My new book is out!! I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think that an author ever gets so blas\u00c3\u00a9 as to not feel excited when she sees her new book for the first time. And I got to be excited this week. Wednesday morning at 10:30, we got the call from the business center where I pick up my mail: \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Your shipment is here,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said the cheerful voice on the other end of the phone. <\/p>\n
There was no time to change from my walking sweats. I just grabbed my purse, keys and dolly and drove the two miles to meet my new book, The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em>. Once we had the books loaded into the back of the car, we did it\u00e2\u20ac\u201dwe took a pocket knife to the tape on one of the boxes, removed the cardboard packing and there, glistening in the sun were copy after copy of bright gold and red books staring back at us. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re beautiful,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I whispered breathlessly. And I smiled as I imagined how this book will stand out on a crowded bookstore shelf or book festival table and grab the customers.<\/p>\n As any author knows, the precious time spent holding and admiring your new book lasts scant few moments. Because now you have to put that book to work earning it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s keep. <\/p>\n And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been doing every minute of every day since for 12 hours each day\u00e2\u20ac\u201dpromoting the book. Of course I had shipping to do first\u00e2\u20ac\u201dsending out all of those prepublication orders I collected. There were darn near 100 of them to ship. We were not the most popular people in the post office the day we arrived with all of those packages. <\/p>\n What is my course of promotion action? First, I am soliciting book reviews for The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em>. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m also placing a few ads for the new book. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m negotiating some workshops and other presentations across the states (yesterday, I got an invitation to do a book festival in Hawaii the weekend before the Los Angeles Book Festival in April). I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m posting announcements in the writing-related newsletters that allow this. I wrote a dozen or more articles in recent months promoting this and my other writing\/publishing-related books, but will be producing more in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n If anyone reading this blog has an idea or two for promoting The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em> or can steer me in the direction of a writers\/publishers organization or group, please let me know.<\/p>\n In the meantime, I checked the status of my Web site last night and notice that this blog is getting quite a bit of activity. How about letting me know you were here by leaving a comment.<\/p>\n And be sure to order your copy of The Right Way to Write, Publish and Sell Your Book<\/em>. You won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be sorry. In fact, it could just be the best professional decision you make this year.<\/p>\n