A Team-Work Approach

You've written a manuscript, put together a collection of poetry, or finished that long sought self-help book... and you've found a publisher. Lucky you - I mean VERY lucky you.

The feeling when you hold your first book in your hands and read YOUR name on the spine, or you see an amazing book cover with your name under the title on an eBook site, you are going to feel like you are on top of the world. And you should because you have accomplished an amazing task. You have accomplished a feat that so many merely talk about.

Now the work begins. Contrary to the book publishing world of Hollywood movies, now is when the work truly begins. No one is going to wave a magic wand and have your book land on book store shelves and into the shopping bags of readers. No matter how beautiful your cover is, no matter how gripping your storyline or mesmerizing your poems, and no matter how many people would be helped by your sage advice... if no one learns about the book, that's it, nothing more.

Depending on who and how your book is published, and EACH method is perfectly respectable, small press to big NYC house, self-published or traditional with royalties and advances, print or eBook, small to large runs or print-on-demand, chances are that you will bear the brunt of publicity efforts. And really, it should be that way because NO ONE will have a greater stake in your book's success than you.

Don't fool yourself, even in the biggest publishing houses, unless you have an established name and a proven track record, there is a very strong possibility that you will be on your own when it comes to promoting your book. Perhaps you managed to secure a nice advance, plan to use some of that to hire your own publicist - or do it yourself. Some of the small and less traditional publishers will offer publicity packages for a price. And if you are lucky you just might have found a publisher who will work with you and help you to promote your book, remember that I said WORK WITH YOU.

The internet is a great first step to take in promoting your book. Get a website - hopefully one where the URL is simple and refers to your name as author or your book's title name - there are several freebies and others that are inexpensive to purchase a domain. This website should ideally have a page introducing YOU to the public, your readers want to know WHO has written those amazing words. Have a page devoted to your book, or multiple pages for multiple books - if the site you are using allows for "parent systems" (where certain pages are dependent on individual parent pages) then build onto the main book page with back stories, trivia, reviews, etc. Make sure that you include purchase links.

Create a blog, or two or three (so long as you can manage to maintain the blogs). Each blog should have a specific theme. I maintain three complete blogs: 1) an author blog, all about my writings and books; 2) a promotional blog where I host OTHER authors and books; and an "anything blog" where I talk about life in general. Keep your blogs on a consistent theme and update regularly so that fans have something to come back to. As President Obama just cautioned school kids "be careful what you post on FaceBook", be careful what you put on a blog - it will stay with you - leave out the whining, insults, profanities, details of a sullied reputation, or highly controversial opinions (unless it has bearing on your writing).

Search other blogs, find blog owners who host guests and ask them if you could guest to talk about your book. Publicize your virtual blog tour on FaceBook, Twitter and MySpace. You will also find several online radio programs that will feature authors - make yourself available.

Keep your name out there. Retailers can tell you - you have to keep the product in front of consumers before they will consider buying.

Writing Prompt: Choose three commonly used expressions (ie: a penny saved is a penny earned) Write each expression into a brief one paragraph story (ie: A penny saved is a penny earned, that is why when I got to the candy store, I...)

Publicity Exercise: Look online, follow one or two virtual tours. Note which of the methods used in those tours might be beneficial to you and your book. Try to develop a virtual tour plan.