I picked up a copy of Guerrilla Marketing for Writers by Jay Conrad Levinson, Rick Frishman, Michael Larsen and David L. Hancock. I haven't started reading yet because I'm bogged down with other things, but every now and then I pick it up and skim. It looks really good. Just from browsing through it I'll say it's a book every author should have. Lots of ideas and encouragement between the covers and I venture to say that reading this book will stimulate more ideas. Okay, okay, I know the reviews on Amazon are mixed. The fiction writers think it's mainly for NF writers, but I believe we can take most of the suggestions in this book, put our own twist on them and make them work for us one way or another. What have we got to lose? About twenty bucks and some time. And speaking of time ...
Most writers have full time jobs. With all the signings, speaking engagements, tweeting, facebooking, blogging, writing and rewriting, editing, etc. ... My head spins! I have to wonder, where does family come in?
Here's a tip I learned from a selling mystery writer I know: Not one piece of mail leaves her house without having some kind of promotional item inside it. On the outside of the envelope, she has a return address stamp with the cover of her book. So yeah, tuck a bookmark in with your water bill or leave it with a tip in a restaurant. Get a rubber stamp made that has your website or blog address on it. It could look like this or be more creative:
READ MY BOOKS: http://www.jessyferguson.blogspot.com/
I think one of the best ways to get known and sell books is to speak at conferences and to writers' groups. Speakers always sell books--on the spot. It's a bird-in-the-hand-get-'em-while they're-hot thing. If a speaker doesn't have books on hand to sell, he's missing a huge opportunity; most people won't go home and order it.
Don't like speaking? Not good at it? Scared? Join Toastmasters. You can't get out of promoting yourself and your writing so don't try. Pick up Guerrilla Marketing for Writers. Read it with a highlighter. Write new ideas in the margins.
I used to think the only people buying books were writers. :) It seems that way sometimes. But honestly, what it amounts to is this: authors can't do it alone. We all need each other. We have to help promote each other. It's as simple as that.
Have you helped/promoted a writer today? How?
READ MY BOOKS: http://www.jessyferguson.blogspot.com/
I think one of the best ways to get known and sell books is to speak at conferences and to writers' groups. Speakers always sell books--on the spot. It's a bird-in-the-hand-get-'em-while they're-hot thing. If a speaker doesn't have books on hand to sell, he's missing a huge opportunity; most people won't go home and order it.
Don't like speaking? Not good at it? Scared? Join Toastmasters. You can't get out of promoting yourself and your writing so don't try. Pick up Guerrilla Marketing for Writers. Read it with a highlighter. Write new ideas in the margins.
I used to think the only people buying books were writers. :) It seems that way sometimes. But honestly, what it amounts to is this: authors can't do it alone. We all need each other. We have to help promote each other. It's as simple as that.
Have you helped/promoted a writer today? How?
1 comment:
I should get this book. I do send bookmarks in some letters, but I never thought about putting them in bills. Interesting.
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