Pub 5.0: Promotion: Hooray, you’ve got a book [Now what?]

When as a new writer you receive a copy your first published book, like your first child, it is a joy to behold. It also signals a change in your life and an important milestone in your writing career. Most important, it’s a challenge to move on with the next phase of the work. But what should the next steps be?

The answer lies in the reasons you wrote the book. Was it to pass your own story, experience and history on to your grandchildren? Do you you have a larger message and many more books to write, of which this one is only the first? Do you have the goal of making money and eventually earning a living from a writing career? You may have variations on these goals, or still others. Your approach to these objectives will be determined by what you want to accomplish. We’ll look into each and discuss ways of achieving them. We’ll especially explore ways to publicize your work, increase the size of your audience and generate sales.

How do you sell yourself? Like me, don’t you resist that idea? When my first book appeared on my small publisher’s shelf and on Amazon,com, I was so excited. I could go online and see its shiny new cover, read the book description  and imagine how eagerly people would rush to buy and read it. I set up a book launch event at our county’s main public library. I pulled out all the stops and applied everything I had learned about publicity. I was tutored in promotion my dad (an advertising man) and seasoned by a long business career. I sold twenty-two books at my first  event,  I was on my way–or so I thought. .

Then, after a few months of zero online  sales, I began to wonder. Once my friends and relatives all had copies, how could I broaden my audience? With the millions of titles available  how would people looking for something to read, how would they know about my book? Answering this question, it turned out, would take a lot of study, self-promotion  and dozens of years,

Eventually learned I had launched a new business–another activity that deserved my full time but competed for my time with my new writing career. The solution would have many elements. But you can’t just sit there and wait for the phone to ring–it won’t. Any business person will tell you: you’ve got to sell yourself. that are not boastful.  Making friends on social media to interest readers. Establishing a website, Direct contacts with an e-mail newsletter. I also appeared locally and online with talks, interviews and other personal appearances. The goal of those activities was discoverability.

Whether you’re fortunate enough to release a book with established publishers, a reputable small press or self-published, the problem is essentially the same: Discoverability: It’s such a simple concept. Actors, marketers, authors, musicians, new product developers strive for this quality. It’s surprising to me that a concept that has been around for centuries is such a new word in our popular vocabulary. Learn below how popular author and humorist  Lela Davidson earned discoverability:

Pub 5.1 Getting Noticed: Discoverability