To Promote or Not to Promote...

...that is the question. Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous writing dreams or to take arms against a sea of writing opponents...

Sorry. Shakespeare often carries me away.

There has been a lot of conversation out there regarding the difference between MARKETING and PUBLICITY as it pertains to authors. I agree that there is a significant difference; however, as someone who came to the publishing world with a background as an entertainment publicist, I guess I have a slightly skewed view.

In marketing class, one of the first principles taught is that there are four important Ps on which to focus.

1. Product (the book itself)
2. Price (determined by the publisher and the retail marketplace)
3. Placement (distribution, distribution, distribution!)

The first three have very little to do with the author at all beyond P #1 and the actual writing of the book. But P #4 is a nice, sharp double-edged sword (publisher on one side, author on the other).

4. Promotion

Promotion, from a marketing standpoint, is all about industry advertising, schmoozing with retailers to introduce them to this new product, branding characteristics, etc. But this P (in my head at least) also stands for Partnership! This is where the author partners up with the publisher to support their other marketing efforts, and it’s where the line often blurs a bit between marketing and publicity. In my opinion, an author’s efforts to promote their work becomes an important component in the overall marketing plan.

Book signings are a somewhat expected vehicle for authors to promote their books. Over the years, however, I’ve realized that for me the venue and specific situation can make all the difference in how much value the effort actually adds. Consequently, I choose my book signing opportunities very carefully, usually so that they coincide with my personal platform.

Platforms are extremely beneficial when an author is promoting a book. For instance, I’m an ovarian cancer survivor, and part of the proceeds of each of my annual devotionals for Summerside Press benefit ovarian cancer research. So in the case of the devotionals, I schedule book signings that coincide with speeches or fundraisers geared toward cancer survivors and research. For my fiction, like the Emma Rae Creation series from Abingdon Press, I’ll target audiences with a specific interest in weddings and/or baking.

Social media like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter has become increasingly important in regard to promoting books (as well as establishing author name). My own Web site, for instance, tripled its traffic in the first week of my posting a short author interview video on YouTube and Amazon where I invited readers into my home and answered some common questions sent to me. The video was produced with the trailer to my latest book tacked on to the end so that I can use it for each of the next year’s books; I’ll just change the trailer at the end dependent on the next release date. I get a lot of reader mail about my trailers and videos, and I’ve come to think they’re just about the most important promotion tool I have as an author. A book publicist told me last year that, when the publisher has less than five minutes to draw a retailer’s interest, very few things are more effective than a professional, compelling trailer. That comment put me over the edge from the 30-second freebie video I put together myself to the 1- or 2-minute video I pay a professional to produce.

Banner advertising is something worth considering. If you choose the right outlet, this type of promotion can have a pretty good return value. For instance, Facebook has an interesting opportunity for authors where you can gear your efforts specifically toward your demographic. After creating a small ad that includes your book’s cover, you are given the opportunity to pinpoint your audience, the time of day you’re most likely to reach them, even decide how much you’ll pay. By limiting it to X amount of clicks per day for X amount of days, you control the expense to a manageable level while directly reaching the age and interest groups that would be most likely to read your book.

Blog tours are another key component of social media that has paid off in a big way as part of my promotion stategy. Doing a quick Q&A for each blog, and offering a giveaway of your book to one of their their readers, is a small price to pay for a connection to a new source of readers that will potentially stick with you going forward.

Specialized giveaway strategies add a lot of value to my promotional efforts as well. For instance, I send postcards or brochures to women’s ministries and book clubs each time a book releases. My reader list receives email newsletters to tell them a funny story about the next book or give them a sneak peek. I hold special contests for my readers with prizes more unique than an autographed book. And for my devotionals, I often send a copy of the book to a dozen pastors’ wives at local area churches. Often, this will result in an invitation to come and talk to the women of their church.

Press releases come easily to me. Because of my background, I can pretty much write one in my sleep! So I find some sort of angle about every one of my books with the hopes of creating a captivating press release for even more exposure, and I’ve built a substantial list of contacts to which I send them. Some fairly interesting results have come from the releases, too. I’ve been featured in several local newspapers, received interview requests from radio stations across the country, and I’ve even done a few readings as a result of press releases.

I believe that, with every book contract I sign, I am also signing up for a partnership to do everything in my power to support the publisher’s marketing efforts by promoting my book (and myself as an author) in the best ways possible. Many authors have told me they don’t feel like they’re paid enough for their books to warrant spending a portion of their income on promotion; however, as a former entertainment publicist, I know the value of providing name recognition, establishing a personal relationship with readers, and branding in a way that lets them know what they’re going to get each time they open a book by Sandra D. Bricker. Yes, it’s an expense (both financial and personal), but I like to think of it more as an investment in my future, and the future of books in general.