You’ve written your book. It’s published – print, ebook, audio, maybe all three. You wrote a first draft, then a second, third and forth. Then there was the editing. Sometimes you changed a line, or a paragraph. Sometimes it was a word, or just a punctuation mark. But you’re tired of the damned thing, and it doesn’t matter anymore because it’s published. You can forget about it.
Well. . . no. You can’t. Novel or non-fiction, in order for people to stumble on it by chance, loving every word and telling all their friends to buy a copy, the book must be promoted.
Here’s a sad (perhaps) fact for you: all that effort to write your book is just the tip of the iceberg. In order for you to become the next shining literary beacon, the bottom 90% of your iceberg needs to be completed. You need to be interviewed, to be quoted, to do readings for rooms small and even smaller. You need to remain completely upbeat when getting up early and staying up late for phone interviews, saying the same things over and over again. Blogs and magazines won’t go out and find your book on a store shelf, rushing home to read it and gush over it to their myriad readers. It needs to be put into their hands.
Someone needs to arrange all these things. It’s either you, or someone else. Doing it yourself is much less expensive. If you’re independently wealthy, hire a publicity company to arrange for all your schmoozing and hand-shaking.
What’s that you say? Your book’s with Big Time Publishing, and their books are everywhere? Great! But their business is selling a lot of copies of a lot of different books, and you’re just one cork bobbing in a rushing river of authors and books, flying by. It’s true – for every person who actually finishes a book, there are 10,000 people out there saying, “I should do that” who never do. But that still leaves a lot of people who actually finished their book, and published it at the exact same time you did.
Here comes the advice. You won’t like some of it. Tough shit.
1) Keep writing. You next book, some articles, reviews, ad copy, whatever. Anything – just keep writing and practicing your craft.
2) Actively promote your book(s). Don’t “plan for it” – do it now! Start sending out review copies as soon as possible. Magazines, blogs, podcasters, news media, special interest groups – anyone who might be interested in seeing a copy of what you wrote. And attach a note saying, “For review – contact me with any questions, comments, requests for interviews.”
3) Write out what you plan to say about your work, and memorize it. Practice talking about your book in the mirror. Pick up your phone and pretend you’re being interviewed. Imagine some salient questions and answer them. Imagine screwy questions, and answer those as well.
4) This is going to cost you money – get used to that idea. Sample or review copies. Postage. Gas & mileage. Hotel rooms. And no-one is shoving hundred dollar bills in your wallet. You’ll have to write all this off at tax time.
5) You’ve worked hard for this – enjoy it! Being in the spotlight can be nerve wracking, true. But you’ll get recognized in the weirdest places. While the waves are running, ride them. Do signings at convenience stores and meet some great folks. Attend conventions and talk on panels discussing something you know little about.
6) Do not rely on anyone else to market your work. The book is not their work. They get money if they help you, it’s not much and it’s gone as soon as it hits their pocket. You get cash, too. But recognition as well, and the book should help you gain more and better paying business. Schlepping copies of your book across town, or across the state or even country is not beneath you. There’s a saying in theater: There are no small parts, only small players. No one loves you like you do – be happy to perform the smallest, crappiest jobs, and smile while you do them. And do them every day.
7) Learn as much as you can about the publishing business. It’s nothing like it was 10 years ago. Hell, it’s completely changed in the last three years! Find out what others are doing to promote their work. Make note of what’s working, and what isn’t. Maybe it works for you, and maybe it doesn’t. Share what does work with others. The publishing industry is fragmenting into a million little pieces, which is a pain. But that means it’s no longer a monolithic industry that only lets a select few play the game. It’s going to continue to change – make sure you keep informed.
