Top ten writing industry issues you should care about

with guest Amy Green.

“To help stand out in a crowd, authors should understand the industry,” they say. “They” are all the people in blog posts, conference panels, and magazine articles—the experts, the people who secretly have all the answers in a vault somewhere and aren’t telling the authors because it’s fun to watch them look confused.

Or maybe getting up-to-speed on issues in publishing isn’t that complicated after all.

I call myself an “insider-outsider,” because while I’m not a novelist myself, I’m aware of what authors are talking about (due to superior in-person and online eavesdropping skills) and what publishers are talking about (due to actually being invited to strategy meetings and pub boards).

Being aware of these ten issues—maybe even doing a little research on a few of them that are new to you—will show publishing teams that you know what you’re talking about, and even help your writing reach a broader audience.

Here’s a quick plug for an easy and fun way to get up to speed on some of these issues: In addition to working for Bethany House, I’m also a member of the Christy Award board, and this year we’re planning a day of author workshops before the award ceremony called The Art of Writing. Four of the speakers are addressing, you guessed it, three of the points below. (And the panel of editors and marketers will probably speak to others.) This will give you in-depth research and practical insight about how to make your writing career stronger. Best of all…the workshops and the gala dinner are only $99 together.

Is a trip to Nashville in your future? I hope so, because A.  I genuinely think these workshops will be valuable to writers, B. I’m a frequent Seekerville lurker and would love to meet lots of you, and C. maybe I’ll find someone who wants to visit the Nashville Parthenon or Belmont Mansion on Thursday morning after the event. (If you’re already sold, you can register here.)

So here we go, rapid-fire issue time! Remember, this is a broad overview. If anything catches your attention, you can find a wealth of information about it online and in writing groups.

One: Readership Demographics

Who, exactly, is reading your books? Or, if you’re unpublished, how would you describe the audience you’re trying to reach? Those are two excellent questions, because you can’t find out more information about your readers until you know who they are. One place to start if you have a Facebook page (not a personal profile) is the “Insights” portion. (Read FAQs about how to find and interpret that section here.) If you’re not yet published but have friends who are, consider asking a writer in your genre if he or she would be willing to share some general demographics with you. Asking questions of your readers can also be helpful. (Things like “What shows or movies are popular in your circles?” or “How does your small group choose a Bible study?” or “How much do you usually pay for an ebook?”)

 

Two: Online vs. Brick-and-Mortar

Because “digital migration” always sounds to me like the stampede scene from The Lion King, I mostly think of this as where people are buying and why. You’ve probably seen studies that show that ebook sales are tapering off to a steady level, and print hasn’t disappeared for good. (Hooray!) That said, traditional retail stores continue to struggle with more and more people buying online.

As an author, you can celebrate both ways of readers discovering your books, but here’s my take: remember that Amazon doesn’t need your promotional help, whereas your local independent or LifeWay or B&N might. If you have a website, include all retailers there, and try to vary what links you post on social media. Meeting-and-greeting at your local store is a great way to build relationships, and anything you do on Facebook to promote stores (whether it’s encouraging readers to take and post photos of your book in retail stores or giving away a gift card) is appreciated. And if you’re looking for a way to link to an independent Christian store, here’s a newly-created  indie store finder you can use!

Three: Diversity

In both Christian and general fiction, there’s a lot of talk about what we can do to make our novels better represent the world we live in. There’s a lot of complexity here, so I don’t want to simplify it, but this is my challenge to you: think it through, do some reading—try searching for things like sensitivity readers or the We Need Diverse Books movement—and join the conversation.

(Dr. Theon Hill is going to be addressing the challenges of opportunities of writing diverse stories at The Art of Writing, and from the first interview with him that I listened to, I knew I wanted him to be the one to do so. It’s going to be fantastic.)

Four: Platform

I’m obligated to put this in as a marketing person, but here’s something you might not have thought of: with more and more sales online, even publishers are thinking about their platform. The more we can directly connect with readers, whether it’s through a blog or banner ads online or newsletters, the less power the whims of Amazon and Facebook are to disrupt our strategy. You’re not going to be able to keep up with every promotional trend out there—and you shouldn’t try—but you should take some time to think about every marketing activity you do and evaluate with these two questions: what is my goal? And how could I change what I’m doing to be more efficient and effective?

Five: Changes in Reader Expectation

Intuitively, you probably know a book written today is different in tone and content than one written thirty or one hundred years ago. But have you thought about why? Are shorter sentences proof that Americans are dumber or that the relationship of authors to readers has changed from teacher-to-student to friend-to-friend? What word choices will make your writing sound dated? What “rules” (grammar or content) do editors no longer care about?

The best place to find out is to read articles like this one in Readers Digest, read current fiction in your genre, and ask specific questions of agents and editors when you get a chance.

Six: When to Break “Rules”

Here’s my opinion as a marketing person: if you have a brilliant story that you’re passionate about, you can break some rules. Not all the rules at once, usually, but some. The very thing that goes against industry standard might be what makes your story stand out. Just make sure that you find out from trusted readers and writers whether the story itself is working before you decide to go against conventional wisdom. (You also have to know the rules and conventions first before you break them—reading blogs like Seekerville and reading widely is the first step for that.)

Seven: The Future of Your Genre 

Yes, it’s great to scan shelves for new trends, but I’d suggest hanging around agent blogs and subscribing to authors’ newsletters for information on what might be coming next. (Agents will often talk trends, and authors will release information about books they’re working on months before release.) Sometimes, though, you have to realize that there is no crystal ball. Many of the bestsellers in the Christian market broke out by doing something completely new (Amish with Beverly Lewis, supernatural with Frank Peretti, apocalyptic with Left Behind), not learning from and applying an existing trend.

Eight: Writing in Community

All you Seekerville villagers are one step ahead in realizing the importance of learning from other writers and connecting with each other in community. Here are some side issues to consider, though: what’s the difference between “thick-skin-necessary” constructive criticism and just plain being mean? How do you celebrate others’ success without becoming envious? What’s the line between learning from watching someone else and ripping off their original idea?

Nine: The Impact of Free

I’m not speaking out against ebook deals—Bethany House often has a number of them going on our specials page. But, whether traditionally published or indie, you will have to think about how to leverage free content to your advantage and not in a way that devalues books. If nothing else, you need to have a kind-but-firm reply ready for the many readers who will request a free book upon release. (If you need an article to link to, I wrote a post on this a while back.)

 

Ten: Time Management

It seems like there are a thousand more demands on your time than there ever were before. This may not be an industry issue in the strict sense, but an author’s ability to prioritize and use time effectively is something that we talk about even in pub board meetings when discussing contracts. If you learn what is a good use of your time—which includes prioritizing quality writing and deadlines over almost any other item on your to-do list—it will help your career immeasurably.

So, there you have it. Ten issues that hopefully won’t stress you out—even realizing these conversations are going on might be enough so that you can sound industry-savvy at conferences, on blogs, and in proposals. You don’t have to be an expert on everything, but being thoughtful about questions that affect your life and career is a great idea for everyone.

SIX BOOK GIVEAWAY

Leave a comment to get your name in a drawing for the Bethany House books up for a Christy Award? Six books, six winners. They are: Counted With the Stars by Connilyn Cossette, A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander, Her One and Only by Becky Wade, King’s Folly by Jill Williamson, From This Moment by Elizabeth Camden, and The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green. 

Bio: Amy Green has been the fiction publicist at Bethany House Publishers since 2013. Her typical day might involve planning book tours, handling media requests, interacting with reviewers, answering author questions about marketing, and completing other tasks designed to introduce readers to great books. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Professional Writing and was excited to find a job with a publisher whose books she’s loved since childhood. You can find her running Bethany House’s social media and blogging every Thursday at bethanyfiction.com—feel free to stop by and comment anytime!

Cover Reveals, Blog Tours, & Giveaways -Publicity 101

Hello, Seekerville. Sandra here to share with you her adventures into the world of self-promotion in this crazy writing business.  First off, I knew I couldn’t do this on my own.  I’m simply not that tech savvy.  When I read about Amber Stokes on one of our Seekerville blogs I knew she was an answer to my prayers.

When I was ready to take the plunge and put out one of my old titles, I contacted Amber and that is when the fun began.  I was immersed into such an adventurous new world, I wanted to share it with all of you. 

Amber Stokes from Editing Through the Seasons has agreed to join us at times today and share what techniques she used to publicize LOVE’S MIRACLES. What makes this exciting is that Amber is going through the same process for the release of her debut novel BLEEDING HEART. So let’s see what  Amber has to say and let her share her publicizing secrets.

1. The first thing Amber did was schedule a cover reveal. Amber, can you explain what a cover reveal is and the purpose of it?

Hello, Sandra and Seekerville! So excited to be back again – thanks for having me! *grin* 

Cover reveals are the best! Everyone loves the excitement of a new cover, right? A cover reveal is like a mini blog tour – short and specific. No interviews, no reviews…nothing like that. It’s just a 1-day blast (generally) designed to build excitement for a book’s upcoming release by revealing the cover for the first time online.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

~ If a cover has been spotted online (e.g. on a retailer site, Goodreads, etc.), it’s already been “revealed.” You could certainly still do a cover tour, but the “flair” and excitement of a cover reveal is in the “newness” of the cover. You’re giving the blog readers a chance to be the first to see a new cover, and that’s always fun stuff!

I think a cover reveal is a great publicity option for self-pubbers, especially, because they are their own publisher (and sometimes their own publicist). Indie authors have a little more control over the marketing timeline than authors with traditional publishers – that’s my understanding, anyway!

~ Cover reveals should feature a great cover. The point of a cover reveal is to get readers buzzing about a book and its release, and readers LOVE to talk about an awesome cover! (Believe me – as a blogger and book reviewer, I know!) Quality cover design is crucial to a cover reveal and every other aspect of book marketing.

~ Cover reveals need to come before a book’s release – but not too long before. The key is to create buzz with the cover reveal and then maintain it as much as possible until the release date and blog tour.

For Sandra’s Love’s Miracles, we did a cover reveal the first day of May and then the blog tour the last couple weeks of May.

For Bleeding Heart, I did a cover reveal the 3^rd of June, with the book’s official release date being August 1^st.

 I probably stretched mine a bit, but if you could keep the cover reveal and the book release date within a couple of months of each other, I think that’s ideal.

~ A few other tricks of the trade…

·      Gather a list of influencers early on, and hang onto the names of those who help with the cover reveal. Odds are that many of the bloggers willing to participate in the cover reveal will also be willing to participate in the blog tour (more on that soon!).

·      Giveaways are a great tool for catching someone’s interest in your cover reveal (and, hopefully, the book itself!) and for enticing people to help you spread the word.

·      While cover reveals are fairly simple, you should be sure to provide bloggers with the book’s description, an author bio, links, etc., so that readers will know what the book is about and where to learn more about you and your book. I think it’s also a nice idea to include the cover designer – after all, they should get some credit and publicity for the great job they did! (Assuming you hired someone to design the cover – like the amazing Lena Goldfinch, who designed Sandra’s cover and mine!)

2. Amber also scheduled a blog tour.  Can you share with us how you set that up?

To clarify the difference between a blog tour and a cover reveal, the blog tour comes when the book is available for purchase as a way to spread the word about the book’s release – and it usually lasts longer and involves more than the cover reveal. However, each blog tour is unique because each book is unique! They can be as complex or as simple as you want them to be. J

The fairly obvious things about a blog tour is that you need bloggers. I’ve been blogging for over three years and have built up a presence on various social media sites, so I’ve had the privilege of making some great blog contacts. When it comes time to set up a blog tour, I check first with my blogging friends, then work outward – which could mean visiting various sites they follow and looking up other blogs that might fit with the genre I’m promoting, if necessary. Posting the call on Goodreads, Twitter, and other social media sites can help, too! For me, it’s nice to have the author suggest contacts, as well. And if you’ve already done a cover reveal, you’ve already got a list of people who have some sort of interest in your book. Hang onto that list!

As I noted above, blog tours should be unique. I absolutely adore themes – LOVE them! So I try to find a theme when putting together blog tours.

For the Love’s Miracles tour, we centered it around Memorial Day to tie in with the book’s premise of a romance between a Vietnam veteran and a psychologist. We also ran a freebie promotion for the Kindle version through the Memorial Day weekend, and we did a themed giveaway that included a daisy bookmark (to tie in with the symbolism on the cover) and a tote sold by Green Beans Coffee, a company that runs the Cup of Joe for a Joe program for soldiers (which I believe I learned about on Seekerville, actually!).

I just finished up a tour for our very own May the K9 Spy, which included a scavenger hunt to go along with the detective/spy theme, as well as freebie promotions and a reviewers rewards drawing.

And the Songstone blog tour is almost over (a blog tour for my cover designer), which includes a sweet summer giveaway with themed prizes. We tried to push the island and summer themes to go with the season.

What else? There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff that goes along with a blog tour. There’s all the communication with the bloggers, making sure they have review copies, responses to their interview questions, book and giveaway information they need for their posts, etc. There’s the promotion on social media sites (I use Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest, mostly), the blog buttons for bloggers to share, picking a winner(s), contacting the winner(s), wrapping everything up… Yep, when a blog tour’s going on, you can expect to spend a lot of time online!

If you’re a blogger who loves book marketing, there’s no reason why you can’t set up your own blog tour – but remember to keep organized, always be courteous to participating bloggers, don’t skimp on cross-promotion, and have fun! If this all sounds like a little too much to think about, there are plenty of bloggers and businesses you can hire to help you with the behind-the-scenes aspects. And if you’re traditionally published, your publisher will probably work with you on your book promotion. But no matter whether you set up a blog tour yourself or someone else sets it up for you, I believe it’s worth the time to get involved. Respond to comments, share a blogger’s post on Twitter or Facebook, etc. Connect with readers, because why else are you publishing a book if not to have people read it? *grin*

3. During the cover reveal and blog tour, readers were given the opportunity to enter a contest . Amber used Rafflecopter.  Can you explain what Rafflecopter is and why it is so valuable? 

Rafflecopter is a site that allows you to create a giveaway form and share it on your blog – or with all the bloggers on your tour! It’s extremely valuable and one of the latest trends in blog-tour promotion. The awesome thing is that you can use it for FREE! Yes, you can pay for an upgrade that will allow you to have some cooler options, like including a picture of the prize(s) in your form. However, I’ve been using the free version with no problem, and I’ve found some ways to get around the loss of certain options. (All of this is not to say that you shouldn’t support the site by upgrading – I think it’s a great tool, and I’m sure the upgrade is sweet! But when you’ve got to pay back student loans, well, free is always nice. *wink*)

Here’s the lowdown…

~ Sign in and start planning a giveaway. Add a prize or as many prizes as you want. My suggestion, though? Keep it simple. You can get all kinds of complicated by saying 1 winner gets this and another gets that, and this is only for U.S. winners while this one’s open internationally. You’re cert ainly free to do all of that, but try to keep it clear. There’s a spot to add “Terms & Conditions” at the bottom, but who really reads those? Make it clear on the form. For example, for my cover reveal of Bleeding Heart, I gave away a set of bleeding heart note cards and some teardrop earrings. When creating the form, I added both of the prizes and a line above them (by “adding a prize,” but really just writing in the line). Here’s how it read:

For 1 U.S. Resident:

Bleeding Heart Note Cards (4-pack)

Pink and Clear Teardrop Earrings

So the terms are clear and the prizes are described. Little room for confusion, even if the blogger doesn’t explain the terms in their blog post (which is always good to do, too).

~ Then it’s time for the fun part – adding the entry options! This is where you can get new followers on Twitter, “likes” on Facebook, and comments on the blog posts. Some of the cool options listed regarding Pinterest and surveys can’t be used unless you have the upgrade. But note this… There’s a button that says, “Invent Your Own Option!” You can use this button to ask people to follow a board on Pinterest, add your book on Goodreads, etc. All you have to do is include a link to the page you want them to go, write some simple instructions, and ask them to share their user name so you can verify their entry! It’s as simple as that. Create as many options as you like – readers like lots of chances to enter, and authors like building up their social media platforms. Win-win!

~ All that’s left is to set the dates (you can’t change the times from midnight, though, unless you upgrade) and then grab the code! You can embed the code in your own blog post, and then share the link the site gives you with other bloggers. That link will take the bloggers to a page where they can grab the code, too, and that way all the entries from all the blog posts go in the same drawing. Pretty
sweet, huh?



a Rafflecopter giveaway

4. What other strategies did you use for LOVE’S MIRACLES and BLEEDING HEART?

Well, we’ve covered a lot of the big things! If you’re self-publishing, coordinating a freebie or bargain promotion with blog tours and such is a great way to cross-promote. But mostly, here are the big things I’ve learned:

~ Be creative! Make your tours fun and easy to promote with an over-arching theme. Discover your brand and incorporate it! And don’t be afraid to explore options with different social media sites. You can do Twitter chats, Pinterest wars, and lots of other fun things to go along with your blog tour.

~ Be organized! Create documents to keep track of those involved in your tours – you might want the names later on, and you’ll certainly want to know who’s doing what. Mark down the interviews you’ve sent, the dates you’ve given to certain bloggers, etc. There’s a lot to keep in mind with book marketing, so don’t let the complexities get the better of you and thereby make you look unprofessional to those involved in your tours. Those bloggers are also your readers!

~ Be involved! Reach out to readers. Interact with those who leave comments. Make the most of your blog tours by promoting them wherever you can online – without being annoying (it’s a balance, I realize). Be authentic, and shine on!

Amber Stokes has a Bachelor of Science degree in English and a passion for the written word - from blogging to writing poetry, short stories, and novels. After her brief time at college in Oregon, she is now back home among the redwoods of Northern California, living life one day at a time and pursuing her passion via freelance editing and self-publishing her debut novel, Bleeding Heart.

You can connect with Amber on her personal blog (Seasons of Humility), the group blog she contributes to (The Borrowed Book), Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, Shelfari, and LinkedIn. Want to hire Amber for editing or publicity work? Visit www.editingthroughtheseasons.com for more info!

And here’s the blurb for Amber’s debut novel, Bleeding Heart – now available in Kindle format!

“Five bleeding hearts. One profound journey.

Summer 1886

Sally Clay’s livelihood has been snatched away, but in its place arises an opportunity to escape from her sordid past and an unrelenting, unwanted suitor. Boarding a train with a heartsick rancher and an enigmatic miner, she leaves Virginia City behind and heads to Northern California, waiting for the chance to make right what went wrong three long years before.

But the road to revenge is far from smooth. Sally soon learns that the jagged pieces of a broken heart can far too easily wound the hearts of others – and hers isn’t the only heart that’s broken. Tragedy and fear dog her steps as she flees from the redwood forests to the high desert and back again. Will her bleeding heart ever find a way and a place to heal?

A desperate soiled dove. Three men who come to care for her. One man determined to claim her.

All on a journey that will show them what true love really involves.

Inspirational Historical Romance”

We’d love to hear about your book-marketing experiences or your favorite way to promote books!  And be sure and try the rafflecopter to enter in for a giveaway. By the way, the rafflecopter won't be over in time for the winner to be announced in this weekend edition so we'll announce the winner of the rafflecopter in the August 10th weekend edition.  In tomorrow's weekend edition we will announce the winner of a drawing from the puppy dish.  (hey Ruthy can use her cat dish, I can use the puppy dish)  Winner will be able to choose one of my books--Kindle or paperback.   

For snacks today I will be serving treats from Oregon where we are camped.  Fresh blueberries, raspberries and marionberries.  You can order milkshakes made with the berry of your choice, berry cobblers, berry pies, berry muffins and scones.  This is berry nice don't you think?    (I know-corny but that's me)

Have a blessed day everyone.

Publicity 101~Sabrina Sumsion

What are you doing to gain publicity for your book? If you are a smart author, you are engaged in many activities that will inform the general public that your book exists. Since publicity is a term many people have heard but don’t really understand, here is a short introduction.

Publicity is free coverage of your book or yourself in the media. Anything that will increase the public’s awareness is considered publicity. Advertising in a media outlet such as a newspaper ad or television commercial is a good way to gain public awareness as well but I always encourage authors to pursue free routes first.

You want publicity to gain the public awareness but as you gain awareness, you need to overcome the “who cares?” factor. The public in general has so much information coming at them all the time, many people develop filters to block out the extra noise. As you strive for publicity, keep in mind that you need to deliver information the general public wants.

To overcome the “who care?” factor, you must either educate, entertain or enlighten your audience. Education benefits your audience by giving them tools or information to improve their lives. Everyone wants a break from time to time so provide that for your audience by entertaining them. Enlighten your audience by giving them information of which they were not aware. Content that educates, entertains of enlightens will get attention and gain you public awareness.

The main outlets of publicity include physical print, broadcast, internet, face-to-face and word of mouth. Each form of publicity has its benefits and draw backs. As you pursue publicity, take into consideration what you are comfortable with and have the required skills to pursue.

Physical print includes newspapers, magazines, postcards and printed newsletters. Newspapers have editorial line-ups that vary from a lead time of one week up to one month. They typically keep a few spaces open for breaking news. Before contacting a print publication, have a high resolution headshot and cover shot available. I find the best way to gain coverage is to offer an article free of charge. Make sure the content is valuable and matches a topic the publication’s audience would be interested in.

Broadcast media includes radio and television. It is a signal sent out to everyone in the reception range. The audiences can range from a few thousands to millions of people. For these two media, you need to have a reasonable gift of gab. If you have speech impediments, radio coverage certainly should not be seriously pursued. Television has the ability to write subtitles but they still need a really compelling hook to consider you if you have a speech impediment.

Radio wants information that people can hear and understand. If you have a visual message like how to ice a cake fancily, it is difficult to explain on the radio. Choose information that is easy to convey through words alone. To help radio be interested in you, have a sample radio interview posted somewhere online that you can refer radio hosts to hear some of your message and how you deliver your message.

Television loves information that is visual. They prefer information that can be conveyed in pictures and graphs. They like a pleasant appearance as well. If you want television coverage, you want to have a tape of you doing an interview as well as a high resolution headshot ready.

Internet publicity has many varied facets. You can post articles, build a website, join a social networking site, post videos and link audio files. All of these options are good for everyone seeking publicity. For the very beginner, build a website first. It is a vital part of online publicity. You need somewhere to direct all of your fans and this should be the place. Once you have that, look into social networking sites like linkedin.com, facebook.com, twitter.com, squidoo.com and myspace.com. After that, consider a book trailer or a video of yourself posted to youtube.com. When you are working on the more advanced social media, remember to direct people back to your website. If you are not technologically talented, you can hire people to help you handle this side of publicity.

Face-to-face publicity includes book signings, book festivals and any other event that you attend. In fact, you can garner face-to-face publicity standing in line at the grocery store. Anytime you are interacting with people in person, you are gaining publicity. Join clubs, attend sports events and whatever you can think of that gets you out and talking to people. If you are shy or afraid of groups this might be difficult for you.

Word of mouth publicity is the much sought after grand prize in publicity. When you offer value to people above and beyond what others are doing, they will talk about you. I call word of mouth publicity developing personal ambassadors. You want to please people enough that they send other people to you. My mother is a Stephenie Meyers personal ambassador. Everyone she interacts with will end up hearing how they MUST read the Twilight series.

You have many options for publicity so decide what you are comfortable doing and start there. For more information about literary publicity, consider attending my online publicity course through the Nebraska Writers Guild starting in February. For more information, please see the
NWGwebsite.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sabrina Sumsion is a seasoned literary publicist who has worked with a broad range of authors and genres. Her goal is to educate all authors about how to give their books the best chance possible by creating a marketing plan and gaining publicity. For more information and to contact Sabrina Sumsion, please visit her website at http://www.sabrinasumsion.com/.

The Autograph Party

Sandra here welcoming you to Seekerville. Be sure and read at the end of this article the premier announcement of a new writing contest and be the lucky winner of the entry fee.

THE AUTOGRAPH PARTY

You’ve received the call.

You’ve revised, copy edited, filled forms for the cover, etc.

And your book has finally arrived. Hooray

Sandra and her friend Carole signing

God's Spirit Within Me

Now comes the fun part. Celebrating with your family and friends.

Your first book always gets the most publicity. Newspapers love the angle “local author sells first book” So make the most of it and have fun while you’re at it.

Here are some helpful hints to prepare for that first autograph party. (Yes, you can start now even before you’ve received “the call”)

PREPARATION FOR THE PARTY

1. First and foremost: Contact your editor and/or the publicity department of your publisher. Did I say contact your publisher? Yes, yes, yes. Most publishers provide a list of publicity requirements and recommendations. Follow them closely. After all, as their author, you now are a representative of their name. You will want to act with their standards in mind.

Cheryl Wyatt signing at the Harlequin Booth

of the Book Expo 2009 in New York

The last thing you want to do is cause stress for your editor or get your publisher upset. Most important-they will give you dates for when books can be ordered. Nothing worse than showing up for an autograph party and there are no books.

If you’re not published yet, ask authors you know in the publishing houses you are targeting for this information and keep a file.

2. Contact your local bookstore. They usually are very supportive. After all a successful signing means business for them. I’ve yet to go to an autograph signing and come out with just one book. How about you???? Plan with the manager. They often have a mailing list or newsletter. So give them enough notice to include your signing in their store publicity.

If you aren’t published yet, haunt your local bookstores. Introduce yourself to the manager. Let them know that you are a writer. They will be more excited for you when “the call” comes if they’ve been part of the journey.

Use any event as an excuse to use a bookstore. Most bookstores have meeting rooms and can be used by critique groups, writers groups, speakers on writing. Bookstores benefit because a writer in a bookstore means good business. I mean don’t we buy tons of books?

Mary Connealy signing at ICRS

3. Send a press release to your local media. Do this as soon as possible as radio stations, television stations and newspapers, especially in large cities need lead-time. If you have your autograph party date all set, you will get extra publicity from the article.

Send the press kit to the local newspaper, radio talk shows and television stations. Radio talk shows are pretty easy to get on and often you can be interviewed on the phone while you sit at home in your bedroom slippers. If you aren’t interviewed, the media will often announce the autograph party on their events calendar.

Even if you aren’t published yet you can develop a press kit. Many authors have press kits on their websites so you can take a peak to see how its done. It’s a good idea to have the professional photo (that has rights for reproduction), cover art for your book, contact information, business cards, etc.

Workshops are available for developing a good press kit. For more information, volunteer to help with the publicity committee of your local chapter of ACFW or RWA.. You’ll learn great publicity tips.

4. Print invitations to your party and send them out to everyone you know. Many authors use their book cover and make post cards. Be sure you ask permission from your publisher. They can send you the digital data to do so.

Put out announcements at all contact places where you are known, i.e. local writers groups, loops, church bulletins, work bulletins, the spa or gym you belong to, the Starbucks you sit at every day, etc.

5. Find the perfect outfit to wear. You are celebrating a new profession. Look professional. Remember, you’re representing not only yourself, but your publisher and the store.

Some historical authors dress in the period they write in. This is fun and an icebreaker.

6. Prepare your table presentation. Some publishers send out some materials but most authors, especially beginning authors need to develop their own. You can make a poster board with your cover. Announce you’re a local author. Include your photo. This is handy to leave in the store after the party is over. Most bookstores will feature your books. In fact, most authors find that they actually sell more autographed books after they leave. Some people are just too shy to approach a celebrity.

Seeker, Janet Dean, is very creative and artistic with her table presentations. In Janet’s debut book, Courting Miss Adelaide, the heroine was a milliner. Janet took a large hatbox and filled it with goodies to give away during the party. Notice the beautiful bouquet of roses too. Use anything you can to make your table attractive and inviting.

Janet Dean signing her debut book

Courting Miss Adelaide

Many authors have a bowl of candy to encourage people to stop by and chat.

Cookies or cake is nice also. At one of her booksigning parties, Janet Dean had the baker put the cover of Courting the Doctor’s Daughter on the cake.

7. Prepare give away items. These help break the ice, especially if you’re signing among strangers. Bookmarks, ink pens and candy are always a hit. The best place to get ideas for give-aways is to go to the give-away room of freebies at a conference. You’ll see a plethora of items with the author’s name, website and book title on them. Items include, match boxes, nail files (I personally love these as you always need one), letter openers, balloons, candy, flashlights, buttons to wear, pencil holders, magnets, etc.

My favorite thing to do while at a party between signings is to walk around and offer a bookmark. If someone shows interest you can tell them you are the author. This beats sitting at a table twiddling your thumbs.

Raffles are another popular way to attract customers. You can always raffle copies of your book. Seeker Glynna Kaye is planning to offer a basket of Seeker books when she signs for her October release of Dreaming of Home. Great idea Glynna. Once a customer comes up to talk to you about the free book, they’re ready to purchase one themselves.

8. Provide a way to collect email addresses. A raffle is a popular way to obtain mail or email addresses. State they do not have to be present to win. Print out raffle ticket blanks that require name and mail/email address. Have them check if they’d like to be included on your announcement for your next book. This saves legal hassles later.

Missy Tippens asked her bookstore to write the customers name on an index card for signing when they purchased the book. They would bring the card to her to show they had paid for the book. If they included their email/mail address, their card was put in the box for the drawing. This by the way, is a wonderful way to get those names correct when signing. You won’t believe how many ways there are to spell the most common names. This also helps if you’re in a crowded room and it is difficult to hear the name the customer is telling you.

Missy Tippens

signing at ACFW Conference 2008

AT THE PARTY

The moment has arrived. Now the fun begins. If you’re shy, make sure you have some trusted friends that promise to hang around and laugh a lot. Strangers are less shy to approach if there is a crowd already around your table. They want to see what all the fun is about.

Mary Connealy who has probably been at more signings than any of us gives this advice:

"And above all else remember you are NOT THERE TO SELL BOOKS. You are there to impress the bookstore owner with your respect for them and love for them. Say thank you often. Compliment their beautiful store."

Mary Connealy and friends

And also always remember you are representing the publisher. Smile a lot and have fun.

So speaking of having fun. Do any of you have any suggestions to add? It never hurts to have tons of ideas for the perfect autograph party. And remember friends. Autographed books make terrific gifts. Go to the parties you can and support not only your friends, but the business you are a part of. Check out Seekerville Weekend Edition for upcoming Seeker autograph parties.

I’m still on the Pacific Coast. In Oregon now so have been out picking huckleberries, blueberries and blackberries. I just toured the Cheese Factory in Tillamook so have cooked up some yummy cheese blintzes smothered with the berry sauce of your choice. There’s coffee and tea to go with that.

Oh yes, as promised. CWOW - Christian Writers of the West, the Arizona branch of ACFW are offering their first writers contest for unpublished writers-The Phoenix Rattler-Does your story have bite? Click on the link for details. If you want to be in the drawing for the entry fee, let me know in your comment section (add email address). Drawing will be tonight at 9:00 pm PST. Winner will also be announced in the Weekend Edition.

Preparing for Market

I'm sure you've all been thinking about what you are going to do when you get "the call." You can picture yourself jumping up and down and screaming.  You know who you're going to call on the phone, email around the globe and pound on with excitement when they walk in the door.  But eventually you come off of cloud nine and reality hits.  Just ask Glynna who just received "the call".  Congrats fellow Seeker.  (I have to admit when I opened up my emails and saw she'd received "the call" I screamed so loud I scared my hubby and the dogs. But when he found out why, he started jumping up and down too.)  

Anyway, back to the point.  After the call, you receive forms to fill out wanting ideas for cover art, blurbs, pages of revisions and a proposal for the next book. After looking at the work ahead, you realize you are going to have to get set for the publicity angle of this writing/publishing business.  Oh my, you think. When am I going to have the time?   

That's a good point. Your time may be limited because of your day job, family to take care of, animals to feed and exercise, volunteer commitments, classes you're taking, any number of things called "life".  So why not be prepared for that aspect ahead of time.  Even if you're not published YET, you can get started on a foundation for publicity and marketing. 

1. Start collecting addresses of fellow writers you meet, readers you know, friends who have friends, etc.  When you attend those writer meetings, workshops, conferences, network.  Pass out business cards.  Collect business cards.  Ask if you can put their names on your mailing list. Then when you get "the call" you will be able to tell all of those people.

2. Print out business cards.  

There are many websites that offer free business cards.   Some of my friends print the blurbs of their wips on the back of their cards.  Or you can include a photo of yourself to help that editor or agent remember meeting you when you send in the proposal they requested.  I use Vista Print.

3. Apply for a domain name. 

Most authors want their name as their domain name.  For example  www.julielessman.com is the domain name for our Seeker author,  Julie Lessman. Seeker Missy Tippens has the domain name:  www.missytippens.com.  Domain names are inexpensive and you can have one even if you don't have a website developed for it. You will need to have one to develop a website.

4. Develop a website.   

Seeker Myra Johnson really impressed me with her readiness for "the call".  She developed her own website, blog, newsletter and has a following.  Not only that, she has all of her proposals listed on her website.  http://www.myrajohnson.com. Myra reported that she sent Barbara Scott at Abingdon her proposal.  Ms. Scott liked her writing, but not the proposal. She clicked onto Myra's website, saw all of the publicity Myra had set up and also saw her other proposals. She asked for An Imperfect Christmas and later made "the call".

Websites are also great places to publicize your books when they are published.  To attract people to your website, it helps to have a lot of interesting information and action.  Check out Camy Tang's site.  http://www.camytang.com.  She has what's called a "sticky site".  You start with one thing and then your attention gets caught with some other item and you stick with it-you don't want to leave.  

When you develop your website you will want to form links to your friends. This helps them with publicity and when you are linked, it helps yours also.  Check out the links and contacts on Cheryl Wyatt's website and see what I mean.  www.cherylwyatt.com.

Other links you can connect to are links to blogs.  You want to be sure and link to your blog and to any blog that you belong to.  Check out Mary Connealy's website.  www.maryconnealy.com 

Mary is part of Pistols and Petticoats,  Edit Cafe and our own Seekerville.  

When you go to develop a website the advice is to check out websites to get ideas.  Besides those listed above check out these Seekers:  

  www.debbyguisti.com

www.audraharders.com

www.tinarusso.com

www.pamhillman.com

www.janetdean.net

5.  Develop a blog.  If you checked out the above websites, you will see that all of these authors are on blogs.  Since you are reading this blog, you know what they are.  One thing that we have found helpful is that we developed a blog as a group.  We were all contest winners and started our site by posting information about contests.  It has since evolved to include writing tips and interviews with editors and agents.  This would be a huge task to do alone.  It is tough to come up with new information every day.  Sharing it with others helps.  We started out unpublished, but as each one has received "the call", they have a blog all set to talk about their new releases.  So you can see the advantage of blogging before you receive "the call".  We have several past posts on blogs that you may find helpful.

A beginner's guide to freelance blogging

Blogging for promotion

Blogging with Harry Part 1

Blogging with Harry Part 2

Now that you know what you can do ahead of time, how do you do it? I developed two websites previously and paid to have them done.  I don't really like doing that because for one, you have to do everything anyway.  I had to write the text to put in it. I had to provide all of the links, I had to provide the graphics.  Every time I wanted to make a change I had to pay them to do it and it wasn't always done in a timely manner.   So why not save money and do it myself?  

Good question, but the answer is simple. I don't know how.  And maybe you don't either.  

Mobile Me with Apple has great templates that are easy to use.  I'm in the process of developing this site for my children's books. I use my maiden name as the author of my children's books, so my domain name is my maiden name.  www.sandywardman.com.  You can see that there are some pages I want to update every week and month.    

This format is very basic and I need to know more information.  I am starting a class this week at Mesa Community College.  It is going to take me the whole semester to learn how to build a website, so now you see why it is best to have all of this knowledge before "the call".  I will let you know in future posts what I learn.   Hopefully you'll see improvements to my site as I learn.  

So after reading all of this I bet you need some comfort food.  And prayer.   I certainly do because the thought of going back to school has me a little nervous.  And excited.  So let's see, how about some maple bars, the kind dripping with maple glaze.  Some Kona coffee, roasted dark would go good with that.  And I'll throw in more oranges off my tree for those of you who know all this and don't need the comfort or the calories.  Oh that's right. Cyber bars equal no calories.  Yum.  

And anyone who wants to chime in with more hints to prepare for "the call" or to just say hi will be entered into a contest to win one of my children's books.  God's Spirit Within Me

Be sure and include your email address if you want to be entered so that I can contact you for your mailing address. 



Before I go I just want to remind you that Valentine's day is coming up and autographed books make terrific gifts. Think about it. You spend $4-$5 for a card. Why not spend a couple more bucks and give a book to enjoy instead?  That way you are supporting the industry you are trying to break into.  

Happy writing.