Becoming A Somebody When You're A Nobody:
Spreading the Word About Your Book
By MaryJanice Davidson
Getting a book published is your basic mixed blessing. On the one hand,
take a bow: you've done what 99% of the population can't. On the
other hand, it means your work, which you assumed was finished when you typed
"The End," has just begun.
Perfect example: my sixth book, ESCAPING THE SLUSH PILE (www.fictionworks.com),
came out this summer. This is the book I wish I'd had ten years ago; it
chronicles everything: queries, synopses, conference etiquette,
approaching editors, contracts... a must-have if you want to get published.
I've been working on this book for years, and now it's available. You'd
think I'd be thrilled. And you'd be right. But frankly, my first
thought was, "Yikes, another book to promote." I can hear it
now: Oh, poooooor MaryJanice! How awful for you! Gee, maybe you
should-- I dunno-- quit complaining about a problem that isn't actually a
problem, you ungrateful cow!
Okay, okay, jeesh, no need to get so nasty. But you're quite right; this
is a problem that's wonderful to have. Hopefully this article will help
you around that problem; I'm going to take you through all my book promotion
steps. Everything I do/did to promote ESCAPING, I'll list here.
These steps can be applied to any book, in any genre. Because, like most
writers, I don't have an endless budget for promotion. Most of my
publishers are small press, and they don't have endless budgets, either.
I was flipping through Romantic Times Magazine last week and came across an
ad for one of my books. I nearly fell off the couch; I'd had no idea my
publisher had taken out an ad. It was a thrilling shock-- I was so used to
self-promotion it never occurred to me that anyone else was trying to promote my
books, too. While it might sound negative, that's exactly the mind-set you
should have. Pretend no one in the world is going to do thing one to
promote your book. Then take action.
Whether you can spend ten grand or five bucks, there are dozens of ways to
get the word out. Here are just a few.
First: this article. I'm a regular subscriber to the Absolute Write
newsletter. When I read they were looking for articles, I sent them this
one. It's a reprint from an article that originally appeared on another
website. So: hardly any work (it was already 95% written), and gobs
of free publicity for ESCAPING THE SLUSH PILE. You'll notice I've managed
to work the title into this column three times already. Shamelessness, thy
name is MaryJanice. Seriously, while this article was great fun for me to
write, and hopefully a tool for you, the reader, it's also getting the name of
my work out there. And that's what it's all about: name recognition.
Second: more articles. I was also asked to write an article for THE
ROCK, the weekly newsletter for www.paintedrock.com.
The theme of the article? You guessed it: escaping the slush pile.
You don't have to wait until you're approached to write something (if this is
your first book, it could be a long wait). If your book is non-fiction,
approach websites or magazines that might be interested in hearing about your
topic. If it's fiction, there are hundreds (thousands) of writing and
reading websites and magazines out there. For example, All About Romance
(www.likesbooks.com), a fabulous website
for fans of the romance genre, is always looking for input. If you've got
a book coming out, contact them!
Be brave; you'll be amazed at what happens when you just ask.
If you're going to write an article for the web, chances are high that the
pay will be low, or non-existent. But remember, this is free publicity for
you and for your book. Don't balk at writing for free if doing the article
can lead to book sales.
Third: your web lists. If you belong to any web lists (e-mail lists
for fans of writing, reading, gardening, etc.), tell them your book is out.
Don't tell them it's coming out, because publishing dates change. Wait
until it's available, because there's nothing worse than someone writing you to
ask where they can buy your book, and having to tell them that they can't.
When your book is out, go easy. A simple paragraph will be fine; no need
to go on and on: "Hello, all! Just wanted to let you know that
my non-fiction book, ESCAPING THE SLUSH PILE, is available now from www.fictionworks.com.
This is a must-have for anyone who wants to get out of the slush pile and write
for money. I hope you'll check it out. Thanks!"
Sign your e-mails with your full name and your web page URL. A couple
weeks after your book is out, send another message. Don't deluge your web
lists, though... it annoys people and could result in a scolding from the list
maven. However, if a question comes up on the list that you think your book can
help answer, be sure to chime in with your book title and website. For
example, I'm on the RW-L list, which is for romance writers of all experience.
When there's a question about how to do a query or synopsis, or what to say
during an editor interview, I direct people to my book. Watch for
instances wherein you can do that, too, and then carpe the diem.
When you get a good review, mention that as well. You can either post
the entire review in your e-mail (sometimes frowned upon; it depends on the
list), or tell the list you've got a good review and they should go to your web
page (or your publisher's web page, or the reviewer's web page) to check it out.
And speaking of sending e-mails, tell every person you have ever e-mailed about
your new release. Friends, relatives, co-workers, spurned lovers. Never
underestimate the power of local sales. Or Grandma's credit card.
Finally, set up your e-mail so that every e-mail you send has your book title,
when it comes out, and a website a would-be customer can visit. Consider doing
this at your day job/work e-mail address as well.
Fourth: your web page. If you don't have a web page, get one.
You don't have to sell books from it (I don't), but you can do neat things for
your readers like post free chapters and articles, have contests... all sorts of
good stuff. And whenever you mention the title of your book, mention your
URL, too. For more information on writers' web lists, getting a web page,
etc., check out my Budget Book Promotion columns at www.writing-world.com.
Fifth: Book reviews. These are nice for quotes ("Davidson
offers a crash course on becoming a professional writer." Science
Fiction Romance) to put on your web page and mention to people, but don't fool
yourself into thinking book reviews make or break your book. They're a
tool for promotion, and that's all. By all means, go out and collect two
or three or ten, and tell the world when you've gotten a new review, but don't
let it distract you from other book promotion tools, like updating your web page
(and telling the world it's updated), speaking at a conference, or doing chats.
Sixth: chats. This is an excellent (read: free!) tool for book
promotion. For more information on how to get invited to do a chat and what to
do when you're there, see my column, Chat Your Way to Sales, at http://www.writing-world.com/columns/promo.html.
Seventh: conferences. If you get the opportunity to teach a seminar
at a writers' conference-- or any kind of conference-- by all means, go for it.
Not only is this terrific self-promotion, but it ain't bad for the old self
esteem, either. Feel like a fraud? Don't. You're a published
author. That's admirable, and believe me, people want to hear what you have to
say.
Eighth: labels. Another inexpensive way to get the word out about
your book is to spend a few (less than ten) bucks and order address labels.
Instead of your address, though, put your book title, ISBN#, and your web page
on the label (if you don't have your own web page, list your publisher's, or
your phone number, or your e-mail address, or any combination thereof).
You can also make your own on a computer; just buy blank labels at Staples
or wherever, and print them at home, or the day job.
Put those labels on everything. EVERYTHING. Your return envelopes
for your bills and letters. Cards (Birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving,
Arbor Day, whatever). Put labels on index cards and leave them at
conferences, or your friends' house, or the supermarket. Stick one on your
computer monitor or telephone at the day job. Anywhere it might be seen.
You'd be amazed at how many people will see them and ask about your book.
Ninth: easy answers. If you do all this (heck, if you only do some
of this), people are going to ask about your book. Have an answer for the
dreaded, "So, what's your book about?" I hate this question,
because 1) I still can't believe I get paid for writing, and I'm always afraid
someone is going to write FRAUD on my forehead if I stammer out an answer, and
2) it's hard to sum up a year of work in a few sentences. So practice.
"Well, it's a how-to book for writers. It tells them how to get
published by showing real examples of queries and synopses that resulted in book
contracts. It talks about the rules to follow and the rules to break.
It's pretty cool... I worked hard on it." I still can't say that
without turning red, but I'm practicing.
You practice, too. Best of luck, and keep writing.
MaryJanice Davidson has sold twelve books to five different publishers in the
last three years. She writes across a variety of genres; her latest
release, Escaping the Slush Pile, is available at www.fictionworks.com,
and she has a monthly column on Budget Book Promotion at www.writing-world.com.
Her current projects include a vampire story and a category romance. She
never, ever sleeps, and welcomes e-mails to alongi@usinternet.com
or visits to her website at http://www.usinternet.com/users/alongi/index.html.
Want to learn more about book promotion? Check
out Jo Horne Schmidt's online course, BUY THIS BOOK!, at Absolute Write
University: http://www.absolutewrite.com/classes/courses.htm
