03.17.2008 Ask Not What Your Publisher Can Do For You…

In the mid 90s, I was trying to make my mark as an author of books for computer programmers.  I was young and naïve and had two attitudes which I now recognize as fatal.  First, the “build it and they will come” attitude which I guess essentially expected customers to magically discover and buy the books.  The first year of sales reports seemed to confirm that this was inevitable. Then the returns came in, those unsold books which had been gathering dust on those oh-so-coveted bookstore shelves were being sent back to the warehouse to molder.  Few things are more discouraging than a royalty statement with a negative dollar figure on the bottom line!

Second, I was convinced that my publisher should be doing everything in their power to move the book. What this Fortune 500 company ever did for me was not clear since I didn’t receive any updates on marketing.  Now I realize that there was undoubtedly more that I could have done, even though it was a couple years before the tools which any novice can use were well known (yes, I mean blogs!).  No, it was not technology or timing to blame, mostly the attitude that the publisher should be in control.

If you are a new author or are aspiring to be published soon, Ask Not What Your Publisher Can Do For You but what you can do for your publisher. Yes, I know you wrote the book, but delivery of the manuscript is NOT the finish line, merely the starting gun for the real race.  Since I’m not here to just preach but to offer you some practical solutions, here’s Ten Things Under Ten Bucks you can do to promote your book.  And at least half of them are free.

1. Send review copies to all the major post-publication reviewers?  Reader Views, Midwest Book Reviews, Rebecca’s Reads, TCM Reviews, Bookpleasures, etc….
2. Dust off that Blog!  Post something to your own blog, put in reminders into Outlook to make you get back on that horse.
3. Contribute to other people’s blogs: ask to write a guest article on a blog related to your topic.  I bet the blogger would be thrilled to have new, original content they didn’t have to do completely on their own.
4. Review books like yours: post reviews of the five bestselling similar books in your genre on Amazon, make sure your URL appears in your posting profile. Mention that if readers liked this book, they might like yours too.
5. Get yourself a great-looking full color poster of your book cover from Elco Labs, starting at $9.95.
6. Put a free listing of your book up on www.Bookhitch.com
7. Record the Introduction or Chapter One of your book on headset microphone attached to your PC, upload it to www.podiobooks.com
8. If self-published, upload your book to print.google.com or if not then badger your publisher to do so or explain why they can’t.
9. Use your video camera to record a 4 minute video about you and your book.  Add music from PodSafeAudio.com. Upload it to YouTube, Broadcaster.com, and post it as an Amazon video review
10. Schedule an event at a local school, church, civic organization where you can be an expert about the subject of your book.

What tips and techniques do you have that you can share?  Write me at info@LovingHealing.com and I’d love to swap ideas with you.

Victor R. Volkman
www.LovingHealing.com

“Redefining what is possible for healing mind and spirit”