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Self-Promotion Detracts From The Art Of Writing
DIY Marketing/Promotion/Publicity is an evil necessity, I have decided. Since both my recently published novels, "Frantic" and "Crushed" came out simultaneously, I have been trying to keep myself awake, while writing and posting press releases on the web - or 'media releases' is how Carolyn Howard-Johnson describes them in her Bible, 'The Frugal Book Promoter', making sure each press release I write has a different leader.
I'm dreading my next gargantuan phone bill, for I have been glued to the phone during the official office hours of 9-5, calling all the regional newspapers in the United Kingdom, Scotland and Wales, speaking to their lethargic book review editors, trying to make them interested enough to give me the thumbs up - i.e. to e-mail them a press release on each book. A week has passed, with no response from any of them, which means I shall have to do a chase up call, pestering the provincial press some more. But, my heart's not in it. All I want to do is write my new novel, but how can I be an 'artist' if I'm immersed in self-promotion?
I went to a series of intense screenwriting lectures held at RADA last year. Not one of the optimistic lecturers mentioned the word 'publicity', but admittedly they did sketch on selling your work: how you had to be a ruthless businessman when you weren't creating. The emphasisis was on pitching your script - especially if you were miraculously stuck alone in an elevator with 'Saint' Spielberg for a minute.
It was all very interesting, but the most helpful thing about the packed seminars was the art of salubrious networking at the bar. I made friends with a youthful film maker, who enticed me to attend a screenwriting course with him. I stuck one excruciating class out, but the Marxist teacher's stifling teaching inhibited my burgeoning creativity. The academic emphasis was on the actual writing of the screenplay, but not one word was discussed about selling it.
A writer's nature isn't generally brash, which is a disadvantage when in the modern age of commerce, you have to put on a new 'hat' after you have finished writing, and adopt the schizophrenic role of a thick-skinned, pushy businessman. Even if you do have a subservient publicist to do the dirty work for you, you still have to unrelentlessly push yourself and your product during every waking hour.
I've been so over zealous with my promotional endeavours, that I mistakenly 'sold' the same story about my novels, "Frantic" and "Crushed" twice, to the Writers' Guild's (UK) weekly, informative e-bulletin. They made a mistake too, by reprinting the item. Just when I was celebrating my double dose of publicity, I noticed the Writers' Guild had made an unfortunate typo in my bookstore's URL. The result of which, Eiworth Publishing's vital link didn't work. I think I shall have to calm down with the releases though, for I am now noticing they are appearing in gluts on the same sites, even though I was careful to write different headings and leaders.
I'm being so over enthusiastic with my sporadic promotion, that I am impulsively calling up old journalistic cronies, bugging them to plug my books. As if they care? They are only interested in promoting film stars' ghost-written autobiographies. I even bribed a friend who's got a showbiz column in a National newspaper. If he gave me a mention, I would give him a couple of free books, I implored.
Yes, I'm sitting slumped at my desk, my head filled with wild schemes on how to promote my books. It's all rather depresing. By the laws of artistic nature, I should be in a lonely garret, writing my new novel, not trying to act like a desperate publicist. So far, one library has said they would buy a couple of copies of "Frantic". I must remind myelf to subtly bamboozle them about giving me Events. Not only do I now have to chase up all the newspapers I e-mailed last week, but I now have to bribe the friends whom I have already forced to buy my books, to atttend my future book-signings. 'Think positive' is my new Mantra.
Being an unrelentless self-promoter is extremely hard work, much tougher than being a solitary writer. However, if I have to concentrate on promoting all my new books for the rest of their print life, I shall never technically again be able to write alone in my head. For, I shall always be dreaming of ambitious schemes on how to self-promote myself. It's not natural behaviour for a writer, who ideally would like to be left alone at his desk in order to create in peace.
Frances Lynn: copyright 2006
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| Reviewed by Sage Sweetwater |
8/27/2006 |
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Self-promotion must really have a power launch. Press releases are vital to push books. The author must build a few good websites and interact with their audience and list themselves with Google and all other major top search engines with powerful keywords. It's massive competition out there and you must find ways to stand out. An author must constantly look for avenues of marketing. They're there if you're willing to make contact with these contacts. To make your name a household word requires you spend every waking minute, that means putting your keyboard second and your next book ideas aside until you have promoted your titled. It is exasperating and leaves little time to write. I went a different route in writing my novels. I spent six years just writing dime-store pulp fiction novels, one right after the other with no publishing or marketing, just put the manuscript on a shelf when I finished and started the next. When you can take 6 novels and shepherd them into the marketplace, releasing one every 10 months or so, your name brand will take hold and your readers know you are a serious author. A one-book writer will never make it in this business. Then an author needs to find mass markets for their books whether it be chainstores, libraries, or mailorder catalogs. Authors Den is a wonderful venue to meet journalists and literary types you can network with, someone who is willing to help you push your name and your book product. I have met a few very valuable and friendly authors here on the Den who have power writing launched at other sites and they have pushed me and my writing to places very significant and I have reciprocated in kind return. Authors must be willing to promote each other, here on the Den and other writing venues. Good luck to you, Frances. Keep on promoting...
Sage |
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