All Blog Posts Tagged 'promotion' (64)

Bookstores Done Right

When they're done right, bookstores feel kind of like home. You do as you like, stay as long as you like, have a snack, read a little, chat a little about your favorite things, and get intellectual stimulation from discussion with those who "live" there. I've been in lots of bookstores in the past few years, staying near a table of my books and directing customers to the bathroom or the nonfiction shelves. As I visit, I see the staff in action, and it's easy to tell the best…

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Added by Peg Herring on April 14, 2010 at 10:48pm — 3 Comments

The Glamorous Life

Starting the new year with glitz: invoicing for consignment sales, typing up press releases for HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER, and making a mail-merge directory of every library in the state. Yes, it's mind-numbing work, but think how cool it will be when it's done (she keeps telling herself).

I think the brain/mind/soul/whatever needs these dorky little tasks from time to time. They require no creativity but provide a feeling of accomplishment. Sure, I'd rather be writing the next… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on January 5, 2010 at 10:29pm — No Comments

Creative Marketing (R)

Since my new book releases next month, I've been thinking (a lot) about marketing. It seems to me that we must be just as creative in this phase as we were when plotting the novel, just as bold in approaching various venues as we were when seeking an agent. It's a bit daunting.

Here's what I've learned, or at least what I think I've learned.

No book will fit every venue every time. You have to choose where you'll expend your energies and forget trying to sell to every… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on December 3, 2009 at 10:07pm — No Comments

Another Note on Reviews

The reviews came out Monday; Wednesday brought an inquiry about film/TV rights. I have no idea where that will go (I referred it to my agent) but I have to think the review created interest from that quarter. Would anyone in the industry have heard of my book without the review? Probably not.

Added by Peg Herring on November 5, 2009 at 10:07pm — 8 Comments

Reviews=Sales?

Ah, that is the question. And the answer is, who knows? But as usual, I have a few words on the subject.

First, as I said yesterday, a good review gives a writer confidence. That's good in meeting people and presenting a book effectively. It's no longer just my sister who loves the book. I can say, "Library Journal says..."

Second, I've run into libraries who use reviews as a weeding tool. If a book isn't reviewed in one of the "Big 3", they won't consider it. Since Five… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 4, 2009 at 8:18pm — 2 Comments

Luminarites, (the Other Side of Functionaries)

Okay, so I was really disgusted yesterday with the type of person who makes life harder. Then, in bookstore visits, I met the opposite type...twice!

Two bookstores, two lovely people. One has been in the business for 22 years and loves putting people together with books they love (and the authors who write them--YAY!) The other is much younger, so she hasn't put in the time, but she went out of her way to make me feel that I was not a hat-in-hand requester of their patronage but a… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 28, 2009 at 10:32pm — No Comments

Goodreads and Giveaways

Maybe I'm the last to know, but I found out that Goodreads will do a giveaway of an author's ARCs for free. I offered some copies of HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER and got a great response. Goodreads lets you choose how many books you'll give away, decide how long the contest will run, and enter the information you want people to read. They choose the winners, send you their mailing addresses, and you mail them the books. It's a pretty painless process, and the first day I was listed I had 176… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 23, 2009 at 10:00pm — 1 Comment

New Territory

If you're ever feeling good about getting published and all, just stop and think about how many states in this big ol' country of ours have never heard of you.

I'm planning my winter vacation/booktour, and this year we're going into states we've only driven through other years. So I begin the introductory letters, the offers, the enticements. "I'm someone you've never heard of, but I'm really okay, not crazy or anything."

It's a bit daunting, a bit exciting. And a lot of… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 22, 2009 at 10:17pm — 5 Comments

What Exactly Is "The Old Razzle-Dazzle"?

Whether we're considering quality of writing or branding or charisma, the problem is the same: personal differences. I gripe a lot here about writing that I consider bad, but obviously somebody liked/likes it, so I'm different from those people.

Readers look for different things from books, so what I want isn't necessarily what you want. I've learned to smile like Buddha and say nothing when people gush over their favorites, books I wouldn't read if you gave them to me along with… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 15, 2009 at 11:15pm — 4 Comments

WV Book Festival @Charleston Civic Center October 10-11th

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the WV Book Festival. Come on down Saturday-Sunday October 10-11th at the Charleston Civic Center. Panel discussions, book signings, Agents/Publishing, and chat with local authors.

Join me and Robert Walker at 2:30 on Sunday as we discuss how to get your book ready for an agent/publishing house, methods on finding agents and publishers, a look into the publishing world, book promotion, and much more. We will have a book signing after the… Continue

Added by Miranda Phillips Walker on October 9, 2009 at 8:18am — No Comments

There's No Predicting

If you'd asked me a week ago, I'd have said that writers' groups don't buy books. Most of the time when I speak to a group of wanna-be writers, they're there to pick my brain, and the enticement of reading my work evades them entirely.

Then I meet a group that surprises me, and I have to run to the car to get more books (always more books in the car--that's a rule.) And I take orders from more people who didn't come prepared to buy the book but want to send a check.

The… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 7, 2009 at 7:30pm — 2 Comments

I'm Puttin' on My Top Hat...Sorta

Fred Astaire aside, I've scheduled a library talk tonight, so I've been doing all that silly stuff we do before presenting ourselves to strangers. Not sure why it matters if my nails are polished, but it makes me feel like I have done my part. The thing is, one never knows if it's going to be worth all the effort. I pack three tote bags with handouts, giveaways, book I hope to sell, etc., and then drive whatever distance I must. And sometimes nobody shows up. Sometimes three people. Sometimes… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on October 6, 2009 at 10:30pm — 1 Comment

Win a MacBook Laptop Computer!

Hi everyone-

Please forgive my lapse into BSP, but I'm gearing up for the release of THE GATEKEEPER and thought some of you might want to enter a giveaway I'm running.

One lucky person will receive a brand new MacBook laptop computer. All you have to do is go to my website (www.MichelleGagnon.com) and sign up for my free newsletter, which will grace your inbox fewer than six times a year.

Want to increase your odds? For ten more entries, please answer this… Continue

Added by Michelle Gagnon on October 2, 2009 at 7:19am — No Comments

Getting the Word Out (R)

This week I'm out doing library talks, and that means getting those ducks in a row. Do I have enough cards, books, handouts, and such? How will I look after a long drive on a hot day? And worst of all, will anyone care enough to show up?

Second-time authors aren't exactly hot properties, and while libraries are usually willing to let me do my schtick, there's no guarantee patrons will show up to watch. I combat the no-name problem by approaching with a theme rather than just "Come… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on September 22, 2009 at 8:59pm — 6 Comments

Confused about Networking and Self-promotion? Don’t ‘drop your pants’ just yet – there may be hope!

With so many social networking sites available on the Internet, I thought I’d do some research to discover the emerging Do’s and Don’t’s of Self-Promotion. After all, one doesn’t want to become known as a Dreaded Spammer. On the other hand, we all know that “Bench Advertising Works”, so in that spirit, I set out to uncover the mysteries of Global Networking.

According to the experts, the following are the… Continue

Added by Donna Carrick on August 23, 2009 at 2:30am — 4 Comments

Marketing Your Novel with Success!

Alrighty then, your book has been published--Great! Now the hard work really starts, you need to know it's up to you to promote it. I know some of you are working with a large publishing house and think your covered. Well take off your rose colored glasses. Yes, the big houses will do some promo work, but it's not like it use to be, with budget and staff cuts all around, you can't sit back and hope magic happens. If you don't know this, take note, publishers and agents you will deal with from… Continue

Added by Miranda Phillips Walker on July 11, 2009 at 1:16pm — 2 Comments

On Interviews

I've received notification that I'm the interview subject on Novel Journey tomorrow, July 7th. It's a cool site, so I'm excited to be there, and you can see what I said at www.noveljourney.blogspot.com.

I've done radio, Internet, video, and print interviews and have been lucky so far to have professional hosts who lead me along and don't throw in anything nasty. Still, book/author interviews are a bit static, and there are so many out there that I wonder if anyone really reads any of… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on July 6, 2009 at 10:53pm — 3 Comments

Enjoying the Failures of Others

Well not really. I mean we're nice people, right? We wouldn't actually enjoy hearing someone else's woes.

But it helps. I just read an interview with a multi-published writer (over 100 books) who admitted to a lot of failures over the years: wrong book, wrong time, wrong publisher, etc. She made the point that it isn't always the author who fails, and we have to remember that or we'd all throw the monitor out the window.

I lunch every once in a while with another writer,… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on June 3, 2009 at 9:52pm — No Comments

On Being the One-Person Show

Authors love to gripe about how hard it is to market and promote, and with good cause. It sometimes feels like nothing I do works, and in this economy, that's very possibly true. So what's a writer to do?

As a teacher, I learned to multi-task, and it serves well in this business, too. I think writers have to work more in multiple universes than others do: I'm promoting MACBETH'S NIECE but getting ready for HER HIGHNESS' FIRST MURDER to come out in January while editing SHAKESPEARE'S… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on May 26, 2009 at 10:46pm — No Comments

Let Me Tell You About My Weekend

Cold.

There, that's it in a nutshell. From that one word you can picture a line of tiny, transient shops, set up along a lake shore under canopies threatening to fly away (some did); customers staying home or at best hurrying through the rows with no willingness to browse, chat, or buy.

There were good things, of course. I met lots of really nice vendors and got to know them pretty well, since we had only each other to talk to. I had time to cut down that book the… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on May 18, 2009 at 9:56pm — No Comments