Readers, Bookstores and Social Media - The Joys and Sorrows of Book Promotion, by Harini Nagendra

As writers, we are often told that promotion – publicity and marketing – is half the game. Are you aware of other writers’ promo influencing you?

I was told this for a long time. And I do believe that publicity and marketing play a major role in the success of books. But now that I've been writing and publishing books, both fiction and non-fiction, since 2016 - I've come to realise that as an author, one has very little control over the kind of publicity that is needed to really push book sales. That kind of publicity and marketing requires either big budgets (of the kind that only publishers can pull off, or authors with very deep pockets) - or networks - with major bookstore chains, magazines, influencers (it's rare that an author can do this on their own). Either you get lucky with this, i.e. find a publisher that is willing and able to take this on for you - or you don't. An author can burn themselves out pushing social media, and have very little to show for it in terms of concrete sales.  

What can an author do to influence readership? The best way to get readers is the authentic way - write a good story, hope that someone chances upon it through serendipity, and then tells others about the book - and so the word spreads. I absolutely love it when readers write in from far flung parts of the world to tell me that my books speak to them, and all writers love getting messages like that - that's what keeps us going. Independent bookstores and libraries are the keystone to getting readers like this to know about your book, and I am incredibly thankful to all the bookstores in Bangalore, and other cities across the world who have spread the word about The Bangalore Detectives Club series, as well as my non-fiction ecology books. 

Libraries have been another amazing source of support for me, and I couldn't be more grateful. Dozens of libraries across the US and Canada who have featured my books on their reading lists and at book club events, and it's always a thrill to come across one of these, either through a photograph sent by a reader, or an online event listing. But there's little I can do to influence this proactively, especially since I don't live in either of these two countries - I can only track it and be grateful that the word is spreading, organically.

Am I aware that of other writers' promos? Yes of course - especially on social media. I used to track a lot of writers and see what strategies they deployed - which magazines featured their work, what podcasts they spoke on, and what strategies they used - newsletters, Medium, Substack, youtube videos etc. But I'm also now well aware that social media fads come and go. Facebook, once used by so many authors to communicate with readers, seems to be less popular these days, at least with certain demographics. X is an emptying space. Bluesky seems popular now, but who knows how things will go there. I use LinkedIn for my academic work, but it's certainly not a social media space for fiction writers to connect with readers. Bookstagram seems as popular as ever, but also increasingly getting consolidated in the hands of a few, and more commercialized than before. So... what's a writer going to do?

I can't remember where I read this, and it's certainly not my quote - so please forgive me for mentioning it without proper attribution. But I read this on a popular author's site some time back, and it's stayed with me - the best way for a writer to get more readers is to write more books! 

It makes sense - but also, more importantly, it's the path I want to take. I came to writing, as most of us do, because something inside compelled me to put words onto paper, and I had to write, otherwise I would implode with the weight of the words within me pressing down on my mind. I write because I want to, but also because I have to. I didn't come to writing because I was thrilled at the idea of book promotion - few of us are. I'd much rather write books - and the occasional blog post, like this one!

 

A Pipe, Patches on My Blazer, and an Ascot from James W. Ziskin

As writers, we are often told that promotion – publicity and marketing – is half the game. Are you aware of other writers’ promo influencing you?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I may have a defective memory, but I don’t recall many of the biggest-name authors facing the challenges we of the hoi polloi do to promote our books. Sure, they fly around the country and appear at pre-arranged, publisher-sponsored events, glad-handing and suffering through long interviews and autograph sessions. And they do spots on network morning shows. While that’s hard work, I’m sure most mid-list and aspiring authors would jump at the chance for gigs like that.

But does that mean well-know writers don’t work hard on promotion? Far from it. It’s just that they have some powerful machinery behind them greasing the skids. I wish my publishers had such deep pockets and faith in me.

Does that smack of sour grapes? Possibly. But I don’t resent the big names. I envy them, sure. But I don’t resent them.

Take an author like Harlen Coben. Aside from his obvious talent as a writer, his bestsellers, and his hit TV show adaptations, he works incredibly hard at building his brand. A brand that isn’t just as a writer. He’s forged an identity as an arbiter of taste and an expert promoter of our genre. He wields his unique celebrity brilliantly and generously. By promoting others’ work on outlets such as The Today Show, he also accomplishes what my fellow Criminal Minds have been saying for the past week and a half: “Don’t approach promotion with a buy-my-book attitude.” Instead, spread the wealth and pay it forward (cliché, I know). Talk about others’ books, and you’ll reap the benefits while—and by—sharing the spotlight with others. Plus you’ll feel like a good guy. You’ll be a good guy.

But enough about me. Tell me why YOU love my books.

We all know that guy!

No, seriously, I echo my colleagues’ sentiments on selling yourself instead of your book. “BUY MY BOOK,” no matter how loud you say it, probably won’t work. Few book pitches bowl people over. Rather, readers look for buzz—difficult to create and extremely rare, so let’s put that to one side for now—or they want to be seduced, figuratively speaking. I don’t know of many people who buy a book because they find the author dull. Or unlikable. But if there’s a spark of some kind, they might be tempted. Maybe they like the way the author comes across as smart or likable or funny. Maybe they like their humility and aw-shucks folksiness. Their shyness, even. Maybe they like that the author loves cats! Who wants to buy a book from the humorless, self-aggrandizing poseur smoking a pipe and wearing patches on the sleeves of his tweed blazer? Or better yet, an ascot knotted around his pencil neck? Forget that guy and give us the one who loves cats!

Be this guy…

NOT this guy with the ascot…

(Actually, it’s a longtime aspiration of mine to wear an ascot, but my wife assures me she’ll divorce me if I do.)

Look, you’re not going to appeal to everyone with your promotion, and being subtle in your sales pitches might not make you a bestseller. But as with so many other things in life, while you won’t necessarily score any points by not being a bore, you won’t lose any either.

Instead, be like Harlen Coben. Charming, witty, and likable. Generous, too. And do all that on national TV. That always helps.

L

The other half of the game

As writers, we are often told that promotion – publicity and marketing – is half the game. Are you aware of other writers' promo influencing you?

by Dietrich

Writing fiction requires a creative spark, a curious and vivid imagination, a badger-like dedication for the countless hours of research, plotting, writing and rewriting that goes into shaping a novel. How many of us really put the same oompf into the marketing and promotion side? It’s a head-scratching thing, and I admit I’m often perplexed by it. I could say I’m saved by my publisher’s capable publicists and marketing team, but to rely on that alone would be a cop-out.

I’m inspired by writers whose determination and efforts to promote themselves and their own work are unstoppable. Margaret Atwood, for instance, started out by self-publishing a series of poems entitled Double Persephone and even designed the cover and pressed the book herself. She got it out there and the collection received recognition and went on to win the E.J.Pratt medal. After which Atwood’s talent was recognized and she easily found a publisher. Needless to say, her career took off and the rest is history. That kind of effort is important in traditional publishing, and it’s absolutely crucial in self-publishing.

And say what you will about EL James’ skills as a writer, but her self-driven efforts took Fifty Shades of Gray from self-published posts to fan-fiction sites to become a runaway success, eventually selling over 150 million copies worldwide.

When Beatrix Potter got fed up with the sea of rejection letters filling her mailbox, she self-published Peter Rabbit, did a print-run of 250 and sent copies to every influential person she knew, taking control of her own future.

I’m inspired when any writer does something more than just print up the usual batch of bookmarks or the same old swag to promote a book. Way back in 1887, author Guy de Maupassant paid for a hot-air balloon to be sent up over Paris, emblazoned with the name of his new short story, “Le Horla.” Now that’s promotion!

With upwards of a million books being published every year, what author doesn’t want to get their books to stand out in the crowd? A great story followed by an eye-catching cover is a good start. I’m impressed by any author who takes every opportunity to connect with an audience and focus on building a following. They plan their book launch or tour, tirelessly give readings at book stores, libraries, and just about anyplace with a microphone. They sign up for conferences and festivals and get on as many panels as they can, and they take advantage of the growing number of online opportunities that keep popping up. 

And I’m impressed by authors with eye-catching websites, with links to the books, with constant updates about new releases, reviews, events and exclusive content. And I’m drawn to terrific book trailers that make me want to check out the book.

One thing that I’ve learned about promoting my own novels is to have a strong elevator pitch ready for when someone asks what the new one’s about. It doesn’t help to fumble and start with “Uh uhm, well uh …” So, I have a pitch ready that doesn’t sound like I’m just reciting the synopsis. Catriona had some good advice about this on her post last week.

dietrichkalteis.com

Promotion? You bet!

 

Terry here, with our question of the week: As writers, we are often told that promotion – publicity and marketing – is half the game. Are you aware of other writers’ promo influencing you? 

 That’s a resounding yes! I often get notifications through Facebook or newsletters or book sites of new books that come out, and those notifications can persuade me to buy the book. There are a number of factors that go into the decision: 

 The name of the author. If it’s an author I’ve read and enjoyed before, I’ll either buy it at the moment or put it on my “To Buy” list, often without paying attention to any other identifying information about the book. 

 The cover. The cover isn’t a deal breaker or maker, but a good cover may mean the difference in whether I slip by an ad or pause. 

 The name of the book. The name can tell me a lot about whether it’s a book that will be interesting to me. I don’t read a lot of cozies, so if the name is “The Muffin Lady and Her Cat Solve a Mystery,” I’ll most likely slip on by—unless #1 and #2 grab me. In other words if it’s a cozy author I’ve read and enjoyed and/or the cover is appealing, I might dip into it. Same goes for thrillers. I like thrillers, but am put off by, “The Extraordinarily Brilliant and Buff Amateur Spy.” 

 Tag line or description. I usually don’t read the description, because I don’t like spoilers, and I like to dip into a book without knowing much about it. But a good tag line can catch my interest. Something like, “The year is 2037. Welcome to Earth+” (Past Crimes, Jason Pinter), “Sex, Thugs, and Rock-n-Roll” (Go Down Hard, Craig Faustus Buck), “A Wilderness Retreat Gone Wrong” (There and Back, Eric Beetner).

 Blurbs. This is very iffy. Depends on who is doing the blurb and what it says. We all know there are authors who will blurb anyone who asks them, so their blurbs don’t count for much. And there are stock phrases that show up in blurbs that don't mena much. But I might glance at the blurbs for anything that stands out. 

 The sub-genre. I’m not exactly picky, but I’ll have to think about these: 

     Paranormal—unless it’s an author I am familiar with or it has been recommended by a punchy blurb by a writer I’m familiar with 

     Horror—I just don’t read much horror, although I have been surprised a few times. 

     War Novels—I mean novels that focus on war itself, not the characters 

     Cozies—there are some I really enjoy, but I’m selective. 

 I’m always interested in how authors successfully promote their work.

As publishers take less of a role in promotion, it’s up to authors to take up the slack. That means having to do the job monetarily as well as taking the time to do it. Authors generally don’t like promotion and marketing. I certainly don’t. I’d rather be writing my next book. But it’s a fact of life and I admire those who manage to do it well. 

I get a lot of newsletters, and a few of them sometimes grab me. I envy some author’s ability to make me feel as if I’m part of their world and that they are simply reminding me that they have a book out. 

But they don’t have to be friendly to sell me a book. Some people get aggravated if they only hear from an author on social media if the author has a new book out. But I don’t mind straight-up promotion. It’s part of the author’s job. I don’t have to be subtly enticed to read someone’s work by having them try to be my best friend. Just tell me you have a book out and show me the cover. I’ll take it from there. 

 Still, I know that there are clever ways of promoting books that really work. Now if I just knew what they were…. 

 So, in the spirit of this blog, I'm announcing that my newest book, a domestic suspense novel, is out next week, my first attempt at publishing my own book. It has been a lot more work than I thought it would be, but I like the result. Now….to do the promotion, here's the cover:

The Art of Promotion

As writers, we are often told that promotion – publicity and marketing – is half the game. Are you aware of other writers’ promo influencing you?

Brenda here.

Yes, the belief that writing and editing a book are the end of the writer's part in the publishing process has been many times debunked. After the book's release, publicity and marketing will also fall primarily on the writer's shoulders even if unwelcome. How many writers have thought as they're heading out the door to an event, all I want to do is stay home and write.

Like any skill, it takes time to become comfortable and proficient at marketing/publicity, and learning from those who've been successful is a good place to start. I remember going to my first Bouchercon in Baltimore, where several big name and lesser known authors sat on panels. It quickly became clear which authors were more comfortable and accomplished in front of a crowd. The ones who'd been in the business a while and experienced success told funny and interesting stories, interacted with the other authors, and didn't talk about their book unless asked. This appealed to my reticence to pound people on the head about my own book, and my goal not to bore anyone. This also helped me when I was alone on stage or giving a workshop - while the goal is to sell books, it shouldn't be the focus of the presentation.

When I started in this business twenty years ago, most of the authors at events were handing out 'bling' with their name and book cover, such as key chains, pencils, erasers ... you name it. I accumulated a lot of their stuff at book conferences, but can't say it enticed me to purchase their books. I decided bookmarks with my contact info were enough bling, and my publisher supplied them. Win win.

Following other authors on social media is another great way to figure out your marketing style. I sat in on a webinar where the author sent out about twenty messages a day on the sites. She had them all preset to post, about one an hour. I decided this wasn't for me. I write a Saturday morning blog about my writing week and upcoming events, but it's short and sweet, and I take the summers off. I don't tend to post otherwise unless I have an event coming up or photos from events. 

Another publicity lesson I've learned from watching my fellow authors is to seek out new opportunities and to open myself up to new experiences. As I recently said to my husband, "It's often the event I dread the most that turns out the best." And some I don't dread can also turn out great! Eight local crime fiction authors got together this past week for an event called Crime for Christmas. We met at a local legion and did a ton of media beforehand - the people came out in droves and bought books by the armful. It was also a fun opportunity to catch up with writer friends I hadn't seen in a while and to meet a few new ones.

While I've done many store signings over the years, it was another author I met at a book conference who told me he didn't find those worthwhile and spent his time visiting book clubs. I began to actively pursue book clubs, but kept up the book store signings, since I find both a way to meet new readers, and building relationships with bookstore owners, managers, and staff is important. I found that I love the book clubs - so many interesting, fun (mostly) women, and every group just a little bit different. Some have taken me for lunch or dinner, had me to one of their homes for wine and appetizers, others met over tea and scones ... the last club took me to the Ashton Brew Pub, a place that features in my latest book Fatal Harvest. 

The biggest lesson I've learned from my fellow authors is persistence, to never get discouraged even if an event doesn't go as planned, and to continue seeking out new opportunities. Find your own marketing style and hone it over time through practice and a willingness to share and learn from other authors. Building readership is a long game, and the journey can be fulfilling if you relax and enjoy the people you meet and the friendships made along the way.

Website: www.brendachapman.ca

Instagram & Threads & Facebook: BrendaChapmanAuthor

Bluesky: @brendachapman.bsky.social 

I

How to Become a Best-Selling Writer, and Other Bullshit, by Josh Stallings

Q: We all have to promote our work if we want to succeed, but there’s a lot of ground between hiding one’s light under a bushel and being that pushy author people hide from at events. What are your best promo ideas and what’s the most egregious hard-selling you’ve come across?

A: First off, this is a vital discussion for anyone working in a creative job. If you haven't read the responses from my fellow Criminal Minds this week, do. It’s a quick and free masterclass in how to honorably promote your work. 

Despite the emails and DMs I get on the regular, promising that this or that system will make my book a best seller, one thing we all seem to agree on is there isn’t a surefire dead-solid perfect way to market your work. If there were publishers would only publish best sellers, movie studios would only release hits.

I have tried many promotional ideas, paid social media ads, gave away books hoping for reader reviews, hired a PR person several months prior to a book’s release. None of these showed enough of a sales bump to justify the price. I had several book launch parties. Those were fun at least, gave me something to talk about leading up to the book’s launch and cool pictures to share on Facebook. Which leads me to the awareness that to sell books we need to have something other to say than buy my books. Best-selling authors can just say, “I have a book coming on this day.” And it will sell. We lesser mortals need to have something interesting to talk about. A PR person is useless without a topical story for them to promote. 

Readers are discerning and cynical when it comes to being sold to. Amazon reader reviews used to be a gold standard for independent sales. Then the sock puppet scandals came out. If you blocked those from your memory, writers and publishers created fake reader profiles that then gave their books glowing reviews. Those days I got many DMs from writers offering to swap reviews. Readers now know readers reviews can be bullshit. Fancy trailers don’t work anymore. We are all tired of being sold to. We want something genuine. Blurbs may help if they come from a best-selling beloved author, but that Josh Stallings loves your book won't move the sale’s needle. 

“Josh Stallings is the kind of writer who shouldn't have to publish for himself, but here he is slugging it out the hard way. Just like one of the hard-asses in his own books. The man knows what to do with paper and ink. Read the damn thing.” -Charlie Huston

Charlie Huston gave my first book this wonderful blurb. He’s known as a writer’s writer, and he never blurbs. I’ve talked to quite a few readers who checked me out based on Charlie’s recommendation. But blurbs from amazing writers haven’t made me a bestseller or a household name.

Things that have worked, reading at events. There are Noir Bars all around the world now, and reading with six or seven other authors is a great way to introduce yourself to new readers. And introduce your readers to new writers. Conventions helped me grow my connections with writers and readers. 

If I read a book I love, I promote the hell out of it. I promote reading. Help my local library. A reader contacted me from a remote town in New Zealand. She said the local library didn’t have my books. I reached out to them and sent — at my expense —copies of my books. I don’t know if it helps my sales, but never underestimate the power of good will. I fight to remain positive even when all looks bleak. I’ve heard writers publicly dissing a bestselling author. Mistake. They’re best sellers because a bunch of readers like their work. They may not be your cup of tea, but putting them down doesn’t make you sound smart it just turns off potential readers.

Marketing. After the book is written, a new phase of work begins. The first piece of marketing is the book’s title. I try to fill a couple of pages with possible titles. I write them with as little logic as possible, just spit them out, then I put them away for a day before reading them and circling the ones I like. I pare them down to five or six titles and send those to a select few trusted early readers, asking for them to rank them. I know the publisher may ask for a re-title, but without a really good original title, they may not read it to begin with.

Next, I put my brain on what in the book is unique and marketable. I learned this from Chantelle Aimée Osman, the editor at Agora Books who acquired TRICKY. She showed me it wasn’t a police procedural or it was and it was more. It was a book about neurodiversity. A subject I know a lot about both from raising an intellectually disabled son, and being dyslexic myself. This gave me a way to frame discussions about the book that were both personal and culturally relevant. 

I need to stress that for me all thoughts of marketing have to wait until the book is finished. Otherwise, I’ll try to write to market and destroy any integrity the book might have.

Writing is a non-logical, intuitive process. Marketing is a hyper-logical studied process. Those parts of my brain don’t play well together. 

My advice is to write the book you love. Rewrite it until it is the best possible version of itself. Then bend the marketing rules to fit your book. Publicly be yourself. Or at least the best possible honest version of yourself. 

Be kind. Be Helpful. Be positive. There is enough awfulness to go around, so let’s remember to spread the joy when we can. And when we can’t be positive, remain at least civil. 

Readers and writers are by far some of the smartest and kindest people around. We are all lucky to get to play in this sandbox.

In my book, in my book, in my book . . . by Catriona

We all have to promote our work if we want to succeed, but there’s a lot of ground between hiding one’s light under a bushel and being that pushy author people hide from at events. What are your best promo ideas and what’s the most egregious hard-selling you’ve come across?

It's not egregious hard-selling
if it's out next month. Right?

I think we usually adopt the position that these questions drop from the sky, don't we? In fact, we bloggers take turns dreaming them up for the month and this is one of mine. So I've been enjoying the words of wisdom and mild snark dished out by Susan, Gabriel and Eric so far this week. I've learned a lot.

First, I did indeed equate "success" with sales, as Gabriel noted. 

Also, being a panel hog is one of my recurrent fears. So much so that I get needy and unappealing after every panel I'm on, asking trusted friends to tell me straight. (This is why at the Midwest Mystery Conference last weekend but one, after my panel, my husband could be seen breaking into a brisk trot to get out of the room. He has put in the years, reassuring me, and he didn't see doing it when there were so many other suitable people around.)

Finally, I think Eric cracked the reason I might be a panel hog: I do set up a lot of solo events. Pure ego? Maybe, but if I'm being kind to myself I'll reflect that when I started out, in the early mesolithic period - aka 2005, in the UK, solo events were the norm. I didn't know what a panel was in 2010 when I moved to America. And I think I've just carried on with the habits I formed early, even though I enjoy panels and multi-author jamborees much more than me and a mike, when I get asked to do them. That ends now! Cheers, Eric.

No more of this. Good pic though, eh?

As for great promo ideas . . . One that I will stand by and have seen work over and over again is "Don't talk about your books". Or rather "Don't recount the plot of your books". Man oh man, it's dull to listen to someone, still more than half in love with their most recent characters, recite a synopsis into a microphone. It never sends audience members to the dealer's room. If, on the other hand, you talk about the stuff you find interesting when other authors talk about it - mistakes, research disasters, title woes, weird jackets, bad reviews - you are halfway to making sure someone picks up a copy of your book and asks you to sign it. The other half of the journey, I think, is talking about the books you read. I can't help this wherever I am but, on a panel, it lets audience members know what sort of taste you have, so what sort of book you admire, so what sort of book you've probably written . . . and all without any of the banging on that leads to loud snoring at the back.

Picked this up at the MMC 
and devoured it

At that same Midwest Conference, as well as Delia's book, I bought the debut of a new writer because she was funny and interesting and seemed eager to find out what her fellow panellists thought about the questions the moderator was pitching. I have no clue what her book's about; I just want to spend some more time in her company.

The other end of the spectrum from that personable and collegiate new author is well-populated, unfortunately. The "In my book" authors make me squirm and wish I'd gone for a walk instead filing into the room to hear them speak. Almost always. Occasionally, someone does start a sentence with "In my book" and say something intriguing, but hardly ever. And, not to be mean but, if someone doesn't know what makes an interesting contribution to a panel, how likely is it that they'll know what makes a gripping read? Hmmmm, the "not to be mean" didn't really work there, did it? 

But writers are readers too, with limit reading time, limited book-buying budgets, and - let's face it - far too keen an insight into how these sausages get made.          

Anyway, if your publisher - you or someone else - has done a good job, people know what sort of book your book is by looking at the jacket. I've been very lucky with jackets and when people have asked me what my book's about in the past, I've held one up and said "It's about this".

This one's about that.

 

In my book, Lexy's getting married. She's a nightmare of a bride and the wedding's not ideal. What with the murder and all. Buy links here,

Cx

Help others, help yourself by Eric Beetner

 We all have to promote our work if we want to succeed, but there’s a lot of ground between hiding one’s light under a bushel and being that pushy author people hide from at events. What are your best promo ideas and what’s the most egregious hard-selling you’ve come across?

How to get your book out there is the million dollar question facing authors. In the absence of a marketing budget and the unwillingness to pay out-of-pocket for PR (it's a hard sell to my wife to convince her that me spending thousands of dollars to earn back hundreds is a wise business decision. Go figure) we can only rely on our own wits and hustle to get our books seen.

I have always seen parallels between publishing and the music biz. As a former indie musician and a punk rock youth, I came to publishing with a similar mindset of building a scene and a DIY mentality I got from my indie band days.

Consequently, I have always been a guy who tries to set up readings myself rather than wait for someone to hand me an offer. I started a podcast which ran for 4 years and invited hundreds of authors on to talk about their books. I've hosted the Noir at the Bar series in L.A. for 13 years now and given space to more than 350 readers. I've tried things that didn't work, sure, but I keep trying new things and inviting others along for the ride.

It's all about community for me. I never try to schedule a solo event at a bookstore. Why not get a group  together and we can all share each other's readers? Promotion doesn't always have to look like promotion. I prefer it when it looks like a party.

It helps that I'm not afraid of speaking to a crowd, something many authors abhor. But we all need to be a squeaky wheel at some point.

The inverse of that is someone who only promotes with no other goal aside from "Buy my book". If you're not offering some other incentive – writing advice, free short stories, other great authors, a good night out – then you might as well be going door-to-door like an old-time encyclopedia salesman. We all loved them, right?

I've heard from many readers that it's often the author, not the actual book, that will sell them on a purchase. And also drive them away. If you show up to a conference panel to see Big Time Author A, but I can charm you with a funny story and a good anecdote about my writing, that will sell a book much faster than reading you the synopsis or telling you it will be your favorite book of the year.

We've all fallen victim to the over-seller. Maybe I'm too much of an under-seller, much more adept at shilling for other people's books over my own, but I can live with myself easier with that style. I'm not ever going to push a book on you, or at least not one with my name on it.

So I'd say, promoting others is a great way to promote yourself. I've seen other writers like Beau Johnson or our own Gabriel Valjan do it to great effect. Their tireless boosting of other author's only endears them to readers and gets them out in front of potential new readers for their own work.

I've certainly seen my books moved much faster and easier by other authors. Once, at a conference, I was called out on stage by the keynote speaker as a writer more people should read and that day I sold out of books in the signing room. I'm forever grateful to that author (Stephen Mack Jones, author of the fantastic August Snow series) and it never would have happened if I'd gotten on stage and told the same crowd they should be reading me. So there's hard evidence that my approach works. 

Now if I could just get that coveted Stephen King blurb...

Nobody Knows Nada, by Gabriel Valjan

Nobody Knows Nada

 

We all have to promote our work if we want to succeed, but there’s a lot of ground between hiding one’s light under a bushel and being that pushy author people hide from at events. What are your best promo ideas and what’s the most egregious hard-selling you’ve come across?

 

I think it’s safe to say these two things:

 

1. Nobody knows what works

 

2. Most writers are introverts, so self-promotion ‘feels’ uncomfortable.

 

Implicit in the question is, What do ‘we’ mean by SUCCESS here?

 

Monetary or personal? There is something to be said about holding your book baby. You put in the hours. You wrote, edited and revised, and stared at the ceiling when the elusive and intrusive ideas came in the middle of deep REM sleep. As for money, it either liberates or enslaves the owner. You can do things you couldn’t before BUT it can put you on the hook to maintain the reality you create with money. I wouldn’t want to be an author on a compulsory book tour and yet be expected to deliver a manuscript on time and without excuses.

 

Context is everything. Sales matter to agents. Sales matter to stores. I went to a local bookstore once, and after the rep queried database, she said to me, “Nope, you’re nobody. Not enough Sales.” Stunned, my inner Jersey boy kicked in. I said to her, “Do you think before you talk?”

 

If you’re with Big 5, Sales earn your keep in the publisher’s stable or Not. You have arrived, but you have to keep the hustle alive. Careful what you wish for. I’ve known authors who have had respectable numbers and market momentum. They moved inventory. They were invited back to stores. They received prestigious awards and nominations, only to be inexplicably dropped by their publisher. I can name three writers who had strong regional sales. Poof, the Pink Slip.

 

Hence, my comment that nobody knows anything, and do what works for you.

 

It’s possible that some bean counter crunched the numbers and didn’t like them, or some Mad Man type had the Next Big Thing in his head, and it wasn’t you, the reliable and stalwart author. Marketing study trends with a crystal ball. They latch onto fads and suck the life and joy out of it.

 

Truth be told, if I wanted to make money, I’d pimp my cat Munchkin. Seriously. She has a thousand more faces than Lon Chaney, and she could be the next Grumpy Cat. I’d fire up all the socials, and have her do her thing. I’d waltz into the bank and give the teller a calendar gratis when I make my deposit.

 

·      Writers do craft workshops.

·      They write a monthly Newsletter.

·      Writers do Instagram reels and Book-Toks with their latest book.

·      Writers do online talks at libraries. [Shameless plug: I’m doing an online event tonight at Tewksbury Library with Anjilli Babbar, JR Sanders, and Liz Milliron].

 

Everybody has an opinion on the side hustle, as if writing and a numb butt and poor posture were not enough pain. My advice is to do what is comfortable to you because if you’re uncomfortable, it will show in the long run. You will resent it.

 

We all wear masks. We all have created a persona to function in this world. I suspect writing is personal and meaningful to you. I wish I could say that THE WORK should speak for itself, but some effort is required. Publishers either have no PR budget or they are stingy with it. Like those toys that say Some Assembly Required, the writer’s career takes some effort.

 

Networking helps. Meet local writers. Plan something together. There’s safety in numbers, too. Repeat and rinse often, and you may develop confidence. Don’t underestimate conferences. A face to a name makes asking for a blurb from another writer so much easier.

 

Reputation matters. Nobody likes a Drama Llama or a Diva. To paraphrase Sidney Falco in The Sweet Smell of Success, “The [diva] is in a bag and the bag’s in a river.”

 

That all said, some observations, and I think these fall under the rubric of common decency:

 

·      Don’t hog the microphone at panels. Don’t interrupt. It’s not all about you.

·      Don’t add someone’s email to your Newsletter without their permission.

·      Like life on the street, people talk. Speak well of others or don’t say anything at all.

·      Don’t hit someone up on Messenger, or DM them, the second after they follow you on social media.

·      Always say thank you to your moderator, fellow panelist, a reviewer, etc.

 

I can’t emphasize it enough: nobody knows what will sell or what works. By all accounts, Umberto Eco’s The Name of The Rose should not have been the global blockbuster that it was. Elena Ferrante violated every piece of marketing advice by refusing interviews, having no head shot on the books, or appearing at stores for signings. The charade about his/her real identity worked.

 

Munchkin knows I substituted ‘Diva’ for ‘cat.’

She says she’s ready for her close-up.

 

 

 

 

 

Do What I Say, Not What I Do

 Q: We all have to promote our work if we want to succeed, but there’s a lot of ground between hiding one’s light under a bushel and being that pushy author people hide from at events. What are your best promo ideas and what’s the most egregious hard-selling you’ve come across?

 

From Susan

 

I’m a mid-mid-list author with great professional reviews, a tiny cohort of Amazon individual reviewers, friends and readers who show up at my launch events and buy many books at the store. The bookstore likes that and always gives me a launch event. Every now and then, I get a reader’s email praising something about a book or asking me to revisit an earlier book and talk more about a detail I can’t recall, or asking when the next one in that series is coming out. Writers at conventions and conferences seem to think the advice I give (only when asked) is useful. This month, two published writers I spent time with at Left Coast Crime told me it was my suggestion that tipped their WIP to the right conclusion. Someone I worked with recently got the agent I offered to introduce them to. 

 

I’m on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram but not really effective at any of those social media platforms if responses are any judge. I have an Amazon profile. I spent a large sum on a social media marketing platform this year that, alas, has done little or nothing for sales. In fact, on that platform, authors are advised to not only offer free books but to add gift cards, so that what we’re really doing is bribing people to accept a free book. Supposedly they will review it on Amazon, but in spite of my nice note inside the book, they rarely bother.

 

Obviously, I don’t have a lot of sparkling marketing success stories to share. Sorry. I just have well written, “witty” (reviewer) “fast-paced” (reviewer), “cleverly plotted” (reviewer) books featuring characters that blurbers and reviewers love but that are swimming in a sea of similarly good books and many not so good but cheaper books.

 

The hardest sell I was ever victim of was at a Bouchercon when I was a newcomer and was thrilled to have a best-selling novelist talk with me. That male author, who was sitting behind a table ready to sign his latest hard cover thriller, got up, walked me to the bookseller, stayed at my side, handed me his book and waved me to the cashier. I had no particular interest in it but dragged out my credit card. He then walked me back to his seat and graciously offered to sign it for me! It sits unread to this day, but I don’t get rid of it because it reminds me of what I never want to do to sell a book.

 

Lots of people make better money than I do. Most work very hard for that success. I might be more financially successful if I studied them and followed their examples completely. Maybe that’s the advice: Follow authors whose work you like and copy what they do beyond writing good books and being liked by their peers!