends someone to “vend” the event.

These book signings take some leg work and time on your part but they’re worth it. I’ve found that the “off sites” which are done as a book party at a friend’s house with their guest list usually work particularly well. You’ll generally have at least 30-50 people and most people will buy one and sometimes several books. At the book signings I would suggest that you read a passage from your book and then discuss your journey in getting the book published. (3) Submit your book to on line reviewers and major Black book clubs (not the book of the month type above) but some of the larger Black book clubs with hundreds of members. These clubs also receive submissions from hundreds of authors but it is worth at least reaching out to them because if one of them does pick up your book it’s great word of mouth on top of the sales. (4) Meet with local book clubs, these are the book clubs that friends or colleagues are a part of or can recommend you to.

Often there may be less than ten members, but again the positive word of mouth plus the guaranteed sales make book clubs great marketing vehicles. (5) Reach out to local radio, print and magazines in your area. Get out your rolodex and make a list of anyone that you know who may know someone at any local or national media outlet and get a copy of your book to them. This is essentially what PR agents do, but if you do it yourself, at least you know it’s being done.

A note on PR agents, like anything else some are good, most are not. Before you spend a lot of money on a PR agent (because they’re not cheap and they never guarantee results) I would suggest that you only go with one who has been recommended by someone who has had positive results with that agency promoting a work similar to yours.; (6) back to what else you can do: submit your book for awards, most rewards have entry fees but again if you win, or are at least nominated, it’s great publicity; (7) Submit your book to the local public library and if they have author panels or discussions with authors try and be a part of those. Libraries can be important vehicles in establishing reader loyalty. Finally, shamelessly promote your book to everyone that you meet. Have cards made of your book cover with your website and contact info and pass them out liberally.

These are just a few of the many things that you can do to promote your book, but if you do most if not all of these you should be on the way to really getting the word out! Next week we’ll talk about some of the other alternative platforms for promoting your book. If you’re interested in more information about my novel A DEAD MAN SPEAKS, check out my website at www.adeadmanspeaks.com or you can email me at adeadmanspeaks@yahoo.com.

Lisa

Dear Author

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday season. I’m finally back after an extended vacation, which included too much down time, way too much food, and not nearly enough writing. But it’s back to the old grind. I’ve decided to dedicate today’s post to something I’ve been wanting to address for a long time: requests for advice and help that many authors get from aspiring writers.

I get a lot of these emails, which I have no problem with. I’m always happy to help. I’ve spoken to writers groups, book clubs, and libraries about writing and publishing. I always try and give people resources for further info. But what I can do is very limited.

For instance, I got an email from someone about a week before Christmas telling me that they were going to be in town on a certain day and wanted to know when I would be available to meet with them to answer their questions about publishing and writing. I didn’t know this person from a hole in the wall. I politely wrote back and told them that while I was more than happy to answer any question they had via email, I was not available to meet with them in person. I didn’t get a response back, which didn’t surprise me.

A lot of people aren’t really looking for advice. They’re looking for the almighty hook-up, or at the very least they want someone to read their work and declare them the next big thing. In short, they think I can help them get published. Well I have news for you: Most authors, myself included, have absolutely no power to help anyone get published. Some of us are barely published ourselves. But, here’s what I can do:

1.I can give you the contact info and submission guidelines for my publisher.

2.I can share how I got published, for what it’s worth, since everyone’s journey is different.

3.I can recommend a list of websites, books, and blogs on publishing and writing.

4.I can come talk to your writer’s group, book club, etc.

5.I can recommend mystery authors to read and books or articles about the mystery genre.

Here’s what I can’t do:

1.I cannot read your manuscript. In these litigious times it’s just unwise. Plus, if I read everyone’s manuscript I’d have no time to work or write.

2.I cannot refer you to my agent. This is a very touchy question that puts an author on the spot. I mean, would you refer a complete stranger whose work you were unfamiliar with for an opening at your job? Because that is in essence what you are asking when you ask an author to do this for you. You are asking us to put our reputations on the line for someone we don’t know. Of course they’re are exceptions to this rule. If you are already published, established, have and agent and are looking to switch, or you’ve already been offered a book deal but have no agent to negotiate for you, you can usually find someone willing to make a referral for you.

3.I can’t give you advice on genres I don’t write in. I’m a mystery writer. I don’t know squat about romance, poetry, or nonfiction. But I get tons of emails from people who write in these areas. I can only give them limited help.

Here are a few tips on how to approach an author for help.

1.Be aware that most of us have day jobs and families on top of our writing deadlines and may not have time to give you immediate answers to your questions.

2.Never be rude! Publishing is a very small world. If you do get published and have been rude and difficult, it gets around and can have a negative impact on your career.

3.Give some indication that you know who we are and are familiar with what we write.

4.Always say thank you! Honestly, out of every ten emails I answer about publishing and writing I get maybe one thank you and that’s no exaggeration.

I hope this post doesn’t make it sound like I don’t want to help people because that’s the furthest thing from the truth. But no one can do it for you. You have to create your own destiny and chart your own course. All I can do is help point you in the write —yes, I spelled it that way on purpose—direction.

Have a good one!
Angela

MY "TO DO" LIST FOR 2008

Hey Everybody,

I’m the Crime Sistah who pretty much did a disappearing act for 2007. But I’m back!

These days, I’m gearing up for the release of my third novel, Murder on the Down Low, which is scheduled to go on sale July 1, 2008. While, I’m anxious to move forward with another project, I can’t seem to let the book go, so I tweak, and tweak and tweak. Soon, I’ll have to say, enough is enough.

I want to share my list of New Year’s resolutions in the hope that by making them public I’ll stick to them. Luckily, I only have five. I vow to:

Spend daily time in prayer and meditation, even if I only have five minutes. I have so much on my plate at the moment that all I seem to do is throw balls in the air and hope that they don’t come down. Well, no matter how busy I think I am, I’m going to start the day out giving thanks. So far, so good for 2008 on this one.

Exercise at least three days a week, even if I can only find 20 minutes. Didn’t meet this goal for the first week of the year, but I have 51 more weeks left.

Read my snail mail at least once a week. I’m an email addict. If you send me an invitation via snail mail, don’t expect to see me at your event. (Thank God for electronic bill pay!) I now have a bucket of mail that I vow to read before Saturday. We’ll see.

Blog once a week. (I promise!)

Continue to pursue my passion: writing legal thrillers. This one is a sure bet!

Pamela Samuels-Young

Respect the writing time

We've all had this experience. A loved one calls during prime writing time and wants to ... just chat. About nothing really.

Those plaintive pleas - "You don't spend enough time with me" - can really break your heart. But how do you quantify "enough time"? And, more importantly, how do you stretch that quality time when you're basically working two full-time jobs? Can someone tell me? I'd really like to know.

A significant other keeps up a running commentary while you're desperately trying to figure out if your characters' dialogue works. Does the dialogue have enough emotion? Does it move the plot forward? Well, maybe you'd know - if your loved one wasn't wondering out loud where he'd left the television remote.

We've all been there. And we'll be there again. It's not that we don't love our families and friends who feel like family. We want to continue to share in their lives. We don't ever want to lose touch. But at the same time, we need to protect our writing time to the very best of our abilities.

It's all about the writing. Writing is a calling; not really a choice. If I could turn it off and on, trust me I would. In a heartbeat. And I'd help my husband find the remote. That's much easier than trying to craft The Breakout Novel on a deadline.

But I can't turn off the call to write, so I'll just sit over here and continue to train my loved ones to respect the writing time.

Patricia