Successful Writer's Journeys - You can do it too!

Elana Johnson has organized some interviews of writers who've traveled down this long and winding road toward publication. Some have agents. Some of them have book deals.

They've "made" it.

I will be featured on Beth Revis blog this Friday!

Here are some other blogs participating:

Click here for more inspiration: Lisa and Laura Roecker, Leah Clifford, Victoria Schwab, Kirsten Hubbard, Susan Adrian, Dawn Metcalf, Kim Harrington, Carrie Harris, Amy Holder, Kathy McCullough, Suzette Saxton and Bethany Wiggins, Gretchen McNeil and Tiffany Schmidt.

As Elana says, "Everyone involved is hoping this series will inspire you, provide a beam of hope along your way, and really prove that you CAN succeed in this crazy business. You CAN go from slush-pile-nothing to agented writer to published author."

Yes YOU!

My thoughts on book publicity!

Since it is Spring Break around the country, the normal Monday marketing interviews will start up again on Monday, April 12th.

I thought I would answer some of the questions I have gotten offline about book marketing and publicity. A few have asked about me and my "day job" of running my own marketing and publicity business.

What exactly do you do?

Besides write....I own my own marketing and publicity business (bilaninc.com) where I help companies market their business. I also help small businesses develop marketing materials and publicity campaigns.

Do you help authors with their marketing?

Yes. I've done just about every job in marketing, from planning to execution--author school visits, booking conferences, swag and promo pieces, curriculum/learner guides, bookstore tours, online marketing and book publicity campaigns.

Because I love to read and write children's books, my favorite is working with children's authors in their marketing or book publicity needs. So much so, that I give 30% off my standard prices to SCBWI members and 20% off to other authors. I can do any of the following:

• Designing and creating swag packages, such as bookmarkers, postcards, posters, bookplates, stickers
• Planning and executing online publicity campaigns, including blog tours
• Creating a marketing strategy/plan for authors/book releases
• Identifying niche outlets for publicity and marketing
• Creating supplemental materials, such as discussion guides, curriculum guides, and event kits
• Coordinating book release parties, bookstore signings, and tours
• Writing press releases and pitch letters, bios and background materials
• Customized backgrounds for twitter, blogs, and web sites
• Manuscript and query critiques

If you need any help on deciding if you need help with marketing or book publicity, you can email me at sjohannes@bilaninc.com to schedule a free 30 minute consultation!

What should authors look for when hiring marketing or publicity professionals?

There are so many people doing marketing these days especially with the amount of layoffs.

• Know what you want and what you are getting.
• Always ask for references and samples of their work.
• Get written quotes and compare.
  
• Be sure to read the fine print.
• Do your research.
• The publicity potential of your book.
• Good communication.
• Reasonable prices.

What things are best done by a publicist? By an author?

This really depends on the person. There are some people who want to hire a book publicist to handle everything because they can't be bothered. There are others who only want certain things done.

If you want a publicist - prioritize your needs and your budget. Use a publicist for things you can't do yourself. For example, I find most authors need:

• Professional consulting to get ideas on how to best market your book
• Someone to get them started by creating a marketing and book publicity plan
  
• Custom designed materials such as web sites, business cards, online templates and swag packages
  
• Creating formal and professional media kits
• Organizing book tours/speaking appearances

Does every author need a publicist?

It all depends on how good you are at marketing yourself. I usually like to see what a publisher is doing for an author FIRST before I take on a project. Sometimes it may not be the best expense if the publisher is already doing a lot for the author.

How can an author prepare to work with a publicist?

First, you need to know exactly your goal? What do you need the most help with? How much to you want to spend? What can you do on your own?

Once you know your goals, know what your publisher is going to do and then really evaluate whether you need outside help.

If you do, it is critical for your publicist to work with the house's publicity department to ensure a seamless plan.

Is book publicity expensive?

Like anything, book publicity can get expensive.

However, every author should know their strengths and what they may need help with. It does not all have to be done at once and authors should ask about smaller projects that they can afford.

It does not have to be all or none!

What is one piece of advice that you want people to take away?

Start now! It is better to start your marketing and publicity campaign at least 6 months PRIOR to your publication date. I can do more for you if you are early. If you come to me 6 months after your book has released, you have lost critical time.

Hope that helps you guys understand book publicity more.

What other questions do you have?

Friday Five/Marketing Round Up (3/26)

The Magic of Books

My daughter had her first book signing this week. Mary Pope Osborne was in town and my daughter just started reading them in Kindergarden this year.

She was so excited and Mary was funny getting all the kids engaged. Over 500 people showed up in a VERY small bookstore.



Watching her made me smile.

What about you? Do you remember your first signing?


Marketing Favs

Marketing for a good cause - Christy's Critter. Sometimes doing something for a good cause helps you feel better about yourself and extends your platform.

Eight steps to marketing yourself online - There are a few things that need to be considered before jumping headlong into an online campaign.

Agent Uses YouTube to Get a Book Deal - The agent included links to a five-minute clip posted on MySpace and YouTube in the final pitch to nail a bg deal.

Literary Promotion Campaigns - The generosity with review copies of books leads to the literary publicity opportunities you want and need.

Why Amazon Rankings can be misleading - For most books, it does not take many orders to increase rankings.

Ideas for marketing your books - an ebook that discusses creating an online media kit, blogging tips, getting traffic to your site, virtual book tours, social media and networking, using video for book promotion, getting author interviews, and the benefits of podcasting.

Have a great weekend!

Marketing To Teen - Teen Panel (Part 2)

Here is part 2 of our Teen Panel Q&A.

Click here to read Part 1

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What fantasy authors do you read and enjoy?

(Austyn) Rick Riorden, Cornelia Funke, Erin Hunter

(Morgan) Oh gosh..there are so many! Hmm..a few? Holly Black,Suzanne Collins, Libba Bray, Michelle Zink,& Lisa Mantchev!

(Viviane) (Not listed in any order) Neil Gaiman, Libba Bray, Tamora Pierce, Kristin Cashore, Michelle Zink, and others I can't Quite think of at the moment :)

(Anon) Any really. I jump around a lot.

(Yan) Stephanie Meyer--as much as the YA blogger community is divided when regarding this author I love her work, both YA and adult. Cassandra Clare--took a while to get into her series, but loved it in the end. Lisa McMann--simple writing but still thought provoking. Richelle Mead, Kristin Cashore, Maria V. Snyder, Alexandra Bracken (a '10 debut author that I plan to stalk for new releases already!), R.J. Anderson, Diana Peterfreund, Kelley Armstrong, Jackson Pearce, Alyxandra Harvey, Gail Carriger (an adult steampunk writer but she has the most captivating narration). Oh gosh this is such a huge answer; I'm going to stop right here before I fill an entire page up with authors.

(Chelsea) It isn't YA, but I really like the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind. I really like fantasy books that build an entirely new world for you, and I think that series accomplishes that. For YA, I really, really enjoyed The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima. In it, she mixed history with fantasy, which could be hit or miss, but it ended up being a very engaging read. I'm really excited to read the sequel! I'm always looking for new high-fantasy books. I consider paranormal and fantasy to be very different (while some readers group them together), and it's a lot harder to find good YA fantasy.

(Tirzah) Tamora Pierce is my number-one, all time favorite fantasy author. I started reading her books when I was young, and I've read every single one of them. They are, in my opinion, the epitome of YA fantasy. I also enjoy Shannon Hale's fantasy books, and both of Kristin Cashore's books have really impressed me. Maria V. Snyder's Study series has great YA/Adult crossover appeal. I am also a major sucker for fairy tale retellings, so I love Simon Pulse's Once Upon a Time... series. Those are written primarily by Cameron Dokey, Debbie Viguie, and Nancy Holder.

(Khy) Does Scott Westerfeld count as fantasy? He's closeish? And I lovelovelove Richelle Mead and Vampire Academy. The series is AMAZING and Rose, the main character, is super awesome. Or do you mean like, high fantasy stuff? Because that I don't like as much, unless it's written by JK Rowling.


How do you find out about new authors?

(Austyn) Browsing the library.

(Morgan) Luckily, my best friend is an avid reader, such as myself. Sometimes I get lucky in a bookstore with a really good find, but most of the time, my friend guides me to amazing new authors!

(Viviane) Mainly through browsing the bookstore or if I hear anything through the grapevine about new books

(Anon) Book club, browsing the web, and blogs from other authors. Recommendations from readers also help a lot.

(Yan) Word of mouth, debut author LiveJournal communities, blogging communities, publishers (i.e. catalogs/recommendations/surprise review books).

(Chelsea) Mostly from sites like The Tenners or the Class of 2k10. And from debut author challenges, like the one Kristi from The Story Siren is hosting. If new debut authors reach out to online blogs, etc, it's very easy to find them. They just have to be approachable. If I've talked to a new author, I'll always want to buy their book when it comes out!

(Tirzah) Mainly through Twitter! Occasionally some will email me, or drop me a comment on my website (which I love!), but I hear about a lot of them through other authors on Twitter, retweets, and sometimes on Publisher's Weekly announcements.

(Khy) From other people's blogs, twitter, stuff like that. The Internet in general.


What attracts you to a new author/book?

(Austyn) The cover and the title art, actually, have a lot to do it for me. If that got be hooked and looks like something I might like, I read the summary on the back/inside cover and decide if I want to read it.

(Morgan) Honestly, so many things are important to my interest. A) Do I know the author? B) Is the book's cover appealing? Sometimes, I'll admit, there are GREAT stories that aren't portrayed in their covers, but still.. C) Who's reviewed it, what do they normally like, and what did they think? D) Are there any vampires/werewolves/weird and odd relationships in it? ( If so, it goes back on the shelf.)

(Viviane) Covers, firstly, then title, then summary. I mean, covers are what you first see. I always keep an open mind though, so even if the cover's not great, I keep in mind the title. Lastly, the summary. If it's intriguing enough, I'll give it a go.

(Anon) The summary on the back of the book plays a huge part- if it makes sense, is exciting, and still allows me to ponder a bit on the actual contents of the book, I'm willing to give it a try. My choices for what I read aren't dominated by the cover on the book, but it definitely plays a part in getting me to pick the book up and read the back

(Yan) Cover and summary mostly. Sometimes their personality plays a part as well. If they're friendly, easy to talk to, understanding of the blogging community it just appeals better to me that I feel their book might appeal to me as well.

(Chelsea) Like in the above question, when an author is approachable, I'm more likely to buy their book. Whether it's through blog tours or Twitter or email, I'm always happy to hear about and from a new writer. If they reach out to readers, readers will reach out to them.

(Tirzah) Well, on a very shallow level, usually a cover is the first thing I see, and if it's a good one, I'm hooked. More often than not though, it will be the title, or blurb I find on other websites. However, if the synopsis is well written, that usually sells me on a book. Author buzz also works as well--if I see more than two or three authors talking about a book on Twitter, then I really sit up, pay attention, and get the book!

(Khy) An intriguing premise is always the best, but I have been known to see a pretty cover first and then hunt for more info on the book. (:

Our Panel will be back again in April! Feel free to leave additional questions!