7/30/10
GETTING CLOSE
With the date of publication growing ever closer, I find myself busier than ever. All I can say is, thank god I am
a teacher and have the extra time until school starts again. Today, officially, my events page goes up on my
website.
Since my last post, I have almost completed the Lesson Plan/Activity Book for teachers. All I need to do is
create an answer key to make lives even easier. I have also gotten an interview with the local paper, and have
sent out press releases in an attempt to get other interviews. And I have also set up a bunch of places to do
signings and promote my book. For a list of what I have set up, please go to my events page, because this is
not the place to list them all.
However, I want to talk about the importance of events. Events are the ways you can get your book out in front
of others. Now, if you're like me, the idea of standing up in front of a room of people and talking about your
book terrifies you (and I'm a teacher!). However, all I can tell you is that you just have to take a deep breath
and get out there and do it anyway. Having your website, and sending out flyers isn't half as effective as
standing, or sitting, behind a table and actually handing a book to someone. Plus, hearing you, the author,
actually read a section of your book, with all the inflections and emphasis you meant it to have, you can entice
people to want to find out more and read more.
That's why I do the events. That and, once you get used to them, they can be fun. I've practiced doing
readings, not only in front of my class, but in front of my writer's group (for more on my Writer's Group, check
out this blog post). By doing this, I was able to get the bugs out of my reading, and alleviate some of my
nerves. So, I can suggest the same for you, believe me when I say it will do wonders.
Now, many of the places I have chosen to do my signings are at book fairs. There are plenty of these in the
fall and spring every year. There are some over the summer as well, but they are usually few and far between.
The places I am going, however, do cost some money. While I always advocate the need to find free things, I
am going to give these a try. As of right now, I only have three on my schedule, and I'll see how they go to see
if I'll do any more. My theory is, I will, because while I can't guarantee I'll sell many books, I can guarantee
thousands of people will see me and my book on display. So, I am willing to take the gamble on this one.
There are some really good local fairs you can try (no matter where you live). And as I've said before, go for
the craft fairs. They usually have cheap slots and you can get your book some exposure. I will be doing some
of these fairs come the holiday season. Again, we'll see how it goes.
Anyway, that's it for me today.
Until Next Time: Think about how you plan to market your book.
GETTING CLOSE
With the date of publication growing ever closer, I find myself busier than ever. All I can say is, thank god I am
a teacher and have the extra time until school starts again. Today, officially, my events page goes up on my
website.
Since my last post, I have almost completed the Lesson Plan/Activity Book for teachers. All I need to do is
create an answer key to make lives even easier. I have also gotten an interview with the local paper, and have
sent out press releases in an attempt to get other interviews. And I have also set up a bunch of places to do
signings and promote my book. For a list of what I have set up, please go to my events page, because this is
not the place to list them all.
However, I want to talk about the importance of events. Events are the ways you can get your book out in front
of others. Now, if you're like me, the idea of standing up in front of a room of people and talking about your
book terrifies you (and I'm a teacher!). However, all I can tell you is that you just have to take a deep breath
and get out there and do it anyway. Having your website, and sending out flyers isn't half as effective as
standing, or sitting, behind a table and actually handing a book to someone. Plus, hearing you, the author,
actually read a section of your book, with all the inflections and emphasis you meant it to have, you can entice
people to want to find out more and read more.
That's why I do the events. That and, once you get used to them, they can be fun. I've practiced doing
readings, not only in front of my class, but in front of my writer's group (for more on my Writer's Group, check
out this blog post). By doing this, I was able to get the bugs out of my reading, and alleviate some of my
nerves. So, I can suggest the same for you, believe me when I say it will do wonders.
Now, many of the places I have chosen to do my signings are at book fairs. There are plenty of these in the
fall and spring every year. There are some over the summer as well, but they are usually few and far between.
The places I am going, however, do cost some money. While I always advocate the need to find free things, I
am going to give these a try. As of right now, I only have three on my schedule, and I'll see how they go to see
if I'll do any more. My theory is, I will, because while I can't guarantee I'll sell many books, I can guarantee
thousands of people will see me and my book on display. So, I am willing to take the gamble on this one.
There are some really good local fairs you can try (no matter where you live). And as I've said before, go for
the craft fairs. They usually have cheap slots and you can get your book some exposure. I will be doing some
of these fairs come the holiday season. Again, we'll see how it goes.
Anyway, that's it for me today.
Until Next Time: Think about how you plan to market your book.
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