There have been a lot of opinions… well still ARE a lot of opinions… about how an author should promo their own work.
Where is this coming from? Well, I’m sure all of you have heard all of the arguments and / or discussions about the availability of self-pubbing or the increasing presence of indie presses or the powerhouse publishers lack of producing anything outside of the box. I won’t rehash that here. What I would like to touch on is self-promotion.
When should an author do it?
I can tell you what I’m sick of. That would be an author’s every tweet being about their book being on the Kindle or Nook. Some package it in such a way that it’s cute (or they think so). They say things like “Your Kindle is lonely without my novel ABC Lover’s Tangle!”
If I see that on my Twitter stream more than five times, I immediately sniff suspiciously at the author and growl.
Another is RTing a review or opinion without saying thanks. I know. It sounds silly but saying thank you to the person who just said nice things about the author gives the RTing author a pass. You can RT anything all day to me so long as you say thanks to the person who said kudos. Merely posting that you got a review without celebrating it and I get growly. :::grins:::
Okay, I get growly a lot.
So how to self-promote? Because let’s face it, no one’s going to promote an author without some give/take. And Indie presses only do so much.
Seriously, talk to people. Reach out there. Be accessible but not full disclosing. They don’t need to know about your aunt’s gall bladder. But the readers do need to know that you see they are there.
I have a hard time reaching out. Or rather I do reach out but I think I am much more reserved about doing so than others. It amazes me to see people with one book have lively discussion boards. I am not one who does. Not by planning, mind you. I have a discussion board. But it is by no means lively. Someone told me it’s because Dirty Kiss really isn’t a happy discussing book. I sniffed and then cried in a corner.
Okay maybe I sniffed and didn’t cry but I was crying inside! Damn it! :::grins::: Mostly, I know my limitations. I am not a lively discussion group generator. I have fellow authors who are. I am envious of them. That connectivity is fabulous.
So if you can, generate noise about your book and your writing! Get a discussion group. And most of all, talk. Just talk to your readers.
Don’t forget to write though. That’s important. Writing makes new book. They like new books. ::nods::
Sniffing and curling up in a corner. Reminds me of the Cat “Dirty Kiss.”. Should she have her own novel? That would open up a whole new vista for you! Your readers would love it! Meow.
Patricia
Heh. Do not encourage Neko’s ego. She’s a princess diva as it is. Most of it would be: In sunbeam until large thing my person is now sleeping with closed the curtains. Must remember to kill him later. Oh! Foood!
*hands a tissue* Great post, Rhys. Funny thing how cyberspace makes it both easier and more difficult to connect, isn’t it? And it changes the entire meaning of “connection” in some cases, too.
In the end, though, I think you’re right – being accessible to readers is key. -Shira
It is a delicate balance of communication and confusion. It’s bad enough I can barely keep my own brain on track but oh to do it in response to a multitude of comments and I’m sure I sound like a gibbering idiot. 😀
Promotion is key. I know it. And I hate marketing myself. It seems so vulgar. :::sniffs pretentiously::: God I’d smack myself if I were that way but oh, it does seem like there’s a line between promotion and attention whoring. I always feel like I’m an attention whore. So, delicate steps. 😀 FREE T-SHIRTS! Heh. I should make Dirty Kiss T-shirts to giveaway.
Okay, this is a really stupid comment, I apologize in advance, but…I’m new to the tweety-box (as Craig Ferguson calls it) and I don’t know how to re-tweet. Or rather, I don’t know how to add a comment before re-tweeting. I wanted to do that the other day, but it went right to re-tweet status w/o the option to add my own text. I don’t have anything to thank people for yet, but we should all be prepared, right?
Why does technology have to be so harrrd?? 😛 Thanks.
Snooks. No worries about the tweeting. It does take some time to get into that groove. You can add a comment and then type in RT @someone’s name (copy what they say) or just thank them in another tweet. 😀 That’s what I usually do. Or forward the information like: Good Review for X_Book at Reviewsite Y (Link to review). Thanks!
You can just RT something by hitting the Retweet button. Mostly the “thanking advice” is a way to reach out to reviewers to say hey, saw it and thank you! 😀 Or individuals. 😀
Who told you that? Dirty Kiss is a great discussion book! I loved it (but you know that!).
I agree that promoting yourself is hard. It is funny, b/c from the blogger end I like when authors promote. I feel like I am always asking folks to stop by, etc and wish folks would just ask, but I know most of the time the authors are just as shy as I am.
How about Dirty Kiss T-shirts with Neko’s picture! LOL
Heh. There’s really no “discussion” points are there in DK? I mean, other than damn it, Cole… why do you keep getting hurt? I swear, I didn’t mean for him to be accident prone. It makes him look like a doofus.
I’m surprised at how Neko is being received. I should post a picture of the actual Neko (if I have not done so already). She’s a bossy little thing.
Indeed we do like new books! So please… Get cracking on that sequel to DK. As you know, I can’t wait!
I have you TOTALL in mind when I work on DK2 😀
Of course there are discussion points in DK, Rhys. As far as how authors use electronic media I have a pet peeve. However, I’m not going t mention it. 😉
Heh ::::grins:::