P is for Promotion
Okay, so you wrote a book, it was accepted by a publising house, and was released. Congratulations! That's a mile stone! Now the real work begins. Actually, you should have started this part of your writing career before the book ever came out...but hey, you're at it now. :)
Promotion is essential to get you and your book out there and known. And even if you have a publisher that does a wonderful job in this area, your input is vital.
A few things to get you going would be linking to blogs, creating your own website, joining reader/writing groups, adding yourselves and following fan blogs, doing up your Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, befriending authors…these are all free resources an author can use to promote.
PROMOTING THAT COST MONEY
Radio spots
Newspapers/Magazines
Bookstores
Ad space on genre specific sites
Promoting your baby can be exciting and it's easy to be enticed into spending a lot of money on this, so keep in mind that you want to be sure you'll earn back what you invest. Be realistic.
LOW COST PROMOTIONALS
Create a website/blog: There are many “free” builder websites out there. Put your website/blog link in your email signature with a small picture of your cover and a one-liner from your novel. Post excerpts of your writing on your site; discuss what’s in the future for you and what you’re currently working on, etc. Inform the public.
Business cards: Have your website/blog, Twitter, etc. link on there so people know where to find you. Hand them out to friends to pass along to their friends. Always keep a couple of them with you wherever you go. These are also great to hand out at book signings.
Join reader/author loops: Yahoo has hundreds. You can post excerpts and book covers to spark the attention of readers who are there for that reason. You can connect with publishers, editors and other authors who write in your genre.
Arrange book signings: Depending on where you are published, this may be arranged in-house or you may have to do it yourself. Go to bookstores and inquire in person. Making the effort to attend in person creates a more personal impression than a telephone.
Create a book trailer: There are several programs out there that let you make your own if you'd like to take on the task. Post the trailer on uTube and advertise it on your website. Some review sites advertise these too.
Author pages at review sites: I write romance novels, so I really only know some some of the sites for that genre. Deep In The Heart Romance, The Romance Studio, Coffee Time Romance, and Manic Readers are just a few. They all offer “Author Pages” where you can set up your own page and showcase your work Search the net for genre specific review sites.
Run contests: Make announcements on your author loops that you’re hosting a contest and what they could win. Ask friends to announce it on their blogs, websites, and writing sites.Wherever you are a member, shout out your contest.
These are only a few ideas of you can do to promote that work that you poured so much time, love, and energy into. If there's something that has or is working great for you, please share it with us!
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2 comments:
Fabulous post Charlene! The best part is you can do a lot of those things as you write or as your waiting for a release date. You're right to make sure one doesn't go overboard with the promotions that cost money. While they might seem to be the best way to reach people on the surface, if you break the bank then it doesn't help you at all in the long run. :) Great tips and advice!
It's even worse if you self-publish. I have a friend who's got too books out there and she does an amazing job of self-promotion.
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