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Much Ado About Promotion:
What's all the hub-bub about?

Unless you are a well established author with a large readership, you may be surprised at how large publishers treat promotion. Many authors have the false impression that when they are accepted into a publishing house, their promotional worries will cease. This false security results in the disappointment of hundreds, if not thousands, of authors each year.

Newer authors often have a difficult time when they realize the publisher isn't concerned with promoting them, some have been so shocked they refuse to publish again. While it may be an unpleasant discovery, there are many positive factors you should concentrate on.

You have advantages with a large company: name and reputation. You can arrange your book signings and publicity events with ease. Your book will be distributed as quickly as possible. You will have a very impressive credit just from achieving publication at a notable house.

In numbers, any publishing company will already have an investment of $15,000.00-$30,000.00 in publishing your book, this doesn't include any advance. You will have to promote your book on your own finances and your own time. When you attract an impressive number of readers, the publishers will be open to promoting your novel. They will have concrete figures that prove your material sells and is worth every promotional penny.

It is best not to dwell on the shortcomings of publishing houses or publishers in general. The best and most positive effort you can make when you are published is to get to work. Roll up your sleeves and put your creative cap on, it's marketing time.

Now your book will flourish or falter depending upon your efforts. Your book's future is based upon your initiative. No matter how great your book is, if people don't know, they can't read it. It is the same principal with business, no product will sell unless it is advertised. Your restaurant may be the best, but if people don't see it they won't visit.

You can use current businesses in your area to determine what works the best. Which businesses are on local television? Which advertise in newspapers or mail inserts? Compare their popularity with those that aren't. What generates the most customers or clients?

This is not to encourage every author to scrimp and save for television commercials and all mass market opportunities, it is simply to prove a point. Advertising is the stock and trade of all people selling or promoting a product or service.

When you first get your published book, the idea of promotion can be intimidating. How are your going to promote? Where do you start? It is overwhelming that you have so much to cover and only a little time to do it in

Good promotion equals effective promotion. If you don't efficiently manage all opportunities, you will waste time and money with minor results. You may promote for years and never see your audience grow to meet your desires. If you utilize promotion in a capable and logical manner, you don't have to invest a great amount of time, effort, or money.

The first thing to do is clear your mind. Don't dwell on what you need to do, only what you can do at this moment. You should already have a schedule of time for writing, you can work on promotion during this. Of course, family obligations come first, then your writing ventures.

The greatest investment you make into promotion is some quality desktop publishing software and a good printer. Most office and department stores will have economic software for flyers, brochures, and all other types of printable business media. This software can range from $16.00 to a few hundred dollars.

Ink jet printers are more efficient in cost and maintenance, however laser printers are best in quality.Desktop publishing allows you to make all flyers, business cards, and other materials. By doing this yourself, you not only save money, you control how everything is displayed and draw attention to what you want.

The Golden Rule

There is one single rule you must follow or your promotional efforts will self-destruct.

YOU MUST BE EXCITED!

You should be excited just to be published. It is not a simple task and many writers go lifetimes before any publication at all. Some of the classic authors weren't published until after they were dead. Have you ever spoke with an unenthusiastic salesperson? Chances are, they weren't convincing and you didn't buy their product. How many spokespeople on infomercials are apathetic for the product they are promoting? None. From the average standpoint, the spokespeople are so full of vigor they seem to be under narcotic influence. That is what sells.

Dynamism:

The advertising world would crumble without dynamism. Here are some false commercial slogans, do you think they could sell as much as their counterparts?

 "We’re the best... We think."

 "Out burgers are the finest available... Within ten miles."

 "Buy Tahiti shoes... If you can‘t do better."

 "When no other will do... We‘re a good second choice."

 "Buy Sonic stereos... At least they work at the store."

 "The new CZ Monty... We can’t guarantee much, but we promise a car that will take you home... At least from the retail lot... At least if your home isn‘t over one day or 50 miles away... "

Aside from comic value, the slogans are terrible.

If you can’t get excited about your work, you can’t survive in promotion. The public as a whole does not like hesitance. They don’t want to be notified that the product may or may not work. When they purchase your book, they don’t want to be told they may or may not like it.

They want you to tell them they will be entertained, enlightened, even touched. They want you to verify that there is something for them inside the cover, a character or event to relate to. Readers want assurance that your book is worth their money, that there is some aspect that makes the time investment worthwhile. It is up to you to discover an appropriate angle and slogan for your piece.

If you’ve written a book, you will naturally be the best promoter for it. You know the look, the feel, and the emotions of all your characters. You know the setting, mood, and atmosphere. No one else can substitute that knowledge. That makes you the greatest promoter your novel will ever have. If you have struggled with writing, querying, and publication, you should continue to take care of the finished product. As long as a book draws readers, it will live and your audience will grow.

To better organize the process of going through promotional options, we have used fictional author, Camilla Fry. She has written a fictional (literally) suspense called, "Malpractice." We will use her material to learn about promotion through the upcoming articles.

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