Comments on: Someone Teach Me To Promote and Like It! http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/ Ten Authors. Five Genres. One Blog. Because the only thing scarier than a loaded gun pointed at your head....is writing about it. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:45:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: KimW http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2499 KimW Wed, 17 May 2006 00:02:30 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2499 I think it would be difficult to be a writer and have to promote your work. I'm not a writer but a reader so can only offer what works for me. My TBB list is made up of books that I've read excerpts on and liked or a favorite author of mine has a new release out. So one of my suggestions is to keep your website updated. I also hear about books from author newsletters, reader groups, author blogs and recommendations off list and in chat from my reader net friends. Maybe you could join Romance Junkies book club (Yahoo group), if you aren't a member yet, and send through a promo post. There are a lot of readers on that list. Or, they have delurk days and you can join in and chat with the readers. I have purchased books by authors I've chatted with just because I like their personality and are curious. I also think book contests are a good idea. I've found many new favorites by getting the chance to read a book I might not have bought. I'm a pretty loyal reader and if I like an author's story, not only will I tell my net friends but I will buy the next one and keep going until I hit a couple of "not so good" ones. I think it would be difficult to be a writer and have to promote your work. I’m not a writer but a reader so can only offer what works for me. My TBB list is made up of books that I’ve read excerpts on and liked or a favorite author of mine has a new release out. So one of my suggestions is to keep your website updated. I also hear about books from author newsletters, reader groups, author blogs and recommendations off list and in chat from my reader net friends. Maybe you could join Romance Junkies book club (Yahoo group), if you aren’t a member yet, and send through a promo post. There are a lot of readers on that list. Or, they have delurk days and you can join in and chat with the readers. I have purchased books by authors I’ve chatted with just because I like their personality and are curious.

I also think book contests are a good idea. I’ve found many new favorites by getting the chance to read a book I might not have bought. I’m a pretty loyal reader and if I like an author’s story, not only will I tell my net friends but I will buy the next one and keep going until I hit a couple of “not so good” ones.

]]> By: Jen http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2488 Jen Tue, 16 May 2006 15:56:02 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2488 Jan, I totally understand your fear! I can't commit to a favorite color, how can I commit to a BRAND??? Allison was just born smart...but we love her anyway! Jan, I totally understand your fear! I can’t commit to a favorite color, how can I commit to a BRAND??? Allison was just born smart…but we love her anyway!

]]> By: Jan http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2487 Jan Tue, 16 May 2006 15:23:07 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2487 Jen, the author branding terrifies me because I write in multiple genres too, though I'm only published in one. Love Allison's idea about the beach bags. How come she's so smart??? :) Jen, the author branding terrifies me because I write in multiple genres too, though I’m only published in one. Love Allison’s idea about the beach bags. How come she’s so smart??? :)

]]> By: Jen http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2486 Jen Tue, 16 May 2006 15:19:18 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2486 Karin if you find the recipe for sex on the beach (the drink!) send it my way! Toni, the time between acceptance of a manuscript and publication can vary widely. BUT the reason to get the manuscript in early, like a good nine months before publication, is so the publisher can build some buzz in the book industry, and get out ARCs (advance reading copies). May, no wonder you are sharper than me, you've got a whole 12 hours on me! Maureen, you know, the real truth is that no author can propel her book to bestsellerdom. Either the publisher does it with huge print runs, strict lay downs and a few other tricks, or the readers do it by sheer word of mouth. All authors really have control over is writing the very best book they can. Karin if you find the recipe for sex on the beach (the drink!) send it my way!

Toni, the time between acceptance of a manuscript and publication can vary widely. BUT the reason to get the manuscript in early, like a good nine months before publication, is so the publisher can build some buzz in the book industry, and get out ARCs (advance reading copies).

May, no wonder you are sharper than me, you’ve got a whole 12 hours on me!

Maureen, you know, the real truth is that no author can propel her book to bestsellerdom. Either the publisher does it with huge print runs, strict lay downs and a few other tricks, or the readers do it by sheer word of mouth. All authors really have control over is writing the very best book they can.

]]> By: Maureen http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2485 Maureen Tue, 16 May 2006 14:15:20 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2485 You'd think writing the damn book would be enough, wouldn't you? Allison - you continue to amaze me. Your mind just keeps spinning this stuff out: first - three incredible books, then - numerous blogs, promotion ideas for yourself and others, conferences, articles, author panels, etc., etc., etc. What are you? the energizer bunny? Mo You’d think writing the damn book would be enough, wouldn’t you?

Allison – you continue to amaze me. Your mind just keeps spinning this stuff out: first – three incredible books, then – numerous blogs, promotion ideas for yourself and others, conferences, articles, author panels, etc., etc., etc. What are you? the energizer bunny?

Mo

]]> By: toni mcgee causey http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2481 toni mcgee causey Tue, 16 May 2006 08:43:38 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2481 Huge help, Allison. I'm going to talk to my agent Wed. (She's out Tuesday.) Thanks! (Of course, I may totally freak her out or the editor out. Heh. Won't be the first time. ;) ) Huge help, Allison. I’m going to talk to my agent Wed. (She’s out Tuesday.) Thanks! (Of course, I may totally freak her out or the editor out. Heh. Won’t be the first time. ;) )

]]> By: Allison http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2480 Allison Tue, 16 May 2006 06:25:29 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2480 Toni: your publisher can do anything they want. And besides, with a May 07 pub date they have plenty of time to schedule you in the summer season. From what I've picked up is that publishers generally plan one year in advance. So, in Spring '06 they're setting the Spring '07 schedule (and some of the late winter -- like SPEAK NO EVIL is technically winter--Feb--while the other two books are in Spring.) So you're set for May '07 but your house probably hasn't even started the summer '07 schedule except for their set authors (the ones who publish every July, for example) . . . So you can and should have a talk WITH YOUR AGENT FIRST about this and have your agent pitch the idea to your editor. Do May, July and Sept, or May, Sept, Dec. (though Dec is generally a bad month for sales unless you have a niche holiday book, and even then I'm not sure . . . ) Anyway, to give you some perspective: I finished the revisions of THE KILL mid-Nov and had the copyedits the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (due the Monday after Thanksgiving, which I pushed to Tuesday otherwise I would have had to overnight the manuscript by Noon Saturday -- wasn't going to happen.) I had the page proofs mid-December with a 72 hour turnaround time. The book was printed and warehoused 30 days before release date, about 6-7 weeks after I turned in the page proofs. It was on the shelves 2/28/06. For the last book of this current trilogy we know we're looking at a close time frame, so I'm going to try to deliver it early. Right now it's 1/15/07 and it's an April release, which is about 11 weeks. But in case of revisions, I want to get it in before Christmas. So, I don't know if that helps . . . but FWIW, I think you have a great opportunity to launch your series right. Let me know what happens!!! Toni: your publisher can do anything they want. And besides, with a May 07 pub date they have plenty of time to schedule you in the summer season.

From what I’ve picked up is that publishers generally plan one year in advance. So, in Spring ’06 they’re setting the Spring ’07 schedule (and some of the late winter — like SPEAK NO EVIL is technically winter–Feb–while the other two books are in Spring.) So you’re set for May ’07 but your house probably hasn’t even started the summer ’07 schedule except for their set authors (the ones who publish every July, for example) . . . So you can and should have a talk WITH YOUR AGENT FIRST about this and have your agent pitch the idea to your editor. Do May, July and Sept, or May, Sept, Dec. (though Dec is generally a bad month for sales unless you have a niche holiday book, and even then I’m not sure . . . )

Anyway, to give you some perspective: I finished the revisions of THE KILL mid-Nov and had the copyedits the Wednesday before Thanksgiving (due the Monday after Thanksgiving, which I pushed to Tuesday otherwise I would have had to overnight the manuscript by Noon Saturday — wasn’t going to happen.) I had the page proofs mid-December with a 72 hour turnaround time. The book was printed and warehoused 30 days before release date, about 6-7 weeks after I turned in the page proofs. It was on the shelves 2/28/06.

For the last book of this current trilogy we know we’re looking at a close time frame, so I’m going to try to deliver it early. Right now it’s 1/15/07 and it’s an April release, which is about 11 weeks. But in case of revisions, I want to get it in before Christmas.

So, I don’t know if that helps . . . but FWIW, I think you have a great opportunity to launch your series right. Let me know what happens!!!

]]> By: May http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2479 May Tue, 16 May 2006 03:38:28 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2479 Toni, I'm not a pubbed author, but I've heard of books being released something like 2 months from acceptance--it was a non-fiction book, and the concept of the book was precipitated by a real-life event that the publishers wanted to take advantage of. They were writing a chapter a day, and getting the copyedits the next. Jen, I'm 12 hours ahead of EST. Totally different timezone. That's why I'm sharp when you're not. LOL. I have realised that for branding your blog, it has to have a focus. JA Konrath's is promo for books, for example. I was trying to juggle both foodie stuff and reviews and writing stuff on my blog. Not the best idea. Toni, I’m not a pubbed author, but I’ve heard of books being released something like 2 months from acceptance–it was a non-fiction book, and the concept of the book was precipitated by a real-life event that the publishers wanted to take advantage of. They were writing a chapter a day, and getting the copyedits the next.

Jen, I’m 12 hours ahead of EST. Totally different timezone. That’s why I’m sharp when you’re not. LOL.

I have realised that for branding your blog, it has to have a focus. JA Konrath’s is promo for books, for example. I was trying to juggle both foodie stuff and reviews and writing stuff on my blog. Not the best idea.

]]> By: Karin http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2478 Karin Tue, 16 May 2006 02:13:08 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2478 I love group signings. and the sex on the beach recipe on the back of a bookmark is brilliant! I have a really good recipe...somewhere. I'll chat more about branding later. Right now I'm fighting a nasty head cold and revisions. I love group signings. and the sex on the beach recipe on the back of a bookmark is brilliant! I have a really good recipe…somewhere.
I’ll chat more about branding later. Right now I’m fighting a nasty head cold and revisions.

]]> By: toni mcgee causey http://www.murdershewrites.com/2006/05/15/someone-teach-me-to-promote-and-like-it/#comment-2476 toni mcgee causey Tue, 16 May 2006 01:00:22 +0000 http://www.murdershewrites.com/?p=183#comment-2476 Allison, that suggestion about asking them to do another book four months later... whoa. I may just ask and see how they go for it. Because we were scheduling my pub date to coincide with a big event here, we pushed it back to May '07. This was at first at my suggestion and when the pub realized it was a real event (mentioned throughout the book) (Deb, it's the Contraband Days Fest)... they got fired up. But, because of the pushed back deadline, I'm going to have the second book done well before the first ever comes out. How long does it take Ballentine to go from receiving your book to it being in print. I know for celebs, they can do a fast turnaround, but for someone like me. (I know this is something I can ask the editor, but I'm curious what other houses do.) Also, I think virtual book touring can work. What hasn't worked for me when i read an author's website is when they post a whole lot about the author and then about the book... and without the hook for the book up front. I think it almost needs to be like the movie one-sheet (the movie poster), where you get a snippet of information and then a teaser and then go into a little more detail, with a link back to the author to follow through. Does that make sense? Allison, that suggestion about asking them to do another book four months later… whoa. I may just ask and see how they go for it. Because we were scheduling my pub date to coincide with a big event here, we pushed it back to May ’07. This was at first at my suggestion and when the pub realized it was a real event (mentioned throughout the book) (Deb, it’s the Contraband Days Fest)… they got fired up. But, because of the pushed back deadline, I’m going to have the second book done well before the first ever comes out.

How long does it take Ballentine to go from receiving your book to it being in print. I know for celebs, they can do a fast turnaround, but for someone like me. (I know this is something I can ask the editor, but I’m curious what other houses do.)

Also, I think virtual book touring can work. What hasn’t worked for me when i read an author’s website is when they post a whole lot about the author and then about the book… and without the hook for the book up front. I think it almost needs to be like the movie one-sheet (the movie poster), where you get a snippet of information and then a teaser and then go into a little more detail, with a link back to the author to follow through. Does that make sense?

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