I had half a dozen craft questions and quibbles running around inside my head earlier as I worked over a friend’s final draft, but they got blown out by a series of e-mails relating to book promotion that I just opened.
My personality is not oriented toward self promotion. I’ve hired someone to send postcards and ARCs, and someone else monitors my website. I answer email and spend a few minutes when I have time to jot this blog because I enjoy talking to readers. I love writing. I detest waving my name in people’s faces and saying “I wrote this book, look at me!”
But the fact is, someone has to do it. There are probably a thousand new books published every month. Publishers do their thing with the distributors and retailers, but they can’t reach the readers who go into the store to pick up the books. That’s supposed to be my job. Sitting here all by myself in my little office, I am supposed to come up with some campaign to wave my books and my name in readers’ faces so they’ll remember them.
It’s been suggested that I find on-line reader lists and introduce myself. Have you ever walked into a room full of strangers and started shaking hands and introducing yourself? If you have, want to be me for a while?
Sigh, guess now instead of sitting here quietly talking to myself, I’ll have to go out and find reader groups. If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to comment! I don’t bite, although I do occasionally growl.
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4 comments:
Have you done discussion groups at libraries near you? That might work if you want to reach out to readers.
-Kat
I used to do library discussions regularly, but my ability to speak extemporaneously or to even memorize a speech has disintegrated lately. I'm great at answering questions though!
What about online discussion groups?
-Kat
I've done online "chats." Both Signet and Ballantine have bulletin boards where I pop in occasionally. (guess I need to figure out how to put those links here) What kind of discussion groups are there?
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