[stylist] After You Publish: Anyone Have Promo Advice?

Mon Apr 29 22:34:25 UTC 2013

Very good to hear that - I thought perhaps you could do that when I wrote to 
you.
I wish you the very best of everything in promoting your book.
Lynda
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bekah Felix" <rc_jc2 at hotmail.com>
To: "Writer's Division Mailing List" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 4:40 PM
Subject: Re: [stylist] After You Publish: Anyone Have Promo Advice?


> Actually, it is already out. But that info is still helpful because my 
> contract is non-exclusive and I can send to other publishers.
>
> Thanks for all your advice. It is very helpful!
>
> Rebekah Felix
> Author of In the Family
> Print: http://booklocker.com/books/6812.html
> E-Book:
> https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/304358
>
> On Apr 29, 2013, at 1:08 PM, "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net> wrote:
>
>> I must have missed something. I thought Bekah's book was already out and
>> beyond the publisher conversation.
>> Donna
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lynda 
>> Lambert
>> Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 2:30 PM
>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] After You Publish: Anyone Have Promo Advice?
>>
>> Yes, I agree with Donna. You do have to ask all these questions and be 
>> abel
>> to answer them.
>> But the big question, right in the front, is to be able to answer these 3
>> questions:
>> "Who cares?  "So What?"
>> "Why should I care about this book?"
>> That is exactly what a publisher wants to hear about in the initial
>> discussion.
>> You also need to be able to articulate what exactly your market is - that
>> means, spending time at the big book stores and finding the area where 
>> YOUR
>> BOOK will be placed. HOW does YOUR book look in comparison to those 
>> already
>> there? You need to be able to discuss the other notable books in your 
>> chosen
>> genre and relate exactly why someone needs or wants YOUR book and how 
>> does
>> it compare to XXX book that is already there on the store shelves?
>>
>> If it is a book that Christians would be interested in, an excellent
>> publisher is Tate Publishing Company.  Not only do they publish your book
>> they create the cover, all the inside of the book, and they promote your
>> book through their presence at Christian Bookseller Conventions. My son's
>> book (Beginning a Prayer Life, by R. Andrew Lambert) was published by 
>> Tate
>> and he gets royalty checks from them every time his book is sold.  they
>> schedule him for book signings in major stores, they do all the legwork 
>> on
>> promotion, and it is his role to show up and be congeniel and discuss his
>> book with interested people during the book signings. It is very 
>> exciting.
>>
>> When my book was in the process of being created by the publisher, I had
>> already scheduled the first venue to introduce the book and do a book
>> singing/reading to go with a major art exhibition I was having - people 
>> who
>> came to my opening reception, were the first people to see and hear my 
>> book
>> and purchase it. I liked that up a year in advance of the release of the
>> book.
>>
>> All ofDonna's suggestions are great and you have to know that YOU are a
>> MARKETER of YOUR BOOK - and you have to do a ton of very hard work to 
>> make
>> it all come together as you have planned.  This is in no way to 
>> discourage
>> you, but to give you the information I have to help you get it going - 
>> you
>> have to really do your research, all along as you go.
>>
>> GOOD LUCK and I hope you have a very successful book release - Lynda
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net>
>> To: "'Writer's Division Mailing List'" <stylist at nfbnet.org>
>> Sent: Monday, April 29, 2013 1:45 PM
>> Subject: Re: [stylist] After You Publish: Anyone Have Promo Advice?
>>
>>
>>> Bekah,
>>> The website is very important, as is Twitter, which is even more 
>>> important
>>> than Facebook, since the feed is public and you can reach strangers and
>>> they
>>> can follow you without risking the site's wrath.
>>>
>>> What are your plans for marketing your novel to a niche group like
>>> Christian
>>> middle and upper schools? Is there anything in the book that you could
>>> point
>>> to as an area of experteese, such as a blind character? Or, is there 
>>> some
>>> other popular social justice or awareness raising issue such as
>>> anti-bullying that you can use to market the book?
>>>
>>> Do you have a  degree in literature or creative writing? Some writers
>>> promote their books and make a little money by applying to give
>>> presentations at writers' workshops.
>>>
>>> Have you spoken to your local schools/libraries about doing a 
>>> presentation
>>> for them at which you could sell your book? Have you been collecting
>>> e-mail
>>> addresses for people who review books and websites that feature book
>>> reviews
>>> from indie authors? There are also contests nowadays for self-published
>>> authors like the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. That one's free to
>>> enter,
>>> but there are others that have fees.
>>>
>>> Have you sifted through your connections, family and friends for anyone
>>> who
>>> is either in a position to help you or who can approach someone on your
>>> behalf?
>>>
>>> What kinds of experiences have you had in terms of public speaking? Have
>>> you
>>> done any internet radio shows?
>>>
>>> One thing that I use as a source for finding media types who might be
>>> interested in using me as a source for articles, book reviews, internet
>>> radio, etc is a free service called HARO (Help a Reporter Out). They 
>>> send
>>> out e-mails normally 3 times a day on weekdays in which journalists post
>>> queries about what they're looking for. "Sources" which are often
>>> publicists
>>> answer the ones that look like a fit with their "pitches," and hope for
>>> the
>>> best. As in sales in general, you need to get used to dealing with very
>>> long
>>> odds. I hardly ever find anything that fits and most of the pitches I 
>>> send
>>> go unanswered. Nevertheless, I've lost count of the number of radio
>>> appearances and guest blogs I've done, and I've had my material included
>>> in
>>> at least 3 books that I can remember. I have also been quoted as a 
>>> source
>>> in
>>> some articles.
>>>
>>> Maybe you're way ahead of me here, and if so, I hope this will help
>>> someone
>>> else. The best tool we have, and this is true whether we are blind or
>>> sighted, is Google and the internet. I'd advise anyone who is trying to
>>> promote anything, whether it's a book or NFB issues, to get comfortable
>>> with
>>> using the internet and ploughing through with all of the accessibility
>>> issues. You'll find lots of resources, and you'll spend some time 
>>> getting
>>> nowhere, but that's sales.
>>> Donna
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bekah 
>>> Felix
>>> Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2013 11:28 PM
>>> To: Writer's Division Mailing List
>>> Subject: Re: [stylist] After You Publish: Anyone Have Promo Advice?
>>>
>>> My book is a fictional novel directed towards teens and young adults.
>>> Though
>>> it could be considered Christian fiction, it could appeal to anyone. I 
>>> am
>>> on
>>> Facebook, and I am working on creating my own website.
>>>
>>> Rebekah Felix
>>> Author of In the Family
>>> Print: http://booklocker.com/books/6812.html
>>> E-Book:
>>> https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/304358
>>>
>>> On Apr 28, 2013, at 8:38 PM, "Donna Hill" <penatwork at epix.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi Rebeka,
>>>> I think that we need a little more info here to truly help you. Is
>>>> your book fiction or nonfiction? Have you thought about a niche market
>>>> that it might appeal to? Do you have an online presence -- website,
>>> Twitter, etc.?
>>>>
>>>> I'm just publishing my first novel, but I had a nonfiction booklet
>>>> decades ago and three recordings and have always done my own PR.
>>>> Donna
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Bekah
>>>> Felix
>>>> Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2013 5:40 PM
>>>> To: stylist at nfbnet.org
>>>> Subject: [stylist] After You Publish: Anyone Have Promo Advice?
>>>>
>>>> Hi all,
>>>>
>>>> I have just recently published my first book, and I'm looking for
>>>> promotional tools. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for book
>>>> promoting as a blind person. Any help or advice would be greatly
>>>> appreciated.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks!
>>>>
>>>> Rebekah Felix
>>>> Author of In the Family
>>>> Print: http://booklocker.com/books/6812.html
>>>> E-Book:
>>>> https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/304358
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
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