Diary of a Mad Editor

Whether you are out to promote a book published by a major publisher, a noted small press, or self-published through LuLu.com, you’re going to have to promote the book if you want people to buy it. You would think that would be a given, but you’d be surprised how many writers don’t promote their work. Not long ago, a friend of mine put out a book using LuLu, didn’t do a thing to promote her work and then wondered why she only sold a few copies to friends. And while a major publishing house will pay the freight and handle all the details for a promotional book tour, if you are dealing with a small press or a vanity press you, as the author, are on your own. Here are some things to consider before you get going:

1. Before settling on the dates for your tour, consult a travel agent. You may think it’s a better idea to consult the travel agent after you’ve decided on a destination, but there are a couple of reason you’ll want to meet with the travel agent. First, it may be cheaper to follow a particular travel route rather than another, so you’ll want to compare rates based on several travel scenarios to come up with the best package. Second, it’s always a good idea to establish good relations with your travel agent. Not only will that agent be interested in being your go-to guy for all your travel needs, he/she will go the extra mile for a person they like and will want to keep your business. It’s human nature.

2. Do your homework. Once, you’ve settled on your tour dates, you’re going to want to learn about the geography. Even if you’ve been there before, things might have changed. Contacting travel bureaus, websites, chambers of commerce, consulates, etc. is a good place to start. Tourism, and promotional events such as book tours, concerts, etc. help local economies and you’ll find there are people eager to answer your questions.

3. Make sure you have a press package to send out. For the book stores, you’ll want to make contact with the store manager (larger book store chains sometimes have a separate person who handles promotional events) to arrange your book signing. Also contact local TV — morning talk shows typically feature author interviews, radio stations. A press package (also called a Press Kit or Media Kit) should contain any or all of the following: a press release, a sample of your book, a bio with your headshot, a promotional postcard or flyer, newsclips (if any), and your publisher (if you are not the publisher) may want to include a catalog or brochure for their company.

4. In the course of your research, find out if there are any events, venues in the region where you can create new opportunities to promote your work. Perhaps a coffee house or local library has a reading series you can take part in. High Schools and colleges are also a good bet.

5. Don’t be afraid to think out of the box. Use unconventional means to promote your tour. For example, not long ago, a blogger named Jeff Yeager launched a book tour in which he traveled across the country on his bicycle — this became a story unto itself and added novelty and curiousity to his mission and drew attention that may have otherwise eluded him. If you have a blog — use it! Make post on the road about your tour and the characters you meet there. If you have MySpace and/or Facebook, did you know that both social networking sites allow you to create separate categories for your friends? You should create a category just to support your book tour. This will not only help you with a current tour, but can serve you in future tours (be your to add friends to this category on the road). Also, don’t discount podcasts, Internet radio as a means to promote your book. YouTube is also a great resource for promoting your tour and your book.

6. Particularly if your tour will take you out of your home country, you should get a physical before leaving and make sure your shots are updated. Also, consider getting travel medical insurance. Accidents and other unexpected ailments can happen at any time, and you may find it difficult to get access to quality health care on the move. Not every country is up to snuff, healthcare-wise and not every country has universal healthcare.

7. During the course of your tour, expect to be interviewed and expect that almost none of your interviewers will have heard of your or read your book — they may not have even read your media kit themselves and may have only been briefed by someone who has only read your media kit. This means they probably won’t have terribly good questions to ask you. If you find yourself in this situtation, keep your cool and don’t show any irritation. Be personable. Answer even the most inane questions as intelligently as possible. Remember that before you can sell your book, you have to be able to sell yourself.

8. Learn patience. Don’t expect big crowds at every event — particularly at the beginning of your tour. Even if only one person shows up and buys your book, that’s worthwhile. In fact, if only a few people show up you have more time to converse with your “fans,” so even an apparent failure has an upside. Something I learned working in retail that still holds true: one happy customer equals 10 future customers.

9. Establish relationships with librarians. Even if you don’t have an event scheduled at a library in a town where your tour stops, introduce yourself anyway. If a librarian likes your book, they will not only stock it for their library, they will recommend it to patrons.

10. You may think it’s a good idea to start your tour in your own back yard, but it’s actually smarter to end your tour at home. Consider that, if you are a small-time writer, the people most likely to show-up to home-based event are your own family and friends. During your tour, you will be building buzz for yourself and adding press clips and history. You are much more likely to gather a crowd if you schedule an event at home at the end of your tour than at the beginning.