We may live in the Internet age, but face-to-face interactions still pay off. Self-published Australian author Joanne Mitchell sold through her first printing largely using an old-school style of book promotion: "I'm out book signing at major book retailers in and around Brisbane all the time." Though it's worked for her, she also adds, "It's hard going and you have to be disciplined." How do you turn your book into a subject of conversation? The tips below will get you started.
Readings and Book Signings
© 2006 Ginny Wiehardt.
Check your local bookstores, coffeehouses, bars, and libraries to learn about local reading series. And if there's not one, then organize your own event. Invite a few other writers to join you, find a venue, and then get the word out. Most libraries have a space for readings and community functions; bars and coffeehouses are often happy to host an event on their slow nights, as long as people buy drinks. And bookstores, of course, are happy to have the book sales and the exposure. Often these organizations already have small PR machines in place, even if it's just places to hang fliers. Add to their efforts by contacting your local paper, emailing your friends, and hanging signs up around town.
Book Launch Parties
If your publisher isn't throwing you a book launch party, then host one yourself, or ask a friend to do so. When his book The Mercury Visions of Louis Daguerre came out, Dominic Smith used part of his advance to host a book party at an art museum in his town. Almost all 500 guests bought a book. The sales made his publishers happy, and it's a safe bet that each of the guests mentioned his book to someone else. But you don't have to rent a venue. An apartment or house works just as well. Offer beer and wine, have a friend man a table of books, and do a short reading once the party's going, being sure to thank your host, your guests, and anyone who supported you in writing the book.Your Local Writing Community
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If you've been writing a while, you probably already have a community of writers or literary types to turn to when your book comes out. If not, this is a good excuse to start building connections -- connections that will feed your writing in myriad ways. Look into writers guilds, take or teach classes, and attend reading series. More important than building an audience, you'll be building relationships to support your writing over the long-term.
Local Media
Does your community have a weekly zine? Let them know about your reading, send their book critic a copy of your book, and offer to do an interview. Then do the same with the newspaper, the radio station, the morning news show, and even the cable access channel. You never know what's going to work, so try a little of everything. Local media sources are likely to be seeking content: they'll have more time for a segment on a new author than national sources will. And it's excellent practice for the big leagues. Talking to the media doesn't come naturally to most of us.
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