So You want to be a Writer III

And So To Market!

Well! You've been and gone and done it! Got your book accepted, I mean. That's great. Many, many congratulations. Celebrate. Go on, you deserve it. You've just accomplished something that hundreds, if not thousands of people attempt.

But once the celebrations are over, it's time to get down to work. Apart from starting on your second book (you are, aren't you?), you've got some more hard work to do. Unless your agent and editor think you're going to be a bestseller, they won't offer much in the way of marketing, so you'll have to do it. Of course, you might have enough cash to pay a publicist to do it for you (lucky you!). But if not, the following are the sorts of things you'll have to do:

Get yourself a Facebook Page and make friends, as many as you can manage. I don't mean the ordinary Family and Friends page, this is a Page with a capital P, where you can post about all the amazing things that are happening since you became a soon-to-be author. Mention your book - not so much that people's eyes glaze over when they see a post from your Page, but perhaps once or twice a week.and ask for reviews once it's published, providing the link to the book's page on amazon.

Send out postcards about your book as soon as you have the artwork of the book jacket. Google bookstores and libraries and anyone else you can think of who might do you some good and send them one of your postcards. Put the cover of your book on the postcard along with details of publisher, price, where to buy, your website (you have got one, haven't you?) and a brief synopsis of the book. Add any reviews you've received to the address side of the postcard.

Create, or get a printer to do them for you, flyers and bookmarks to hand out when you give talks about how you wrote your book, your life as a writer, your journey to publication, whatever.

Create a blog (http://www.blogger.com/. It's free) and post regularly once or twice a week.

Join crimespace, librarything, linkedin, theredroom goodreads and post your bio and details of your book.

Don't forget to ask your friends and family to buy it. You'll only receive six or so free copies, perhaps ten if it's a pb, so be mean with them. Don't hand one out to anyone who asks, though you'll have to give one to your other half and perhaps your mum. Make the rest buy a copy.

Ask your local bookstores if you can do a signing. And if you get a 'yes', don't just sit at the table waiting for customers. Wander round the store and hand out bookmarks and flyers. Chat to people. Be as friendly as you know how and some of them might just buy your book. If you've got the free time and can afford the travel expenses, ask for signings further afield, too.

If you can afford to buy however many more copies of your book, contact reviewers (newspapers, magazines, online) and ask if they'll review your book. If so, parcel it up and send it off.

What else? Can't think of anything else for now. But you've got plenty to be getting on with.

And for those of you who received a rejection - take heart. Writing's a marathon, not a sprint. You'll get there. It's just going to take a bit longer. Maybe the next day's post will bring a show of interest from one of those many editors/agents you wrote to. It only takes one. Meanwhile, for a bit of fellow-feeling with other rejected authors, go my my website (http://www.geraldineevans.com/) and click Links, then scroll down and find Rejection Collection (that's what it's called if I remember rightly) and read about what other rejected authors have received. It just might make you feel a bit better. If not, what are you waiting for? Get on with the next book. There's nothing like it for stopping the tears. And it would be good to be able to say you're working on the follow-up when you do get that spark of interest from Miss Ed. Go to it!