RomanceEverAfter
|
|
|
People You Should Know A Conversation with Ross Howard, A Cure for Kirby, Meet Monica Davis and Geir Ness. The Beauty of Change Series Historical Romance Column and Book Reviewer: Kaye Hatfield NEW! Sam DeMarco Have you dreamed of starting your own business? Sam DeMarco, owner of Compliance Team, did and he tells us how he made his dream a reality! Photo Gallery Romance & You (Articles) Romantic Memoir
Quotes & Poetry Expand your quotes and poetic horizons by visiting our various Quotes & Poetry categories: Thought of the Week: Time for New Beginnings A series of 8 articles by Melissa Hamilton comprising a collection of principles that will allow you to make your vision for the future a reality. Read about the Amish, India, Philippines, Greece, & Rome.
|
Publicity & Promotion Interview: Sandra
Hill
There are things you can do to self-promote your books. How much effect they have is debatable, but I contend that authors...at least new authors...have to do something. Otherwise, they are putting ALL the control over your career in other people's hands.What can you do: TIP #1: Set up a website and keep it up to date. TIP #2: Purchase Pat Rouse's list of romance friendly bookstores and reader groups. It cost $50 per year and is updated free of charge several times throughout the year. Well worth the cost! (www.rousepat@aol.com)TIP #3: Send a letter to as many of the romance friendly bookstores that you can afford. Include a cover letter introducing yourself, some color promo items (bookmark, flyer, postcard, whatever) and a SASE postal card (minus the stamp...if they are going to return it, they won't mind putting on a stamp). On one side put your mailing label. On the other, ask them to fill out a form indicating whether they are interested in receiving promo items from you, how many, booksignings, etc.? Have them fill out name, address, e-mail address, phone number, etc.TIP #4: If your publisher doesn't do bound ARCs, make faux galleys and sent them to those bookstores and reviewers for advance reviews and so they will hand sell the book.TIP #5: For a new author, booksignings can help, even if only goodwill with the bookseller.TIP #6: Advertise in RWA's Romance $ells, if you can afford it. TIP #7: Once you develop a reader database, send mass e-mailings before each book's publication.
DON'T scrimp on promo items. Make them color and make them quality. I try to put something on them to make people smile, but that's only because I write humor. Don't do cheapie promo items. It shows. Better to do nothing than go cheap. DON'T contact the big distributors and chain buyers without permission from your publisher. They don't like it, and will probably complain to your publisher. DON'T let a website sit dormant - a year or two unchanged is a big no-no. DON'T overdo the booksigning activity. They will end up being a time sink.
Sandra Hill is a bestselling author of nineteen novels and four anthologies in various genres, including historical, time-travel and contemporary. In all her books, the common thread is humor and sizzle. Coming up in April 2005 is her much-awaited book for Rene LeDeux, THE RED-HOT CAJUN. Next July 2005, she will have another Viking Navy SEAL book out called HOT AND HEAVY.
|
|
|
Photo Gallery
photo
provided courtesy of