I’ve always wanted to have at least one of my works translated into Spanish. Never mind the why of it, but it’s part of my heritage and I always felt it was necessary. I had plans for how I’d get here, but sometimes dreams take longer than you plan and don’t come together quite the way you expect.

At any rate, I’ve been working with a translator on a fantasy short story called “Snitched, Snatched.” Getting it right in English was hard enough, now Gustavo Bondoni must tackle trying to get it perfect in Spanish. Luckily he is skilled as a story teller, and I’m counting on that skill to come through in “Snitched, Snatched.” He has his own short story collection out (in English) on Kindle: Tenth Orbit and Other Faraway Places (20 stories.)

All of this leads to needing a cover that reflects the story, captures its essence and has a magic of its own. Enter Assnezana and her fantastic artistic talent.

You can find more about her here: Assnezana and see more of her work on Jaguarwoman.com and also on Dreamstime/assnezana .

She has some awesome artwork; more magical settings like the one in the cover, some aquatic settings and some fabulous garden settings. Check them out!

As for the story, look for it on Kindle in about a week if things go smoothly, two if they don’t! I’ll post more about the release date as it gets closer.

Letting people know you have a book out without sounding like a car salesman (or looking like a forlorn girl scout selling cookies) is a delicate operation. Somewhat impossible at times. There’s a bit of cloak and dagger involved and perhaps some secret surveillance required before pouncing in, tying up the buyer, extracting their wallet and placing the order–all without them figuring out you are the perpetrator.

I don’t like to throw stones at other authors or their methods, but here is just one word of advice:

When a forum thread/topic specifically asks for no self promotion, Do Not Self Promote. Do not write and ask why self promo isn’t allowed. Do not add a signature line with your title. Do not rant against the unfairness of the universe. Do not call the original poster names. Do not make comments such as “you don’t rule this forum and here’s my book.” Quoting the right to free speech is not helpful.

If you must use aggressive or rude bullying tactics that make you look more combative than a badger tearing into a meal, you may as well go ahead and tie up the buyer and steal their wallet. I guarantee you the theft will be a more successful financial venture than spouting about your book. In a word, get over yourself. There are places where talking about your book is welcomed. There are places where it is not. Learn the difference and stop running naked through a church in the middle of a wedding.

Rant Over.

THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED. The winner is:

Liliana of Maryland!!!! Your book will be on its way shortly. Thanks to everyone who entered; and a special shout out to Danna at her Cozy Blog for sending people this way!

In celebration of a new book in the series, I’m giving away a brand-spankin’ new copy of Kaye C. Hill’s first in the series, Dead Woman’s Shoes.

Kaye’s latest book, “The Fall Girl” is available for pre-order at Bookdepository. The release date is around August 12. Woot!!!

This contest is open only to US addresses–However–if you live in the UK, you’ve a little luck: Dead Woman’s Shoe’s is on sale at the publisher site: Creme de la Crime for only 2 pounds! Pretty darn good deal for a trade paperback! (You may need to scroll down to find Dead Woman’s Shoes.)

Dead Woman’s Shoes is a cozy/mystery with a lot of suspense and great characters including Kinky the chihuahua, a missing cat, a vet, a policeman, an entire drama club, and of course, an amateur sleuth, Lexy, who must sort it all out even though she is on the run herself! There are twists and turns, capers–-and many a thread woven into a completely captivating tale. Dead Woman’s Shoes made my list of top books for 2008. I fully expect “The Fall Girl” to make my 2009 list.

If you include your mailing address in the email, and you are selected as the winner, I will announce the winner and mail the book right away. If you don’t want to include your mailing address, I will attempt to contact you via email ONCE. You will have a week to reply with your US mailing address. If I don’t receive an email within the week, I will select another winner. Please enter only one time. Multiple entries will be disqualified!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the covers or the books (if you’re read them!) Earlier, I posted some info about the covers and how the publisher designs their covers.

Are you a published author wondering how many libraries carry your book(s)?

This link will tell you which libraries own what books.

If you’re looking for a book and your library doesn’t have it, ask your librarian about getting the book through Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Most libraries charge only a small fee (about $2.50) to borrow the book you want from another library. The book will be delivered to your local library where you can check it out and return it.

The ILL program is good for fiction, non-fiction AND audio. Since audio is expensive, the program is particularly appreciated in this area!

Obviously, what with two three books out on Kindle and other formats, I’ve been spending a lot of time learning about the availability, pros/cons of the different readers and so on. I’ve been pretty surprised at how many formats there are and also how many places are selling ebooks. I knew it was a growing industry, but didn’t realize there was a kind of undercover cult following.

At any rate, there are actually some pretty good reader applications for the PC (or laptop in my case.) I didn’t think downloading a reader application was really necessary or helpful for reading online, until I downloaded them and tried them. All three of these readers are free downloads. My favorite is mobipocket.

Mobipocket also sells ebooks. To get the reader, click on the software tab and then download whichever application you need. In my case, I downloaded the PC application. It’s a spiffy little app, with nice buttons, easy to use interface–and the best part–when it loads a book, it has a nice DARK font. (So far as I know, you can change font sizes with all the apps, but with the defaults on mobipocket I didn’t need to.) The format is a nice, book-shaped one. I’ve read a couple of books using the mobipocket software and found it easy to use (just using the page down or page up; you can jump ahead or back using the scroll at the bottom.) I like that the scroll bar tells you how far you are along in the book (page numbers are meaningless because you can change the fonts to a larger or smaller one.)

Another neat feature that sold me on e-readers–it keeps my “place” in a book when I’m reading. Even if I close the application, when I go back in and open that book–bam, takes me right to where I left off. This is an excellent feature.

Next up, I tried the Stanza reader. This is the one known for use with the iPhone and iPod, but they have a desktop version as well (tabs along the top of the link.) This reader presents a narrower “book,” probably because it is optimized for small devices. The default font isn’t as dark. The formatting (which is often due to the conversion software) isn’t always as “neat.” But the Stanza was easy to use. It loads fast and presents an easy to use “book.” No issues, but not quite as “pretty” as mobipocket. Instead of a “library” of books you’ve loaded, you just open a file like you would with a normal application.

Adobe Digital Editions, like most Adobe products, seemed more complicated than it needed to be. This is the one application that had trouble with my converted files. It locked up opening the EPUB files–I have no idea why. I had to strip out formatting, reload the files and keep my fingers crossed. Obviously something in the original file (probably old HTML code) was causing some sort of problem. There was no way to troubleshoot the issue. Once I stripped formatting, and reconverted, the file loaded.

It was nicely readable. The interface was confusing to me, but I eventually figured out how to create my “library” and open the books to read. The Digital Edition automatically downloaded the covers (mobipocket and stanza did not.) This was perhaps the standout feature for Digital Editions because the cover, more often than just a title, reminds you of what the book is about, or at least gives you a clue as to why you downloaded the book.

For now, I’ll probably use the mobipocket reader. Most of the readers read multiple formats. This is helpful since not all ebooks come in the same format. Of course, if there is DRM on the book, it’s possible that none of the apps will work. Some books with DRM end up tied to a specific reader. At the moment, I’ve solved that by only buying non-DRM books. This limits my reading selection somewhat, but it isn’t as though I’ve run out of books to read.

Edit: Barnes and Noble also has a free reader for the PC (and Kindle is going to provide one in November or December!) The Barnes and Noble product was not very intuitive–took me a while to figure out how to load a book! But it isn’t bad once you get going. Probably the easiest way to get the B&N reader is to click on an ebook and download a sample. You have to login, but it then gives you the option of downloading the reader. When I downloaded my copy, B&N offered me 5 free classics! I don’t know how long that offer is good.

Edit #2: Kindle now has a reader for the PC. I took a look at it and can’t complain. I want this reader mainly so that I can test my own books–how they look and formatted, etc. BUT so far, Amazon has some awfully good freebies that publishers give away as promotions. In the past, you had to have a Kindle to access the books. Now, I can download them and read them on my PC. Some of these deals are free, some are a low price. Either way, I win!

 
 
1. Science Fiction Writers Association Scam Check Good site to check for info on agent backgrounds.
   • Related scam check blog Just a lot of common sense posts and commentary on things going on in the publishing world.

 

2. Fantasy and Paranomal author Holly Lisle: Archives have excellent writing tips and useful info from this published author.

 

3. Thriller and mystery author J.A. Konrath: writer tips; marketing your book tips, very informative author blog. Here’s a link to a download that is basically an e-book of his publishing experiences, tips, advice, etc: Konrath Ebook

 

4. www.Ralan.com great website that lists most of the short story speculative fiction markets

 

5. Writing tips–bad writing, bad habits, do’s and don’ts

 

6. Kirsch’s Guide to the Book Contract by Jonathan Kirsch.This should be required reading for any author. Even if you have an agent, this book will really help you understand how contracts work, how much you can expect to be paid and how “rights” work. A must read.

 

I did a post a while back on the Kindle and trolled around looking for opinions on it. One of the interesting things I came across was people talking about reading on the iPod touch. What surprised me most was how pleased they were overall with the performance and readability.

So today’s post is from guest blogger and good friend, Max, who recently bought an iPod touch and downloaded a couple of books and did some reading. Here’s what he had to say:

I spent most of my flights on the way home reading Sage using the Kindle Reader app for iPHONE/iPOD Touch. Just a little on the flights up.

For the flight back, I’d turned the brightness setting for the screen down to 1/6 in order to help conserve battery life. The default setting of 1/2 brightness really sucks the battery down fast. While reading, I had music playing in the background the entire time. Contrast and readability on the plane was great with this setting – I’d left “auto brightness” enabled so I’m sure it automatically cut the display further once the sunlight disappeared. BlueTooth and WiFi were both turned off.

Battery life under these circumstances was great. According to the iPOD, I’d used around 1/8 of the capacity after about 5 1/2 hours of use.

If the iPOD reader app supports text-to-speach, I’ve not found it yet.

Finding and downloading “Catch An Honest Thief” was a breeze.

The actual “reading” experience was very good overall. Hard to find much fault with it – so far. The one thing that was a bit frustrating was that the reader doesn’t seem to allow for “copy and paste” functionality.

Thanks for the input! I’m hearing that people are sometimes happier with using the iPod touch–more functionality than just reading. I’ve heard from both Kindle users and iPod that emailing is possible (I don’t know if Kindle users versus iPod users are happier with that particular function.) Interesting little devices.

I always intended to get organized and write a post that included tips for publishing on Kindle and other e-readers. I am frequently asked questions about the process and find myself sending out emails answering questions one at a time. Well…someone finally took all my email notes and organized them into a great article!

Nancy Fulda, author of Backlash and Dead Men Don’t Cry has done my work for me. If you are about to publish a Kindle book, have just done so or are thinking about doing so, she has organized a very good article on the subject!

I’m a big fan of libraries–as a writer and a reader. As a writer, there are things you can do to promote your work within the system–and sell more books not only to the library but to the public.

I’m going to do a series of posts on things to help sell into the library market, but remember the number one place to find out is–the library!

Libraries do have author events–and they will sometimes pay an author a small amount if the author gives an educational talk. The talk can be on writing techniques, submitting to magazines, short story writing, getting published, research or perhaps the subject matter covered in the book. Ask at your local library about opportunities. If they do have a budget to pay authors offer to accept an average of the last three events the library hosted. (This tip comes from author J.A. Konrath.)

Libraries do host book signings/sales, although they generally seem to prefer doing this after an author is established and has several books to sell to the public. Check with your local librarian about setting something up. The library generally puts up notices for you, signs people up (so you know about how many will attend) orders the books ahead of time, and handles the sales part.

Check with your librarian about being chosen for their “bookclub” choice of the month if they run such a program. This may mean the library will buy at least two copies of your book. It also means that those in the bookclub will either get your book from other libraries or will buy it.

Find out if your library has a “new releases” shelf. Most do. This shelf is often near the front of the library. For some patrons, it is the ONLY shelf they visit. They go in, get a few of the latest releases, and check out.

New books stay on the New Release shelf for approximately six months. You want your book there. You want it to get checked out as often as possible in that first six months to generate word-of-mouth. More importantly, if your book is checked out frequently, the library is much more likely to order your next release.

Note: Ask the library to order your book before the release date so that your book arrives as quickly as possible. Most libraries will not put your book on the new release shelf if it is already six months old–ie the New Release shelf is stocked by the publication date, NOT the date the library recieves the book. Some libraries will not put paperbacks on the new release shelf either, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!

Libraries often have “Theme” shelves. This is good once your book is off of the New Release shelf. Like the New Release shelf, it is a special shelf or section. The books are picked from the rest of the library masses and put on display so that they stand out. Libraries do themes such as: crafts, Christmas, fall, spring, winter, science fiction, cozies, thrillers, oldies but loved mysteries, etc. Talk to your librarian about where your book might fit. Come up with themes or reasons that it DOES fit. Books picked for themes see more check-out traffic.

There are many, many activities in the summer for kids. If you have YA or children’s book, talk to your librarian about performing a reading or giving a talk during the summer when kids are available.

In the next post, I’ll talk about some of the promotional items you might want to send to libraries to help them notice your books!

If you are an author hoping to use your local library to promote you book, check with your library before you design and order your promotional material. Each librarian has specific needs and tastes! What’s more, most librarians will be happy to show you samples of other promotional material they have received and this material might give you good ideas.

Here are a few things to consider:

Libraries may or may not want to give out your bookmark. Check with the library before you print 500 extra. Most will be more than happy to give out bookmarks, but some have rules against it. I can tell you for certain that bookmarks that appeal to children get picked up more often than anything too formal that contains only basic book information.

Each purchasing librarian has a preferred way of receiving information about books. Check with your local librarians to find out if they prefer post cards, a letter, colored flyers or envelopes stuffed with all of the above. Here’s the feedback I received when I asked:

• For the best overall cost and most preferred: Send an oversized postcard. Make sure that there is a color picture of the book on the front. Include the Title, author name, ISBN for hardback, soft cover and audio if available. Include the author website! Make sure the words/fonts are easy to read!!! If your postcard is the front cover of your book, leave white space for the basic information about your book. Librarians will look up review information before ordering, but if you have positive reviews, you might include a quick list on the back with quotes from readers.
• If you are going to the expense of a large envelope stuffed with PR materials, the librarians I interviewed said they love “freebies.” This can include: pens, bookmarks, coasters, temporary tattoos or stickers (they might use stickers for kids activities). Overall, the response was: “Make it worth my time to open the envelope. Too much information is a waste of paper. I need the basic information, and I need it in a font that is easy to read. I’m going to look the reviews up, so including the entire review in the package isn’t useful.”
• Most librarians did not like photocopied colored sheets with long book descriptions, althougth this works better for a non-fiction book. I saw some samples–the photocopy was of poor qualilty, no color picture of the book and nothing but text. Keep it interesting and short–lots of pictures, quick lists of reviews, quick list of quotes and sign it personally.

Finally, be aware of when your local library budget is approved. You want to make sure to get your book on the order list when the library still has money allocated for books. Very often, towards the end of the budget year, there may be no new books ordered for two or three months–the money for books is gone for that year. If you know when this happens in your local library, you can work with them to make sure your book gets ordered at the best time possible.

One other note: Libraries prefer hardback books because they last longer. They can rebind paperback books to help them last longer. If you have extra copies of your cover, offer libraries an copy or two (these are often used by authors as PR tools.) The library may rebind your book as a hardcover with the appropriate artwork before it ever sees the shelves. This will ensure that it is read often and well. Be aware that if your book is somehow damaged or destroyed before it has been checked out much, it will not automatically be reordered.

Libraries can be one of the most welcoming places in the world for authors. Take advantage of them!

After you’ve worked with them–here’s a link so that you can find out how many libraries carry your book: www.worldcat.org

Anyone that knows me or that reads my blog now and then may figure out that I don’t make my living from writing. That doesn’t mean I’m not interested in money matters or how much writers make or even money management; in fact quite the opposite. There’s a reason I link to www.BearMountainBull.com, my husband’s investment blog (and where I contribute).

When I started writing, hanging out at the occasional conference and talking to other writers, I noticed pretty quickly that very few writers had a business plan. Money management? Taxes? Not high on the conversation list.

Today I ran across a couple of posts that discuss money and what writers get paid. One such article is on Jim Hines blog–he’s a successful writer–three books published with a major publisher, many published short stories, and more books on the way–but Jim Hines doesn’t make his living writing. Another is John Scalzi–an even more successful writer, at least by writing income standards. And do note that he makes money writing fiction and non-fiction. He’s been freelancing for a lot of years. He has a plan; he’s a professional.

Hines’ article is very interesting because you’ll learn what a lot of authors may make when they have three books out. John Scalzi’s article covers not only basic finance, but has some info that is specific to writers. It should be required reading–and not just for writers.

Here’s a small sample of Scalzi at the top of one rant:

But you want that 42-inch 1080p TV! I understand; I want it too. What you do is save for it. When you save for something, it’s like you’re making a payment on it, except that you don’t have an evil credit card company charging you 19% for the privilege. I realize it’s condescending to put it that way, but, look: If people actually knew this, they wouldn’t have thousands in credit card debt, now, would they? And yes, it’s true that while you’re saving for that HDTV (or whatever), you don’t have it, and we as a nation are no longer used to the idea of not having what we want now now now now now. Well, get used to it, you insolvent jackass. Otherwise some bank owns your ass well into the next life. Really, that’s all I have to say about that.

I posted last year about writers/authors and how little they make (okay, the very successful ones make quite a bit, but most writers have a day job for real income.)   Several published authors are doing the favor again of putting out information on the topic.  Jim Hines started the thread, and he linked to others that are offering info on the subject of how much writers make:

Jim Hines’ Post on Money and Writing

Keep in mind that Jim Hines is a fairly successful writer (4 books out) and you’ll want to see his original post where he talks about some of the previous years.  You’ll also note if you follow some of the other links that some authors spend more of their earnings on websites, cons or other promotion.   It also seems that the more successful an author is, the less promo they have to do themselves.  There appears to be a snowball effect that helps them keep growing with less input from the author.  I found Jennifer Estep’s post interesting–and the comment’s trail has a comment from another author concerning his earnings.  Paul S. Kemp’s original post on the subject last year is also worth reading.

I suppose in fairness, since I had two short stories come out this year, I could post about my “earnings” but until I start making more than 150 dollars a year on my writing, I’m guessing that info doesn’t need to be broken down too much…

So I saw…more than a few complaints from Sony reader users that “Kindle exclusive” authors were shutting themselves out of a rather large opportunity. Apparently Sony is fairly popular in Europe and other countries, especially since the Kindle isn’t yet available over there unless you can provide a US credit card and/or address.

The problem for authors and readers is the lack of a cohesive storefront. There are many sites for ebooks (and the formats range from RTF to Sony, to EPUB to .MOBI). Some of these ebook stores require and use DRM, some accept self-published, some do not. If a reader wants to buy a book at any of these stores, she has to create an account. Remember a password. Browse it occasionally to look for new books. The selection on the sites varies from a few thousand to many thousand. Some of the sites have a lot of public domain books (and not enough newer stuff), some have taken more time with making sure that uploaded formats are clean and formatted nicely.

For authors…same thing. Uploading multiple formats, stores all over the internet, accounts to keep track of, rules to keep track of, forums galore…it’s a distribution nightmare. Which ones to choose? All? None? The royalty paid to authors is different on each site. The price rules are different.

But we’re all about experimenting here at BMBooks. Gulp.

I made Sage: Tales from a Magical Kingdom available on Smashwords in those multiple formats I mentioned (PDF, HTML, Javascript, EPUB, MOBI, LRF, and PDB). Why Smashwords? Other authors gave them high marks. A few of those Sony users mentioned them as well. The process was not all that hard, although there were formatting issues to resolve (and some of those were real bears!) Their royalty contract was good, thoroughly explained and–did not require an exclusive. Some sites (I believe Fictionwise is one) requires exclusive listings. I’m not sure if this exclusivity expires after a time or if if it remains so long as the book is listed. Exclusivity is fine for a brief period, but after that–with all these ebook sites–yikes!

It’s hard to say which of these sites will garner a lot of market share. I was pleased to read that Smashwords signed a distribution agreement with Barnes and Noble. Right now B&N doesn’t seem to have much of a reputation for ebooks at all. So it could be slow going and an uphill battle.

If anyone has a Sony reader and has an opinion or likes/dislikes, where you shop for books–I’m all ears. Or eyeballs in this case!

This weekend I attended a talk by book publicist P.J. Nunn. (Thanks to the local Austin Sisters in Crime chapter for setting it up.) PJ blogs once a week over at Dead Guy where she imparts little gems about what authors need to do to get noticed. You can also find out more about PJ’s company, Breakthrough Promotions, on her website.

Anyway, I brought home a few useful tips and facts. Since I read Dead Guy, not all of the things were a surprise, but I tried to condense a few of the more interesting tidbits here:

1. Once you sign a contract with a book company, you need to start looking for a publicist if you intend to hire one. Actual events won’t be scheduled, but you’ll have time to interview various publicists and once you hire one, she will keep you in the back of her mind–when booksellers or radio people call her looking for a book tie-in, she’ll know if you and your book are a good fit.
   
   P.J. likes to know about a book coming out twelve to eighteen months in advance to work you into the schedule and do the best job. She works with authors with a shorter time-frame all the time, but the longer in advance she knows, the better. You don’t need a publicist BEFORE the contract is signed.
2. Books distributed by other than Ingrim or Baker (as is common with smaller publishers) cannot generally be carried by major book chains without going through an approval process. In other words, if your book won’t be distributed by the big name distributors, you won’t appear in stores. You MAY be able to get one or two local chain store(s) to carry the book if they know you (you shop there, you take the time to introduce yourself, etc). The chains won’t order them unless someone comes in and requests the book. They will order that single copy for the customer, but not carry the book on the shelf (this is actually true of some bookstores even if you are with a major publisher–if the book isn’t on their buy list, they will only order the one copy).
   
   There is an approved list of small publishers/vendors that the chains reference to see if they will carry your book, but this list is not readily obtainable–nor is it easy to get a publisher on the list if it is not already on there. You will have a harder time selling your book through bookstores. For any signings, you may have to supply the books yourself (the bookstores will process them and you’ll get paid for sales, but you have to have the inventory). This is something to take into consideration when you’re signing that contract. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t sign–but it does mean you should know your selling job is going to be harder. A few publicists may try to help you/your publisher get on the approved list, but it is difficult and not something the bookstores are particularly interested in doing. PJ didn’t use the word “impossible,” but you could see it on her forehead.
3. Print announcements (newspapers, magazines) are the hardest advertising/announcements to obtain these days. You must schedule three to six months in advance. You generally must have a personal angle/hook to get a write-up–not just being a local writer, but a tie-in with some event. For example, if you write cooking cozies, you have a better chance of a local radio or paper spot if you use that book angle during a large summertime cook-off.
4. Kirkus and Library Journal require two copies of your book in order to even consider doing a review. Publisher’s Weekly requires one (I think–better plan on two just in case). In these times of cutbacks, consider that your author copies (the number of free copies you get from your publisher varies by contract) are going to be used for publicity. You might want to try and get more copies in your contract so you have more to use for publicity.
5. If you don’t get ARCs (Advance User Copies) from the publisher, consider doing your own semi-professional bound copies at Kinkos/Office Max to send to some review places. It must look nice!!! Do not make a hack job of it or your book will likely be set aside and ignored. (Ten to twenty ARCS is a common number of ARCS done today, but that number is dwindling. That number is also generally a smaller number with small presses.)
6. If you write a Christmas book (as is quite common with cozies) you have a limited shelf life. Be aware of this when/if you’re asked to do a specialty/holiday book of any sort.
7. Take something eye-catching to your book signing. Examples: Lego displays that depict a scene in the book. Mini-crime scene. Framed objects or a poster board with clippings/objects that apply to your book. Do not dress as a vampire or get too cute…do not go naked with a sign board of your book cover covering…parts of your body!
8. What can a first time author expect from a publicist? As an unknown, a publicist should be able to get you:
    
   • reviews on the internet
   • Local paper announcement (sometimes these are very difficult.)
   • Book signings
   • Library Appearance
   • Radio Appearance (local, smaller markets)
   • Maybe local tv

How much would something like the above package cost? Anywhere from $500 to $25,000, depending on the publicist. If you hire a publicist, ASK what you will get for your money–how many interviews, print appearances, signings, etc. Keep in mind the publicist may not get every single one that you talk about–but you should have some sort of meter in mind for your money. PJ works with “packages,” trying to set up “x” number of things for a certain price and more for a higher price. This may seem obvious, but it is not–many publicists will take your money with no particular plan in place.

I’ll talk more tomorrow or later in the week about my impressions of the discussions at the meeting–my own personal take-away. If you have questions, throw them in the comments–or visit Dead Guys and post comments for PJ there. She’s very approachable and helpful.

In yesterday’s post I covered points and tips that book publicist PJ Nunn shared at a recent Sister’s in Crime meeting in Austin, Texas. Today I’m going to talk about some of my thoughts. For now, I’ll mainly cover: Internet promotion versus Everything Else

PJ talked about a promotion pyramid (she didn’t have the graphic, but described it and I may have gotten some of the details…let’s just say there’s room for error). At the bottom of the pyramid (most important) was print/library, then radio, signings and last, at the top, internet.

I thought it an interesting pyramid and probably the exact opposite of how I would prioritize. I don’t know if it is a generation thing (I think I’m the same age as she is) or just a usage thing. I have never subscribed to a newspaper. Ever. I don’t listen to talk radio. When a commercial comes on, I switch stations (almost compulsively, I kid you not.) I rarely hear ads. For one to stay with me…probably isn’t going to happen.

PJ mentioned that the internet can become the worst time-sink of all the activities. I agree. Just like anything else, you have to prioritize your time. But…the internet is where I get *all* my book recommendations these days. Maybe I’m a minority. And I’m not saying I want to miss out on other opportunities. I’d prioritize the library pretty high on the list as well.

PJ didn’t mention that she blogged on Dead Guy until I raised my hand and asked about it. Yet–as an advertising tool, it must have worked because I attended the talk after learning about it from reading…the Dead Guy post. There were about fifteen of us in attendance, and I was the only one that heard about it via the internet that I know of. So yeah, the hit rate wasn’t high. But I don’t participate in Sister’s in Crime (I don’t have a book published so there’s not a lot of incentive.) I also don’t go out much so even had the bookstore had a notice I never would have seen it.

I order most of my books online (seriously–99 percent.) My book club is online. I read reviews online. I get a number of books from the library, and if I am likely to attend an event–it will be at the library. I’ll hear about the event by chance or because the library posts it on their internet page (which I see frequently when I’m out browsing to see if they have a title.)

Now, granted, I’m just one book buyer/reader. BUT after listening to PJ talk, I felt that yes, I’d have to give more consideration to some of the other things on the pyramid. I still left feeling that the internet was probably the most important tool I could use. Why? Because of all the things that she talked about, the internet was the most cost-effective. It won’t reach everyone. But neither do any of the other mediums. A book signing is going to eat up an entire day and possibly have travel costs as well as smaller costs (a candy dish, a display, etc.) And there is no guarantee you’ll sell any books at all. In fact, if I were to be published by a small publisher, book signings would fall lower on the list because the chance of being carried by stores would be even smaller.

Libraries are my second pick because I’ve seen how well they work. Not just talks either. A visit to a library to talk to the librarian about your book can mean the book gets displayed or promoted during its release–or during a special promotion on certain topics.

Newspaper and other print? If I had to pay for it, I’d skip. Like anyone, I’d love to be reviewed anywhere, but there are long lines to get reviewed. I’d have to study each market carefully before “spending” an ARC or print copy. I’m a reviewer. It is impossible to review every book I am sent.

I think you have to pick a few markets and try really hard to get coverage. The topic of review markets has been discussed on Dead Guy before and I think most people felt that a professional review beat blog reviews hands-down. I…tended to disagree with that. Any review is good. Reviews on sites with lots of traffic are obviously better than an individual blog (such as my own.) But competition is fierce. I think you gotta try to get the mentions where you can and not be snobby about it. We’d all love to be on Oprah, but it isn’t going to happen.

Then too, I spend time reading book blogs. Professional ones and hobby ones. Some people will probably only read the “pro” ones. Some people are just looking to talk books.

Radio: I’m ambivalent about radio simply because I don’t listen. I wouldn’t turn down a radio spot. I’ve been on the radio before (it’s a little nerve-wracking). The key is: If someone is listening to the radio, are they going to stop and take the time to write down the book title? Maybe. But it’s not an impulse buy.

I’ll talk a little more about radio and podcasts–it came up during the Q&A and again, I found it pretty interesting.

And keep in mind that PJ wasn’t against the internet — but the internet is something you can do for yourself. Some of the other venues might be harder and that’s where an author can benefit from her network and knowledge.

I’d also like to think we are on the cusp of change. The internet has opened entire venues that were closed before–including researching and accessing information such as this. It’s a wonderful tool that can provide an author with exposure, interaction and discussions.