Marketing Tips for Writers from Writers

Quick Picks -- Marketing Tips for Writers from Writers
by
Diana Rowe Martinez

Who better to offer marketing strategies and quick tips for the writer than the writer?

There are as many ways to market your writing as there are writers, but the bottom line is, in this market, authors must self-promote their new releases. Some choose to send out postcards or newsletters. Others do author signings, the traditional way and now the cyber-space way. Both unpubs and pubs alike may write articles for your local chapter's newsletter. Spreadsheets are used to keep current contacts of publishers and potential book buyers. Unpublished authors enter their manuscripts in contests to keep their name "out" there and to garner another kernel for their writing resume. For unpublished authors, it's never too early to begin promoting your name.

Whatever your path to marketing or promotion, most of us welcome new ideas and suggestions. Here are a few HODRW member answers to the question "What do you do to promote your writing?":

Sherry Anne Miller, a new HODRW, long distance member, shares these tips:

"Of course I self-promote my work via radio spots, news releases, and by doing book signings. I invite everyone I know or meet to read my novel, One Last Gift, an inspirational romance published by Granite Publishing and Distribution. If you can't find it in your local book stores, ask for it by name and publisher. I do have a very limited number of autographed copies left, so write to me via e-mail if you're interested. At book signings I like to bring a PA System and read a few chapters (if things slow down in the slightest), giving store customers a "feel" for what's in store when they read my book. I also bring a couple of display items that have to do with my novel... in my case a small wooden box that looks like a miniature hope chest and a couple of small glass sailboats. In the wooden chest, store customers put their names on tickets and every 30 minutes I do a drawing for a special gift, usually something that has to do with the nearest future holiday. It's been a lot of fun, and I get to meet some great people. I also give out bookmarks to everyone who enters the drawing. I do a lot of traveling and my Publicity Manager at Granite P&D is always on the lookout for stores that feature my novel. He has a full list of my itinerary, and schedules me out everywhere I want to go. I also do a full mailing list on readers who've written to me via my Publisher, and at Christmas I send them all a little card with a personal note. I also encourage my readers to write to me, especially via e-mail, which is relatively free. I always try to keep up a correspondence with my readers. I firmly believe that the "personal touches" go a long way to keeping a readership following"

More tips come from Karin Story, HODRW webmistress and outgoing HODRW secretary. "As an experienced unpublished writer it can be helpful to enter contests, because a) it's a good way to get your work in front of an editor or agent if you final, and b) also if you final, it's a nice goody to add to your signature line in email, add into query/cover letters, and to get your name "out there" among your fellow writers. Writing articles and offering to do workshops and online chats can also be effective for both unpublished and published authors. I've had newsletter articles appear in chapter newsletters all over the U.S., Canada, and Australia, plus I wrote an article for the Romance Writer's Report, which goes to the entire RWA membership. Again, it's name recognition. And also, an excellent tool for both unpublished and published writers is to have a good, eye-catching, easy to navigate website that has something to offer the Internet community."

No matter what you do to market yourself; find what you're comfortable with and just do it. This business is a tough business and go-getters will be rewarded.