THIS ISN’T YOUR MOTHER’S BOOK SIGNING. . .

By Writer X

Welcome to the 21st Century

It used to be that an agent sold your book to a publisher and then said publisher would arrange a smattering of book signings, depending on the strength of your name and the marketing budget for your book. While that is still the case for some writers, that’s a time period I like to call The Dark Ages.

Book signings have almost become passé. And that’s not to say that book signings are no longer a way to promote books, it’s just that there are now so many more tools in a writer’s (particularly a debut author’s) arsenal.

Book promotion and marketing are tough nuts for a lot of writers because, I think, most of us are introverts at heart. Who else wouldn’t mind being holed up in a room for months at a time listening to imaginary voices inside their heads besides writers? And lunatics in straitjackets? While writers might be skilled with the written word, many of us become bumbling idiots when forced to speak before large groups of people. Still, as my mom always said, “If you want to dance, you got to pay the fiddler.”

Marketing is a necessary evil. It’s part of the business of being a writer, and writing is a business. If you don’t market yourself and your books, your books run the risk of collecting dust on bookstore shelves. Not a pleasant thought if you’d like to make writing your long-term career goal.

So, what can you do to market yourself and your books, especially if you’re a new author? Fortunately, there are a ton of things.

First, don’t underestimate Al Gore’s Internet. You can begin marketing yourself even before you sell your first book. If you want to become a published author, start thinking like one. For starters, a blog is almost a necessity, as long as you update it regularly. My suggestion is to keep the focus on writing and less about the fancy dinner you cooked the previous night. A professionally created web site can wait until after you make your first sale if you can’t afford one. Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook can be helpful too but, again, think like a published writer. So, those photos of you doing bong hits on Spring Break in Vegas might not be appropriate if, for example, you’re trying to become a children’s writer. As an aside, if you don’t think that potential agents and publishers are doing Google searches about you before they take you on as an author, think again.

Second, investigate opportunities where you can become a guest blogger on other sites. Example: If you’re writing a non-fiction book about parenting skills, find a web site where you can share (usually gratis) your expertise.

Third, yes, even Twitter can be a helpful marketing tool. Some writers have “tweeted” lines from their books to entice readers to buy them. Some have even tweeted their entire books!

Post a professionally done “book trailer” to YouTube. This is like the visual, virtual equivalent of your book jacket and can cost several thousand dollars to do well. You may have even seen these types of book trailers on amazon.com. They can be effective in creating buzz as long as you have a plan (e.g. through your blog, web site) to draw people to it. It’s all about the buzz. Remember that you will have anywhere from 18 months to two years before your book hits the shelf, if you sign with one of the larger, traditional publishers. Less time to market, usually, with a smaller publisher.

If you have relationships with other published authors, it’s always wonderful when you can entice them to read your book and hopefully blurb about it on their web sites and blogs before and after the release date of your published book.

Finally, there’s always an old-fashioned book signing. Keep in mind that as a debut author you will most likely need to market yourself—over and above what your publisher plans to do—particularly to your local libraries and bookstores. This can be easier with independent bookstores than it is with the chains, although certainly nothing is impossible. Get to know your bookstores and the people who manage them. You might even meet some interesting people in the process.

So, if you think that your only job as a writer is to write the dang masterpiece, you’re in for a shock. And don’t forget to dust off your Marketing 101 hat and practice your public speaking skills.

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Note to all Commentarama Readers: If there’s something in particular you’d like to see in the Writing Series, just ask. If I can write about it, I will. Leave a comment after this post, email Commentarama, or email me directly at writerx@cox.net with your suggestions. I don’t bite and I’m fairly nice. Mostly.