[From the Archive] – Self-Promotion for Writers
Apparently it’s “Marketing Week” on Rhonda’s Blog. This one was done in 2009 after ArmadilloCon. And no, I didn’t look to see what was next on the archive posts when I wrote this week’s blog article… but it’s a topic near and dear to my heart. And this was done in 2009 so some of it has changed…
____
As a corollary to last week’s article, I thought I would talk about Self-Promotion for Writers. This stems from the whole “Writers Have to DO Stuff” that came out last week. I was just on a panel about this at ArmadilloCon with the most awesome Elizabeth Moon. And you know if Elizabeth Moon has to do self-promotion, everyone has to do self-promotion. The biggest misconception is that it has to cost a lot of money.
It doesn’t matter who you’re published with, there will always be more to be done. The best salesperson for a book isn’t some corporate person elsewhere, it’s the person who wrote it. If you’re lucky to be with a Big House, you’ll get help – those snazzy glossy postcards, book marks, and cover flats. Probably. If you’re with a small press – or especially if you’re on your own – that’s all your responsibility.
Now, if you’re like 99.9% of all authors you don’t have an advertising agency in your basement or lottery winnings to put bajillions of dollars into your marketing campaign. So, what can a poor (in every sense of the word) writer do? Lots. With little. So, how much should a writer spend on self-promotion? The quick answer is: “As much as you can reasonably afford.” But you need to be honest with yourself and your budget to not get in over your head. There’s a lot that can be done reasonably.
• Online Promotion/Social Networks — this can be one of the least expensive, yet most powerful tools you have. Facebook, Twitter, Live Journal — all free. If you use them right. This is not carte blanche to make every post, every comment about your book/project/what-have-you. Be involved with people. Have something to say. Do a website. Mine is a WordPress template hosted with GoDaddy. Cheap, easy to use, easy to find. Volunteer to Guest Blog or set up arrangements for writing something on someone else’s blog — volunteering can lead to PAYING. Exposure isn’t always something you die from in the Artic.
• Conventions — cannot stress enough how important it is to go to conventions. But they can be expensive. How do you reduce those costs? Simple things. Ride Share – find others going to your conventions and ride with them. Hotel Share – do you HAVE to have your own room? Sometimes that’s a ‘Yes’ – know when it’s time for solitude and when it’s time to reduce costs. Consuite – many conventions have healthier selections now in their consuites. Even popping by for breakfast or a quick something for lunch will not only reduce costs, but gives you networking opportunities.
• Promotional/Gimme Items – These don’t have to be snazzy, glossy, expensive. But you do have to weigh some options. I do a lot of gimme items myself – but I have access to a decent color laser printer. If you’re doing your own, get the laser printer. Inkjets smear and flake. If you don’t have friends/family that can help you design stuff, there are ways of making things cheaper. I print and make my own gimme pens with plain pens, clear return address labels, and packing tape. Some of my promotional items are cheesy, but that fits in with my growing humor niche.
o Vista Print – does inexpensive glossy business cards, printings, etc. and always has coupons
o Arts Cow – Rachel Caine swears by them – and their clearance section.
o Oriental Trading Company – you get what you pay for with them, can be hit or miss
For affordable promotional items, consider doing “non-project specific” items that promote you the writer instead of maybe your latest project — especially if you’re in a lull or your project comes out and fold at the same time. This way you don’t have “dated” or “old” promotional items. By being able to use them over time, you spread out the cost. If your promotional items are also useful – like pens, notebooks, nail files, you stand a greater chance of people keeping and using them, and not recycling them when they get home.
If you know of any good promotional items links, please comment and let us all know. The more we know, the better at this we can all be.