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2003 NFPW Conference

Big-time book publishing: the inside story

Rachel Simon and Ed Dee, both Delaware book authors, offered ideas for book publishing.

Among their suggestions:

• Learn how to promote yourself.
• Anyone who writes or e-mails you is a fan.
• Having a Web site and speaking at events helps promote your work.
• Charge a fee for doing events or at least take it if it’s offered.
• Do unique signing events, like costumes, candy dress, wedding dress, flag dress, talking car, etc.
• Work the media. Put together your own press kit – don’t depend on the book publisher to make media contacts. Write your own press releases and offer them to bookstores/organizations.
• Do readings, along with book signing events.
• Make a flier to promote your book.
• Make sure your book is listed in Books in Print.
• Get your book reviewed by media – publishers rely on reviews. Get features written about you and your book.
• Use a multi-pronged attack: speaking, readings, interviews, participate in events, send a free book if you can’t do an event or interview, establish relationship with media, etc.
• Contact organizations connected to your book topic.
• Remember that magazines have a long lead time – contact them early.
• Don’t buy your book at a discount from the publisher – buy at bookstores to boost your sales figures. That helps with getting your next book published.
• Look at trends – what’s hot, what’s not.
• Order signed bookplates from the publisher.
• Give free copies of your book and ask people to buy some and give to others.
• Some Web sites to check out: www.1stbooks.com, www.Exlibris.com, www.deallunch.com and www.publisherslunch.com.
• Don’t put all your faith in book publishers. They have lots of books to promote – 130,000 new books are published each year – and yours is just one of those.
• If you have an out-of-print book, get back in print through an on-demand publisher. Get back the rights to your book from the publisher when your book goes out of print; then you can print it yourself or go to another publisher. Do a package deal with a new book.
• Get cover consultation in your contract so you have a chance to review it before printing; hold back some pages to assure this happens.
• Become the squeaky wheel with the publisher (to a point).

– Cathy A. Langemo