I’m working on another speech—this one is for the Cat Writer’s Association conference in Dallas the first of November. http://www.catwriters.org/annual.html
This is my fourth time speaking to the Cat Writers and this is one of my favorite annual gigs. What a great group of writers. And most of them also share another love of mine—cats. Among the members are cat behaviorists, veterinarians, cat rescuers and just ordinary people who share their homes with one or more cats. Some of them are authors and some write for pet-related publications.
This year I’m speaking on book promotion activities you can pursue in your pajamas and kitty-cat slippers. Should be a fun presentation. And I can tell you that it will also be enlightening and educational. I’ll reveal some of the content of my talk once I return in November. But I do want to make a point today. I teach, preach and nag about the importance of using your personality to sell books. There are ways to use your personality without actually meeting your audience face-to-face. And I urge you to do so. How? Here are a few ideas:
• Build a website and share something personal about yourself there. Give your site a professional appearance, of course, but also make it friendly.
• Post a photo of yourself at your website. I like to see at least one shot of the author in a casual pose—you know, hugging a cat or a child, hiking, gardening, biking…
• Learn to write messages and posts in a friendly tone.
• Respond to people who comment at your blog, follow you on social media sites, etc. Communication is so important in our world.
• Visit other sites related to the topic/theme or genre of your book and communicate with the owners.
• Give when you can—everyone likes to get something for free. It might be a chapter from your book, a separate mini-ebook, a copy of your book as a prize in a contest, etc. I give free manuscript evaluations and I have a free ebook for download at my website and I send out free bimonthly enewsletter.
You use your personality when you do a radio interview or webinar. Your personality comes through in your articles, in your posts at forums and discussion groups and in the way your website is designed.
If you want to sell books, you need to first identify your audience, locate them and understand how to best approach them. Just remember that if your readers like your book, they’re going to want to know more about you. Don’t hide out. Even when you’re cozy in your home office wearing your favorite robe, you can still reach out to people, communicate, portray a persona and even make friends.
I want to thank all of you who have purchased Catnapped, the first in my Klepto Cat Mystery series for your Kindles. Sales are way up and I am a happy writer. If you haven’t read it, check it out here: http://amzn.to/14OCk0W It’s a quick, easy and fun read, especially if you like mysteries and cats. The second in the series, Cat-Eye Witness, will debut any day now.
To learn more about the publishing industry and book promotion, sign up for my FREE enewsletter, “Publishing/Marketing News and Views” here: http://www.patriciafry.com You can also download my free ebook, “50 Ways to Build Your Author Platform.”
Check out my array of publishing and book promotion books here: http://www.matilijapress.com If you want to know more about how to use your personality to sell books, I highly recommend Talk Up Your Book, How to Sell Your Book Through Public Speaking, Interviews, Signings, Festivals, conferences and More.