Do you let other authors in your genre/topic help you along the bumpy, difficult book publicity road? Or do you try to go it alone?
There’s no reason why you should chart a whole new course for your book on family budgeting if there are already books out there on this topic. Why would you create a whole new promotions plan for your memoir when others have paved the way for you and your book?
I’m not suggesting that you can skip the task of creating a marketing plan. As an author, you still have tons of work to do toward the promotion of your book. I’m just saying that there are authors of books in your genre/topic who can actually help you create your promotional plan. How?
Some—certainly not all—authors post their promotional activities, media coverage, retail outlets, online bookstores, etc. at their website. They want their potential customers/readers to know where they’ll be speaking, what the reviewers are saying about their books, where their articles or short stories have appeared, where their books can be purchased and so forth. And you want to know where they’re speaking and who is reviewing their books, where they are submitting articles/stories and where their books are being sold.
The first step is to acknowledge authors of books like yours. Locate their websites. If they don’t offer media information at their sites, check to see if they have a testimonials page. Read the testimonials—some of them may be from reviewers of publications you want to approach. Read what reviewers and others are posting on these authors’ amazon.com pages. And be sure to read these authors’ blogs. While they may not be good at keeping up a media page at their site, they may blog about their publicity strategies and their promotional activities.
Sign up for Google alerts in order to keep alert to new authors in your category, new book reviewers and, of course, other promotional opportunities for authors of books like yours.
http://www.google.com/alerts
Don’t avoid your competition, let them guide you toward the success you desire. Keep an eye on what they’re doing and the publicity they’re getting and get in on the action, where appropriate.
Tune in tomorrow, when I will offer some explicit examples of how to use what you learn from other authors’ sites, blogs, etc.
Catscapades Update—Promotion is HARD Work
With 31 published books, I am always in book promotion mode. But I am still always surprised to rediscover how intense, overwhelming, time-consuming and energy-draining hard hitting book promotion can be. I am in full book promotion mode with my latest book, Catscapades, True Cat Tales While I love meeting some of the cat people out there who are reviewing cat books, operating cat sites, maintaining cat blogs, selling cat books, etc., I am feeling disorganized and, yes, overwhelmed.
Last evening, I took a break from the intensity. I sat down away from the computer and created a plan—like I tell my clients to do. I listed the type of research I want to do in order to locate book promotion opportunities. I want to visit cat-related websites and see about getting my book featured on them. I want to get in touch with reviewers of cat books. I will go in search of cat blogs—yesterday, I met a sweet cat named Sparkle, who reviews cat books at his blog site. I am searching out cat shows and will see about either attending or hooking up with vendors who will include my book among their merchandise. I want to be guest blogger at cat blog sites, find cats only bookstores/gift shops, locate cat-related newsletters and magazines where I can get my book reviewed and/or submit articles. I’ve already started the ball rolling locally as far as book signings and I have placed books in two specialty stores in town.
I’m open to ideas from you all. Brainstorming is good for authors who are in serious book promotion mode. Do you know of prime opportunities for promoting Catscapades, True Cat Tales? PLFry620@yahoo.com (or leave a comment here.)
If you want to purchase a copy of Catscapades, True Cat Tales, this is an excellent time. I’ll send you a free gift along with your book.
http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades.html
And be sure to stop in once in a while at my Catscapades blog. We’re having fun over there:
http://www.matilijapress.com/catscapades
How about searching out cat/animal rescue organizations to announce your book. Here in Prescott, AZ, we have Miss Kitty’s Cat House.
Good idea, Kathleen. Thanks for the lead. I actually have been in touch with some cat rescue organizations–there are a lot of them all over the US. Those that are set up to sell books at their site, for example, then get a percentage of sales from my book for their organizations.
I will contact Miss Kitty’s Cat House and see what type of arrangement I can make with them. Hopefully, it will be mutually beneficial.
While I was in Prescott a couple of years ago, I met some volunteers from an animal shelter on a neat walking trail. They were all out walking dogs in preparation for their eventual adoption. You have some wonderful people there who are definitely interested in animal welfare and who are actually doing something to make things better for the otherwise neglected animal population.
Patricia