If you’re like me, you feel that once you have written a story or novel, your job is done except for telling a few friends about it and perhaps floating a note or two on the Internet. After all, the Process and Result of Creation is the main thing and anything else is boring work that belongs in the prosaic, trivial world of business. Let the PUBLISHER worry about promoting your work. REAL writers exist in a rarefied realm far above such petty concerns and shouldn’t worry about them. Their integrity depends upon not getting contaminated by the practical and vulgar world of the marketplace. Right?
Alas, no. The truth is, that sometimes promotion may be even more important than writing, and the writer ignores it at his or her peril. The need to promote one’s work is an urgent one because of many factors, the main one being that often there seems to be an infinite number of writers competing with you for the reader’s attention and the buyer’s buck.
I was reminded of this fact last week when I visited a local Barnes & Noble. I had tried to arrange a book signing there but without success. However, the CRM (Community Relations Manager) said she’d order some copies of my novel. When I went there, I was pleased to find two copies of Speaker of The Shakk in the Science Fiction and Fantasy section. However, that doesn’t mean that they’ll sell. In fact, judging by the high number of competing titles (it was a little like searching for a needle in a haystack), it probably won’t sell unless I promote it. Mundania Press produces a fine, professional-looking product, a 6 x 9” trade paperback with good stock and a striking cover. But the price of my book, $12.95, is steep. If it came to a choice between my novel and an Orson Scott Card paperback for $6.95 or $7.95, which book would you buy? That is, assuming you noticed my novel’s hiding space on the fourth shelf in row two in the first place?
Yes, folks, you’ve got to promote.
As I implied in my very first sentence, I don’t like to promote much. Also, to be frank, I don’t know much about it. However, for the benefit of beginning and developing writers (and aren’t we all developing?), I thought I’d mention a few of the things that I am doing to sell Speaker of the Shakk. This essay will therefore be sketchy and incomplete, the work of an apprentice promoter. Feel free to add other promotional techniques and methods in your comments after reading this. While my suggestions concern mainly books, they can be applied with lesser force to shorter works such as short stories (I once had a book signing at a Barnes & Noble for an erotic horror story that appeared in Hot Blood.)
One more point before I post my brief list: The publisher should promote your work too, make it possible for you to sell. Let’s assume you find a publisher that among other things, (1) gives you a good cover that grabs and interests the reader, (2) provides an astute, sensitive editor that helps you to polish your writing and avoid problems such as plot inconsistencies, (3) has your work posted on Amazon, Fictionwise, and other sales venues, and (4) advertises your book and sends it to various reviewers.
And if your publisher doesn’t do some of these things? Well, that means you have to work harder and be even more resourceful in promoting it yourself, doesn’t it?
Okay, here are some of the things I’ve done to promote Speaker of the Shakk.
1. First, I arranged for book signings at a local Borders and Barnes & Noble on two different days later this month. Both CRM’s have ordered 25 copies, and the stores promote a little by listing you on a calendar or announcement of events. However, whoever looks at them? At least one of the stores designs a sign.
2. At the signings, I will have a free 8½ by 11 inch promotional sheet listing two of my novels plus purchase info. Yes, I know a postcard or perhaps a bookmark would be better, but as I said, I’m a beginner. I have also taken this sheet to some local libraries, where I’ve arranged for it to be available.
3. I teach at a university as large as a small city. I arranged for a friend there, a tech
specialist, to post a “Message of the Day” announcement of my signings in Campus Announcements, our daily online newsletter. It will run repeatedly between now and the signings, and will be seen by every faculty member and staffer at the school who logs on. In this case, multiple postings can be crucial. If you see something once or twice, you may forget it. Three or four times, and it’s more likely to catch your attention.
4. I called the individual who handles events for the local paper and asked him if he could put in an announcement for the Compass. I then e-mailed him requested materials and information. (It didn’t hurt that several years before, the newspaper had done a great story about me sparked by the publication of a book of short stories by Dark Regions Press.)
5. I’ve promoted the novel on various Yahoo groups I belong to. To mention just one, An_Alternative_Read encourages writers to post excerpts of their novels and to provide blurbs and the like. I’m not sure how effective all these groups are, but you can also use them to invite members to your web site and urge them to post comments to your blogs. Some writers run contests and give away prizes and free electronic copies online.
Okay, that’s my “starter” list. Feel free to add other suggestions, such as networking at cons, public readings, trailers, RSS feeds, a writer fanzine sent to a subscription list, and so on. Perhaps in an ideal world, the unaided word would be mightier than any sword, capable single-handedly of selling itself to the masses. But in this world, the difference between an unread book and a commercially successful one, is often the writer who has a well-thought-out marketing plan and is willing to spend the time, money, and sweat to promote the book even before it’s gone to press.
12 Comments, Comment or Ping
Wayne Allen Sallee
I’ve never been happy with self-promotion, I guess, because I see too many people who overdo it, and then they get disappointed if the promos didn’t help. One thing I did for the upcoming trade of THE HOLY TERROR was make business cards of the front cover. The back side is blank, but only because I wanted to see if I’d be handwriting anything on the back, like other books I’m in, etc., for people I give them to. But the printer keeps the original archived, so the next set might include a backside with ordering info. I’d rather use smaller cards as bookmarks than the ruler-sized ones, so there’s a suggestion I am offering up to you. You seem to have it covered pretty well, though, John.
Jul 14th, 2008
Dave Wilson
I think what bothers most of us about the promotional aspects of writing is that when you are promoting, you aren’t writing…the more you promote, the less you write…the less you promote, the less point in writing - because who will read it? It’s a double-edged sword-of-irritation…
Good plan, I think, John. Lots of authors plan signings, but if you leave the spreading of the word on those signings to the publisher, you’ll spend a lot of time thumbing through copies of your book and smiling hopefully at folks who had no idea you were there, trying to coax them to stop at the table.
D
Jul 14th, 2008
Thomas Sullivan
Though I loathe self-promotion, I’ve never had any trouble getting on local media, connecting with book people, and the like, I’ve grown cynical about the whole process. In today’s Internet-driven, mass communication world, the sophisticated public who actually read books are pretty numb to cold pitches. I tend toward what Wayne said about using cards, and then only as a follow-up to people who have shown interest in the fact that you are a writer. I know a lot of writers will argue with this, and firmly believe their efforts have measurable effects, but short of big-money promotion, I doubt it. I’ve never clicked nationally or internationally all at once, but I’ve clicked gangbusters in regional markets simply by word-of-mouth or media appearances, sometimes not directly related to the book. Give me a TV or radio talk show, and I seem to score in its demographic. But that’s just a spark looking for more kindling. My Grail would be a publisher putting me on a media book tour. Not likely to happen unless you make it big time first. The old Catch-22. And then there is the serendipity factor…
– Sully
Jul 14th, 2008
Gerard Houarner
Yeah, so many of us seem to struggle with this aspect of the “business” that requires a certain amount of performance skills and charm (”I’m not an actor, Jim, I’m a creative writer!”) Having “stuff” at readings sometimes helps — bowl of candy, “valuable prizes” or little toys. Helps break the ice, draw people to the table. It’s also nice if you can get a friend to drop by periodically at the table, to draw people in (theoretically, like a three-card monte set up, lure them with a shill). First reading I attended featuring Sarah Langhan, she’d baked cookies for everyone(and the place was packed!).
Jul 14th, 2008
Ann Martin
the problem is that your publisher should be the one getting books into bookstores, not you. Unless you personally visit the stores in your area you’re unlikely to sell more than what you can do personally through booksignings and the like.
some small presses get a distributor who actively works to sell the books to the stores - which means that the author can sell books far beyond the local area. It can be done but some small pubs either don’t “get” that they can sell more this way or don’t want to do more than sell books primarily to the authors for resall purposes. It’s not quite the vanity press scam but close to it. If your publisher doesn’t have a distributor and an active sales force trying to get your book into bookstores then I’d look for another publisher in the future that provides these services. It’s just too much for one person to do; sell their books across the country one bookstore at a time.
still… good luck and Godspeed!
Jul 14th, 2008
John B Rosenman
Thanks for your comments, guys and gal.
Wayne, like you, I’ve never been happy with self-promotion. Thanks for the suggestion about the business card.
Dave, how true. The more you promote, the less you write. Today I spent two hours taking my flyer about book signings to libraries. How much time did I lose writing?
Sully, I’m with you. Give me a media book tour set up by the publisher any day, preferably with travel by jet and reservations in four-star hotels. I share your cynicism and skepticism. Still, you gotta do something. The business of the world is sales.
Gerard — a bowl of candy, huh? Would that be nose candy? And baked cookies? I do expect/hope that a few friends of mine will drop by, and I’m performing a halftime magic show. My biggest trick will be making a profit out of this whole business.
Ann, thanks for the reality check and good wishes!
Jul 14th, 2008
Janet Berliner
An eternal problem for writers. I suggest you go back to Lucy Snyder’s last several posts which add greatly to this discussion.
–Janet
Jul 15th, 2008
John B Rosenman
Janet, I did read them. After all, the one on July 13 came just before my own. They’re both excellent, but I chose not to discuss them because I wanted to leave the door open for other suggestions — like yours.
Yes, many writers are shy, introverted, and the like, and it can feel cheap and demeaning to hawk your wares and pimp your works. Regrettably, it’s necessary, but I have to admit a personal aversion to it. Also, to be frank, I haven’t done it much. It IS important, as noted, to pick your slots and not go too far. If you do, you become something else than a writer.
Jul 15th, 2008
Janet Berliner
Here’s an easy one. Send an e-mail to everyone on your list asking that, whenever they enter (or pass) a bookstore, they place your books with the cover facing the store. It helps. –J.
Jul 15th, 2008
Gabrielle Faust
Book promotions really and truly is a full-time job if done well. I completely underestimated how much time I would need to devote to it. However, I have a background in promotions and marketing so it comes easily and I find it interesting and fun.
Jul 18th, 2008
Lincoln Crisler
Promotion can almost be a second job, and while I don’t mind getting my hands dirty in and of itself, I hate the time it takes away from my writing and my family. I’ve handled this topic on a guest blog a few months back:
http://abunchofwordz.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/behind-the-scenes-with-lincoln-crisler-pt-iii-struttin-your-stuff/
and a related topic, web design and blogging for writers on my own site:
http://lincolncrisler.com/?p=121
Hope these manage to help someone else… they’ve been quite popular elsewhere.You seem to be getting on much better with Barnes and Noble, by the way… I can’t seem to schedule signings at more than one branch in the same month… they seem to think they’ll be competing with one another, though they have obviously different customer bases. Ah well… one store at a time I guess.
Jul 21st, 2008
John B. Rosenman
Thanks for the links, Lincoln. I’ll check them out.
My signing with Barnes & Noble fell through. They had me on the schedule but the CRM’s husband got a job elsewhere and she left. My books hadn’t been ordered, or they had been ordered but something fell through. They said they’ll reschedule, and I’ll see that they do.
Afterwards I went to Borders to see if everything was copacetic with THAT signing this week. It was, and I got the Assistant Mgr. to put a couple copies of my novel in the window.
After I came home, I called to set up a half-hour radio program on Yours Truly. The interviewer’s interested, so that’s a new project.
John
Jul 21st, 2008
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