![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/OliviawithBooks-300x225.jpg\")
This week\u2019s blog posts will be all about the world of writing cozy mysteries. It\u2019s been a period of interaction with fans lately, which is refreshing after the year we\u2019ve had\u2014so much isolation. It\u2019s especially fun to chat with Rags\u2019s fans and now Olivia’s. And it’s heartwarming to know that my stories (a record 9 published in 2020) have brought people so much comfort and joy and even a chuckle here and there for 9 years, but especially this last year.<\/p>\n
Olivia’s debut book, Calico Calamities<\/strong><\/em>, the 51st<\/sup> Klepto Cat Mystery, is weeks old and she Books need exposure. People won\u2019t buy your book if they don\u2019t know about it. So how does an author get exposure\u2014it\u2019s called publicity\u2014and you get publicity through promotion: Blogs, a facebook page and other social media, podcasts and webinars, as well as in-person appearances: presentations, book fairs, panel discussions, library and school visits, conference attendance and so forth. Many authors send out newsletters either regularly or periodically. I\u2019ve been known to run and also participate in book giveaway Coming up with items and ideas to use to promote your books is also important. The paw print stamp is an example. Another I mentioned autographs earlier. Books sold through online and storefront bookstores are generally not autographed, so some authors (including me) will provide buyers with an autograph written on an adhesive-backed label to attach to the book after This gives you a sneak peek into the business life of a writer. And you thought we just lazed around all day listening to our muse.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This week\u2019s blog posts will be all about the world of writing cozy mysteries. It\u2019s been a period of interaction with fans lately, which is refreshing after the year we\u2019ve had\u2014so much isolation. It\u2019s especially fun to chat with Rags\u2019s … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/molliecatcookies-300x300.jpg\")
already has followers\/admirers. One even created a rubber stamp of Olivia\u2019s paw print so she can PAWtograph her own books in the upcoming Calico Cat Mysteries series. What fun! The list of preorders for autographed and pawtographed copies of Book 51 is growing by the day. (Author copies are expected to arrive here late this week.)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/LilyBooks3-300x225.jpg\")
Before I started writing fiction\u2014which has been the most lucrative of all the writing I\u2019ve done in my career\u2014I taught authors how to build a business around their writing. Most authors, as you can imagine, do not want to deal with the business aspects of authorship\u2014the biggest block for them\/us is promotion. Yet, if you want to sell what you write promotion is absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/lilywritingIMG_1705-300x225.jpg\")
contests. You can write short stories or articles for print and online publications for added exposure and credibility, and always carry books in your trunk in case you meet someone in your daily travels who wants a copy, because another promotional ploy is talking about your book everywhere you go.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/lilymoney-225x300.jpg\")
example is products related to your book theme\u2014things you can sell or give away, such as bookmarks, packets of note cards featuring your book cover, calendars, pens, tote bags, coffee mugs, even jewelry and t-shirts. Create a stuffed or ceramic replica of your main cat\/dog character, produce a book of poetry featuring your character, or pjs, a cat toy…the ideas are endless.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Cat-100-blogs-smaller.png\")
purchase. Nice touch. And don’t forget about connecting with other authors and reader-related websites for added exposure. Enter contests and flaunt your wins.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Patricia-FrySpeakingBookEnds-192x300.jpeg\")
Promotion can be fun, and the writing is fun (for a writer), but as I said, publishing is a business, and there are legal aspects a writer must deal with as well. If you sell books, you need licenses, there are fees to pay here and there. If you\u2019re publishing under a fictitious business name (name of your publishing company), in some states you\u2019re required to apply for a fictitious business permit and renew that every so often. You\u2019ll need to formally copyright your books and keep clear and concise records of book sales and expenses. My expenses include fees for someone to format my books, my webmaster, a cover designer, editing, purchasing the International Standard Book Numbers and barcode. I also keep track of travel expenses when I attend conferences, book fairs, and other events related to bookselling and promotion.<\/p>\n