by Nowick Gray

Book promotion is one of those sticky and tricky areas to address, especially from the standpoint of “alternative culture,” since it gets into marketing, sales, consumption, which characterize the mainstream culture. Literature itself, if it addresses such themes as cultural values, can be considered an alternative to the dominant paradigm operating in the society.  But it depends on readership, and a “market niche” must be cultivated by networking and targeted descriptions of what a given book offers, how it promises to improve the life of the reader/buyer/consumer.

It’s not that consumption itself is bad; it’s part of life. It’s not that sales is bad; it’s a convenience of commerce, a necessity of economic exchange. So it’s not about whether to get the message out, but rather the style and flavor of the promotion.

Here is a list of possible approaches to take. None promises to be the golden path to the grail of success, but mixing and tweaking, one can find what fits the personality of the writer and what works best to generate sales.

1. Getting the word out can be as simple as distributing bookmarks, pens or similar items with a personal brand or logo (available through QLP).
2. Showing up in one’s city or neighborhood with books to display, ready to sign or chat with interested book browsers.
3. Going on the road with a box of books in the trunk of the car, giving readings, attending conferences, connecting with libraries.
4. Joining a local writers’ Meetup group to discuss strategies and trade reviews or critiques.
5. Buying spots in paid promotions to get the word out to a wider network.
6. Offering free book countdowns and giveaways, which will generate more reviews and word-of-mouth sales.
7. Joining blog tours, writing guest blogs, being interviewed by book bloggers.
8. Setting up an Author page at Amazon where your titles are compiled.
9. Interacting – mostly as a real person without a promotional hat – on social media.
10. Building an email list to alert interested readers to new releases and special offers.

The list of tactics is endless. Ideally you start from a big-picture perspective: your purpose for writing. Is it self-expression? Telling a story that simply must be told? Educating or entertaining (or best of all, both!)? Saving the world?

From that vision comes an overall goal or vision for connecting that work with readers. What is the genre, the subcategories, themes, style of the book? Will it fit within any identifiable local or online community of readers? How much money or effort are you willing to spend on the promotional campaign?

From that vision you can develop a strategic plan to market your books. Will it involve mostly local printing, distribution, consignment in bookstores, attending tables at craft fairs? Or will it involve mostly online presence in social media, or reader sites like Goodreads or Kindle readers’ KBoards? Within each of those realms there are infinite opportunities to get the word out, sharing the keys to your own kingdom or queendom of literary art.

Whatever the angle that feels most comfortable and/or productive, it’s important to balance writing priorities with the main course: more writing. Once readers do find and appreciate your work, they’ll want to see more. So keep that pipeline of excellent content flowing!

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