Agents and snail mail

So I've been in touch with a few agents. One of them requested my stuff, so I emailed it to her. She emailed me back to say she liked the beginning and she'd let me know the rest. Fast, cheap, effective.

The other guy wants it snail mailed. I hate that. It's expensive. Not only in paper, but postage. And time. My home printer is only good for about 400 pages. That's one book. Meaning I have to email my book to a copy center (my CD thingy no longer opens thanks to son #2), load up my kids, drive there, unload my kids. Help the counter lady find the document while trying to keep my kids from using a packet of stickers. We finally get the right document printing when wham, paper jam. Now I'm trying to fish the paper out of the printer and figure out which pages I've lost so I can reprint them.

I look over to see my children arguing over whether or not the TV in the kids room is really broken.
It is.
At this point, I want to say, "Will someone please take care of their children!" Instead, I go tell my children to be quiet.
For this joyous and educational outing, I pay around 10 bucks.
But we aren't done yet, folks.
Now we get to load up the kids, go to the post office, unload the kids. Stand in line . Restack all the boxes the two year old pulls down because he wants to make a fort out of them. Then we pay for the postage (5 bucks), load the kids back in the car, drive home, unload the kids and fall onto the couch.
Five minutes later, my husband walks through the door and asks why I haven't vacuumed yet.
Can I make a passionate plea to agents and editors everywhere? Email. For the love of all things holy and right. Email.

Doug Johnston

Tips from Doug:

• always carry business cards
• call and thank people (even if they give you a bad review--any publicity is good publicity)
• the best publicity is free publicity
• never send a book w/o media kit
• always follow up
• If you get a review, send a thank you letter
• every published author should have a website

Advertising outlets:

• newspaper
• magazines
• radio
• TV
• Blogs
• Websites
• Youtube
• word of mouth
• advertisements
• friends, family, and people you know

Newspapers

• Determine if the paper is big enough/geared toward your audience for you to spend time on.
• Find editor that deals with the issues in your book (themes, etc).
• Do you have a contact at the paper? Go over their staff pages.
• Find out how big the paper is. Sometimes the same article will run in 8 papers because they're all co owned.
• utahpress.com will show you who owns it
• less than 20% of newspapers have a book reviewer.
• 95% never review a book unless someone give them the review (the newspaper reviewers usually don't even read it). Translation: You write your own glowing review and they print it.

Signing etiquette

• never chew gum
• dress professionally
• be prepared
• make friends with your audience and they will buy your book. Maybe not today, but they will buy it.
• never sign for other coauthor
• always talk to the person your signing the book for--not the next person in line or your friend
• smile
• tell them about the book
• ask them if they want it personalized
• let them watch you sign it
• be on time
• have plenty of books
• prepare your 20 second pitch
• get their emails and compile an email list
• bring business cards
• follow through

When you sign a contract, ask who will be helping you market and what you can do to help them.

Janet Jensen--new information added.

Third instalment:
Media Kits--send with every review copy, keep up to date. Send media release page to local papers, university alum, libraries, and organizations that might be interested (historical societies, social, etc.)
In email--put mini media release in body (don't attach).
Send with a copy of your book to media outlets. ie--newspapers, radio stations, etc.

• Media Release on publisher letterhead
• Information about book--image, ISBN, price, etc
• Awards/honors
• Blurbs from published reviews
• Author Bio, contact info
• Published Articles/interviews/sample Q&A (interview yourself).
• List your availability as a speaker, with topic of expertise (ie League of Utah Writers, BYU Education Week, youth groups, PTA Literacy Night, book clubs, etc). List contact info and fee if applicable (travel $)
• CD with video preview, audio files, etc.
• Business card, flier, t-shirt, pins, bookmark, postcard, signed bookplate, keychain, magnet, etc. Be creative!

1. Get Listed! Find databases where your books should be listed. Add tags to your amazon.com listing (see other side.)
2. Signings: Publicize beforehand in paper, etc. Set up displays themed to match your work--use multimedia, giveaways. Make your poster taller than your table so people can see. Come early, have extra books in car, greet staff and managers, write personal thank yous.
3. Enter Contests--they get your books distributed to schools, libraries, etc. And the publicity for winning is great. See articles at Carolyn Howard-Johnsons's site for specs.
4. Reviews: The more the better. Look up books similar to yours , see who has reviewed the, request reviews for your books. Swap books with other authors, post reviews on blogs, exchange links.
5. Blogs: hold contests. Caveat: be professional on blogs and webpages. Link your blog to amazon.com. Plan blog tours. Gather email lists through blogging, send email newsletters to interested readers. Learn to do podcasts.
6. Books clubs are always looking for speakers and love real authors. Read from your own work. Always allow time for Q&A. Bring freebies, have drawings for free book.
7. Libraries: See that copies of your book are placed in as many libraries as possible.
8. TV, radio--use internet for contact info., follow contact instructions. Prepare Q&A for interviewer, practice in front of video camera. Do your homework re the show, interviewer, format.
9. Brainstorm with other writers! Keep your publisher updated!

League of Utah Writers: http://www.luwrite.com/

--sign up on their speakers bureau, list topics.

Critique groups are invaluable. Join one or form one.

Other organizations: historical societies, murder-mystery writers, children's writers, romance writers, etc.

Magazines: The Writer, Writer's Digest, Poets & Writers, Publishers Marketplace, ByLine--check your library.

Offer to speak to organizations: PTA Literacy Nights, Reading Councils, Civic Groups, school groups.

Get a wikipedia page.

Amazon: Check out their most prolific reviewers. Find one that likes books similar to yours. Request a review. If they agree, send them a book. Create detailed tags. Both will create more hits.
email Janet for a copy of her media kit: janet.jenson@comcast.net
The Frugal Book Promoter by Carolyn Howard Jonson

Abel Koagh

Okay, I missed most of Abel's comments because I had a pitch session. I felt bad because it sounded so darn good. Here's the five minutes I heard:
4 Reasons Authors need a website:

1. Marketing, branding, and promotional tool.
2. Low cost
3. Spreads your voice across the globe
4. Lets you share ideas and upcoming events

~Amber

We got a Wii!

Seriously, I hate video games. My brothers always got nintendo games as a family present for Christmas. Used to drive me crazy because I never liked to play them and it was a big part of our Christmas.
So when my husband wanted a Wii, I wasn't too thrilled. But he rarely buys anything for himself, and he works so hard. Plus I thought my boys would love it. I was right about that, but I was wrong when I thought I wouldn't like it. It's so much fun. And a really good workout to boot. My arms are jelly after only 2 baseball games (Derek and I tied with no runs, in case you wanted to know ;) )