Once upon a time, an author had an idea. The idea became a story. The story was published.
And now it lives amongst the stars.
True story. Black Hare Press’ Area 51 is literally shooting through space. Goofy? Maybe. Exciting? Maybe. Excellent marketing?
Yer darn right it is!
Authors, now more than ever, are responsible for a lot of the heavy lifting in marketing. I recently saw someone talking about how they had an agent—everything but the ink on the contract—and they lost that agent because they had less than 40,000 followers on social media.
That’s a bit disheartening. We’re not exactly the most extroverted group out there. And now we have to find people, interact with them, and convince them to not just like us, but follow us? Invest in us?
What’s a wordsmith to do?
Lean on our talents. Get creative. Set the box on fire and explore new ways to catch readerfish.
Area 51 was originally destined for the moon. Things happen. In this case, that thing was over-shooting. So instead of languishing with rocks, the book is within reach of aliens who will likely form opinions of us. Brava!
There aren’t a lot of calls for interplanetary book tours, so we must look to more mundane opportunities until the stars call once more.
Book signings are both wonderful and terrifying. Book signings give you the chance to meet with readers, face-to-face. To possibly meet other authors. To get a feel for what it all looks like. The people-watching is amazing! Talk about character building. Whew!
Downsides? No one shows up. Three people show up. No one buys a book. Sounds awful. But that’s it. That’s the very worst. After digging through rejections and suffering late nights with wayyyyy too much coffee, that’s not so bad.
Contact your local paper! Digital or print, whatever you have access to. Let them know you have new work coming out and see if they’d like to do an interview. Again, the worst they can say is no. But what if they say yes? Be ready for a few photos, light questions about who you are, why you write, where inspiration comes from. Smile big and walk in confidence!
Check your library system. Do they have your book? If they do, tell eeeeeeveryone about it! This one is a double whammy. Supporting your library and beating your drum. If they don’t carry your work, you can fix that. Look at their website for a “recommend/request a book” type form. Can’t find one? Call or drop by. Librarians are really friendly people. They like books! Ask if they’ll acquire yours. You already know the worst-case scenario.
Look for conventions. You can get a table and sell copies of your books direct. If you can’t make that level of commitment, see if the convention gives away swag bags to attendees. If they do, you can send marketing cards (postcard size) or bookmarks for them to stuff in the bags. Go with bright glossy covers and make sure your contact info is all over it. There’s often a small fee (around $15USD), but it gets you in front of everyone who walks in the door.
A friend of mine recently entered a contest—for short cinema. She sent in a short story in the hopes of winning and seeing her tale in action. Literally.
Stephen King is known for allowing film students to buy some of his work for $1USD. Film students are always looking for content of all genres, styles, and length. Dig into schools and classes. See who is looking and what they need. If you have the rights to your stories, there’s nothing keeping you from collaborating!
Speaking of contests, there’s a ton of them waiting for you. Some charge a read fee. Some don’t. How much you’re willing to pay will guide your choices. You’ll get a little cash in your pocket and the prestige of winning.
Contests are lovely, but oh the awards! The Stoker, the Hugo. Nebula. Locus. A quick dance with a search engine will suggest a wonderful list. Aim small. Aim big.
What else can you imagine? Where else can you reach? School fundraiser? See if they’ll let you sell your books if you give them a cut. Community bake sale? Slide a bookmark in with each treat. Wear a tee shirt or carry a tote bag with your book cover. At every turn, post what you’re doing. Add photos. Be enthusiastic!
The world is your platform, and your work deserves such a stage… and beyond.
