Nowhere does the hand of friendship extend as far as with the writing community. For this reason, remember to be kind to those who are struggling to publish their first book. There is enough room on the platform for everyone.
If you are considering giving up, let me ask, “What if the next submission results in publication?” One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on the road from inspiration to publication is that rejection is a test to determine whether one has what it takes to be a successful author.
From Chapter Two~~Stress-free Marketing
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There is a reason books take a year to birth. Expect to devote six months to creating and incorporating a marketing plan that includes cataloging contacts, and designing publicity materials. It takes a lot of time and tremendous patience to sell books. A little luck and a whole lot of humility doesn’t hurt either.
From Chapter Three~~Stress-free Marketing
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Unfortunately, the only way to overcome this fear is by doing.
From Chapter Twenty~~Stress-free Marketing
Mary A. Berger
/ October 29, 2011Renea, I’m enjoying reading all the info. on your site here. Could you explain what you mean by the above, “designing publicity materials”? My indie books are fiction novels and I’m not quite sure how “publicity materials” relate to e-fiction.
Thanks!
Mary Berger
adviceforauthors
/ October 30, 2011Mary,
Thank you for your question. “Publicity materials” mean business cards, bookmarks, book trailers (or a continual slide show), poster-size copies of the book cover…anything you need in order to set up a display table for author events. I’ll cover this topic in a post next week and include photos. Even with e-books it is necessary to have (at minimum) business cards and bookmarks. Just because your book is on-line doesn’t mean you can’t place a bookmark in a readers hand and introduce yourself with a business card. If not, how is someone going to remember that you are an author? How will they remember the title of your book?
Ellen
/ January 27, 2012Renea — Just discovered your blog and am grateful you’ve decided to share what you’ve learned (and probably continue to learn!). My novel was published back in 1996 by a traditional small press; since then I’ve self-published a few books. Have to confess I’ve seen references by writers to their “book trailers” — via YouTube, often — and I can’t help wondering how a YouTube video can help sell a book…. Could you help me understand that? And/or point me to some effectively-produced YouTube videos or slide shows that do this? Have you used them? How have you measured their effectiveness? Thanks so much!
adviceforauthors
/ January 28, 2012Ellen, Thank you for your comment. While I do have a couple of YouTube videos, they are not “book trailers.” They are short glimpses into Billy’s life (the subject of my first book). I have an older laptop that I bring with me to festivals. Using a Powerpoint presentation I share images from Billy’s garden. Providing links to a YouTube video may expose more readers to your work, but I do not see where a book trailer would translate into sales. Thank you again for the question. Have a wonderful evening.