by Linda Kay Hardie
Like most writers I used to cringe and change the subject when anyone brought up book promotion. What do I know about it? How can I put myself out there? You want me to sell myself? I’m uncomfortable with this whole idea. And I’ll bet you are, too.
Nowadays, I speak about my books at all sorts of locations, and I often have a table as a literary artist at arts events or as a vendor at an outdoor festival, selling my books. What’s my secret? I’m glad to share. Because it’s all about sharing, not selling.
Reframe the whole situation. Think of it as getting to know other writers and meeting your readers. You’re going to share your love of reading and writing with people who want to hear about those topics. Think of it as talking about books and writing (two of your favorite topics, right?) to like-minded people.
It’s not like those fundraisers in middle school when you sold expensive, poor quality chocolate bars or whatever. You’re not ringing the doorbells of neighbors you don’t really know. You’re not making cold calls. You’re talking about stuff you like to talk about.
You never know when you’ll run into a reader who’s excited to meet an author and wants to buy your book right away. Ebooks are a great invention for this. I once sold a copy of the anthology at a potluck to someone I’d just met. We were at a party, and she asked me what I’d been up to. When I told her about my story in the anthology, she pulled out her phone and bought the ebook right then and there.
We all hate to toot our own horn, as the saying goes. American culture frowns on people who express pride in their own accomplishments. I could do a whole article on the fallacy of that proscription, but now is not the time. Aren’t we proud of our writer/publisher friends and don’t we want to see them succeed? When you see someone cautiously mention a publication on social media, react to it, preferably with more than simply a thumbs-up. Comment. Congratulate them. If you’ve read it, rave about it. If you haven’t, rave about how great it must be and how you’re ordering it for your TBR pile.
The way this promotes your work is you get your name in conversations. Your friends feel grateful, and they’ll keep an eye out for your timid “brag” posts. Ta-da!
Number One. Contact local libraries. Here in Washoe County (home to Reno, Nevada), there are twelve libraries in the county system. Two are rather far away, because Nevada is a big, spread-out state, but the rest are an easy drive from anywhere in the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area. The faraway libraries are forty-five minutes away: one up at Lake Tahoe in Incline Village and the other close to two hours north in the Black Rock Desert community of Gerlach.
Libraries actively seek public programming. Calling a librarian is what salespeople call a “warm call” because librarians are waiting to hear from members of the public who provide talks, performances, or other interesting events. Most of the time, you simply send an email. Once you’re invited and scheduled, you need to come up with a topic for your event, but once again, think in terms of talking to friends you haven’t met yet. Since I write short stories and children’s picture books, I can read a story or two and talk about something related to the story.
Look for local writers groups. They also need programming. They’re good to be in touch with because you learn new skills, make new friends, and possibly find critique partners or beta readers. Writers groups schedule local writers to talk about aspects of writing. They can suggest a topic, which gives you a head start on something to say.
Search for online and social media writing networks. Look for writers in your genre, from the experienced published international groups down to the very local. Check your local library, too, for writers groups. Many meet in libraries. Google by region for writers groups that welcome all genres and experience levels. If you can’t find any, make your own! That’s what my friend Jacci did in Reno for northern Nevada writers. The group sneaks into bits of California that bump up against our region; close enough for jazz. Or writers.
This is a more advanced step, but by now you’re becoming an expert. Look into local art associations. Nowadays, art groups often cover literary arts as well as fine arts and performing arts. They host sales where artists set up tables and sell their work, with the association taking a percentage. I am a member of Sierra Arts Foundation here in Reno, and I often have a table at events. You buy copies of your book or books at a discount from your publisher and sell them for cover price.
My final point is to find ways to sell your books. Post about your events on social media. Set up a profile of yourself as an author and encourage people to follow you and attend your events. Even for a signing at a local bookstore, you still need to promote. In the store, don’t sit and read. Watch people. Smile. Wave them over to your table. Hand them a book.
I usually don’t make a large amount of money selling at events. I’m happy to break even, but it’s always fun, and I get my name out there and find new readers.
It’s a work in progress. And that’s the whole point.
Linda Kay Hardie writes short stories in many genres, but not romance. She tried once, and everyone ended up dead. Tragic. She writes recipes and is the reigning Spam champion for Nevada (yes, the tasty treat canned mystery meat). Her latest published stories appear in Sex & Violins and The Perp Wore Pumpkin (White City Press), Nature Triumphs (Dark Moon Rising Publications), AI, Robot (JayHenge Publishing), and Tales of the Apocalypse (Three Ravens Press).
