Launching your own publicity campaign!!

I have approximately one week until my next book signing and my confidence level is somewhat high.  One of the promises that I made to myself was that I would do things differently this year.  I'm hoping that those different choices will translate to minute success.  I took a few days to step back and look at what didn't work for me in 2011 and one of the things that resonates with me is that no one knows who I am.  The second is that I don't have a marketing campaign in place.

To start off my marketing campaign, I had to go out and put together a promotions kit.  The kit consists of two 11 X 17 pictures of my book cover and a few bookmarks along with my press release.  This kit gets sent to any bookstore that is currently active in the literary community...especially if I'm scheduled to do a book signing there.  This allows the owners of the store to prepare for my signing even if its doing no more than strategically placing the posters in a location that their customers can see.  The bookmarks have the synopsis of my book on the back and the cover on the front.  If someone is interested in the cover, they can then pick up the bookmark and read it...and if the cover has done its job, the person will want to come back to buy the book and meet me.

The next thing (and maybe this should be done before the marketing kit is sent off) is to ensure that the book is available in Ingrams database.  There are many ways to do this but ultimately, I've come to understand that your books inclusion in this database will make it easier for the smaller bookstores to order your book since most of them will not order directly from your publisher and/or website.

Lastly is getting the necessary reviews in about my work.  This means sending it to people that are in the media...people that can make a recommendation about your work that the public will actually listen to.  As I am making myself known with a few radio personalities, it helps to send out a copy of the book to them and have them read it.  I don't know what the outcome will be, but hopefully, they may either like your work enough that they see the merit in you as an author or be able to introduce you to someone that will.  Either way, there is no such thing as a bad connection.

Keep on writing folks.  As I learn things in my walk, I'll tell you all about them since it does me no good to keep it to myself.  I won't earn less money if I do that.  On the contrary, I'm only opening the door to earn more!!

I wish you peace!!

J.L. Whitehead