Attention Grabbing–for Authors

By Susan Reichert, Editor-in-Chief for Southern Writers Magazine

I read an article about slideshows and balancing what readers want. It brought to mind what I like. For myself, if you are promoting yourself or your book, I want to see images. Whether slide shows or just still pictures…I want something to break up the black on white.

Why? I want it to grab my attention. Now if all I see is black on white, I might glance, but odds of my reading your promo aren’t going to happen. My day is full of schedules so sliding something in to read that doesn’t grab my attention as ‘important’, well…you see where I am going.

There is a lot of advice out there in cyberspace. I wish all of it were true and helpful…especially when it comes to promoting authors. But it isn’t.  You see, some of the stuff out there is nothing more than someone’s opinion. Some of those opinions are based on facts and experience…but some isn’t based on anything other than someone wanting to get us to buy what they are selling. 

It’s a jungle out there sometimes and it is up to us to whack through that jungle to get what we need and to go where we need to go.

Authors have to look at different areas of promotion. Determine what they can afford and what they can’t. What is necessary for them to have and know that some things they can forego. But by using images…slideshows, still pictures, fade-ins or fadeouts you will grab more attention than not.

So when you are looking to promote your books, certainly be sure to use the right venues as often as possible. And remember to break up your black on white to grab attention.