Bookselling & Self-Promotion
You’ve gone through the whole tortuous publication process. People should start buying your book anytime now. Time to celebrate! Well, yes, but . . . that’s a bit but here, if you’re one of the majority—mid-list authors—there’s still a lot of work ahead with promoting your book. Even newer authors with big deals need to learn how to promote themselves well.
Working with Booksellers
How to Be an Indie Bookseller’s Dream
Emma Straub
Ms. Straub—both an author and a bookseller—outlines some excellent ways to make your book signing go well for you and the bookstore. But let me emphasize: ALWAYS BE NICE AND POLITE. Don’t be that author. Really. Just don’t do it.
Economics of a Bookstore Event
Colleen Lindsay
The financials behind bookstore author events and why some bookstores might not host an event if the expected turnout isn’t large.
9 Writers & Publicists Tell All About Readings & Book Tours
The Awl
What they say is honestly not what you’d think. Pay attention.
10 Tips on Guest Blogging and Blog Tours
Writers Digest
In the new age of book promo, it’s important to understand the basics and etiquette of working with book bloggers.
Self-Promotion
Publicity & Marketing for Authors
Tracy Van Straaten
Some excellent basics and advice for authors starting to promote their books from Scholastic’s VP of publicity and marketing. I’m pretty sure she knows what she’s talking about, considering her work promoting a series of books you might have heard about: The Hunger Games.
Run by PR firm Pump Up Your Book
The articles on this site are mostly aggregated from sources around the web, but keep in mind that a PR firm (who most likely wants your business) is running the website. That said, everything I’ve read so far and the links they’ve posted look legit, but bring your salt shakers with you.
Colleen Lindsay
How publishers decide which books to print advance copies for, as well as the quantity and other factors. It might be surprising to learn that ARCs cost more to print per book than the finished product.
Self-Promotion: Starting Too Soon?
Writer Beware
Writer Alyx Dellamonica takes an honest look at author promotion, especially the use of social media. A good place to start.
Archive of About.com Articles on Publicity
Guy Bergstrom
This guy knows his stuff, which means you should probably listen to what he says. You’ll have to scroll down a bit to find links to more than 200 articles he wrote for About.com on publicity, from the basics to more advanced stuff.
Janet Reid
While using Twitter to promote your book can be helpful, don’t spam publishing pros with a link to your book. Ms. Reid explains why.
