Promoting your book is not for the feint of heart Today, I spent most of the day on my computer. with a new book about to be released, I have to find readers who love romantic suspense novels. Dark, suspenseful, sexual tension with a bit of humor on the side. So, I'm asking myself, who would that be? Is there a specific demographic? Only women?
Some men? Collie lovers? (yes, a secondary character with a fairly large role is a collie) psychiatrists? serial killers? People who live in upper Wisconsin? Or New York City? Who?
Reader bases, I guess, build up slowly. (unless you wrote The Shack or The last Lecture))
I started pitching In the Arms of the Enemy at horse shows, dog trials, barn "worming" day parties, all my major friends and enemies, fellow school teachers, and to my Yahoo groups to which I belong. I've hit some fairs, The Texas Book Festival, my library and other libraries that have "open mics." (where you can read excerpts, poems or short stories.) Come to think of it, I haven't done that in a while.
Promotional materials is a great advantage. Especially, book marks. I put a book mark in each book I sell. I leave flyers in book stores. I have to say my publisher, Light Sword Publishing (LSP Digital) has been helpful in creating promotional material from a huge poster that sits on an easel during book signings, to helping me create business cards (I confess, I didn't know how when I first started)
flyers, email blasts, pamphlets and other neat "stuff."
Promoting your book is no picnic. It helps if you have a sense of humor, even more if you like people and even more than THAT if you can stand rejection. Fortunately, I haven't received too many turn-downs from book stores. But, enough. Someone said that the writing business consists of 25% writing and 75% marketing and promoting. I believe it.
Tomorrow, I'll include an excerpt from Waterlilies. Maybe Thursday I'd like to discuss an up and coming project due December 1st.
Please stop by and say hello. Maybe we can discuss promotions.
