Publicity
The Perfect 36, TN Repertory Theatre: The suffragettes disguise themselves as men in order to infiltrate the hospitality suite and document the selling of votes. This very funny soft shoe was called “Pants.”
Therese here. It’s the second Thursday of the month, which means it’s #IndieThursday—a day dedicated to independent bookstores here at Writer Unboxed.
Today’s returning guest is author Laura Harrington. Laura’s debut, Alice Bliss–the story of a girl’s adjustments to her father’s absence after his deployment to Iraq, and her development over that time from tomboy to teen–was recently released in paperback. It’s been widely acclaimed, chosen as a “People Pick” by People Magazine, a “Best Book of the Summer” by Entertainment Weekly, and as a book in Barnes & Noble’s “Discover Great New Writers” program, and so Laura is busy right now doing the sensible thing:
Touring!
Which means plenty of visits to independent bookstores. But how can you help to ensure your indie bookstore visit is a splash and not a flop? Laura’s unboxed ideas are as fresh and entertaining as her novel. Read on.
Thinking Outside the Box for Book Tour Events with Indie Bookstores
How can you draw from different circles in your life, even when you’re on the road, and what are the possible ripple effects?
I’m very new at the book tour because I’m very new to the book world. When Alice Bliss launched in hardcover last year my publisher set up events that I could drive to. I quickly learned that even in my own area, if I did not work hard to get an audience, the numbers at my readings would be very small.
The prospect of an east and west coast tour for the paperback launch of Alice Bliss put me into a kind of anxiety free fall. On the one hand, my publisher is sending me on a book tour: Lucky me. But how were they deciding where to send me, and why? Was I actually going to fly around the country to places where I knew absolutely no one? Wouldn’t that make for a string of empty venues?
So I started to ask questions and I got out a map.
Nashville was not originally on my tour, but Tupelo MS was, which is four hours distant. I wrote to my publicist, promised that I could drum up some audience in Nashville and they booked it.
Why Nashville?
Aside from the fact that everyone wants to do a reading to Ann Patchett’s bookstore?
Read MoreSo it should start becoming more and more obvious that I’m going through a writer-identity crisis as things get closer to the release of my book. And lucky you — you get to be a witness to my crisis. In this episode of my crisis, we walk through my attempt at networking even though I’m a terrified coward.
Actually, it’s a little more complex than that because I try to analyze how I’ve mistakenly succeeded in a few areas of networking even with my horrifying awkwardness. And I also try to extract the part about networking that I think — even for non-networkers — can be natural and useful and not soul-sucking.
Spoiler: As it turns out, I discovered that my networking successes are based more on slow and steady friendships, rather than lucky breaks or running into a tremendously powerful literary figure while schmoozing at a fancy pants Manhattan cocktail party (at least that is how it seems to work in the movies, or in my more desperate fantasies).
So here goes, Failed Writer Crisis #12:
This video — more than others I think — is in an area that I’m still trying to figure out… as I confront the upcoming release of my book. So I’d love to get some of your feedback.
What’s your take on networking as a writer?
Read MoreOne of the most complicated discussions I have with authors – including myself – is about whether or not to hire an outside PR firm.
The reason it’s confusing is because nothing is guaranteed with PR. You’re buying effort and contacts.
It’s not like advertising where you buy an ad, it shows up. PR is a gamble. No publicist worth her salt will guarantee you placement. She can’t. A publicist’s job is to craft a pitch and get it to the right media outlets. But close the deal? That’s just not in her hands. The New York Times doesn’t listen to her when it comes to what to review. O Magazine will read the publicist’s pitch but she’s not invited to the editorial meeting to help them decide what books they are going to feature.
But knowing all that isn’t enough. I know it and yet it never seems to sink in.
And I’ve been trying to figure out why.
I think it’s because novelists are creative, imaginative people. Whisper glossy magazines to us and we can picture them. Mention an appearance on a TV morning show and we can’t stop visualizing sitting there and being interviewed. All the way down to the new Manolas you’re wearing.
In order to be an author we have to be optimists. How else could we spend a year, two or more of our time writing a book? Believing that we have a story worthy of telling? That people will want to read?
So presented with the potential of a PR campaign that will catapult our book onto the bestseller lists, it’s in our nature to start to drool and believe it’s all possible. Even probable. After all didn’t the book sell?
I’m not against hiring a PR firm. Quite the opposite. I think it’s a great idea. But you have to do it with your eyes open. You have to be a realist about it. And you need to make sure you have insurance.
Insurance
Read MoreIt seems like as soon as we tackle one hot “it” tool and capture ways to use it for publicity (first Facebook, then Twitter), something new and even cooler comes along and grabs everyone’s attention. Right now that “it” tool is Pinterest and I’ll admit – I’m hooked.
If you’re not familiar, Pinterest is like an online scrapbook or a place to create an online inspiration board. Basically, you find images and videos you like and “pin” them to your online boards. Others can see your boards, see what’s inspiring you and be inspired too.
For instance, I used Pinterest to help create a story board for a client photo shoot I recently did – we found some amazing images of the look and style we were trying to achieve in the photo shoot and shared the board with our models and photographers. It was a great way for all of us to see the vision and get inspired for the photo shoot.
I’ve seen others use Pinterest for dinner ideas (a “must make” board), for gift ideas, for room makeover ideas and even one recently called “books worth reading”, where the creator had pinned up book covers of books she recently read and loved. This inspired me and starting feeding my creativity as a book publicist – as I’m always trying to find new and exciting ways to help authors promote their books online. I thought, how can I counsel my clients to add Pinterest to their social media strategy in smart and creative ways? Would it work?
After doing some research and talking with some Pinterest fanatics as well as book lovers, here are a few ways authors can engage potential new readers on Pinterest and help spread awareness and interest in their books.
#1 Add the “Pin it” widget to your site
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