Three Criteria for Success in Promoting in Bad Economic Times
You’ve made it. You are finally in print. Or, perhaps this is your third book, and you were just on the precipice of breaking into the next level when the economic bubble burst. Now in the midst of a deep recession, your latest novel comes out. You know your publisher is not going to do a thing to promote you. Rightly or wrongly, they are leaving it entirely in your hands.
Why me? I’m a creative story teller, not a promoter or advertiser. Because if you don’t think enough of your work to promote it, no one else will. You can’t promote it, so you think. You’re wrong. You can, and we’ll tell you how.
Let’s say you fall in the category of having set aside some money, but very little. You’ve checked the various formats for advertising, and they are asking much more than you thought.
(1) Eliminate your middle man.
If you have a publicist, and you’re a virtual unknown, what are you doing? The publicist is costing your money, funds you can use elsewhere with better results. I have nothing against publicists; they’re nice to have–if you can afford them. When you’re big time and are bombarded with numerous requests, it’s great to have a publicist to handle them for you. But if you’re a beginner, you are paying a percentage or fees to someone for tasks you can do yourself. And you can probably do them better.
If your publicist has sold you on bookmarks and recipe cards, get rid of him/her now. While cute and artsy, these gimmicks are passé and real problem is that they reach a limited number of people. For example, if there were 1000 printed, the greatest number of people they would reach would be 1000. Whereas, if you took that money and put it toward a print ad or on a good web site, the number of readers you reach will rise exponentially. Does your publicist send your book out for reviews? You can do that. Does she get interviews for you? You can do that, too. Stop sharing the little funds you have for the prestige of having a publicist.
(2) Negotiate.
Remember. A number of businesses are in the same boat you’re in. This economic recession has touched everyone, and those who don’t show flexibility will not survive. No one in their right mind is going to turn down money unless it costs them money. Don’t be afraid to approach the person in charge, the one who has the authority to lower prices. Make a reasonable and fair offer, one you both can live with, and both of you will gain. I hate to ‘haggle,’ but I found myself having to do so with our printer. He had been overcharging me for months, and I finally worked up the nerve to discuss a reduction in the price with him. He proved inflexible. I went to someone else, and we worked out a deal that makes us both feel good.
You are in charge of your sales and ultimately your career. Do your homework, then make advertisers an offer they can’t refuse.
If you don’t have money for promotion, you’re not out of the game.
(3) Take advantage of the freebies.
The whole point of promotion is to get your name out to the public. After all, once your name becomes famous, it isn’t going to matter what you call your book. Readers buy books in this order: (a) by to their favorite authors; (b) by an author whose name they have heard or seen; or (c) by a new author about whom they know nothing. If you are that third group, you’ve got work to do, and you can do it without spending a dime. Here’s how:
Autograph sessions. Book stores are in the same economic recession that you are in. They need more traffic in their stores, potential buyers. After all, they are competing with Costco, Amazon.com and other Internet stores. An autograph session can bring in those potential customers, and book stores are always looking for authors who are willing to do them. If you’re shy and don’t want to be the only one autographing, find out other local authors who may want to be involved. The rewards are multifaceted. You begin to create a fan base for yourself (and fans are loyal). You have created the potential for networking–with other authors, bookstores and organizations. It’s a win-win.
Speaking opportunities. Conferences, classes, book clubs and work shops are excellent places to network and get your name out. Do a reading at your local book club. If you can’t afford the fees of some conferences, volunteer as a speaker or serve on a panel. Your fee will probably be compt, and once you have finished your commitment, you’re free to promote and network.
Guest Blog and Articles. Even if you have your own blog, you cannot assume that a lot of people read it. There are established, well-known sites that offer the opportunity for an author to write a guest blog. What they are really offering you is exposure to a new (maybe larger) group of potential fans. Write the bog and mention your book. If you have said something noteworthy, profound, or even entertaining, readers will want to know more about you. They may even Google you and find your books.
Affaire de Coeur offers several formats for writing articles: “Our Backyard” segment features places in your own area that you think are unique and would be of interest to readers. Think of it this way: If I were visiting your area, where is the first place you would take me to see? By sharing it with us not only are you in print, readers will see your name and begin to develop a point of reference. And when you give a copy of the article to your local chamber of commerce, you are creating another avenue for sales.
We also offer the opportunity write articles about almost anything–facts that you uncovered when doing your research, lessons you learned, people you interviewed, or your road to becoming published. This costs you nothing, and you don’t know who might read it.
Reviews. Often, the only way a reader knows you or your book exists is because they see a review of it. Some authors are shy about having their books reviewed. If you are, get over it. With finances tight, readers have become more discriminating about what they buy, and they look for reviews to help them. Be careful about who you send your galley to. If you write romantic suspense, don’t send it to a review site that only does paranormal. You’re asking for trouble. Adhere to reviewer deadlines; don’t ask for exceptions. Be courteous, even send an autographed copy of your book to the reviewer if you can afford it. Be gracious even if you don’t get the review you wanted. The next time, they may remember how you handled criticism and reward you.
Personal Contacts. Think of the people with whom you come in contact frequently–coworkers, family, critique group members, sorority sisters. How many of them would lend a hand to you? How do you know if you don’t ask? Some of them may be able to do little more than tell a friend about your book, but isn’t word of mouth the very best endorsement? Others of your personal friends may have invaluable connections that can hook you up with the right people–a web designer who can create a web site for your or a photographer who can make a head shot of you to go along with your promotional material.
You were smart enough, organized enough and had enough persistence to get your book published. Now do the rest of the work, and if you follow some of the points outlined in this article, it will cost you hardly anything.
If you are interested in submitting an article to Affaire de Coeur, please contact us at affairedecoeur@att.net. If you want to have your book reviewed by us, please see our guidelines at www.affairedecoeur.com/faq.