Midge Raymond - Everyday Book Marketing: Promotion Ideas to Fit Your Regularly Scheduled Life

Promotion ideas to fit your regularly scheduled life

Midge Raymond

Everyday Writing: Tips and prompts to fit your regularly scheduled life

Forgetting English: Stories

Everyday Book Marketing

Promotion ideas to fit your regularly scheduled life

Published by Ashland Creek Press

www.ashlandcreekpress.com

2013 Midge Raymond

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without written permission of the publisher.

ISBN 978-1-61822-027-1

eISBN 978-1-61822-028-8

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013934805

When my first book was published, I knew I had a lot of work to do. For one, the book was a short story collection, a genre that is not exactly wildly popular with mainstream readers. In addition, the collection was published by a university press, which by definition means a small staff and small budget. Not only thatunbeknownst to its authors, the press was about to close its doors, and before my book was released, half the staff had been laid off, with the few remaining staff members juggling the work of the entire press.

Needless to say, when it came to promotion, I was on my own.

While it was pretty disheartening at the time, Ive come to realize that I wasnt at all aloneand that this learning process was time very well spent. The vast majority of authors, whether self-published or traditionally published, are largely in charge of their own marketing, and the trial-by-fire I went through gave me the tools I needed as an author. Granted, a great many readers have still never heard of mebut my book did go into a second printing before its original publisher closed, is now enjoying a new life in a second edition from another independent press, and has a robust digital life as well, selling in countries from North America to Europe to Australia.

But none of this happens on its own.

Todays author plays not only the role of Writer but also of Publicist and Director of Sales & Marketing. Depending on the type of publishing agreement, an author today may be in charge of anything from writing his own cover copy to sending out her own review copies. In addition, the entire publishing industry is in a state of flux and likely will be for quite some time. As I often tell my fellow writers, all of this can be so challenging and so time-consuming that it actually makes writing look like the easy part (and thats really saying something).

I wrote this book for several reasons. For one, I wanted to share all that Ive learned over the yearsnot only as a writer but as someone whos worked in publishing for two decades, from working for traditional New York publishers in the 1990s to becoming a co-founder of a boutique press in 2011. Publishing has changed tremendously during the last couple of decades, and more changes are sure to come (among them: at the time of this writing, the Big Six publishers are on the verge of becoming the Big Five, due to the merger of Penguin and Random House). Having become a published writer amid all these changes in the industry and in technology has been enlightening and invigorating, and future authors are sure to find similar opportunities and challenges.

Second, I wanted to share what Ive learned about book marketing on a strict budget, not only of money but of time. Some authors have publishers who pay for advertising, review copies, and book tours; many of us arent as fortunate. Some authors have the luxury of time, money, and freedom to travel to events, book festivals, and conferences; others have to consider jobs, child care, and finances first.

I wrote this book with the Everyday Writer in mindthe published author who is not only a writer but also has a career, a family, and/or any number of other obligations that require fitting book promotion into a budget in which both hours and dollars may be hard to find.

This book is for all writers who have published a book or are on their way to publication, by whatever means, whether its traditional publishing or self-publishing. This book aims to teach you cost-effective ways to promote your book, from scheduling a book tour to making the most of social media.

Most important is to keep in mind that while the months leading up to your book launch date are vital, promotion is by no means finished a few months after publication. Promotion is, in many ways, a journey without an end. But, well managed, it can be a fulfilling journey.

Readers who are still many months away from publication will get the most of out of this book, but even if your book has already been released, youll learn tips for how to keep the buzz going, how to continue to find new readers, and how to build upon what you learn as you go through this process, which will be unique to each writer. I recommend reading the whole book through even if youre not at a certain stage in the process yetfor example, youll want to learn why, in the Book Launch and Beyond section, its important to prepare for readings even before your book goes into print.

The first section, Think Outside the Book , is designed to help you begin the transition from Writer to Marketing Expert.

The second section, First Things First: Book Marketing Basics , covers the things youll need to take care of before publication (that is, once you have a book contract with a publisher or once you decide to self-publish). This includes everything from building a website to planning events to getting familiar with social media.

The third section, Book Launch and Beyond , offers tips and advice for not only how to have a successful book launch but also how to keep the buzz going on an everyday basis. This section will include advice for how to stay involved in the process of promoting your book, whether you have ten minutes a day or two hours.

The fourth and last section features Q&As with Authors and Experts , featuring a range of writers and industry expertsfrom librarians to fiction authors to poetswho provide invaluable tips on everything from how to present yourself as an author to how to reach out to event venues. Youll hear from authors whove published with big houses and with small presses, as well as from self-published authors. Youll hear from authors who have published one book and those who have published dozens. Youll also hear from experts with wide-ranging experiences in the book industry, offering such tips as how to approach bookstores and book reviewers, how to find the right photographer for your author photo, and how to effectively promote your events from the ground up. These are people who, quite simply, love what they do, in whatever way it involves books, and Im delighted that they are willing to share their experiences with me so that I can share them with you.

And, finally, throughout the pages of this book, youll encounter Everyday Marketing Tips designed to help you complete the most essential marketing tasks even when youre short on time.