tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post114662997573079881..comments2023-10-11T09:22:33.136-04:00Comments on Paperback Writer: MustyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146754499855547532006-05-04T10:54:00.000-04:002006-05-04T10:54:00.000-04:00>>That one was your fault, wasn't it? Lol.*blush* ...>>That one was your fault, wasn't it? Lol.<BR/><BR/>*blush* who knew one little comment would have the effect it's had? I'm glad though, real glad! <BR/><BR/>Patrice FWIW I didn't do any promo for four months (shame on me) except to send out a newsletter in late April (I even quit blogging for over a month) and my sales figures didn't vary much.Amie Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14145328243563702260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146720153177782792006-05-04T01:22:00.000-04:002006-05-04T01:22:00.000-04:00I need to temper all my comments above with the fo...I need to temper all my comments above with the following: The most important marketing and publicity is that employed by your publisher's sales force when they're trying to get it into shops. You don't have much input or influence on this.<BR/><BR/>To me, author promotion encompasses the effort you put in to make your book more visible than the rest to a bookstore browser. Whether they recall the name or the title, that first hint of 'I know this from somewhere' might be enough for them to lift your book off the shelf and scan the back cover.<BR/><BR/>I'm lucky that my books are crossover - in other words, clean enough for the YA market. This has led to a number of school visits, ranging from 20 kids to speaking sessions at 4-day literary festivals with audiences of 200+ A few years back I would have been struck dumb at the thought, but starting with small groups and working up to the biggies made all the difference.<BR/><BR/>First and foremost I see this as promoting reading and literature - not myself or my books. I don't expect the entire audience to rush out and buy, but it was really nice when a tiny lass came up to me and said her dad LOVED my books (her emphasis.) Then there was the girl who got me to sign her bookmark half a dozen times (loved the novelty of it, and so kept joining the back of the queue). Great stuff, and it helps me work up enthusiasm for the next book.<BR/><BR/>The thing is, whatever my publicity lady asks me to do, I'm up for it. (Book related, that is ;-) And now that I've got a rep as someone who'll say yes and won't let them down, I get offered more and more stuff to do. E.g. in a couple of weeks a big name kids' author is coming to WA to meet public & school librarians to promote his books, and last I heard I'm going to be part of the same evening. (Probably ensuring his glass is kept filled ;-))<BR/><BR/>Having said all that, the last thing I'd suggest is that an author break out of their comfort zone and stand up in front of a large audience, absolutely terrified. Better in that case to be the mysterious shadowy anon.Simon Hayneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02660767551431793439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146715916139024472006-05-04T00:11:00.000-04:002006-05-04T00:11:00.000-04:00PBW wrote:Let me think on that seriously, Scott. I...PBW wrote:<BR/><BR/><I>Let me think on that seriously, Scott. I'll e-mail you or come over to your place and bug you about it.</I><BR/><BR/>Door's always open, PBW :) Comments and sage wisdom always welcome . . .<BR/><BR/><I>Okay, what if another shy, reclusive colleague drops in on one of your Memnon booksignings? Maybe signs a few books with you?</I><BR/><BR/>Heck yeah! I hate doing these things alone. I get self-conscious, blush alot, and stammer at the most basic of questions (i.e.: "Did you write this?"). In fact, after having a couple of signings* I now know what the monkeys in the zoo feel like. "Look, ma! A chimp with a typewriter!" :) <BR/><BR/><BR/>*My first booksigning was in Manhattan . . . how the bloody hell do you follow up on that in Podunk, Alabama? Geez, talk about setting the bar high . . .Scott Odenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17917296669418463518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146715857839476812006-05-04T00:10:00.000-04:002006-05-04T00:10:00.000-04:00I think it depends on where you're at in your care...I think it depends on where you're at in your career. I know several people who've done well with promo. Of course, their writing backed up their promo, so that helped a lot. I think if you're just starting out you should definitely promo your books the best you can. The key is never losing sight of what's important...the writing.Jordan Summershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00437563784716604402noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146715496477274982006-05-04T00:04:00.000-04:002006-05-04T00:04:00.000-04:00PBW wrote: The author's promo was tastefully done...PBW wrote: <EM> The author's promo was tastefully done and also well-received, but in spite of all that effort, that author's books didn't sell. The publisher dropped the author after the fourth book tanked. I have not seen or heard from that author since. </EM><BR/><BR/>That puts it all in perspective, doesn't it! I've often wondered if I didn't promote, would my sales be the same? I have a website and a blog. I put out a newsletter every other month. I also have a low volume discussion loop where I'm writing a serial story. I promo because I want to feel like I gave my latest book the best shot of I could.<BR/><BR/>This past year though I've shifted what I do for promo so I can focus on working hard at the part that matters most--the writing. Like you said, at the end of the day, the writing is what sells the book.Patrice Michellehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12061901112336162568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146714681858649752006-05-03T23:51:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:51:00.000-04:00Pixel Faerie wrote: Let the books do all the 'self...Pixel Faerie wrote: <I>Let the books do all the 'self-promotion' you need.</I><BR/><BR/>They're a lot better at it than I am.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146714606148566192006-05-03T23:50:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:50:00.000-04:00Jill wrote: For 4 months I did extensive research ...Jill wrote: <I>For 4 months I did extensive research and finally found one that fit. $13,000 later I walked away with a pretty press kit and not one single review!</I><BR/><BR/>Jill, I am so sorry to read what happened to you. I'm glad it didn't stop you, and thanks for passing it along here for the benefit of others who might be considering taking the same route.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146714120836666602006-05-03T23:42:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:42:00.000-04:00Shiloh wrote: If you write romance, there's all so...Shiloh wrote: <I>If you write romance, there's all sorts of promo services.</I><BR/><BR/>I just wanted to chime in here with a thanks for the info and links, Shiloh. Much appreciated.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146714028307848212006-05-03T23:40:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:40:00.000-04:00Tam wrote: I love you, Alison!It's hard not to lov...Tam wrote: <I>I love you, Alison!</I><BR/><BR/>It's hard <I>not</I> to love Alison. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146713870515686012006-05-03T23:37:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:37:00.000-04:00Katherine wrote: Which is better for an actor's ca...Katherine wrote: <I>Which is better for an actor's career? A People magazine cover, or an Oscar nomination?</I><BR/><BR/>Trick question. If you're Annie Proulx, neither.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146713760933094692006-05-03T23:36:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:36:00.000-04:00Alison wrote: (I have a draft saved of a post abou...Alison wrote: <I>(I have a draft saved of a post about this very thing. LOTS of thoughts on this subject that I'll eventually find time to discuss at home.)</I><BR/><BR/>Please do. We will come to your blog and shake it out of you if you forget. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146713661598694372006-05-03T23:34:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:34:00.000-04:00Cece wrote: The thing is, with e-publishing your E...Cece wrote: <I>The thing is, with e-publishing your ENTIRE readership is online, not walking through a bookstore, browsing book shelves where they might randomly pick up your book, read the back blurb and hey, maybe even buy it. People do have to learn your name but that doesn't mean they want it shoved down their throat.</I><BR/><BR/>I thought you started something interesting and productive by getting bloggers to talk more about e-books, Cece. That one <I>was</I> your fault, wasn't it? Lol.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146713531324234142006-05-03T23:32:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:32:00.000-04:00Milady wrote: I think, at the very least, one must...Milady wrote: <I>I think, at the very least, one must take the build it and they will come approach.</I><BR/><BR/>Web sites and weblogs can be a big draw, but building them to last is tricky. Bloggers seem to run out of steam at regular intervals, or start big and dwindle to nothing. Career dry spells make web sites go stagnant. Maybe mixing up the content is the way to go -- use your sites and blogs for self-promo, but don't make that the only thing you use them for.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146713275653178752006-05-03T23:27:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:27:00.000-04:00Tam wrote: It's not about me, it's about the work...Tam wrote: <I> It's not about me, it's about the work.</I><BR/><BR/>I'm going to have that tattooed somewhere. Don't tell my mom.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146713159193313572006-05-03T23:25:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:25:00.000-04:00Scott wrote: Any suggestions would be welcome.Let ...Scott wrote: <I>Any suggestions would be welcome.</I><BR/><BR/>Let me think on that seriously, Scott. I'll e-mail you or come over to your place and bug you about it.<BR/><BR/><I>*See? I self-promoed. Give me a cookie :)</I><BR/><BR/>You deserve a good one, too. Hmmmm. Okay, what if another shy, reclusive colleague drops in on one of your Memnon booksignings? Maybe signs a few books with you?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146712301410162052006-05-03T23:11:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:11:00.000-04:00Ed wrote: And anyway does it really work? Some do...Ed wrote: <I> And anyway does it really work? Some does, certainly, but it's like the days when everybody had to do signings. There were so many of us mid-listers out there that we canceled each other out. The same thing is happening to all this self-promo.</I><BR/><BR/>That's what I've been trying so lamely to say: readers can't see one tree when the whole forest is being shoved in their faces. All most self-promo really promotes is the herd.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146711965817042532006-05-03T23:06:00.000-04:002006-05-03T23:06:00.000-04:00Katherine wrote: Does anyone have comparative sale...Katherine wrote: <I>Does anyone have comparative sales numbers between books whose authors did or didn't self-promote?</I><BR/><BR/>I know of one author who turned pro out at the same time I did, went to the cons I did and all the cons thereafter that I didn't. Said author self-promo'ed like publishing was going to fold up tomorrow. Bookmarks, signings, mailouts, con workshops, every other month something somewhere. Just watching the author exhausted me. <BR/><BR/>I can't compare our writing styles, but that author and I had the same size print runs, the same amount of publisher backing, and initially hit the same spot on the BSL lists with our first novels. The other author had three advantages over me: the endless self-promo, entering and winning a number of contests and awards that I never did, and being quite well-liked among our peers. <BR/><BR/>The author's promo was tastefully done and also well-received, but in spite of all that effort, that author's books didn't sell. The publisher dropped the author after the fourth book tanked. I have not seen or heard from that author since.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146711186261751942006-05-03T22:53:00.000-04:002006-05-03T22:53:00.000-04:00Mary wrote: If I'm entertaining in my blog, I beli...Mary wrote: <I>If I'm entertaining in my blog, I believe readers will make the leap that my books might be entertaining.</I><BR/><BR/>I think the real factor counts a lot, too. You're a real person on your blog, not a cheerleader shaking fake pom poms in someone's face. We want to read books by real people, not self-sequinned ninnies.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146710862630564542006-05-03T22:47:00.000-04:002006-05-03T22:47:00.000-04:00Jane wrote: I think that Fan Girls, in the long ru...Jane wrote: <I>I think that Fan Girls, in the long run, do more good than harm.</I><BR/><BR/>I've only observed Fan Girls at their worst, so it's good to know that they do something a little positive for the authors whom they adore.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146708959419938122006-05-03T22:15:00.000-04:002006-05-03T22:15:00.000-04:00Darlene wrote: I'm curious. If you're someone who ...Darlene wrote: <I>I'm curious. If you're someone who does self-promote would you share how you pay for it?</I><BR/><BR/>Not that I self-promote much, but I started tucking away a little money from every advance check years ago, with the intention of someday doing one big self-promo thing. It was like a promo Christmas Club. :) When the time came to use it, I had enough saved to do things I normally couldn't have afforded to try.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146708350307563052006-05-03T22:05:00.000-04:002006-05-03T22:05:00.000-04:00Anonymous wrote: In the meantime, I'm writing some...Anonymous wrote: <I>In the meantime, I'm writing something completely different. It's already time to reinvent myself.</I><BR/><BR/>You're not alone, Anonymous -- and thanks for posting about your situation. It's good to get perspective from all over the industry.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146702826650430592006-05-03T20:33:00.000-04:002006-05-03T20:33:00.000-04:00I would rather your efforts went into writing more...I would rather your efforts went into writing more, better books than to waste energy doing something you may not like simply trying to promote your books. <BR/><BR/>Let the books do all the 'self-promotion' you need.Pixel Faeriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18106494560833984361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146690893428194242006-05-03T17:14:00.000-04:002006-05-03T17:14:00.000-04:00PBW...say it ain't so!I was always led to believe ...PBW...say it ain't so!<BR/><BR/>I was always led to believe that no matter how you chose to publish, promotion was the authors responsibility. So, with my 3rd novel, MACUMBA, I decided to pull out all the stops and so I went in search of a publicist. For 4 months I did extensive research and finally found one that fit. $13,000 later I walked away with a pretty press kit and not one single review! <BR/><BR/>My attorney advised me that for $3000.00 more he could send a letter that would almost guarantee out of court settlement. If not and we went to court, even if I won, I could expect to see about .30 cents of my money back. Needless to say that was a very valuable lesson learned. <BR/><BR/>I've since thrown in the towel when it comes to promotion, as I too feel my time is better spent writing. Unfortunately my royalty checks reflect my lack of exposure, but I'm a lot less stressed and have faith that if it's going to happen, it'll happen.jill terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14811303555984256109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146679905635681232006-05-03T14:11:00.000-04:002006-05-03T14:11:00.000-04:00I'm curious. If you're someone who does self-promo...<EM> I'm curious. If you're someone who does self-promote would you share how you pay for it?</EM><BR/><BR/>A lot of that depends on what kind of promo you're talking about, and what you write.<BR/><BR/>If you write romance, there's all sorts of promo services.<BR/><BR/>Places likes http://www.genesispromotions.com/ <BR/>http://www.millenniumpromotion.com/<BR/>http://www.theromanceclub.com/ <BR/>They do a lot of promotional services for writers, from newsletters, to announcing new releases... that's what I use the most~Millenium charges different amounts depending on what you want done, but it's reasonable. You cna have one of them design a banner for you and they can run on it various review site.<BR/><BR/>It all depends on what you want done.<BR/><BR/>Fangirls, or very avid readers, can be a writer's best friend. But if they go from avid to rabid, that can hurt. I've seen people who leave lists, groups, etc, because they were practically attacked by rabid fangirls. <BR/><BR/><EM> Promo whoredom </EM> I love that term. Self promo can easily turn into promo whoredom if you use places like yahoo groups to sing your own praises night and day. If all a writer ever really talks about is how great her reviews are, how wonderful her book is, and how wonderful her characters are... well, it bores the hell out of me~I'm a reader, too. If I'm bored with it, chances are a lot of people are.<BR/><BR/>There is a middle road to all of it... the trick is finding it.Shiloh Walkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07785046046157000126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8343238.post-1146677415769306572006-05-03T13:30:00.000-04:002006-05-03T13:30:00.000-04:00I love you, Alison!Yes, yes, YES!!I love you, Alison!<BR/><BR/>Yes, yes, YES!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com