Life as an author is never what you expect, at least that's been my experience.
Years ago, when I first dreamt of becoming a published author, I had visions of television interviews and paid book tours, stops in big cities and long lines circling book stores anxiously awaiting my arrival. That does happen and has for one or two of the many authors I know. But the vast majority of authors, myself included, experience a different reality; one that involves ingenuity and creative marketing strategies to keep their books in circulation and in the forefront of prospective book buyers.
Never give up an opportunity to promote your work!
In my 25+ years as a published author, I've had the pleasure of speaking and exhibiting my books in a number of very different venues from book stores to libraries, historical museums, aviation museums, senior communities, schools, book clubs, colleges, book fairs, Spring, Summer and Fall Festivals, Holiday Bazaars, churches, a luxury resort and even a coffee shop or two. The quirkiest place and the one where I sold the most books ever, was a Donut Den in Wyoming, Michigan!
Think outside the box when identifying interest groups for your book!
In search of an audience, I've shared my books and writing journey with multiple organizations including veterans groups, church groups, all the typical community groups like Rotary, Kiwanis and Ruritan, historical societies, senior groups, elementary, middle school and high school students, life-long learning groups, retired nurses and even to members of an aeronautical historical society. Audiences have included all age groups from preschool to great-grannies with attendance numbers from two to in excess of two hundred.
Always give the same presentation for two as you would two hundred!
One of my most memorable speaking engagements involved a female business owner friend of mine. She invited me to be the luncheon speaker to her "little business group." I didn't realize what I'd gotten myself into until we were riding up the elevator in a very swanky office building, crowded with gentlemen wearing three-piece suits and wing-tipped shoes. My friends "little business group," turned out to include all the movers and shakers in a major city, a group in which she was one of two female business members. I quickly revised the speech I had prepared and talked about the similarities between being an author and a small business owner. Afterward, all I could think of was, thank goodness I wore a suit that day!
Promoting a book is the job of the Writer not the publisher or agent!
When you have a book published, it's up to you, the author, not the agent or editor, to do everything in your power to see that your book remains in circulation. The only way to do that is to get out there and promote your work and yourself.
An author without a box of books in their trunk isn't doing their job!
Being an author has taken me places I never would have imagined, throughout the United States, from Florida to Alaska, London, England and British Columbia. I can't wait to see where it leads next.
No one can promote your book better than you can!
Where is the quirkiest place you've promoted your work?
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Leave a comment before Dec. 1st and I'll send one lucky winner a copy of my new picture book,
Spivey's Web which is due out mid-December.
Contact Sandra Warren at one of the following:
7 comments:
Dear Sandra,
It's amazing where your writing has taken you! You have written many wonderful books! I am very proud of you.
Never Give Up
Joan
Thank you Joan!
I am proud of you and where your writing, especially your amazingly helpful blog, has taken you. I wish you continued success.
You're right....NEVER GIVE UP BECAUSE IF YOU DO, YOU'LL NEVER KNOW HOW CLOSE YOU CAME TO HAVING IT ALL!
Sandra
Dear Sandra,
You're welcome.
Thank you for being proud of me and my writing and saying that my blog is amazingly helpful!
Happy Thanksgiving Day!
Never Give Up
Joan
What a great blog. Remind me to get a suit when my book is published!! Thanks for sharing. Genuinely encouraging.
Carol,
You've worked long and hard and I'm confident that you'll find a publisher who appreciates your attention to detail and your wonderful story.
I'll pray that you're one of the 1% authors who get wined and dined and have long lines of kids clamoring for your autograph.
Congrats on 25+ years of writing and presenting. My most challenging author event was having all the chairs at an outdoor festival stage disappear 5 minutes before I was scheduled to go on. Gulp.
Yikes! That had to be memorable, for sure. I hope folks came anyway and stood to hear about your wonderful books.
I recently was asked to speak to Veteran's on Veteran's day in the Historic Library located in the old school, in a small SC town during a very popular yearly festival. Imagine my surprise when the Historic Library turned out to be in a tiny one room school house! Inside was a huge round table that allowed for about 15 chairs squeezed in. Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, only 4 people showed up. They got the same speech I give to 400. And as kind and as nice as everyone was, it was still disappointing.
That's when we put our professional hats on, smile and move on.
Thanks for your kind words.
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