Marketing
When you’re an author for children and teens, school visits are an inescapable part of your year. Sometimes they come singly, most often in clumps at various key times: here in Australia, Children’s Book Week in August sees a little army of writers banging the drum for books and writing in classrooms and libraries all around the nation. But there are plenty of other times too when school visits dominate your time, and last week was one of those for me, when I had to visit eight schools in three days, turning myself from quiet writer at her desk with a head full of mind-adventures into extrovert entertainer persuading a class of rowdy kids that hey, reading is actually, y’know, cool!
And though a heavy program like the one I had last week makes me feel that rather than banging the drum for books, I’m actually turning my own poor aching head into a drum, and my throat is packing up as though it’s staging a protest against the sound of my own voice, and the whole ‘isn’t reading fun, folks?’ thing is beginning to pall just a little, the fun stories I’ve prepared feeling like some kind of irritating recorded message to my ears, still I enjoy it. It’s not just getting the chance to connect with your actual readership, and to spin stories to a generally appreciative audience who unlike me has never heard those stories before and just laps them up. It’s not just the pleasure of having it confirmed that despite what many adults believe, children read just as much as ever they did, and in pretty much the same patterns as when I was a child.
That is, a minority read heaps; a majority read sometimes; a minority never read unless they’re forced to. But it’s especially question time which to me is the best, most enjoyable and unpredictable part of a school visit.
Read MoreToday’s guest is back for an encore. Author Kim Wright was with us back in October to talk about ways not to behave with your agent. Today she’s back for more commonsense advice for writers. Kim has been writing about travel, food, and wine for more than 25 years and is a two-time recipient of the Lowell Thomas Award. Her debut novel, Love In Mid Air, has received critical praise. She’s also recently released a book for writers called Your Path to Publication. Take it away, Kim!
The Twelve Most Dangerous Words for Writers
There are twelve words in the world of publishing that, while innocent enough on their own, can collectively sink your career.
Ready?
You just need to concentrate on writing the best book you can.
The problem with the sentence is that it’s accurate – but incomplete. The danger lies in the word “just.”
Yeah, you have to write the best book you can. That’s absolutely, completely, and totally necessary and, God knows, such a hard task that it logically seems like it would be enough in and of itself. But the truth is, that’s only the first step. The first step out of approximately 274. And it’s a crime for published writers to imply that’s all there is to it.
So why does the myth live on? Two reasons.
Many long-established writers actually forged their careers back when this was an accurate statement. Back in the days when all a writer had to do was show up in New York with his latest opus, down a few martinis over lunch, sign his new contract, and skedaddle back to his cabin/ranch/beach house to begin the next one. But when a writer who’s been at it for fifty years tells you these stories it’s a history lesson in how publishing used to work, not helpful advice for how to launch a book in 2011.
When more recently-established authors mouth these words, something different is going on. They’re just telling people what they want to hear. Most writers are introverts and English majors, people who don’t want to promote, go on book tours, reach out to the bloggers, or worry about what 15% of 25% less 15% comes to after taxes. So if you tell them they don’t have to do those things, you’ll be very popular. Say the twelve words out loud at a writing conference and you’ll be wildly applauded. Write them on a blog and you’ll get a lot of “Likes.” You’ll be considered a “real writer,” someone who walks through pie fights in a white suit, who remains miraculously unsullied by the marketplace.
But it’s not 1961 – or even 2004. So much more is required of the author now that it’s unrealistic and unfair to imply that the publishing industry still works like that. Or that it’s a meritocracy, unfailingly rewarding the talented and ignoring the hacks. I bet everyone reading this post right now knows people who have written good books and can’t get them published – and meanwhile Snooki has a book deal. We’ve got to wake up and admit that there’s more to being a writer than writing. A would-be author who doesn’t figure out all the […]
Read MoreNot so long ago, “being a writer” might have cost us our sanity, consumed countless hours each day and caused us to opt out of paying jobs, but it didn’t actually require spending money.
Those days are over.
A veritable writing industry has emerged in the wake of the digital revolution, complete with webinars, seminars, conferences and manuscript consultations available to all — for a fee. Amid today’s fierce competition, writers with professional aspirations know how important it is to partake in these. Regularly.
At the same time, we all know that authors are becoming increasingly responsible for most or all of their publicity expenses. With advances shrinking, too, that means emptying pockets, dipping into savings.
And with the rise of e-books and easy self-publishing, all writers have the opportunity to reach large audiences directly. But building the awareness it takes to reach them, and appealing to them with a respectable level of professionalism, requires cash.
Yet somehow, the gritty, romantic notion of pinching pennies while quietly scratching out our drafts, of using advances to fix leaky roofs or pay off credit card balances then doing everything from building web sites to pitching the media by ourselves, continues to shape many writers’ choices. We ask friends to copy-edit our manuscripts. We design our own book covers. And publicity? Forget it. Once the book is out, we tweet about it, do a few book club events, contact a local paper, cross our fingers and start writing something new.
But those of us who truly want to establish a niche as an author and give our books a fighting chance to sell MUST come to terms with the fact that in this day and age,
Recently one of my AuthorBuzz clients was telling me about how powerless she felt – her hardcover/ebook didn’t do well and her publisher decided not to bring out a trade paperback re-release of her book.
It’s a sad fact that in the last several years getting a re-release in paper has become less of a guarantee if a hardcover book doesn’t do well.
What we did was brainstorm how to take her proverbial lemons and make lemonade.
The good news is once a book is published in e it stays on sale and can continue to be discovered and pushed indefinitely.
We have the power to keep readers finding our books in new ways.
Just because a publisher loses interest in a title doesn’t mean you have to. No book dies anymore and readers don’t look at pub dates – so a book is new to everyone who hears about it for the first time
We’ve never been more empowered than we are now to take control of our careers if we are proactive and productive–if we see publishers as partners and see ourselves as adults not kids. Publishers are not our parents making all the rules anymore. Or we can completely take control and self publish. Or we can do both.
Whichever way – it’s in our power to do creative things to revitalize and energize our books and careers.
Here’s what I just did.
Read MoreKnowing how to effectively market your e-book can be a challenge if you don’t have any formal education or professional experience in sales and marketing. Plus, these days, the default strategy seems to be “I’ll use social media.” But that’s not a strategy, it’s a tool.
When I teach the basics of marketing communication to e-media majors, we start by discussing the marketing mix, also known as the 4 Ps. Some say this model is outdated, but it’s still a useful way to begin a discussion about marketing a product.
This is not an exhaustive list of all the possible facets of the 4Ps, but it helps give you an idea of what comprises each.
Aside from having a quality e-book (Product), probably the most talked about factors for selling an e-book are:
There are a host of other factors that you ought to consider as well. Here’s a basic checklist.
PRODUCT
Read MoreAn amazing book by Yannick Murphy was the impetus to pull this post together, and I’ll gush about it in a minute. First, the question I hope we can work on today:
How does a quiet book, likely written by a quiet writer, become known in a world increasingly dominated by the loud?
The background
During the time I consume a book, and sometimes for days after, I’ll linger within the fictive dream. Recently, for example, I’ve imagined that I too might:
Trouble is, that entertainment comes tinged with yearning. While I might feel momentarily inspired and emboldened, it’s hard to see the book’s applicability to the regular me.
Contrast this with a different sort of novel. They tend to be what the industry calls “quiet.” They tend to be about ordinary people facing ordinary struggles searching for extraordinary grace. The characters are warmly drawn, the world infused with subtle optimism. A good portion of the book’s magic comes via its themes and texture.
On days when my biggest accomplishment is to use my inside voice with my teenagers; in weeks when the most deluded person couldn’t describe me as possessing “interestingness,” these are the books that return me to myself. They help me stand with feet connected to earth. I am validated, grateful. One might even say healed.
So what is the problem and why is it relevant to you?
Read More
Therese here to introduce M.J. Rose’s first post with Writer Unboxed as a monthly contributor. M.J.–founder of AuthorBuzz.com–will be bringing us Buzz, Balls & Hype originals about the world of marketing. Enjoy!
I think what I get asked the most is does book publicity and marketing really work, how much money should be devoted to a campaign, and whether, at the end of the day, the book won’t just really sell itself.
In my columns here I’ll address answers to those questions and more. If you have specific topics you want me to cover, feel free to put them in the comments section or write me at AuthorBuzzCo@gmail.com.
I think we’ll cover some broad strokes in this first post.
The Rules: Part 1.
1. No one will buy a book that they do not know exists. People won’t go looking for it on line or in the store if they have never heard of it. That is the goal of marketing and pr. To expose the book, the cover, your name to as many people as possible when the book comes out.
2. No matter how old a book is – it’s new to someone who has never heard of it before.
3. No book ever dies anymore. Because of the Internet – every book has a forever shelf-life. You can promote any title no matter how old it is for as long as you want. And you should.
4. You should be buzzing your books and your name – that’s how you build a brand and if you want to have a long-term career you want a brand. You want to stand for something and be known for something.
Lee Child is synonymous with Jack Reacher.
That’s really specific.
Other writers have brands that are broader.
Read MoreTherese here. One of the best parts of being a writer is getting out from behind the computer to meet other writers, as I did earlier this year at Boston’s Muse and the Marketplace conference. There I had the opportunity to meet author Liz Michalski. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy meeting Liz, I was impressed by her versatile and slightly quirky business cards. Very. I ordered a set for myself as soon as I arrived back home. I asked Liz to swing by today to tell us a little more about them–and a trick she’s been using to make them even more valuable to her as an author. Enjoy!
Unboxed Business Cards
Before EVENFALL was released, I spent a lot of time thinking about ways to thank the people who would read it. There are so many books out there these days, in so many different formats, I’m really appreciative whenever anyone takes the time to purchase mine, and I wanted to find a way to express that.
I considered making up bookmarks, bracelets, or stickers, but I wanted something more personal — something that would have meaning for those who had read the book, that would make them feel special, and that would allow me to connect with them on an individual level.
The solution came to me one day when I was standing in the grocery line idly reading the tabloid headlines. “Secrets of the Stars!” one magazine trumpeted. Everybody wants to know the hidden story, right? The stuff that’s not out there for the public? The stories that not everyone knows?
And so the secret pages were born.
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