Writing and Publishing News from

This is the 3rd and last segment of the sample class (lesson #2) from my online Book Promotion Course. If you’ve just “tuned in,” read the December 2nd and 3rd blog entries to get the entire lecture.

Classes consist of email lectures once a week for a 6 or 8 week period and, each week, there’s an assignment. This sampling represents just one class from just one of the 4 courses we offer through Matilija Press. All courses are taught by me, Patricia Fry.

The courses include, Book Promotion Course, Article-Writing Course, Book Proposal Workshop and Self-Publishing Workshop.

“Graduates” from the Book Promotion Course will have a larger arsenal of book promotion ideas, tools and skills and a greater understanding of the book promotion process and what is expected of them if tthey hope to succeed as an author.

Those taking the Article-Writing Course will learn how to create a business from article writing or simply use this skill and knowledge to promote their book.

After following the lesson plans throughout the Book Proposal Workshop, hopeful authors will have a complete book proposal to start showing around to agents and publishers.

Those who take the appropriate steps in the Self-Publishing Course seriously, will be prepared to start their own publishing company and produce a book by the end of the course.

Learn more about all of the courses offered through Matilija Press by visiting http://www.matilijapress.com/courses.htm Questions? Contact me at PLFry620@yahoo.com.

Here is the last part of the sample Book Promotion Class (Class #2).

6: Identify and approach appropriate wholesalers/distributors. Not all of you are free to work with wholesalers and distributors because you are in a publishing agreement. Those of you who have self-published (established your own publishing company) can contact the two major wholesalers, Ingram and Baker and Taylor and appropriate distributors for assistance in distributing your book. But a wholesaler or distributor does little good for you if you are not out there promoting your book yourself.

If you have signed with a traditional publisher, he will arrange for distribution. If you have gone with a POD self-publishing company (you paid to have your book produced), hopefully, they have made some sort of distribution arrangement for your book.

Understanding Wholesalers and Distributors
A wholesaler makes your book available to retail stores and libraries. There are two major wholesalers of books in the US; Baker and Taylor, and Ingram and about a dozen additional wholesalers that specialize. To locate a wholesaler or distributor that specializes in your topic or genre, do an internet search using keywords: “wholesaler” (or distributor) and your genre or topic.

Distributors have sales reps out there showing your book around to booksellers. Most distributors either specialize in certain topics or genres or they are regional—they distribute books just in specific areas of the U.S.

Many authors are led to believe that a distributor is the answer to all of their promotional prayers. In today’s fiercely competitive publishing climate, a connection to a good distributor is definitely a plus, but it is only a piece of the vast promotional puzzle.

If you want to get your book into bookstores and/or other retail stores, choose one or more distributors related to the subject or genre of your book. Then create a demand for your book and the distributors can more easily place it in bookstores and libraries.

A distributor wants to know your promotional plans. They like authors with more than one book in the pipeline. The reasons why they will reject your book are similar to the reasons a bookstore manager might give—it has the wrong binding, you have no promotional plan or the subject matter is inappropriate.

To locate distributors, go to http://www.pma-online.org/distribute.cfm (This is the Independent Book Publishers Association free online directory of distributors and wholesalers). You’ll also find distributors listed at http://www.bookmarket.com/distributors.htm and http://www.parapublishing.com. I also list distributors and wholesalers and their contact information in my book, “The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book.” http://www.matilijapress.com/rightway.html

Assignment:

1. Create or update your mailing list. (I do not need to see this, but I’d love a report of the number of names on your list.)
2. Start designing or redesigning your website following the suggestions in this lecture. (Send me your website address, if you’d like for me to see it.)
3. Begin establishing a list of review opportunities. (I would like to see this list.)
4. Research wholesalers and distributors (where appropriate). Those of you who are locked into publishing contracts with publishing companies may not be at liberty to deal with wholesalers and distributors on your own. Discuss the possibilities with your publishing house representative. (Those of you with books not yet published, it is too early to worry about doing this.)

When you are pursuing book reviews as a way to promote your book, don’t bypass newsletters. Web hosts have newsletters, organizations produce newsletters, individuals publish newsletters. There are thousands of e- and print newsletters being produced throughout the U.S. Some of them have huge circulation. Others are small. But many of them are quite effective in helping you to reach your audience. I believe it was newsletters that launched my luau book into the success it became. I printed that book, The Mainland Luau, three times and then a publisher took it over. One of my favorite methods of promoting it was through book reviews and articles (which we will discuss in another session) in appropriate newsletters. Use these directories to locate newsletters in your genre/category, http://www.newsletteraccess.com or http://www.ezinehub.com

You’ll also find appropriate newsletters through sites related to your book’s theme or topic. Many of these sites include resource lists of newsletters, other sites and publications and so forth. Take the time to study these lists and visit the appropriate sites. Links can be a goldmine for book promoters.
For my personal use, I have created a list of about 75 writing/publishing-related newsletters and their contact information. All of those that will review books have reviewed my books. I also keep their contact information so I can send them announcements (new books, courses starting, etc.) and articles. I keep this information in a binder for easy reference. And I add to it whenever a new newsletter or magazine comes to my attention and I note when their policies or editors change.

Join SPAWN and read the monthly SPAWN Market Update (in the member area of the SPAWN website). I write this newsletter and frequently include updates related to book review sites and other opportunities for book reviews. http://www.spawn.org

It has become more and more difficult to have your book reviewed in newspapers with a few exceptions. Your hometown newspaper will likely be interested in your story—local author pens a book. Don’t wait to be invited—contact the appropriate reporter and ask for an interview. Entice him or her with a hook for your story. It could be simply, local author pens a book. Or it might be, local author writes first history of the area, long-time resident writes her memoirs, local resident writes children’s book based on a child living in the community…

You may be able to get into newspapers nationwide, as well. Most newspapers have columns featuring such themes as health, fitness, travel, hobbies, foods and cooking, pets, crafts/building, teens, religion/spirituality, parenting, real estate/business, sports, seniors/retirement, etc. And yes, many newspapers have book review columns. Find the right hook for your book and you might be able to land several reviews throughout the country. Here are some examples: Your book on how to sell your house without a realtor might be a natural for the paper’s business column. Pitch your book on grief to the editors of senior or health columns. Suggest a review for your historical fiction book in newspapers within the area where your story takes place. Contact editors of both pet and travel columns for reviews of your book on traveling with your pet. Approach editors of New Age or spiritual columns about your inspirational book.

As you can see, you can remain busy for a very long time just soliciting book reviews. Can they be effective in selling books? Certainly, when they are well targeted. I’ve had numerous reviews for my book, “The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book,” in writing/publishing-related magazines, websites and newsletters.
To be continued:

I keep writing about my online courses. Today, I’m going to give you a treat&#8212a sampling from the second lesson in this 6-week course. Here it is in condensed form:

There are some basic book promotion activities that everyone can and should pursue. And that’s what we’re going to discuss today.

By now, you probably know that book promotion isn’t an event&#8212a one-time activity&#8212or even a timed (one- or two-year) project. Book promotion is ongoing for as long as you want your book to sell.

Likewise, book promotion isn’t generally a one or two activity proposition. It used to be that we relied on bookstores to showcase and sell our books. Our books were there on the shelves in bookstores nationwide. If a customer wanted a book to read, he walked into his neighborhood bookstore and bought the book of his choice.

Things are different today. Competition is absolutely fierce. There are about 3.5 million books in print and just last year, in 2007, there were 411,422 new books produced. Bookstores today can carry only a small percentage of books in print. The mega bookstores like Barnes and Noble and Borders, can hold around 8 to 12 percent of all books in print.

When I travel around speaking to authors, I say to them, “You’ve been inside some of those mega bookstores. You’ve seen all of the books. Are you sure you want to subject your book to the enormous level of competition evident in bookstores?” Then I tell my audiences that, if they want their book in bookstores, I know the secret to getting in. I call it the backdoor method. And I’m going to share this secret with you in this session.

Here it is: If you want to see your book on the shelves in bookstores nationwide, all you have to do is to create enough of a desire for it that readers are going into bookstores asking for it by name. If there are enough people requesting it, of course, booksellers will carry it.

And that brings us to the reason why you are taking this course. How can you create that desire? What can you do to entice that audience? Here are a few suggestions to get you started. These are some of the basics that everyone should be pursuing as zealously as possible. And you can start pursuing some of them even before you finish writing the book.

1: Develop and use a massive mailing list. Even while you’re writing your book, begin collecting business cards, addresses scribbled on restaurant napkins and email addresses. Whose contact information do you want? Family, friends, business associates, your kids’ school teachers, neighbors, merchants and service people with whom you do business and other people whom you meet on and off line and so on.

It is never too late to use your mailing and emailing list. Even if your book is several months or several years old, mail or email announcements from time to time attempting to generate sales. Reasons for sending announcements might include:
• The book just came out.
• You hit a milestone in sales—500, 1,000, 5,000 or so.
• The book is in its second printing.
• You’ve launched a contest related to your book.
• You have a book signing scheduled or you’ll be speaking about it.
• You’ve come out with another book, booklet or other item (toy, game, puzzle, etc.) related to the original book.
• You’ve had an article or story related to the book theme or genre published.

2: Create a website for the sole purpose of promoting your book. (I offer web design suggestions in the course material.)

3: Add related amenities to your website. This might include a blog, through which you communicate with readers interested in your genre/topic. Consider signing up for a merchant account so that you can make sales at your site. Run contests, launch treasure hunts, devise puzzles, etc. and create a book trailer. A book trailer is a short video “commercial” reflecting your book. For information and expertise in creating a book trailer, contact: Circle of Seven Productions, ( http://www.cosproductions.com) Do a Google search to locate others.

4: Get numerous book reviews in appropriate publications and at appropriate websites. Many authors stop seeking reviews after the prepublication reviewers (Library Journal, Kirkus Review, etc.) turn them down. But there are hundreds of review opportunities out there for most books after they’ve been published.

You’re probably already aware of websites related to your book’s subject or genre. Start there. Visit those sites and check to see if they review books and/or recommend books. Some bloggers and web hosts interview authors with books related to the theme of their site (childcare/parenting, retirement, travel, pets, writing/publishing, boating, water sports, death and dying, inspirational/spiritual, romance novels, real estate, historical novels, etc.). Do an Internet search to locate additional sites related to the genre or theme of your book.

Besides theme websites, there are also book review websites. Here are a few. Do an Internet search to find others: Danny Yee’s Book Reviews, ( http://dannyreviews.com), Get Book Reviews, ( http://www.getbookreviews.com, http://www.dustjacketreivew, http://www.kikimag.com, http://www.christianbookreader.com)

Locate appropriate periodicals. There are hundreds of magazines and ezines that publish book reviews. Some are review publications&#8212they review books of practically any type, like Midwest Book Review and then there are specialty magazines whose editors review books related to their theme. Not all magazines carry reviews, so check them out before sending your book for review. I would not recommend sending your book without an invitation, in most cases, anyway.

Locate magazines through references such as, Writer’s Market (available online and through most bookstores. You may also find a current volume in the library). Purchase for around $30. A new edition comes out each year around September. You can also use Literary Market Place online or use it at your library. Writer’s Market is also online for a fee at ( http://www.writersmarket.com) Also check out Wooden Horse Publications at ( http://www.woodenhorsepub.com) for magazine listings in a variety of categories.

To be continued: If you want more information about the online courses, visit: ( http://www.matilijapress.com