Friday, January 29, 2010

Author And Book Marketing Tips

By Gloria Jennings

If you write a book, chances are you want it to be successful in order that you are able to continue writing for a living. When you just start out, it may be difficult to be able to afford public relations services to promote your book. So how do you get your work known on little-to-no budget?

Some authors have realized there is a great need for information about writing books. They have therefore, cleverly, written books about how to advertise the book you have written. The tips in the books may or may not be useful, but what IS useful is how you have learned about their book in the first place. Make your own web page and fan site. No one needs to know that you do not have dedicated fans doing this for you. Write a blog. Make a funny video and put it on YouTube. Advertise on your social networking sites. Make your technology (especially free technology!) work for you.

You may actually be in a better situation financially if you live in a small town instead of a big city. Someone from a small town getting a book published is big news in that area. Residents will rush out to see what their neighbor was able to create. Local media and papers will focus stories on you, which is always excellent and free advertising. In a big city, no one would care. You must use every single chance you get in order to get your name out there.

You want to give just enough information about the book to make people interested. Do not talk too much about it or give anything away. Be a professional and think about the business of you. Every story or interview is just like a job interview. Do not say anything off-color or make stupid jokes. You do not want to risk alienating a single person. Make sure you are well spoken but do not try to sound 'too smart' and risk sounding like an idiot when no one has any clue about what you are talking about. Not everyone knows critical theory or the Laconian or Derrida point of view. Keep it simple and entertaining.

Dress well, too. If you do not dress professionally for public appearances, what makes anyone think that you can write professionally? Play up your contacts, you affiliation with local schools or business or sports teams. Make people proud that you came from their area. Keep in mind that people know your parents or remember you from high school. They want to see what you have done with your life.

You cannot be shy when it comes to advertising. Do absolutely anything you can (without making a negative impression of yourself). Do commercials, be in local magazines, even put up fliers yourself. You must be a business person. Sign autographs at a local book store. Make deals with companies who promote you and give them a cut of books they help you sell. You goal is to climb to the next tier of celebrity and then the next, as selling your book is your livelihood.

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