By Suzanne Woods Fisher
I started small. My
first novel was published by a small royalty press publisher. That little book won some awards, which
caught the eye of an agent, who introduced me to an editor at Revell Books. Now,
thirty books later, I’m profoundly grateful for that small start, and I
encourage aspiring authors to consider starting small. It’s where I learned about
marketing and promotion, and how I developed perseverance and resiliency. Book
by book, here are the best ten tips I learned:
1) Ask your
blog readers/friends/family to "suggest a purchase" of your book
at their local public library.
2) Offer
promotional postcards and bookmarks in your newsletter. (You have a
newsletter, right?) Invite friends and readers to send out stamped postcards
(you provide stamps and postcards) to their reader-friends.
3) Call your
local bookstores and ask if they might do a book signing. Then offer to help
publicize on your blog/website/FB/Twitter by sending out info to your local
following.
4) How’s
your website looking? A little outdated? Or amateurish? If you’re using your
church directory photo for your professional pix, it’s time to upgrade.
Consider spending some money in a polished, easy-to-navigate website and
customized blog. This kind of “branding yourself” investment pays off.
5) Consider
hosting a “book launch party” to help kick off the buzz. Some authors do a
local launch party and invite friends and family. Others do a virtual party,
on-line, through Facebook. Again, you might need to invest some of your advance
money, but the pay-off is substantial.
6) On your
website, offer to attend book clubs that read your book—in person, if they’re
local, via speaker phone or Skype if they’re not. A nice touch is to send some
bookmarks or gourmet chocolates or a cookbook or some kind of inexpensive prize
to the hostess.
7) Offer to
send signed bookplates and bookmarks to interested fans.
8) Contact
local writers’ groups and introduce yourself. Offer to speak about your book,
or about your journey to publication. Even if their calendar might be scheduled
out for a while, you’re on their radar. Usually, you can sell your books after
the event.
9) Don’t
underestimate consignment sales of your book in unexpected places. Consider
retail shops or outlets that have some kind of connection to your book (a World
War II museum shop for war novels, a hotel gift shop for a regional book).
Offer consignment: usually a 60/40 arrangement. It’s no risk to the retailer
and targets your readership. You provide the books from your author inventory
and you’ll receive a check from the retailer after the books sell.
10) Anytime
(anywhere--even on vacation) you pass a bookstore, stop in and introduce
yourself. Offer to sign your in-stock books. (Ask first!) The bookstore often
puts an “Autographed By” sticker on the books, which can help it sell.
Little by
little, these tips add up to bring exposure to your new book, and a lasting
connection to you!
___________________________________________
Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning,
bestselling author of more than thirty books, including Mending Fences, as well as the Nantucket
Legacy, Amish Beginnings, The Bishop’s Family, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, among
other novels. She is also the author of several nonfiction books about the
Amish, including Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs. She lives in California.
Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Facebook
@SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor and Twitter @suzannewfisher. Social Media Handles: Facebook
www.facebook.com/SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor
Twitter @suzannewfisher Instagram
@suzannewoodsfisher
Bookbub Suzanne Woods Fisher, https://www.bookbub.com/profile/suzanne-woods-fisher
Goodreads Suzanne Woods Fisher, https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1922565.Suzanne_Woods_Fisher
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