I've encountered quite a few writing how-to blogs lately that stress the importance of self-promotion. I know a lot of writers in the past would have killed to have half my chance to put their stuff out there. Unfortunately, a lot of the reason why I write as much as I do is because I'm not very eloquent. Novelling through the voice of my characters has become my way of speaking. The thought of writing a synopsis for my stories terrify me. Pitches are even worse. But going out there and making people want to buy my book? *Runs and hides in terror*
And that's pretty much how I feel.
And it's a feeling I'm apparently going to have to conquer unless I win the million-dollar jackpot and can hire my own promo agent. Unfortuantely, I'm not even 16 yet, so the lottery is out of the question leaving me with only one option: Self-promote.
I'm planning on being finished with Across the Stars by April. That's when I suppose I'll start. I should be done with Title Page by June. Selling two little novels off Amazon doesn't sound easy, exactly, but I'll put on a good attitude. Optimism and all that.
Curse the cynicism I got from my mother!
And I'm rambling. I can feel it. If you made any sense of the above, could you give some tips if you have any?
I have a friend who has been actively publishing (like mad!!) this last 18 or so months. She self-promotes by joining book blog tours, blog discussions and her publisher and editor also provide opportunities for the authors they work with to do a lot of online promotion. A lot of her promotions is done via her personal blog, where she offers excerpts, does small contests that relate to her plot and lets the world know as often as possible what's coming up. If she's going to be at a conference or convention, she has bookmarkers made or other small handouts with information o them. Self-promotion is intimidating, but I think once you get started, you definitely want the world to read what you wrote. And trust me, I love my friend to death, but she is one of the MOST cynical humans to have ever been born.
ReplyDeleteThose are some good ideas Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI think the Internet is a godsend for introverted writers looking to find new readers for their books. Many people are inclined to buy books written by their friends or recommended by their friends. For a writer, the goal then becomes, make new friends. Social media sites, like Twitter and Facebook, allow introverted writers to connect with potential readers without face-to-face conversations.
ReplyDeleteA great resource on promotion for writers is JA Konrath's ebook, The Newbie's Guide to Publishing. You can download it here. (http://www.jakonrath.com/writers.htm) It's 750 pages though, so you might want to just skip to the sections on Promotions. Also, Joe is an extrovert so he mentions things like book signings and speaking engagements. Just use what works for you and ignore the rest.