When you take marketing tips from self-publishing companies they are doing this for a reason. Seasoned Authors have learned that once you have written a book you are a long way from people being a known writer. There are Authors out there who believe that their work will show for them and this is just not true. I am sure that all of your friends know about famous Authors but you are in their midst and if you don’t tell them you are a writer then they will have no idea. Have you ever asked yourself the question of how these famous writers get well known in the writers community? Most of the writers do not stand on street corners pedaling their novels but instead use their extra money on publicity. They hire people that let the whole world know that they have written a novel and that it is exceptional.
Writers need to learn the strategy of marketing. If you have a handful of business cards made and you stand on the corner and you hand them out count how many are just thrown in the street. Business cards and flyers are a very old approach to marketing and may still have some use if you are looking at statistically spending more money then you take in. Business cards are definetely useful if you are at an Authors convention because it will let other writers know that you are serious about you work and are professional.
Calling small newspaper publications and asking them about listing your novel in their entertainment section is a great way to get sales and become known. The hard part is getting enough money to place the ad.
If you are like most writers you need to market yourself as cheap as possible so here is a sure way to reach readers that actually buy books. Look around your neighborhood for writing opportunities in magazines and newspapers as a trade off for some free advertisement for your books. You must be prepared for being turned down alot but if you have tried to get a Literary Agent you should be used to this by now. If you have tried and no one is interested in you writing for their magazines or papers there is one place that always is. Log on to your PC and search the web. I made a good start writing for Marty at useless-knowledge.com and got free advertisement that worked.
A Website presence is a must so if you cannot afford 10 dollars a month then you can still use social networks that will allow you to build a free and attractive website. Myspace is an okay place to start but you will need to spend time on the website chatting and getting friends. This is what Networking is all about, hard work and positive results. Ning is also a great source for networking as well and on Ning you can find others that share your interests and can help you get your name out there.
Last but not least remember that your web placement in very important. Type your name in google and yahoo. Do you see any information on yourself? If not you need to go to work and get your name on the web. How? It’s easier than you think. Type in google submissions and use the free service and type in your URL. It will take some time but in the end when it appears people will know that you exist. In my next article I will try to give some pointers on naming conventions for your wesite because this is very important as well.
- Arthur L Burton III
